Climaciella is distinguished from other mantispines of the New World by the antennal flagellomeres ≥ 3 times as wide as long in frontal view, the lateral parapsidal furrow not developed, and the female gonocoxites and gonapophyses VIII separated by a membranous strip. Additionally, the membrane of the anterior half of the wings is amber colored, and all the species exhibit Batesian mimicry with polistine wasps.

Climaciella amapaensis Penny, 1982, C. brunnea (Say, 1824), C. cubana Enderlein, 1910, C. elektroptera sp. nov., C. henrotayi Nel, 1989, C. nigriflava sp. nov., C. obtusa Hoffman, 2002, C. personata (Stitz, 1913), C. porosa Hoffman, 2002, C. rafaeli Calle et al. in Ardila et al. 2018, C. risaraldensis sp. nov., C. semihyalina (Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau & Audinet-Serville in Latreille et al. 1825), and C. tincta (Navás, 1914).

French Guiana: Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, Carrière du Galion, Créte avec foret sur quartzite érodée, 04°44'31.54"N, 52°25'53.02"W, 16.V.2015, automatic light trap (blue) (1♀ CNIN).

Despite this species exhibits a similar coloration pattern as C. semihyalina, the straighter prothorax and the wing pattern easily differentiate the unknown species. Compared to C. semihyalina, the anterior half of both wings of the specimen examined have paler areas inside the cells and wing apexes (Fig. 2A). In C. semihyalina, these same areas are noticeably darker and uniformly colored. Furthermore, the infuscation on the posterior half of both wings differ in their overall extension, shape and intensity between both species. The cited specimen examined herein probably represents a new species; however, as a single female only was available for this study, we opted to not describe this species until male specimens are available to confirm this hypothesis.

Figure 2. 

Wings of Climaciella species from French Guiana A Climaciella sp. B Climaciella amapaensis Penny, 1982.

French Guiana.

French Guiana: Maripasoula, Mitaraka, Contreforts du Mitaraka, crique Alama, Foret vallonnée au pied d’inselbergs, 20.VIII.2015, automatic light trap (GemLight) (1 sex? CNIN).

Records of Climaciella amapaensis are scarce, but this species can be easily recognized by its coloration pattern that consists of a yellow body with black stripes and marks. Even though a similar color pattern is expressed by C. nigriflava sp. nov., C. cubana, C. risaraldensis sp. nov., and some morphs of C. brunnea, this species is distinguished because on the head there are two transversal bands at the level of the antennal insertion and on the upper portion of the region of the vertex, the compound eyes are enlarged and the region of the gena is narrow. In addition, the prothorax is straight in lateral view with longitudinal, lateral dark brown bands. This species is also unique within the genus due to the presence of narrow forefemur with thin processes. On the male genitalia, the apex of the gonocoxites X is not forked and blade-shaped, and the hypomeres are present as a single granule-shaped sclerite on the gonostyli X membrane laterally on each side.

This species is herein reported from French Guiana for the first time. In the original description, this species was reported from Brazil (Amapá) (Penny 1982), and then Hoffman (1992) provided a further record from Peru (Cusco). Recently, Ardila-Camacho and García (2015) provided a redescription and the first record from Colombia (Risaralda); however, this species actually represents a new species despite its noticeably similitude in coloration and morphology.

Brazil, French Guiana, Peru.

Holotype ♂, French Guiana: Maripasoula/Camopi, Mont Itupé, Massif tabulaire, Pente oust (600 m), 28.XI.2014, light trap (MNHN). Paratypes. Same data as holotype (1♀ CNIN, 2♀ CSCA).

This species is easily differentiated from its congeners based on its uniformly dark brown body coloration. The prothorax is bent medially like in C. semihyalina and C. obtusa and lacks a prominent hump as in C. porosa. The wing coloration pattern is similar to that of C. porosa, with the anterior half of both wings pale amber. On the male genitalia, the gonocoxites X are bifid at the apex, and the gonostyli X membrane is set with a granule-shaped hypomere laterally at each side. Additionally, the gonostyli X are ribbon-shaped and the female spermatheca is relatively short and simple.

