Mischocyttarus filiformis (de Saussure 1854)

Borges, Rafael Cabral & Silveira, Orlando Tobias, 2019, Revision of the species-group of Mischocyttarus (Omega) filiformis (de Saussure 1854), with description of three new species (Hymenoptera, Vespidae), Zootaxa 4657 (3), pp. 545-564 : 548-552

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4657.3.7
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7B2B9390-ABAA-4220-9A0B-35ABC2D29AA6
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B3D101-FFC8-D850-7A9A-FC54F96EFB7E
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Mischocyttarus filiformis (de Saussure 1854)
status

Treatment

Mischocyttarus filiformis (de Saussure 1854) View in CoL

( Figs 6, 7 View FIGURES 6–13 , 14 View FIGURES 14–20 , 21, 22, 30, 32, 33b)

Polybia filiformis de Saussure, 1854: 206 , pl. 26, fig. 8. Holotype: ♀, Le Brésil [ Brazil]; (date and collector not specified) (NHM), examined

Megacanthopus filiformis: Ducke 1904: 360

Monacanthocnemis filiformis: Ducke 1905: 687

Mischocyttarus filiformis: Ducke 1918: 355 View in CoL ; Zikán 1949: 207; Silveira et al. 2016: 3

Mischocyttarus (Omega) filiformis: Richards 1945: 402 View in CoL , fig.70; Silveira 2008: 512, 517, 519, 521, 522, 527, 544, 546; Silveira et al. 2015: 154

Mischocyttarus (Monacanthocnemis) filiformis: Richards, 1978: 379

Diagnosis. Female. Wing length 7.0–9.0mm. First metasomal segment very long and almost linear from above, longer than mesosoma ( Figs 6, 7 View FIGURES 6–13 , 32); sculpture rather coarse, with dense and large punctures on mesosoma, interstices shining with interspersed distinct micro-punctures; pronotal carina strong, continuously and regularly concave forward and with moderately produced round lateral lobes ( Fig. 22 View FIGURES 22–27 ); overall color black, with yellow marks, but ground color of meso and metapleuron sometimes reddish brown; mesepisternum normally with two yellow spots; metasomal terga and sterna black or reddish brown, sometimes very light brown, with distal marginal yellow bands.

Redescription. Female. Length of fore wing 7.0–9.0 mm. Head about as high as wide in frontal view ( Fig. 14 View FIGURES 14–20 ) FHH/IntOW 1.02–1.08; clypeus longer than wide, apical margin weakly angular, H/WCLP 1.12–1.26, apex narrowly truncate; malar space nearly obsolete; tentorial pit much closer to eye margin than to antennal socket; antennal scape elongate, nearly cylindrical, wider on apex L/Wesc 2.8–3.0; posterior ocelli widely separated, POL more than two ocellar diameters; POL/OOL 1.4–1.8; occipital carina well developed, distinct in lateral view and ending fairly below the level of ocular sinus; gena considerably narrower than eye at level of ocular sinus; pronotum without lateral fovea; anterior margin of pronotum with lamella raised and reflexed on central portion, in lateral profile as a rolled lip turned backwards in more than 180 degrees; region immediately behind the lamella without secondary margin; pronotal carina strong and continuous, wider than mesoscutum, WCAR/WMS 1.18–1.27, lamella high throughout, profile from above smoothly curved, concave forwards, projecting at sides as round humeral lobes ( Fig. 22 View FIGURES 22–27 ); mesoscutum as long as wide, L/WMS ca. 1.0; fore wing only moderately elongated, LDIS/HMP 1.85–2.19; claws of hind tarsus asymmetrical, the inner one longer with apex rounded, but not enlarged or spoon-shaped (Fig. 33b); scutellum and metanotum just convex; propodeum with median furrow narrow, developed on 4/5 of the length of propodeal dorsum, propodeal valve with narrow translucent lamella, outline more like a semicircular than trian- gular shape; first metasomal segment very long, LSI/HMP 1.65–1.85, approximately cylindrical with nearly parallel sides, L/WSI 7.2–8.0, apex ca. 1.4 × wider than basal petiole, spiracles prominent ( Figs 6, 7 View FIGURES 6–13 , 32).

