Research Article |
Corresponding author: Patrick K Piekarski ( pkpiekarski@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Andreas Köhler
© 2017 Patrick K Piekarski, James M Carpenter, Barbara J Sharanowski.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Piekarski PK, Carpenter JM, Sharanowski BJ (2017) New species of Ancistrocerus (Vespidae, Eumeninae) from the Neotropics with a checklist and key to all species south of the Rio Grande. ZooKeys 718: 139-154. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.718.21096
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A new species of potter wasp from South America, Ancistrocerus sur sp. n., is described. A species key and checklist for all described Ancistrocerus that occur south of the Rio Grande are provided. New synonymy includes Odynerus bolivianus Brèthes = Ancistrocerus pilosus (de Saussure), while the subspecies bustamente discopictus Bequaert, lineativentris kamloopsensis Bequaert, lineativentris sinopis Bohart, tuberculocephalussutterianus (de Saussure), and pilosus ecuadorianus Bertoni, are all sunk under their respective nominotypical taxa.
Description, Eumeninae , morphology, taxonomy, Vespidae
Ancistrocerus is a genus of potter wasps with a solitary lifestyle, and belongs to the subfamily Eumeninae (Vespidae). Unlike eusocial vespid wasps, mothers nest alone and rear daughters without the aid of other females, and do not provision offspring progressively throughout their larval development. Since all Ancistrocerus presumably mass provision their progeny, their sting is specialized to paralyze and preserve prey items (
Eumeninae phylogeny and taxonomy is not well resolved and ~65% of vespid species belong to the subfamily (
The specimens used in this study are deposited at the American Museum of Natural History (New York, USA). Specimens were examined under a stereomicroscope equipped with an ocular micrometer. Body length was measured from the frons to the apex of the abdomen. Photographs were taken using a Canon 7D Mark II with a Canon MP-E 65mm 1–5× Macro Photo lens. We utilized the Canon MT–24EX Macro Twin Lite for lighting, and used a custom-made diffuser to minimize hot spots. Each image is a montage of 50 layered photos that were taken using a StackShot. Photo layers were montaged using Zerene Stacker 1.04 (Zerene Systems LLC.).
Terminology follows
Holotype. Female, ARGENT: Jujuy Posta Lozano 15–17 Dec 1967 C.C. Porter. Allotype. Male, BOLIVIA: Tarija, V-7 1969 C. Porter. Paratypes. 9 females, 12 males.
This species can be distinguished from all other Neotropical Ancistrocerus using a combination of the following characters: sternum II lacking a longitudinal basomedian furrow; sternum II in lateral view strongly truncate posterior to transverse furrow (Fig.
Lateral view of the metasoma of an A Ancistrocerus sur sp. n. male, with sternum II strongly truncate posterior to transverse furrow B A. cingulatus (Cresson) female, with sternum II convex posterior to transverse furrow C A. santaanna (de Saussure) male, with sternum II flat posterior to transverse furrow D Ventrolateral view of A. tuberculocephalus (de Saussure) female; sternum II with deep, longitudinal basomedian furrow. Frontal view of the clypeus for E A. arista (de Saussure) male with clypeus having a deep, semicircular emargination; and F A. lineativentris Cameron male with clypeus not having a deep, semicircular emargination. Dorsolateral view of vertex and pronotum of G A. tuberculocephalus (de Saussure) female, with pronotal carina present dorsolaterally and a polished tubercle posterior to ocelli; and H A. lineativentris Cameron male, with pronotal carina absent and vertex without tubercle. lbf = longitudinal basomedian furrow; tb = tubercle; dpc = dorsal pronotal carina.
Female. Body length 11.50–14.00 mm. Color. Almost entirely black; small traces of yellow may be present at apex of clypeus; small yellow dot in antennocular space, interantennal space, and upper gena; usually have thin, ferruginous band at apex of T II-VI and sterna II-VI (Fig.
