Anchieta partheniellus (Westwood, 1867)

Figs 16, 17

Mantispa (Trichoscelia) partheniella Westwood, 1867: 501. Lectotype male, Paralectotype female, Amazonia (OUMNH), specimens examined.

Trichoscelia partheniella (Westwood, 1867). Enderlein (1910).

Anchieta partheniella (Westwood, 1867). Penny (1982 a), Ohl (2004).

Material examined.

Lectotype. [Brazil] • 1 ♂; Amazonas; 1861; Bates leg.; “ Platymantispa partheniella (Westwood, 1867) ”, “ Lectotype male, Trichoscelia partheniella Westwood, 1867 by R. G. Beard, 1968 ”, “ partheniella Westwood, male ”, “ Type Westwood, Trans. Entomol. Soc. 1865, p. 501, Coll. Hope Oxon ”, “ Type Neur: No. 61 / 2, Mantispa Trichoscelia partheniella Westwood, HOPE Dept. Oxford ”; right foreleg and abdomen cleared and stored in a microvial; OUMNH.

Other material.

Brazil – Amazonas • 1 ♂; Ipixuna, Río Gregorio, com. Lago Grande; 07°10'11.7"S, 70°49'10.3"W; 18–23 May. 2011; J. A. Rafael, J. T. Cámara, R. F. Silva, A. Somavilla, R. Ale-Rocha leg.; Varredura; INPA. – Pará • 1 ♀; Tucurú, Río Tocantins; 03 Jun. 1984; Saúde leg.; Malaise trap; Anchieta bella (Westwood, 1867) det. R. J. P. Machado; INPA. – Rondônia • 1 ♀; 62 Km SW Ariquemes, Fazenda Rancho Grande; 11 Oct. 1993; C. W. and L. B. O’Brien leg.; CAS. • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; UV merc. Vapor light; Anchieta bella, det. Penny, 2001; CAS. • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; 9 Nov. 1994; CAS.

Colombia • 1 ♀; Meta, Cabaña Carrillo, PNN Sierra de la Macarena; 3°21'N, 73°56'W; 460 m, 29 Dec. 2003; W. Villalva leg.; Malaise trap, m- 4240; IAvH.

Ecuador • 1 ♀; Napo, near Tena Jatun Sacha; 450 m; G. Beccaloni leg.; BMNH (E) 1241394; NHMUK.

Suriname • 1 ♀; Republiek; 13 Nov. 1961; P. H. v. Doesburg leg.; A. romani, det. Geisjkes 1970; FSCA.

Venezuela • 1 ♂; Amazonas, T. F., Cerro de la Neblina, Basecamp, near Río Baria; 0°50'N, 66°10'W; 140 m; 18 Feb. 1985; P. J. and P. M. Spangler, R. Faitoute, W. Steiner leg.; at black light in rainforest clearing; Anchieta bella, det. O. S. Flint, 1986; USNMENT 01541897; USNM. • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; USNMENT 01541896; USNM.

Diagnosis.

This species has a general body coloration pattern of bright orange with brown areas, which is also present in A. apiculasaeva, A. bellus, A. remipes, and A. romani. The forewing costal space is slightly widened medially. The hind tibia is conspicuously widened and laterally flattened. On the male genitalia, the gonocoxites IX is short, with posterior apex strongly recurved lateroventrally, and set with two apical and four preapical, short processes on outer surface. The gonocoxites X form a hourglass-shaped sclerite, whose anterior ½ is expanded, and dorsally bent. On the female genitalia, the gonapophyses VIII medial part appears as a broad canal, with, ventral, medial depression, and distal margin rounded, and ventrally curved.

Description.

Measurements. Male (n = 3). Forewing length: 9.3–10.3 mm; Hind wing length: 6.0– 6.56 mm. Female (n = 3): Forewing length: 9.3–9.7 mm; Hind wing length: 5.6–5.9 mm.

