Stenonartonia flavostestacea Giordani Soika 1941
Creators: name: Garcete-Barrett, Bolívar R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Eumenidae
Stenonartonia
Stenonartonia flavostestacea

description: Stenonartonia flavostestacea (Giordani Soika 1941)
(Figs 18, 28, 29, 42, 49, 50, 61, 72, 103, 117, 131, 144, 155, 164, 172, 179)
Paranortonia flavotestacea Giordani Soika 1941: 155, Figs 1–4 [lectotype, Ƥ, " Brazile: Itatiaya" (MCNV), examined]; 1973: 25 (lectotype designation).
Stenonartonia flavotestacea: Borsato & Ratti 1999: 76 (list).
Stenonartonia sp.: Hermes & Melo 2008: 365.
Diagnosis and comments. S. flavotestacea is a rather slender bodied species, readily recognizable for having the mid propodeal channel modified along its lower half in the shape of a sharply edged, smooth, shinning and ecarinated concavity. Other important features include: very elongate clypeus; sharply defined medial carina along the anterior declivity of T1; apical propodeal lamella strongly projected backward though inseparably fused with the valvula; propodeum nearly as smoothly convex as in S. mimica and overall body surface subshiny. They are medium sized wasps with amberish brown wings and a color pattern reminiscent of either typical Agelaia multipicta (in the pale form) or A. vicina (in the melanic form).
Description. FEMALE. Color pattern (melanic form). Brownish black integument with yellow to brownish yellow markings as follows: mandibular disc, grading to brown toward the apex; ventral face of flagellum from F2 to the apex; thin lateral line on clypeus; thin inner orbit from the clypeal border to the ocular sinus; long external orbit; anterior pronotal margin below the lateral fovea; lateral indication of posterior pronotal margin; pronotal lobe; outer margin of the tegula (briefly darkened at the middle); small subalar spot; short vertical inferoposterior mesepisternal line; metapleura largely below; large sublateral propodeal spot below; fore coxa; lateral and ventral line along mid coxa; laterodorsal line along hind coxa; anterodorsal line along all femora and tibiae; darkened posterior line along mid coxa and all tibiae; all tarsi; darkened lateral line on T1 extending across the posterior margin as a very thin band; whole S1; medially tapering and briefly interrupted posterior bands on metasomal segments 2– 5 (each one successively darker posteriorly); propodeum with marginal area and medial channel below dark testaceous. Wing membrane amberish brown, more intense along the costal region. Wing venation dark brown, a bit yellowish along the costal region and the stigma.
Measurements and proportions. Body length 11.5 mm. Wing length 12.5 mm. Clypeus 1.05 × wider than long and with its apical margin 0.9 × as wide as the interantennal distance. T1 1.26 × longer than wide and 0.68 × as wide as T2. S1 elongate isoscelic: 1.55 × wider than its medial length and 1.27 × wider than its total length.
Structure. Clypeus elongate, funnel shaped, slightly convex, with a very shallow apical depression and a slightly convex apical margin between two blunt outpointing teeth. Distal preapical tooth narrower than in other species of Stenonartonia. Humeral angle hardly salient, slightly obtuse in frontal view. Pronotal carina almost straight below the humeral angle. Parapsidal line very thin. Parategula digitiform and convex above. Scutellum almost flat. Anterior axillary fossula large, deep and partly hidden below the parategula. Lateral axillary panel narrowly projected mesoposteriorly. Metanotum very obtuse in lateral view, bearing a blunt toothed ridge with a higher medial tooth. Posterior metapleural border marked by a weak impressed line, sometimes effaced. Propodeum semi oval, regularly convex and at most just barely obtusely angled at sides as seen from above (crease between the lateral and sublateral surfaces almost inexistent). Mid propodeal channel abruptly expanded on its lower half, forming a sharply edged drop-shaped bowl. Mid propodeal carina interrupted at the lower basin. Submedial propodeal carina short and flattened. Apical propodeal lamella angularly projecting backward and inseparably fused with the valvula. T1 elongate conical, obtusely convex in side view, with a sharply defined medial carina along its anterior declivity, with a well marked wavy transverse carina projecting backward at middle and hardly reaching the level of the spiracle.