Head. Twelve antennal articles; 1st flagellomere ~1/3 the size of scape; pedicel ~1/2 size of 1st flagellomere; vertex with pubescence as long as distance between posterior ocelli; vertex with dense coarse punctures, much less dense than on clypeus; vertex without tubercle; clypeus about as long as wide, narrowed apically with slight concavity at tip; mandibles decussate, four teeth spaced along the edge; mandibular ridges present; antennal sockets less than 1/2 socket diameter away from clypeus; palpal formula 6:4; maxillary palpomere two about same length as palpomere three; a narrow interantennal distance, approximately the diameter of a antennal socket; ocello-occipital distance greater than the length of the ocellar triangle; cephalic foveae closely spaced, set in a slight medial depression which is delimited posteriorly by a carina; dorsal occipital carina simple and complete, without fork, running to mandible; gena most wide dorsally.
Mesosoma. Long thoracic hairs (Fig.
Dorsal view of mesosoma for A Ancistrocerus bustamente (de Saussure) female, with parategulae of mesonotum narrowed, and humeral angle obtuse and not projecting B A. epicus (Zavattari) female, with parategulae of mesonotum broadly flattened, and humeral angle approximately a right angle and projecting bluntly C A. sur sp. n. female, with parategulae broad and humeral angle acute and projecting sharply. Dorsoposterior view of propodeum and T I for D A. bustamente (de Saussure) female, with propodeal dorsal carina complete E A. similis (Smith) male, with propodeal dorsal carinae incomplete F A. flavomarginatus (Brèthes) female, without propodeal dorsal carina and T I with carina well developed dorsally; and G A. sur sp. n. female, without propodeal dorsal carina and tergum I with carina effaced dorsally. pt = parategula; hum = pronotal humeri; pdc = propodeal dorsal carina; tc= T I carina.
Metasoma. Thin white or yellowish hairs on metasoma, longest on T I; T I carina effaced dorsally (Fig.
Dorsal view of T II for A Ancistrocerus epicus (Zavattari) female, with punctures small and reduced apically, and ivory maculations B A. similis (Smith) male, with punctation dense apically; and C A. sur sp. n. female, with punctation less dense apically and ending about one puncture diameter from apex. Lateral view of metasoma for D A. flavomarginatus (Brèthes) female, with metasomal maculations abundant and orange-yellow; and E A. pilosus (de Saussure) female, with pale maculations and sparse after T II. Dorsal view of T I-III for F A. durangoensis Cameron female, with punctation coarse on T II and apices slightly thickened or reflexed, and pubescence consisting of long hairs G A. cingulatus (Cresson) female, with T I and II dull, with fine punctation, and T I carina sharp and thin; and (H) A. isla Carpenter female, with T I and II shiny with punctures superficial, and T I carina thick and blunt. tc = T I carina.
Male. Body length 10.00–13.00 mm. Color. Almost entirely black; clypeus usually entirely yellow (Fig.
Head. Identical to female, except for: 13 antennal articles; apex of antennae hooked; clypeus longer than wide, narrowed apically with slight concavity at tip; mandibles decussate, four (five on allotype) teeth spaced along the edge; cephalic foveae absent.
Mesosoma. Identical to female (Fig.
Metasoma. Identical to female, but 7 metasomal segments and male genitalia. T II apex in male not reflexed (cf. A. arista and A. similis).
Argentina, Bolivia.
The name is the Spanish word for “south,” referring to its southerly distribution in the Neotropics. It is to be treated as a noun in apposition.