Coloration (Fig. 16). Head. Mostly orange; vertexal region posteriorly with a broad transverse brown band, laterally with rows of dark brown setae; supra-antennal area with dark brown, lateral trapezoidal markings, such markings connected to the frontal markings through interantennal area. Antennal scape ventrally orange, dorsally brown, pedicel brown, flagellum brown, except for four or five yellow preapical flagellomeres. Frons with lateral brown triangular markings forming an inverted, V-shaped pattern. Clypeus with brown posterolateral corners; Labrum with brown medial suffusions; mandible orange with dark amber apex; maxillary palpus brown; labium orange, palpus brown, palpimacula pale brown. Thorax. Pronotum dark brown, with orange, transverse band on anterior 1 / 3, anterior margin brown; episternum bicolor, yellow on anterior ¼, dark brown on the rest; postfurcasternum pale to dark brown. Mesonotum orange with brown anterior margin, medial area of scutum with brown suffusions, posterior margin of scutellum dark brown, setae pale brown; metanotum with brown lateral markings, posterior margin of scutellum brown. Pteropleura mainly orange with some brown areas, setae orange. Foreleg. Coxa mostly orange with extensive dark brown area on posterior surface, apex slightly infuscated; anterior surface with interspersed orange and dark brown setae; trochanter orange except dorsally brown. Femur orange, with enlarged dorsal spot extending towards anterior surface; posterior surface with brown preapical longitudinal mark, setation mostly orange, except on medial region dark brown; tibia bicolor with orange basal ½, brown distal ½; basitarsus pale brown with amber apex, remaining tarsomeres orange. Mid- and hind leg. Mid-leg predominantly orange, with brown suffusions. Hind leg orange; femur with brown medial suffusion; tibia with posterodistal margin and distal 1 / 3 of anterior surface black. Wings. Forewing membrane hyaline, with yellow areas at wing base and area adjacent to proximal region of pterostigma; a yellow transverse band R fork level is present; pterostigma bicolor, orange on proximal ½, yellow on distal ½; venation predominantly orange with dark brown suffusions at base of RA and jugal lobe. Hind wing hyaline, base of subcostal space orange; pterostigma orange with black suffusions; venation orange. Abdomen. Tergite I yellow with brown area at center, tergite II with lateral brown markings, tergites III and IV yellow with two brown, lateral bands, tergites V – VIII brown; sternites yellow.

Morphology (Fig. 16). Head. Diamond-shaped in frontal view, smooth; vertexal region domed above compound eyes, laterally with rows of short, reclined setae; paraocular area concave; coronal suture discrete. Antenna moniliform, flagellum with 51 flagellomeres, discoidal in shape, except for those of apex narrower; all flagellomeres with medial ring of short setae. Compound eye hemispherical, as wide as 1 / 2 of interocular distance at toruli level. Thorax. Pronotum nearly as long as wide, with groove contiguous lateral and distal margins; posterior region slightly raised; entire surface with scattered, thick setae arising flush the pronotal surface. Episternum with long, thin setae; postfurcasternum quadrangular. Mesonotum slightly wider than long, with few long, fine setae; metanotum ~ 3 × as wide as long, glabrous. Pteropleura covered with abundant fine, long setae. Foreleg. Coxa as long as femur, cylindrical, slightly expanded at preapical region, with abundant fine, long setae; trochanter semi-triangular, densely setose, dorsally with tuft of long, thick setae, anterior surface with blunt process. Femur robust, covered with abundant long, fine setae; closing surface with posteroventral row of integumentary specializations fully developed, composed of tubercle-shaped processes, proximally with sub-basal, spine-shaped process, adjacent row of thickened setae with globular base present on distal ½; anteroventral row of specializations reduced to proximal region and apex, composed of tubercle-shaped processes, with conical setae; primary, spine-shaped, basal process present, curved; adjacent row of thickened setae with globular base present on distal 4 / 5. Tibia almost as long as femur, curved, glabrous, with a row of prostrate setae on closing surface, anterior surface with apical patch of clavate setae. Basitarsus with long lanceolate process; anterior surface with patch of clavate setae on proximal ½, ventrally with single row of prostrate setae. Mid- and hind leg. Mid-leg covered with abundant, fine, long setae; tibia slightly widened. Hind leg densely covered with long, fine setae, except on tarsus shorter; tibia conspicuously widened and laterally flattened, oar-shaped. Wings. Forewing oval, venation densely setose, trichosoros present along wing margin except at base; costal space slightly widened medially, humeral vein forked, 10–12 subcostal veinlets present; pterostigma rectangular; subcostal space with single, medially located crossvein; Sc vein abruptly bent posteriad at proximal margin of pterostigma to merge the RA; rarp 2 straight with four veins arising from it, four from rarp 1; M fused basally to R; RP base located near separation of M and R, M fork near such separation; 1 r-m located between RP base and M fork, forming a small trapezoidal cell; six gradate crossveins present; Cu deeply forked, CuA distally branched, CuP proximally angled, forked; A 1 simple. Hind wing oval, notably smaller and narrower than forewing; costal space narrow and reduced, with seven or eight subcostal veinlets; C and Sc fused at 1 / 3 of wing length, subcostal space without crossveins, Sc vein abruptly curved posteriad at proximal margin of pterostigma to merge the RA; pterostigma elongated, slightly widened distally; radial space widened, with single, sinuous crossveins; two veins arising from rarp 1, two or three from rarp 2. M forked at R fork level. Cubitoanal space with distal crossveins. Cu vein deeply forked, CuA gently curved to nearly straight, distally forked, first branch simple; CuP distally anteriorly bent near wing margin, with three branches; A 1 arched, A 2 short, simple. Abdomen. Medially widened, without keeled processes, tergites V – IX with abundant long, thin setae; sternites densely setose.

