Pseudoscotaena decora
Creators: name: Carnimeo, Fernando Henrique
name: Noll, Fernando Barbosa
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Tiphiidae
Pseudoscotaena
Pseudoscotaena decora

description: Pseudoscotaena decora (Smith)
(Figs 62–67, 122, 128, 135, 136, 138)
Thynnus decorus Smith, 1859: 51–52. Holotype, BRAZIL: Santarém, Pará, date unknown, 1♂ (NHM–UK).
Elaphroptera decora Fox, 1898: 72.
Scotaena decora. Turner, 1910a: 19. Kimsey, 1992: 134. Kimsey, 2004a: 511. Carnimeo et al, 2017: 255.
Male Redescription. Structure: Apex of the supra-antennal plate approximated to each other; clypeus apical margin with shallow central notch, with depth from about 1/7 of the clypeus length. The teeth formed laterally to the notch triangular and slightly to the sides; anterior margin of the pronotum almost as wide as the posterior, enlarged in dorsal view; propodeum obliquus posteriorly, the surface flattened dorsally, largely rounded laterally; hindcoxae with longitudinal carina forming a keel on the dorsal surface; first tergite spiracles feebly raised; epipygium with well-marked, deep and stretched punctures that origins longitudinal striae that merge towards the apical border of the epipygium.
Genital capsule: Basal ring long, with its dorsal surface longer on its apical margin. Depressed sublaterally and constricted apically. With two rounded tubercles sublaterally and a longitudinal line medially in dorsal view; gonocoxite broad with its basal region wider than the basal ring. Strongly tapering towards the apex and with convex surface dorsally in lateral view. With about half the gonostylus extension, the apex of the dorsal surface contiguous and two subapical acute teeth; aedeagus lamellate, longer than the gonocoxite and shortest than the gonostylus. Slightly curved to the ventral surface, with a rounded lobe apically; gonostylus slender, slightly tapering towards the almost acute apex. With pale golden pubescence on the half apical region margins.
Coloration. Body black and variegated with yellow markings. Clypeus except for the basal and apical margins and a cross-like spot centrally. Mandibles with dark margins and teeth. Supra-antennal plates, except for a line between them. Bands contouring the frontal margin of the eyes, from the clypeus margin to the posterior ocelli. And the genal margin of the eyes narrowing towards the vertex. A pair of diffuse spots on the vertex. The anterior margin of the pronotum, interrupted dorsally and stretching to the lateral margin. A pair of short fasciae dorsolaterally on the posterior margin of the pronotum. The tegulae yellow and a square spot on the mesoscutum surface. A ‘c’ shaped spot medially on the scutellum and a pair of smaller ones antero-laterally. The metanotum except for the fossae. Propodeum with a pair of large spots narrowing dorsally and almost touching each other medially. Stretched spots on the anterior region of the mesopleuron. Inner surface of the femora and outer of the hindtibiae. transverse fasciae subapically on the tergites I–IV, broader on the lateral and narrowing towards the dorsal surface, II–IV interrupted medially.
Female: unknown.
Distribution. This species seems to be abundant and generalist, not restricted to a specific biome or ecoregion. Specimens were recorded from: Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia; Tame, Arauca, Colombia; Tingo Maria, Huanuco, Peru (NHM– UK). Rio Mamore aprox. 10km E San Antonio, Beni, Bolivia (AMNH). Barcelos, AM, Brazil; Rio Aracá, AM, Brazil (INPA). Chapada dos Guimarães—Esc. Buriti, MT, Brazil (CEMT). Fazenda Itaquerê, Nova Europa, São Paulo, Brazil (MZUSP). Planalto, São Paulo, Brazil; Pindorama, São Paulo, Brazil; Taquaritinga, São Paulo, Brazil; União Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil; Matão, São Paulo, Brazil; Sales, São Paulo, Brazil; Vicentinópolis, São Paulo, Brazil; Votuporanga, São Paulo, Brazil; Palestina, São Paulo, Brazil; Magda, São Paulo, Brazil; Novo Horizonte, São Paulo, Brazil; Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil (DZSJRP).
Discussion. Though very similar to P. fastuosa, these species can be distinguished by the presence of longitudinal striae on the epipygium of P. decora (epipygium is strongly punctured laterally but smooth medially in P. fatuosa) and the longer and thinner hypopygium apex of P. fastuosa (hypopygium apex is wide and apically rounded in P. decora).
description: Published as part of Carnimeo, Fernando Henrique & Noll, Fernando Barbosa, 2018, On the dumping ground genus Scotaena Klug, 1810 (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Thynninae): Phylogeny, taxonomy and geographic distribution, pp. 451-490 in Zootaxa 4399 (4) on pages 471-472, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4399.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1206764