Sculpture. Strong and often coarse in appearance ( Fig. 22 View FIGURES 22–27 ), especially on sides of protonum, pleurae and propodeum. Clypeus and lower interantennal area with small and shallow punctures; mandibles with rather large and sparse punctures; upper interanteannal area and frons with medium-sized punctures and nearly indistinguishable micropunctures; mesoscutum sculpture strong and dense, but generally with punctures not coalescent, interstices shining with conspicuous micro punctures; pronotum sculpture often stronger than that of mesoscutum, sometimes with clathrate aspect, i.e. lattice-like, with punctures very large and coalescent and with ridge-like borders; pleurae and propodeum sculpture generally following the pattern presented on pronotum; integument generally distinctly shining.

Vestiture. Eyes with short nearly indistinguishable hairs; head and metasoma with conspicuous appressed or decumbent yellowish pilosity; erect longer and stouter hairs on lower clypeus, mandibles, frons, vertex, gena, hypostoma and mesoscutum; those on pronotum, pleuron and propodeum still longer and finer; metasomal sternum 1 distinctly polished with erect long and fine hairs; tergum 1 with long and fine hairs on area before spiracles and with appressed pubescence after spiracles; remaining metasomal segments with appressed pubescence; legs covered with conspicuous appressed pilosity; coxae with appressed pubescence and some long hairs.

Color. Black. Antennal flagellum beneath reddish to yellowish brown; scape with most of dorsal area brown to black, remaining areas yellow, pedicel brown above and yellow beneath; often large lateral areas on pronotum and pleurae tinged of reddish brown; sometimes discal areas of metasomal terga and sterna reddish to very light brown; most of mandibles, sometimes whole clypeus (otherwise with variable central black mark), inner orbits to top of ocular sinus, comma-shaped spots above antennal sockets (often fused into a single trapezoidal mark), narrow (to rather wider) genal stripe, pronotal carina and broad hind margin of pronotum, often two median mesoscutal stripes, scutellum except posterior margin, interrupted anterior metanotal stripe, antero-dorsal and postero-ventral spots (the latter rarely lacking) on mesepisternum, posterior margin of mesosternum, valves and two large circular to reniform spots on propodeum; ventral distal spot on fore coxa, lateral and ventral spots on mid coxa (often almost entirely beneath), two dorsal stripes on hind coxa, external stripe on fore femur and small apical spots on mid and hind femora, fore and mid tibiae externally and apically, fore tarsus and almost whole of first mid tarsomere, yellow (whole of hind tibia and tarsus, black); sides of metasomal tergum 1 (sometimes considerably extended areas of T1), narrow posterior bands on terga 1–5 (extended anteriorly at sides) and sternum 2, most of sterna 3–6, yellow; hind tibial spurs brown to dark brown. Tegulae testaceous with inner margin yellow to almost entirely yellow. Wings nearly hyaline, costal region yellow-brown, venation brown to black.

Male. Richards (unpublished manuscript) described the general morphology of a male of this species ( Brazil, Pará, Acará), and Silveira (2008) presented information on the genitalia. The description below is based on male specimens from that and other localities in Pará (Bujaru, Caxiuanã and Juruti). Apart from sexually dimorphic characters, the male of M. filiformis is similar to the female, but color pattern tends to be darker with less extensive yellow marks, and sculpture is stronger.

Male. Length of fore wing 7.4 mm. Clypeus less convex, almost flat, about as high as wide (Fig. 30), H/WCLP ca. 1.02; apical margin quite obtuse, apex as a low round border; antennal apex spirally rolled (Fig. 32), with diameter decreasing gradually; antennal article 3 long and slender, longer than 4+5, article 13 curved, long and slender, as long as 11+12; mandible with three teeth; pronotum, mesoscutum and metanotum almost entirely black; pronotal carina yellow; mesosoma with sculpture normally stronger than in female, with clathrate pattern; posterior portion of the head with wide and shallow punctures, hairs generally longer and paler than in female.

Genitalia. Aedeagus from above with distal portion narrow, then suddenly expanding to form a well differentiated apex which is distinctly angular at sides ( Silveira, 2008, Fig. 134); aedeagus basal area as a linear anteriorly produced lobe, ventral process as a small rounded lobe; digitus rather short, triangular, practically glabrous, setae very small and indistinct; outer surface of paramere distally without hairs; parameral spine nearly glabrous.