Measurements. Head width: 2.9‒3.2 mm; Head length: 2.7‒3.4 mm; Prothorax length: 3.4‒3.9 mm; Forefemur length: 4.1‒6.4 mm; Forefemur maximum width: 1.7‒2.1 mm; Forewing length: 15.4‒16.5‒18.8 mm; Forewing maximum width: 3.5‒4.1 mm; Hindwing length: 13.3‒15.8 mm; Hindwing maximum width: 3.2‒3.9 mm.

Coloration (Figs 3, 4A–D). Head. Head capsule completely dark brown; antenna brown; flagellomeres with dark brown setae. Mouthparts dark brown. Thorax. Prothorax uniformly dark brown. Foreleg. Dark brown. Mid- and hind leg. Uniformly dark brown. Wings. Forewing membrane with anterior half and wing base pale brown, posterior half pale amber; venation brown, with paler and darker areas. Hind wing with costal, subcostal and radial fields, and 1r-m and area adjacent to RP branches pale brown; remaining membrane pale amber; venation brown, with paler and darker areas. Abdomen. Dark brown, except pleural region of abdominal base cream.

Figure 3. 

Climaciella elektroptera sp. nov. A female habitus, dorsal B fore- and hindwing.

Figure 4. 

Climaciella elektroptera sp. nov. A prothorax and head, dorsolateral view B foreleg, posterior surface C same, anterior surface D head, frontal view E male pregenital abdominal apparatus.

Morphology (Figs 3, 4). Head. Vertex region convex above compound eyes; compound eyes as wide as 0.75 of interocular distance at antennal insertion level. Antennal scape 2× as long as wide; pedicel as long as wide; basal flagellomere 1.5× as long as wide, the rest discoidal, with 31‒33 flagellomeres, all covered with fine, short setae. Frons quadrangular, frontoclypeal ridge barely perceptible; clypeus trapezoidal, labrum ovoid; mandible elongate; region of the gena as long as clypeus; maxillary palpus with basal palpomere slightly longer than wide; second palpomere 2.5× as long as wide; third and fourth palpomere 3× as long as wide; fifth palpomere as long as third. Submentum rectangular; labial palpus with first palpomere 3× as long as wide, second palpomere 5× as long as wide, third palpomere slightly longer than second; palpimacula groove-shaped. Thorax. Pronotum tubular, 4× as long as wide at maculae, slightly bent at mid-length in lateral view; medial region coarsely wrinkled; dorsal surface densely covered with fine, short setae; postfurcasternum narrowly ovoid. Mesonotum as long as wide, anterolaterally produced; lateral parapsidal suture obsolete; entire surface covered with fine, short setae; metanotum rectangular, scutum glabrous, scutellum with fine, short setae. Pteropleuron with fine, short setae. Foreleg. Coxa cylindrical, elongate, with proximal ring-shaped sulcus; anterior and posterior surface with abundant fine, short setae distal to proximal sulcus; trochanter ovoid; femur semi-triangular, robust, with abundant fine, short setae; posteroventral row of processes present on distal 2/3 of femur length; medial region of the row with two primary processes, the rest of the row with alternate secondary, tertiary, and quaternary processes, and numerous Stitz organs arising from reduced processes. Anteroventral row of processes reduced to a prominent major process. Tibia short and arched, reaching the major process of femur; anterior surface covered with abundant, clavate setae; distal margin acutely produced; closing surface with abundant trichoid setae. Basitarsus subconical, as long as eutarsus, with abundant trichoid setae on closing surface; pretarsus reduced to a single, simple claw. Mid- and hind leg. Coxae and trochanter subconical; femora tubular, that of hind leg slightly longer than on mid leg; tibiae elongate, thin, that of hind leg longer than on mid leg; tibial spurs well-developed. Tarsi with basitarsus slightly longer than eutarsus; pretarsal claws with six apical denticles. Wings. Forewing elongate and narrow; costal space narrow with seven or eight subcostal veinlets; Sc vein running close to C on area adjacent to pterostigma, and not approaching or touching RA at pterostigma level; pterostigma wedge-shaped; subcostal space with five or six crossveins on medial region, five or six crossveins on substigmal area. Radial space with two crossveins; one or two RP branches arising from rarp1, three or four from rarp2, 1‒3 from rarp3; six or seven gradate crossveins present. Media vein proximally fused to R, but inflexed forming a radial triangle; M diverging from R close R fork; M fork opposite to R fork; MA proximally fused to first RP stem for a short distance or connected to it through a short crossvein, forming a trapezoidal rm2. Cubitus forked near the level of radial triangle. Anal veins simple. Hind wing similar to forewing but shorter; costal space narrow, with nine subcostal veinlets; C and Sc not fused, running subparallel until pterostigma; pterostigma wedge-shaped; subcostal space with five crossveins on distal region. Radial space with three crossveins; two RP branches arising from rarp1, two or three from rarp2, one or two from rarp3; 5‒7 gradate crossveins present. Media vein basally fused to R, forked slightly before level of R fork. Cubitus forked slightly beyond the level of 1m-cu, CuA terminating on posterior wing margin at level of 1r-m, CuP distally fused to anterior branch of A1. Abdomen. Male tergites IV and V with two parallel rows of pores anterolaterally on each side which converge on inner end, with 28‒33 pores on each couple of rows (Fig. 4E); intertergal membrane between segments IV‒VI expanded, apparently forming an eversible sac. In both sexes tergite III with two anteromedial glabrous marks; tergite IV with four glabrous marks, two medial and two lateral, all located at mid-length; tergites V and VI with a single glabrous mark, laterally on each side.

