Metapolybia richardsi Andena 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Cortes, Gustavo B.
name: Noll, Fernando B.
name: Carpenter, James M.
name: Andena, Sergio R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Vespidae
Metapolybia
Metapolybia richardsi

description: Metapolybia richardsi Andena sp. nov.
Figs 10, 11, 12
Diagnosis.
Very similar to M. fraudator, except its scutum narrower, the lateral pronotal carina not effaced on ventral corner, metapleural-propodeal furrow vanishing and the evanescent weak yellow markings overall; pretegular carina like in M. fraudator.
Description.
Female. Size: 8.3 mm. Length of fore wing: 5.0 mm
Color: Black species with yellow markings as follows: spots on inner orbits and tip of clypeus; Tergum I with weak yellow band; Sternites II – III with weak yellow bands; terga III – VI, without yellow bands. Mandibles, antennal articles and scape blackish / brownish. Wings hyaline, venation brown.
Head: (1) clypeus 1.3 times wider than longer, punctures shallow, scattered, separated by more than 2.0 diameters; bristles extending all the way down, not forming a polished rim; (2) internantennal prominence raised, subacute, with a marked medial furrow; (3) frons and vertex covered with yellowish pubescence; punctures small, distinct, separated by 1–1.5 diameters, becoming sparser on vertex; (4) gena 0.7 wider than width of the eyes, strongly narrowing to mandibular condyle; punctures very small, scattered, pubescence very reduced; (5) tempora narrowing to vertex; (6) posterior region of the head excavated, strongly emarginated behind.
Mesosoma: (1) lateral pronotal carina raised, acute; pronotum with shallow and scattered punctures; (2) humeri produced in front of tegula, subacute; (3) pretegular carina acute on upper region, curved, not interrupted, not prominent; (4) scutum as long as wide, punctures small, shallow, scattered; (5) mesopleuron with shallow punctures separated by more than 2.0 diameters; (6) scutellum with small, though distinct punctures, separated by 1.0 diameter, slightly concave posteriorly, medial line raised anteriorly, vanishing posteriorly; (7) metanotum strongly concave with scattered punctures; (8) metapleuron with few scattered punctures, upper plated 1.3 times longer than wide; (9) propodeum with shallow scattered punctures with moderate long and sparse hairs on posterior region; (10) propodeal concavity broad, moderately deep, weakly developed anteriorly, striation distinct, extending laterally; (11) prestigma as long as wide, tip truncate.
Metasoma: (1) first metasomal tergum filiform, widening little after the prominent spiracles; prominent (2) tergum II 1.2 times wider than longer, coriaceous, punctures distinct on posterior fifth; (3) terga III – VI densely punctured.
Male. Unknown.
Nest.
Unknown.
Distribution.
Ecuador: Pastaza.
Holotype.
Ecuador • 1 female; Pastaza, Jibaria, Shurupe; 7 Nov. 1987; Mike Huybensz; AMNH.
Etymology.
The specific name honors O. W. Richards for his contribution of the knowledge of the social wasps.
description: Published as part of Cortes, Gustavo B., Noll, Fernando B., Carpenter, James M. & Andena, Sergio R., 2024, Five new species of Metapolybia Ducke, 1905, with the description of the male genitalia of seven species of the genus (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Polistinae), pp. 781-805 in Journal of Hymenoptera Research 97 on pages 781-805, DOI: 10.3897/jhr.97.115489