Nest. Seven nests of Mischocyttarus filiformis were examined, all from Para state (MPEG collection). The nests are small (approximately 1.0 × 0.7 to 2.0 × 1.0cm), stelocyttarous, attached to substrate by an eccentric, fine and slightly flattened pedicel, inclined from a corner of the comb in an approximate 60 degrees angle (Fig. 21). Nest shape is generally suboval, with grayish brown color, built with fine and delicate carton, without an envelope. The largest nest available was that more recently collected (28.x.2016), together with five wasps, 3 meters high from the ground in a site at the edge of rainforest in the “Parque Estadual do Utinga” in Belém, PA. It has 19 cells, those closer to the peduncle being a little higher (and already capped when collected); the remaining seven cells at the opposite side of the comb were still being constructed (inferred by the irregular condition of its borders) and had variable lengths, but with less than half the size of capped cells. Among the examined nests, six of them were darker and shining; only one nest from Caxiuanã (Melgaço, PA), had a lighter, grayish shining surface. Richards (unpublished) described a nest from Bolivia (Beni, 18–23.vii.1979, nest 104; NHM) with 9 cells, carton brown, with a 3.0mm pedicel. It was on the upper side of a large leaf “overhanging the path in a gorge”. Nest 30 “was lost … it was attached on the upper side of a large leaf, hanging vertically 8ft. from the ground on edge of a field”.

Geographic Distribution. Brazil: Amapá *, Laranjal do Jari; Amazonas*: Carauari; Pará: Acará*, Belém, Bujaru*, Itaituba*, Melgaço*, Juruti*, Serra dos Carajás*; Ecuador: Napo *; Bolivia: Beni * (see Fig. 34 View FIGURE 34 ).

Remarks. This species is easily distinguishable by the very elongated first metasomal segment, and by very strong sculpture of the mesosoma. The shape of the pronotal carina profile (from above) is also distinct from other species of this group. An important item of variation refers to the eventual occurrence of varying tones of reddish color on sides of the mesosoma and over discal areas of metasomal terga and sterna. The disk of the clypeus may have a dark central mark (specimens from Belém, Bujaru and Carajás, in Brazil, Pará state) or be entirely yellow. Some specimens from Juruti (Pará) are a little smaller (length of fore wing 7.0mm), with darker and more shining integument. The new locality records for this species considerably expand its distribution [to the West: Ecuador and Brazil (Amazonas state); to the North: Brazil (Amapá state); to the South: Bolivia]. Most of the localities are from south of the Amazon river ( Fig. 34 View FIGURE 34 ).

Examined material. BRAZIL: Amapá: Laranjal do Jari/Cajari, 3♀ 21.v.2001, J. Luis, 1♀, 22.v.2001, J. Carmo, 1♀ 22.v.2001, O.T. Silveira (IEPA); Amazonas: Carauari, ♀ 18.viii.1978, Wallace expedition (NHM); Pará: 1♀ 4.xii.1899, A. Ducke, Acará, 2♀, 6♂ 25.i.1978, P. Tadeu, Belém, Mocambo, 3♀ (with nest) 01.vi.1977, W.L. Overal, 5♀ (with nest) 28.x.2016, R.C. Borges (MPEG), 1♀ ix.1964, E. Dente (MZSP), Bujaru, 27.vi.1977, 1♀ 28.vi.1977, 3♀ (with nest) 01.vii.1977, 1♀ (with nest) 14.viii.1977,1 ♀ (with nest), P. Waldir & L. Braack, 3♀, 2♂ 09.x.1977, P. Waldir, 1♀ 21.iv.1979, R.B. Neto, Carajás, Serra Norte, Pedreira, 1♀ 17.vi.1985, M.F. Torres, Juruti, Barroso, 1♀ 26.x.2007, S.S. Silva & equipe, Beneficiamento, 2♀ 06.vi.2009, S.S. Silva, K.A. Souza & L. Quaresma, Capiranga, 1 ♀ (with nest) 04.xii.2008, S.S. Silva & J. Dias; Vista Bela, R. Mamuru, 2♀, 2♂ 01.x.2009, O.T. Silveira, S.S. Silva & J. Pena, Melgaço, Caxiuanã, 1♀ (with nest) 06.viii.2000, C.K. Starr, Tapajós, Mangabal, 3♀ ix.1916, A. Ducke (MPEG); BOLIVIA: Beni, Rurrenabaque, 2♀, 18.23.1979; ECUADOR: Napo, Muyuna, 1♀ 16.viii.1981 nest 30 (M.Cooper) (NHM).

Richards (1978) mentioned one additional female from Bolivia, Beni (as being “prey of the asilid Diogmites sp”; these wasp and fly specimens are in NHM, and were photographed by OTS) and a second female from Ecuador, Muyuna “nest 30”.