Male terminalia (Fig. 5A–F). Tergite IX half-ring shaped, medially narrower than laterally; sternite IX setose, approximately pentagonal, posteromedial region slightly protuberant. Gonocoxite IX elongated, curved, blunt on both apexes, anterior apex somewhat expanded, posterior apex curved outwards. Ectoproct ovoid, ventromedial lobe with around 42 stout setae. Gonocoxites X forming an elongate, gently curved sclerite, which is slightly expanded towards anterior apex, posterior apex bifid; gonostyli X membrane ventrally with triangular slightly sclerotized area, covered with microspinulae and with lateral granule-shaped hypomere; gonostyli X elongated, ribbon-shaped; entire surface with microspinulae. Gonocoxites XI arch-shaped, median lobe, short, hook-shaped.

Figure 5. 

Climaciella elektroptera sp. nov. A male terminalia, lateral B same, ventral C same, dorsal D male genitalia, lateral E same, dorsal F same, ventral G female terminalia, lateral H spermatheca I female terminalia, ventral.

Female terminalia (Fig. 5G–I). Sternite VII (or gonocoxites VII) enlarged, pentagonal. Tergite VIII half-ring shaped, approximately as wide medially as laterally, enclosing the spiracle of the segment; gonocoxites VIII narrow, bar-shaped, subparallel-sided, slightly narrower at middle; gonapophyses VIII forming a bilobed, setose sclerite, connected to posteromedial region of gonocoxites VIII. Tergite IX half-ring shaped, posterolaterally connected to gonocoxites IX; gonocoxite IX a small and ovoid sclerite; gonapophyses IX probably represented by small, sclerotized areas on the anteroventral area of gonocoxites IX. Ectoprocts paired, ovoid. Bursa copulatrix short; spermatheca simple, entangled, with the same thickness on the different sections; fertilization canal duct and fertilization canal short.

The specific name of this species is from the Greek ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron) meaning amber, and πτερόν (pteron), meaning wing, in allusion to the coloration of the wings of this species.

This new species is similar to C. porosa based on its general coloration; however, the bent prothorax and the lack of a hump on the medial region of the pronotum quickly differentiate it. Another species similar to C. elektroptera sp. nov. is C. personata from Bolivia, although the latter has a more patterned body coloration, and the posterior limit of the amber anterior area of the wings is darker and noticeably marked. Based on the bent prothorax, C. elektroptera sp. nov. is probably closely related to C. obtusa, C. semihyalina, C. personata, C. rafaeli, and C. nigriflava sp. nov.

Based on the coloration pattern, size, and distribution of C. elektroptera sp. nov., the possible wasp models for this species could be Agelaia angulata (Fabricius, 1804) or Polistes deceptor Schulz, 1905 (R. Lopes, pers. comm. 2022)

French Guiana.