Tegumental sculpture. Clypeus subshiny, very weakly shagreened and covered with shallow and moderately sparse macropunctures. Body subshiny, very finely and sparsely micropunctate; just lower metapleura and lateral propodeal surface duller, sub vertically microstriated. Head, pronotum and mesothorax covered with moderately dense mid sized macropunctation, sparser on scutellum, mesepisternum and pronotal sides. Tegula covered with well marked and moderately spaced micropunctation, absent in just a very reduced area close to the external margin. Metanotum with an irregularly reticulate anterior band and with concentrated macropunctures behind. Propodeum and lower metapleura covered with thin macropunctures separated by about their own diameter, denser above on propodeum. Expansion of the mid propodeal channel perfectly polished. T1 with thin macropunctures scattered over its anterior declivity and moderately sparse on its disc but denser along the mid line. S1 covered with coarse and moderately dense macropunctation. T2 covered with thin and sparse macropunctures that become just slightly coarser and denser at the middle, close to the posterior margin. S2 covered with sparse mid sized macropunctures which become sparser close to the hind margin. Metasomal segments 3–6 (except for the macropuncture free S6) covered with abundant and moderately dense mid size macropunctation.
Pilosity. Body covered with a short semi erect and sparse fulvous pubescence mixed with lighter erect and a bit longer setae. The pilosity becomes lighter and appressed on the thoracic sides and the propodeum, outward pointing on the posterior declivity of this latter. Metasomal pilosity appressed and with less evident setae.
MALE. Differing from the female in: Color pattern. F10 and F11 completely light colored, remainder of the color pattern and its variation as in the female and discussed under variation.
Measurements and proportions. Body length 10.4 mm. Wing length 11.4 mm. Clypeus 1.05 × wider than high and with its apical margin 0.8 × as wide as the interantennal distance.
Structure and tegumental sculpture. General body shape more delicate and with a proportionally smaller head. Propodeum shorter. F9 cylindrical. F11 short, finger-like and moderately tapering toward the apex. Metasomal macropunctation coarser and denser.
Variation. The color pattern given above is described from the holotype, which belongs to the melanic form. The light markings in the melanic form (with lighter individuals reported from Nova Teutônia and Argentina) may vary as follows: mandibular marking larger; clypeal line interrupted at middle or present just below as a spot; a frontal line may be present; a supraocular marking may exist; the posterior orbit may be shorter or extend further upward; the hind pronotal margin may be almost complete, but generally diffuse; there may be a more or less defined humeral line; there can be dark traces of a submedial mesoscutal line posteriorly, of a lateral scutellar blotch and of a metanotal band; the subalar spot may be absent; the sublateral propodeal spot may be absent, reduced or extend laterally as to get fused with the metapleural marking; the metasomal band are commonly absent, but may be well marked in southern specimens.
A pale form presents the following color pattern: Intense yellow integument with black markings (smaller ones rather blackish brown) as follows: mandibular teeth and condyle; central clypeal spot; bulb and dorsum of scape; pedicel above; dorsum of flagellum with the exception of F9 at apex and F10 and F11 entirely; interocellar region connected to supraocular and frontal markings; occipital region above and a medial line running forward from it; large spot at the middle of the anterior pronotal face; thick humeral line; mesoscutum with the exception of the parategula and a thick submedial line; axilla; borders and medial longitudinal line on scutellum; metanotal hind border and axilla; anterior face of mesepisternum; lateral sulci and sutures of mesosoma; lateral band, mesoanterior border and medial channel of propodeum; dorsoposterior face of mid and hind coxae; mid and hind trochanters dorsally; inner face of hind the hind femur largely; inner subapical suffusion on mid and hind tibia; dorsum of T1 largely; basal three quarters of T2; three basal markings on S2; metasomal segments 3–5 except for the broad posterior band. Orange brown are: ventral face of pedicel and flagellum; medial spot and lateral margin of the tegula; apex of F9; F10 and F11 entirely; T6 except for an apical spot and S6 except for a lateral spot. Wing a bit clearer than in the melanic form.