1 | Sternum II with deep, longitudinal basomedian furrow at least one third the length of the sternum (Fig. |
2 |
– | Sternum II lacking longitudinal basomedian furrow, or if a shallow one is present it is less than one third the length of the sternum; T II coarsely punctate apically or not | 4 |
2 | Pubescence on scutum fine, less than one ocellus diameter long; color gray with orange-yellow maculations; clypeus with deep, semicircular emargination (Fig. |
arista (de Saussure) |
– | Pubescence on scutum longer than one ocellus diameter (Fig. |
3 |
3 | Pronotal carina present dorsolaterally (Fig. |
berculocephalus (de Saussure) |
– | Pronotal carina absent; vertex without tubercle (Fig. |
lineativentris Cameron |
4 | Sternum II in lateral view flat or slightly concave posterior to transverse furrow (Fig. |
santaanna (de Saussure) |
– | Sternum II in lateral view evenly convex or strongly truncate posterior to transverse furrow | 5 |
5 | Sternum II in lateral view strongly truncate posterior to transverse furrow (Fig. |
6 |
– | Sternum II in lateral view evenly convex posterior to transverse furrow (Fig. |
11 |
6 | Parategula narrow (Fig. |
bustamente (de Saussure) |
– | Parategula broadly flattened (Fig. |
7 |
7 | T II with punctation reduced apically, punctures small (Fig. |
epicus (Zavattari) |
– | T II with punctures as large or larger apically than rest of tergum, even if punctation is reduced; humeri with sharply angular projections (Fig. |
8 |
8 | T II with punctation dense apically (Fig. |
similis (Smith) |
– | T II with punctation less dense apically (Fig. |
9 |
9 | T I with carina effaced dorsally (Fig. |
sur Piekarski & Carpenter, sp. n. |
– | T I with carina well developed dorsally (Fig. |
10 |
10 | Maculations abundant, orange-yellow; all terga and sterna after II with bands (Fig. |
flavomarginatus (Brèthes) |
– | Maculations variable in extent, pale yellow (Fig. |
pilosus (de Saussure) |
11 | Punctation coarse on mesosoma; T II and III with punctation dense, coarser near apices than on rest of surface, apices slightly thickened or reflexed (Fig. |
durangoensis Cameron |
– | Punctation fine on humeri and scutum, nearly absent on metasoma; pubescence reduced (Greater Antilles) | 12 |
12 | T I and II dull, with fine punctation (Fig. |
cingulatus (Cresson) |
– | T I and II shiny (Fig. |
isla Carpenter |
Color variability is usually a poor character to demarcate species due to large variability within and between closely related species, and because distantly related species occupying the same area share similar coloration patterns (
There exists sexual dimorphism in clypeus color between males and females of Ancistrocerus sur, as well as presence/absence of yellow spots in the antennocular and interantennal space. Males lack a T2 with a reflexed apex, suggesting that the sexual dimorphism in this species may be less than in other Ancistrocerus. Typically, male vespids either have the same number of teeth as conspecific females, or fewer (
Genus Ancistrocerus Wesmael
Ancistrocerus Wesmael, 1836, Bull. Acad. R. Belg. 3: 45, subgenus of Odynerus Latreille.
Type species: Vespa parietum, Linnaeus, 1758, by subsequent designation of Girard, 1879, Traité Élem. d’Entomol. II (2): 900.
Euancistrocerus Dalla Torre, 1904, Gen. Ins. 19: 36, name for division II of subgenus Ancistrocerus Wesmael of genus Odynerus Latreille in de Saussure, Ét. Fam. Vesp. 1: 127, 3: 209.
Type species: Vespa parietum Linnaeus, 1758, subsequent designation of van der Vecht and Carpenter, 1990, Zool. Verh. Leiden 260: 21.
Valid species: 116 spp.
Distr.: Ethiopian (22 spp.), Nearctic (22 spp.), Neotropical (7 spp.), Oriental (18 spp.) and Palearctic Region (57 spp.)
Diagnosis. Male antenna hooked apically; female cephalic foveae closely spaced, sometimes in slight depression, nearer occipital margin than posterior ocelli, but not in distinct area of differentiated cuticle; anterior face of pronotum without medial pits or foveae (cf. Parancistrocerus); pronotal carina weak or absent dorsally, but well developed laterally; pronotum without oblique humeral carina (cf. Parancistrocerus); pretegular carina present; tegula tapered posteriorly, reaching slightly beyond the parategula; axillary fossa oval, broader than long; epicnemial carina absent; midtibia with one spur; metanotum somewhat flat, without tubercles; dorsal face of propodeum short or lacking, and sloped; propodeal concavity divided by well-developed median longitudinal carina; propodeal valvula not enlarged; metasoma sessile, not petiolate; T1 with width more than half that of T2 in dorsal view, and T1 less than twice as long as wide; T1 with single transverse carina near summit; T1 without broad longitudinal median groove posterior to carina (c.f. Symmorphus); sternum II with basal transverse furrow; prestigma length < one-third stigma; second recurrent vein received by second submarginal cell; second submarginal cell not petiolate.
arista (de Saussure)
Odynerus arista de Saussure, 1857, Rev. Mag. Zool. (2) 9: 274, sex not stated (in subgenus Ancistrocerus, division Ancistrocerus) – “Mexique: Cuernavaca” (Genève).