Holotype ♂, French Guiana: Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, Carrière du Galion, Crete avec foret sur quartzite érodée, 04°44'31.54"N, 52°25'53.02"W, 22.II.2016, automatic light trap (blue) (MNHN). Paratypes. French Guiana: Maripasoula, Mitaraka, Contreforts du Mitaraka, crique Alama, Foret vallonnée au pied d’inselbergs, 18.III.2015, light trap (1♀ CNIN); same data but 20.VIII.2015, automatic light trap (blue) (1♂ CSCA). Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, Carrière du Galion, Crête avec forêt sur quartzite érodée, 4°44'31,54"N, 52°25'53,02"W, 25.IV.2015, automatic light trap (blue) (1♂ CSCA).

This new species has a similar body coloration pattern as C. amapaensis, C. cubana, and certain morphs of C. brunnea. However, the bent prothorax at midlength in lateral view distinguishes the new species from the aforementioned ones. Furthermore, the head in C. nigriflava sp. nov. is basically entirely yellow, while the remaining species with similar coloration exhibit dark stripes or marks. The coloration of the femur is also similar to that of C. amapaensis, yet the more robust femur with thickened processes distinguishes C. nigriflava sp. nov. from the former. Moreover, the wing coloration of this species is similar to that of C. porosa and C. elektroptera sp. nov. In the male genitalia, the gonocoxites X have the posterior apex truncate, the hypomeres are absent, and the gonostyli X are elongated, ribbon-shaped with the apex forming an obtuse angle.

Measurements. Head width: 3.0‒3.1 mm; Head length: 2.6‒3.0 mm; Prothorax length: 3.6‒3.8 mm; Forefemur length: 5.2 mm; Forefemur maximum width: 1.9 mm; Forewing length: 15.9‒16.5 mm; Forewing maximum width: 3.5‒3.7 mm; Hindwing length: 13.5‒14.1 mm; Hindwing maximum width: 3.2‒3.5 mm.

Coloration (Figs 6, 7A–D). Head. Head capsule completely yellow; antenna yellow, sometimes pale brown towards the flagellar apex; flagellomeres with dark brown setae. Clypeus and labrum yellow; mandible pale brown; maxilla and labium pale brown. Thorax. Pronotum yellow, with pale brown, lateral areas on the prozona extended from macula to anterior pronotal margin; postfurcasternum yellow. Mesoscutum yellow with brown anterior margin and lateral spots; mesoscutellum yellow with brown, medial area. Metascutum yellow with lateral brown marks; mesoscutellum with anterior half brown, posterior half yellow. Pteropleuron yellow with brown on area adjacent to anapleural cleft and paracoxal suture. Foreleg. Coxa and trochanter yellow; femur yellow with small brown mark on medial region of posterior surface, and larger brown area on anterior surface; closing surface with processes yellow but changing to amber towards the apex; tibia mostly yellow with pale brown areas, except anterior surface with darker area. Tarsus pale brown. Mid- and hind leg. Coxa of both legs yellow to pale brown; trochanter, femur, tibia, and tarsus pale brown. Wings. Forewing membrane with anterior half and wing base pale brown, posterior half pale amber; venation brown, with paler and darker areas. Hind wing with costal, subcostal and radial fields, and 1r-m and area adjacent to RP branches pale brown; remaining membrane pale amber; venation brown, with paler and darker areas. Abdomen. Abdominal segments I and II yellow with pale brown areas; male tergites III‒V with striped pattern, exhibiting yellow anterior band and dark brown band on each segment; female tergites III yellow with broad, transversal dark brown band, tergite IV mostly dark brown; remaining tergites on both sexes completely dark brown. Male sternite III yellow, sternites IV and V brown, the remainder dark brown; female sternite III yellow, sternite IV with anterior yellow band and posterior brown band, remaining sternites dark brown.

Figure 6. 

Climaciella nigriflava sp. nov. A female habitus, dorsal B fore- and hindwing.

Figure 7. 

Climaciella nigriflava sp. nov. A prothorax and head, lateral view B foreleg, posterior surface C same, anterior surface D head, frontal view E male pregenital abdominal apparatus.