The melanic form is recorded from places above 300 meters above the sea level in Southern Brazil and north eastern Argentina and looks like the local populations of the social wasps Agelaia vicina and Polybia fastidiosuscula and the congeneric Stenonartonia mimica and S. tanykaju. The pale form is known from two males from lowland in Paraguay and look like the local populations of A. multipicta and P. fastidiosuscula.
Material examined. BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia, 10.ii.1927 (Dr. Seitz) [1 Ƥ Holotype: MCNV]; same locality, 16.ii.1927 (Dr. Seitz) [1 3: IML]; BRAZIL: Paraná: Piraquara, Mananciais da Serra, 8.ii.2003 (G.A.R. Melo) [1 Ƥ, 1 3: DZUP]; same locality, 18.xii.2006 (A. Aguiar) [1 3: DZUP]; same locality, iii.2007 (M.G. Hermes) [1 Ƥ: DZUP]; Piraquara, ii.2006 (P.C. Grossi) (3 Ƥ: DZUP]; same locality, 3.ii.2006 (M.G. Hermes) [1 Ƥ: DZUP]; same locality, 23.xi.2006 (A. Pires) [1 3: DZUP]; same locality, 4.xii.2006 (M.G. Hermes) [1 3: DZUP]; Tijucas do Sul, Vossoroca, 18.iv.1970 (J. Moure) [1 Ƥ: DZUP]; Guaratuba, Pontal do Itararé, 4.iii.2007 (P.C. Grossi) [1 3: DZUP]; Santa Catarina: Campo Alegre, iv.1946 (A. Maller) [1 Ƥ: MCNV]; Nova Teutônia, 21.ii.1963 (F. Plaumann) [1 3: MCNV]; same locality, i.1966 (F. Plaumann) [1 3: MCNV]; same locality, 30.iii.1966 (F. Plaumann) [1 3: AMNH]; same locality, xi.1966 (F. Plaumann) [1 Ƥ: AMNH]. PARAGUAY: Itapúa, Pirapó, Pirapó, 1–31.xii.1971 (L. Peña) [2 3: AMNH]; ARGENTINA: Misiones: Bernardo de Irigoyen, 12.xi.1973 (Escobar & Claps) [1 3: IML].
Distribution. Southern and South Eastern Brazil, Argentinean Mesopotamia and Paraná basin of Paraguay. Mostly in highlands.
Biology. There is no direct evidence about the mid propodeal channel of this species acting as an acarinarium, but the structure and polished surface of its lower sector is strongly reminiscent of acarinaria in other eumenines: pregradular area of T 2 in the genus Parancistrocerus Bequaert (Bohart 1952; Carpenter & Garcete-Barrett 2003) and propodeal depressions in Acarepipona insolita Giordani Soika (Giordani Soika 1985). Similarly located but deeper acarinaria are reported for Acarozumia amaliae (de Saussure) and Pseudonortonia gambiensis (Meade Waldo) (Giordani Soika 1985). The lower posterior surface, even with no especial modification, have been reported to bear acari in Pseudonortonia bisuturalis (de Saussure) (Bequaert 1918), Ancistrocerus antilope (Panzer) (Cooper 1955) and Stenonartonia apicipennis (Fox) (this work).
description: Published as part of Garcete-Barrett, Bolívar R., 2011, A revision of the genus Stenonartonia Giordani Soika 1973 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae), pp. 1-50 in Zootaxa 2868 on pages 18-20, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.277490