Trimeria rubra Hermes & Melo, 2006

Trimeria rubra Hermes & Melo, 2006 View in CoL

( Figs. 12 View FIGURES 11 – 16 , 29 View FIGURES 27 – 30 , 33, 34 View FIGURES 31 – 36 , 38 View FIGURES 37 – 42 , 44 View FIGURES 43 – 46 and 46)

Description of male. Coloration. Integument black extensively marked with yellow, as follows: mandibles, labrum and clypeus entirely; inner face of scape; large quadrangular mark on frons right above clypeus; broad band on emargination and upper inner orbit of compound eye; band on upper gena; broad band on anterior and dorsal surfaces of pronotum adjacent to the pronotal carina, and thin band on posterior margin of pronotum; most of upper mesepisternum; tegula anteriorly and posteriorly; apical half of disc and lateral bands of scutellum entirely; spot on dorso-lateral surface and lateral processes of propodeum entirely; most of fore trochanter; posterior and outer surfaces of fore femur; anterior and outer surfaces of fore, mid and hind tibiae; spot on pointed projection of mid coxa; inner surface of mid femur; small apical spot on outer surface of hind femur; large lateral spots on T1; broad band on disc of T2 interrupted medially and complete on T3-T5; lateral and central spots on T6; central small spots on S4-S7. Dorsal surface of pronotum mostly and T1 reddish ferruginous. Metasoma dark brown except for yellow and ferruginous marked portions as indicated above. Flagellum beneath light chestnut. Middle of tegula and legs (except for yellow marked portions as indicated above) dark brown to chestnut. Wings and venation ambarine.

Structure. Body mostly covered by apressed pale short setae, more conspicuous on head, pronotum and mesoscutum and somewhat longer and erect on metasomal sterna. Clypeus with undefined shallow punctation and with slightly concave apex; gena depressed; occipital carina developed, reaching base of mandibles; flagellum of antenna club-like; frons and vertex with coarse punctures intermixed with well-defined micropunctures; anterior surface of pronotum somewhat shiny, at most reticulate; pronotal carina developed, somewhat raised and produced into a translucent lamella on lateral portions; punctures of dorsal surface of pronotum as on frons and vertex, but shallower; mesepisternum produced laterally, clearly divided into anterior, lateral and posterior surfaces–anterior and posterior surfaces devoid of punctures, at most reticulate, lateral surface coarsely punctate with micropunctures shallow to obsolete; epicnemial carina undefined, mesepisternal posterior carina sharp; mesoscutum coarsely punctate with intermixed micropunctures; tegula rounded on outer margin and emarginate posteriorly, with fine punctures most evident on middle; disc of scutellum strongly punctate, with punctures delimited by somewhat careniform striae, margined laterally and posteriorly by a sharp and lamelliform carina; vertical depression beneath scutellum strongly crenate, intermediated by a sharp transversal carina; dorsal surface of propodeum coarsely punctate, posterior surface with a median carina and oblique lateral striae, at most with sparse punctures; lateral processes of propodeum developed, with a translucent apical margin; propodeal valvula rounded beneath and pointed right below lateral process of propodeum; fore trochanter produced into a rectangular spatula; mid coxa with a strong median pointed projection; T1 coarsely punctate; anterior surfaces of T2-T6 finely micropuncate, disc of corresponding terga coarsely punctate with fine apical band of weak crenation; T7 shiny and finely punctate on basal half, and strongly punctate and setose on apical half; metasomal sterna finely punctate.

Variation. Some males may present a reduction on the ferruginous coloration on dorsal surface of pronotum, some lacking it at all; others may present it extensively ferruginous and even a very lighter metasoma.

Remarks. Hermes & Melo (2006) described T. tubra based solely on females. They mentioned that this species could be closely related to T. americana , T. howardi and T. neotropica , a condition that is prone to be corroborated by ongoing cladistic analysis (Carpenter & Garcete-Barrett, in prep.). It may be differentiated from the other species by the characters mentioned in the present key and by the key provided by Hermes & Melo (2006). The male of T. rubra is described for the first time. It may be associated to the female by the general color pattern, with reddish suffusion on the pronotum and extensive yellow markings along entire body; and the fore femur is definitely wider but slightly truncate basally.

Distribution: Brazil (Mato Grosso and Rondônia).

Examined material. New records: 1 female from Mato Grosso (MT): 2.xi.1961, F.M. Oliveira; 5 females and 3 males from MT: Cáceres, Polonoroeste, 12-18.xi.1984, C. Elias col.; 5 females with the same data but 21.xi.1984; 4 females and 1 male with the same data but 28.xi.1984; 8 females with the same data but 5.xii.1984; 1 female with the same data but 17.xii.1984; 5 females and 2 males with the same data but 9.i.1985; 5 females and 6 males with the same data but 16.i.1985; 3 females with the same data but 28.i.1985; 1 female and 2 males with the same data but 7.ii.1985; 2 females with the same data but 12.ii.1985; 2 females with the same data but 3.iii.1985; 1 male with the same data but 10.iii.1985; 2 females with the same data but 19.iii.1985; 2 females with the same data but 22.iii.1985; 1 female with the same data but 26.iii.1985; 25 females and 7 males with the same data but 27.iii.1985; 1 female with the same data but 2.iv.1985; 1 male with the same data but 3.iv.1985; 3 females with the same data but 4.iv.1985; 2 females from MT: Rio Manso, 12.x.1986, A. Raw col.; 1 female with the same data but 12.x.1988; 4 females with the same data but 13.x.1988; 4 females with the same data but 14.x.1988 ( DZUP).

Floral records. 6 females from Rio Manso were collected while visiting flowers of a species of Stachytarpheta (Verbenaceae) , and one additional female bears a label indicating it was collected on flowers of Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Rich.) Vahl.