Morphology (Figs 6, 7). Head. Vertex region convex above compound eyes; compound eyes as wide as 0.75 of interocular distance at antennal insertion level. Antennal scape 1.5× as long as wide; pedicel as long as wide; basal flagellomere as long as wide, the rest discoidal, with 32 or 33 flagellomeres, all covered with fine, short setae. Frons subquadrate, frontoclypeal ridge barely perceptible; clypeus trapezoidal, labrum ovoid; mandible elongate; region of the gena as long as clypeus; maxillary palpus with basal palpomere slightly wider than long; second palpomere 2× as long as wide; third and fourth palpomere subequal, both 2.5× as long as wide; fifth palpomere 1.2× as long as fourth. Submentum rectangular; labial palpus with first palpomere 4× as long as wide, second palpomere 5× as long as wide, third palpomere slightly longer than second; palpimacula groove-shaped. Thorax. Pronotum tubular, 3.5× as long as wide at maculae, slightly bent at mid-length in lateral view; medial region coarsely wrinkled; dorsal surface densely covered with fine, short setae; postfurcasternum narrowly ovoid. Mesonotum as long as wide, anterolaterally produced; lateral parapsidal suture obsolete; entire surface covered with fine, short setae; metanotum rectangular, scutum glabrous, scutellum with fine, short setae. Pteropleuron with fine, short setae. Foreleg. Coxa cylindrical, elongate, with proximal ring-shaped sulcus; anterior and posterior surface with abundant fine setae distal to proximal sulcus; trochanter ovoid; femur semi-triangular, robust, with abundant fine, short setae; posteroventral row of processes present on distal 2/3 of femur length; medial region of the row with two primary processes, the remainder of the row with alternate secondary, tertiary, and quaternary processes, and numerous Stitz organs arising from reduced processes. Anteroventral row of processes reduced to a prominent major process. Tibia short and arched, reaching the major process of femur; anterior surface covered with abundant, clavate setae; distal margin acutely produced; closing surface with abundant trichoid setae. Basitarsus subconical, as long as eutarsus, with abundant trichoid setae on closing surface; pretarsus reduced to a single, simple claw. Mid- and hind leg. Coxae and trochanter subconical; femora tubular, that of hind leg slightly longer than on mid leg; tibiae elongate, thin, that of hind leg longer than on mid leg; tibial spurs well-developed. Tarsi with basitarsus slightly shorter than eutarsus; pretarsal claws with five or six apical denticles. Wings. Forewing elongate and narrow; costal space narrow with 6‒8 subcostal veinlets; Sc vein running close to C on area adjacent to pterostigma, and not approaching or touching RA at pterostigmal level; pterostigma wedge-shaped; subcostal space with four or five crossveins on medial region, six crossveins on substigmal area. Radial space with three crossveins; one or two RP branches arising from rarp1, two or three from rarp2, and two or three from rarp3; 6‒8 gradate crossveins present. Media vein proximally fused to R, but inflexed forming a radial triangle; diverging from R close R fork; M fork opposite to R fork; MA proximally fused to first RP stem for a short distance, forming a trapezoidal rm2. Cubitus forked near the level of radial triangle. Anal veins simple. Hind wing similar to forewing but shorter; subcostal space narrow, with eight or nine subcostal veinlets; C and Sc not fused, running subparallel until pterostigma; pterostigma wedge-shaped; subcostal space with four or five crossveins on distal region. Radial space with three crossveins; two or three RP branches arising from rarp1, two or three from rarp2, 1‒3 from rarp3; 6‒8 gradate crossveins present. Media vein basally fused to R, forked slightly before level of R fork. Cubitus forked slightly beyond the level of 1m-cu, CuA terminating on posterior wing margin at level of 1r-m, CuP distally fused to anterior branch of A1. Abdomen. Male tergites IV and V with two parallel rows of pores anterolaterally on each side which converge on the inner end, with 22‒30 pores on each couple of rows (Fig. 7E); intertergal membrane between segments IV‒VI expanded, apparently forming an eversible sac. In both sexes tergite III with two anteromedial glabrous marks; tergite IV with four glabrous marks, two medial and two lateral, all located at mid-length; tergites V and VI with a single glabrous mark, laterally on each side.