Male genitalia (Fig. 17 A – E). Tergite IX medially narrower than laterally, posterior corner with abundant long, thick setae. Sternites VIII and IX fused, fusion line weakly marked; sternite IX anteriorly with long, thick setae, medially with short setae, distal ½ glabrous with concave lateral margins; anterior ½ somewhat constricted. Gonocoxites IX short, base spatulate; apex strongly recurved lateroventrally, with two apical and four preapical processes on outer surface. Ectoproct ovoid, posteroventrally with patch of 22 or 23 thickened, dark setae; outer surface with smooth, glabrous, bulging area; inner surface with sclerotized ventral area, with a patch of microtrichia. Gonocoxites X medially constricted, hourglass-shaped; anterior ½ thickened, expanded, dorsally bent, ventrally canaliculated; posterior ½ triangular, with paired dorsal and lateral processes; gonostyli X base triangular, thickened, with curved lateral processes, dorsally concave, the rest of the structure whip-shaped, short, apical portion recurved. Gonapophyses X rod-shaped, straight, narrow, anterior apex spatulate, dorsally curved, posterior apex dorsally curved, surrounding membrane with minute granules; gonapophyses joined by membrane, forming a V-shaped structure. Gonocoxites XI thin, U-shaped, medial lobe flattened, weakly sclerotized at center, posterior margin almost straight, lateral margins emarginate. Lateral arms of gonocoxites XI straight, with anterior apex curved.

Female genitalia (Fig. 17 F – I). Sternum VII (gonocoxites VII) composed of two medially fused trapezoidal lateral plates, posterior margin obtuse. Tergite VIII slightly narrower medially than laterally, enclosing spiracle of the segment, lateral margin rounded. Gonocoxites VIII as two concave, medially fused, trapezoidal plates; gonapophyses VIII medial part ventrally projected forming a canal, with medial depression on ventral surface, distal margin rounded, ventrally curved; lateral part of gonapophyses VIII a trapezoidal plate, forming a chamber-shaped plate, dorsally with two convex areas, located behind the genital pore. Tergite IX + ectoproct triangular. Gonocoxite IX long, straight, narrow, as long as the last five abdominal segments together. Bursa copulatrix unsclerotized, long, conical; spermatheca spiral-shaped; proximal section long, thin, progressively thickened, spiral-shaped, forming three coils; medial section slightly narrower than thickest part of proximal section, entangled, forming several convolutions; distal section thicker than proximal and medial sections, progressively wider towards the apex. Fertilization canal duct long, spiral-shaped, forming two coils; fertilization canal elongated, narrow, J-shaped, covered with microfilaments.

Distribution.

Brazil (Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia), Colombia (Meta), Ecuador (Napo), Suriname, Venezuela (Amazonas).

Remarks.

Lectotypes (male and female) of this species deposited in the Oxford University Museum have only “ Amazons ” as collecting data. Penny (1982 a) and Penny and da Costa (1983) redescribed this species, but no additional records were presented. Although the types of this species were likely collected in Brazil, so far there are no specific state records of this species in the country. Herein, the first records for the states of Amazonas, Pará, and Rondônia (all in the Amazon region) are presented, and the first records from Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname, and Venezuela are provided.

In the phylogeny of the subfamily, A. partheniellus was recovered as sister to A. nebulosus + A. nothus. However, this species exhibits the same mimicry pattern as A. apiculasaeva, A. bellus, A. remipes, and A. romani whose model is probably the meliponine genus Ptilotrigona Moure, 1951 (Rasmussen and Ardila-Camacho 2021). Considering the relationships between these species, this coloration pattern apparently arose several times within this group of species of Anchieta.

The distinction between the species exhibiting this mimicry pattern may be difficult as all of them have a rather similar morphology, although A. partheniellus can be separated from other species with the same coloration by the arrangement and number of processes on the male gonocoxites IX, the enlarged and curved gonocoxites X and the complex spermatheca.