Distr.: Mexico: Morelos.
bustamente (de Saussure)
Odynerus Bustamente de Saussure, 1857, Rev. Mag. Zool. (2) 9: 273, sex not stated (in subgenus Ancistrocerus, division Ancistrocerus) – “De Pérote, au Mexique” (lectotype female Genève).
Odynerus Bustamenti de Saussure, 1875, Smithson. Misc. Coll. 254: 157 (key), 172. Unjustified emendation.
Odynerus pictiventris Cameron, 1906, Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 39: 331, female – “New Mexico” (type depository unknown).
Ancistrocerus neocallosus Bequaert, 1944, Entomol. Amer. (N. S.) 23: 236, 239 (key), 264, fig. 3, female, male – “Arizona: Mt. Lemmon, Sa. Catalina Mts., Pima Co., 6,000 ft.” (holotype female Cambridge); also from numerous other localities; and TX, KS, CO, UT, NV, CA.
Ancistrocerus neocallosus var. (or subsp.) discopictus Bequaert, 1944, Entomol. Amer. (N. S.) 23: 236, 268, female, male – “California: Round Valley, San Jacinto Mts., Riverside Co., 9,200 ft.” (holotype female Cambridge); also from numerous other localities; and AZ. REVISED STATUS.
Distr.: U.S.A.: TX, KS, CO, UT, NV, CA, AZ, NM; Mexico: Veracruz.
Note: The discopictus is a minor color variant, like other cases in Eumeninae discussed by
cingulatus (Cresson)
Odynerus cingulatus Cresson, 1865, Proc. Entomol. Soc. Philad. 4: 162, female – “Cuba” (coll. Gundlach, Habana).
Distr.: Cuba.
durangoensis Cameron
Ancistrocerus durangoensis Cameron, 1908, Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 34: 216, male – “Durango, Colorado” (Zürich).
Ancistrocerus fulvicarpus Cameron, 1908, Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 34: 222, female – “South-west Colorado” (Zürich).
“Ancistrocerus behrensi Cr.” Tucker, 1909, Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci. 22: 286 – “Colorado, Buffalo.” Nomen nudum.
Distr.: U. S. A.: OK, TX, NM, AZ, UT, CO, WY; Mexico: Chihuahua.
epicus (Zavattari)
Odynerus epicus Zavattari, 1912, Arch. Naturgesch. 78A (4): 174 (key), 191, female (in subgenus Ancistrocerus, division Euancistrocerus) – “Peru: San Paulo” (coll. Magretti, Milano; recte: Torino).
Distr.: Peru.
flavomarginatus (Brèthes)
Odynerus flavomarginatus Brèthes, 1906, An. Mus. Nac. Buenos Aires 13: 349, 371 (key), female (in subgenus Ancistrocerus) – “Brasil” (Buenos Aires, Montevideo).
Distr.: Brazil; Paraguay.
isla Carpenter
Ancistrocerus isla Carpenter, 2011, in Carpenter & Genaro, Insect. Mund. 0202: 1, 5 (key), 6, figs. 25-26, 41, female – “Puerto Rico: Mayaguez” (Washington); also from another locality.
Distr.: Puerto Rico.
lineativentris Cameron
Ancistrocerus lineativentris Cameron, 1906, Invert. Pacif. 1: 146, male – “Mountains near Claremont, California” (Pomona, no. 3949).
Ancistrocerus lineativentris var. (or subsp.) kamloopsensis Bequaert, 1944, Entomol. Amer. (N. S.) 23: 280, male, female – “British Columbia: Kamloops” (holotype female Cambridge); also from U. S. A.: OR, WY. REVISED STATUS.
Ancistrocerus lineativentris var. fulvicarpus; Bequaert, 1944, Entomol. Amer. (N. S.) 23: 236, 279 (key), 281. Misidentification.
Ancistrocerus lineativentris sinopis Bohart, 1974, in Bohart & Menke, J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 47: 466, male, female – “Mt. Lemmon Lodge, Santa Catalina Mts., Arizona” (holotype male Davis); also from numerous other localities; and CO, TX, UT. REVISED STATUS.