Male terminalia (Fig. 8A–F). Tergite IX half-ring shaped, medially narrower than laterally; Sternite IX setose, approximately pentagonal, posteromedial region slightly protuberant. Gonocoxite IX elongated, sigmoid, blunt on both apexes, anterior apex somewhat expanded. Ectoproct ovoid, ventromedial lobe with around 36 stout setae. Gonocoxites X forming an elongate and arched sclerite, which is slightly expanded towards anterior apex, posterior apex truncate; gonostyli X membrane ventrally slightly sclerotized covered with microspinulae; gonostyli X elongated, ribbon-shaped, slightly shorter than gonocoxites X, apex forming an obtuse angle; entire surface with microspinulae. Gonocoxites XI arch-shaped, median lobe, short, hook-shaped.

Figure 8. 

Climaciella nigriflava sp. nov. A male terminalia, lateral B same, ventral C same, dorsal D male genitalia, lateral E same, dorsal F same, ventral G female terminalia, lateral H spermatheca I female terminalia, ventral.

Female terminalia (Fig. 8G–I). Sternite VII (or gonocoxites VII) enlarged, U-shaped. Tergite VIII half-ring shaped, approximately as wide medially as laterally, enclosing the spiracle of the segment; gonocoxites VIII narrow, bar-shaped, subparallel-sided, slightly narrower at middle; gonapophyses VIII forming a rectangular, setose sclerite, connected to posteromedial region of gonocoxites VIII. Tergite IX half-ring shaped, posterolaterally connected to gonocoxites IX; gonocoxite IX a small and ovoid sclerite; gonapophyses IX probably represented by small, sclerotized areas on the anteroventral area of gonocoxites IX. Ectoprocts paired, ovoid. Bursa copulatrix short; spermatheca simple, spiral-shaped, progressively narrowed towards the apex; fertilization canal duct and fertilization canal short.

The specific epithet of this species is a combination of the Latin words niger which means black, and flavus meaning yellow, in allusion to the coloration pattern of the body of this species.

Based on the prothorax morphology, this new species appears to be closely related to C. obtusa, C. semihyalina, C. personata, C. rafaeli, and C. elektroptera sp. nov. The body coloration pattern of the new species with head and thorax predominantly yellow, and a large dark area on the abdomen indicates this species could be a mimic of the vespid wasps Agelaia pallipes (Olivier, 1792) or Mischocyttarus cerberus Ducke, 1918 in the case of smaller specimens, or Polistes testaceicolor Bequard, 1937 or Agelaia testacea (Fabricius, 1804) in the case of larger specimens (R. Lopes, pers. comm. 2022).

French Guiana: Maripasoula, Mitaraka, Contreforts du Mitaraka, crique Alama, Foret vallonnée au pied d’inselbergs, 12.III.2015, light trap (1♂ CNIN); same data but automatic light trap (blue) (1♂ CSCA).

The overall black coloration of the body of this species is shared with C. obtusa, C. rafaeli, and the synoeca morph of C. brunnea. However, the wing pattern of C. semihyalina easily separates it from the former two, whereas the bent prothorax distinguishes this species from the latter. This species is rapidly recognized by the dark amber anterior half of the wings, while in the posterior half, the basal region is pale amber, while a preapical triangular area is hyaline. On the male genitalia, the apex of the gonocoxites X is bifid, and the gonostyli X are spine-shaped.

Figure 9. 

Wings of Climaciella species from French Guiana A Climaciella semihyalina (Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau & Audinet-Serville in Latreille et al. 1825) B Climaciella tincta (Navás, 1914).

Climaciella semihyalina, is the most commonly encountered species of the genus in South America, being widely distributed in the Amazon. The bent prothorax together the robust forefemora of this species resemble the shape of the head of its potential models, i.e., the vespids Polybia simillima Smith, 1862, P. ignobilis (Haliday, 1836) (Ardila-Camacho and García 2015), Synoeca surinama (Linnaeus, 1767), or Polistes goeldii Ducke, 1904 (R. Lopes, pers. comm. 2022). The basal orange-reddish region of the forefemur apparently resembles the mandibles of the wasp model. This species was already known in French Guiana, with the first record from this territory published by Navás (1926). The wide distribution of this species from the Amazon to Argentina, calls into attention about the possibility that the different populations could represent actually different species.

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay.

French Guiana: Maripassoula/Camopi, Mont Itoupé, Massif tabulaire, Pente oust (600 m), 23.XI.2014, light trap (1♂, 1♀ CNIN); same data but 24.XI.2014, light trap (1♀ CSCA); same data but 29.XI.2014, light trap (2♀ CSCA). Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, Carrière du Galion, Crête avec forêt sur quartzite érodée, 4°44'31,54"N, 52°25'53,02"W, 10.X.2015, automatic light trap (blue) (1♀ CSCA).

This species has a distinctive coloration of the body with black head and thorax and orange abdomen. The prothorax is bent like in C. semihyalina, C. obtusa, C. personata, C. rafaeli, and the new species described herein. The wings have smoky anterior half, with the posterodistal margin of this pigmented area more marked. On the male genitalia, the apex of the gonocoxites X is bifid, the hypomeres are present as a lateral granule-shaped sclerite at each side, and the gonostyli X is elongated and narrow.

Based on the prothorax morphology, C. tincta is apparently closely related with C. semihyalina, C. obtusa, C. personata, C. rafaeli, C. elektroptera sp. nov., and C. nigriflava sp. nov. This species was originally described by Navás (1914) as Nobrega tinctus Navás, 1914; however, Penny (1982) proposed this species as a synonym of C. semihyalina based on the coloration of the head and the thorax. It is noteworthy that the type of Nobrega tinctus lacks an abdomen, so the coloration and genitalic morphology were unknown by Penny (1982). Furthermore, he considered the wing coloration of the type of N. tinctus as intraspecific variation. Hoffman (1992) revalidated this species and transferred it to the genus Climaciella after the examination of the type. Additionally, he synonymized Climaciella duckei Navás,1915 under C. tincta. These results were corroborated by Alvim (2021), who redescribed this species and provided illustrations of the male and female genitalia for the first time. Herein, we provide the first record of C. tincta from French Guiana.

Based on the distribution and coloration pattern exhibited by C. tincta (Fig. 10), the possible models for this species could be Polybia rejecta (Fabricius, 1798) in the case of small specimens, while Polybia dimidiata, Polistes occipitalis Ducke, 1904, and Polistes bicolor Fox, 1898 could be the models for larger specimens (R. Lopes, pers. comm. 2022).

Figure 10. 

Habitus of female Climaciella tincta in dorsal view.

Brazil, French Guiana.

Holotype ♂, Colombia: Risaralda, Tatamá, Centro de visitantes planes de San Rafael, 5°4'20,87"N, 75°57'44,45"W, 2400 m, 10.VI.2010, F. Gaviria, entomological net (CEH-085).

This new species may be distinguished from the majority of the species in the genus by the general coloration pattern that is yellow with black stripes and marks. Furthermore, C. risaraldensis sp. nov. is easily separated from C. nigriflava sp. nov. by the black vertex region and the straight prothorax. On the other hand, this new species can be separated from C. amapaensis by having smaller compound eyes and broadened region of the gena, pronotum dark brown with small diffuse yellow areas, anterior half of the wing pale amber, the forked apex of the male gonocoxites X, and hypomeres present as two granules on each side of the gonostyli X membrane.

See Ardila-Camacho and García (2015).

This species is named after the department of Risaralda, a region of the central Andes of Colombia where the type locality of this species is located.

Based on the descriptions of Penny (1982) and Hoffman (1992), this species was initially identified as C. amapaensis by Ardila-Camacho and García (2015) as both have a quite similar coloration and patterning, and because the former authors did not provide enough details of the male pregenital, abdominal apparatus and genitalia. Climaciella risaraldensis sp. nov. is noticeably morphologically differentiated from its Amazonian congeners exhibiting a yellow and black coloration pattern. Furthermore, this species is found at high elevation (2400 m) in the mountains of the Western Cordillera of Colombia, an area remarkably isolated from the Amazon.

Based on the morphology of the prothorax, this species is probably closely related to C. amapaensis, C. brunnea, C. cubana, and C. porosa. Among these, the new species is similar to certain morphs of C. brunnea; however the wing coloration, the male pregenital apparatus, and the genitalic morphology are markedly differentiated between both species.

Colombia.