Distr.: Canada: B. C.; Western U. S. A. east to SD, KS; Mexico: Chihuahua.
Note: The kamloopsensis and lineativentris sinopis are both minor color variants, which are known to intergrade with the nominotypical form (Bequaert, 1944: 280), and we therefore synonymize them.
pilosus (de Saussure)
Odynerus pilosus de Saussure, 1855, Ét. Fam. Vesp. 3: 218, male (in subgenus Ancistrocerus) – “Le Perou” (Paris).
Ancistrocerus pilosus var. ecuadorianus Bertoni, 1918, An. Cient. Parag. (2) 3: 197, female – “Santa Inés, Ecuador” (San Lorenzo). REVISED STATUS.
Odynerus bolivianus Brèthes, 1920 (1919), Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 88: 397, female (in subgenus Euancistrocerus) – “Bolivia: Beni” (Buenos Aires). NEW SYNONYMY.
Distr.: Venezuela; Colombia; Peru; Ecuador; Bolivia.
Note: One of us (JMC) has seen the types of both pilosus and bolivianus, and a specimen of pilosus var. ecuadorianus from the Bertoni collection in San Lorenzo that is probably a type. Female pilosus compare very well to the type female of bolivianus and are very similar in coloration, and we herewith synonymize these taxa. The variety ecuadorianus is a minor color variant, and is also synonymized.
santaanna (de Saussure)
Odynerus Santa-anna de Saussure, 1857, Rev. Mag. Zool. (2) 9: 273, female, male (in subgenus Ancistrocerus, division Ancistrocerus) – “Le Mexique” (Genève).
Odynerus Santa-annae de Saussure, 1875, Smithson. Misc. Coll. 254: 159 (key), 171. Unjustified emendation.
Distr.: Mexico: Veracruz, Jalapa, Michoacán.
similis (Smith)
Odynerus similis Smith, 1857 (April), Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus. 5: 80, female – “Mexico” (London).
Odynerus Parredes de Saussure, 1857 (June), Rev. Mag. Zool. (2) 9: 273, sex not stated (in subgenus Ancistrocerus, division Ancistrocerus) – “Le Mexique, Mextitlan” (Genève).
Odynerus Parredesi de Saussure, 1875, Smithson. Misc. Coll. 254: 158 (key), 180. Unjustified emendation.
Odynerus pilosellus Cameron, 1912, Timehri 2: 221, female – “Costa Rica” (London).
Distr.: U. S. A.; Mexico: Hidalgo, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas; Guatemala; Costa Rica; Panama.
tuberculocephalus (de Saussure)
Odynerus Tuberculocephalus de Saussure, 1852, Ét. Fam. Vesp. 1: 122 (key); 1853: 139, pl. XVI fig. 9, male, female (in subgenus Ancistrocerus) – “Le Mexique” (Genève?).
Odynerus tuberculiceps de Saussure, 1853, Ét. Fam. Vesp. 1: Errata and Explanation of pl. XVI fig. 9. Unjustified emendation.
Odynerus sutterianus de Saussure, 1875, Smithson. Misc. Coll. 254: 186, male, female (in subgenus Ancistrocerus) – “California” (Genève).
“Odynerus nigrohirsutulus Cameron” Bequaert, 1925, Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 51: 114 (label on possible type of A. (?) nigro-hirsutus Cameron; belongs in Ancistrocerus). Nomen nudum.
Ancistrocerus tuberculiceps var. sutterianus Bequaert, 1944, Entomol. Amer. (N. S.) 23: 236, 283 (key), 284. REVISED STATUS.
Distr.: Canada: B. C.; U. S. A.: CA, NV, UT, ID, OR, SD, WY, UT, CO, AZ, NM, TX; Mexico: Chihuahua, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michocan, DF, Tamaulipas, Veracruz.
Note: The subspecies sutterianus is a minor color variant, which is known to intergrade and to co-occur with the nominotypical form (
This research was supported by the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship to P.K.P, a NSERC CGS-M to P.K.P, and a NSERC discovery grant to B.J.S. Special thanks to Miles Zhang and Ryan Daley Ridenbaugh for training P.K.P on the imaging system.