Lophopedia pygmaea (Schrottky 1902)

(Figs. 5−11, 21, 87−89)

Tetrapaedia [sic] pygmaea Schrottky 1902: 544; lectotype male, examined (MZSP), BRAZIL: São Paulo, Jundiaí designated by Aguiar and Melo (2005): 32.

Tetrapedia tarsalis Vachal 1909: 29, holotype female, examined (MNHP), BOLIVIA: La Paz, Mapiri.

Tetrapedia albipes Friese 1916 [1917]: 334; lectotype female, examined (ZMB), COLOMBIA: Popayan; designated by Aguiar (2007): 616.

Tetrapedia albitarsis Friese 1921: 90; lectotype male, examined (ZMB), COSTA RICA: San José; designated by Aguiar (2007); new synonymy.

Tetrapedia pigmaea [sic] Schrottky (1902): 541.

Tetrapedia pygmaea; Schrottky (1913): 260.

Tetrapedia albipes; Lutz and Cockerell (1920): 568.

Paratetrapedia pygmaea; Moure (1942): 301 (description of female); Roig-Alsina (1997): 4; Sazima and Sazima (1989): 108.

Paratetrapedia albipes; Michener (1954): 116.

Paratetrapedia (Lophopedia) pygmaea; Michener and Moure (1957): 414, figs. 16–18; Michener (2000): 671, figs. 106- 6d-f (draws of S7–S8 and genitalia); Pedro and Camargo (1999): 202; Silveira et al. (2002): 136; Aguiar and Melo (2005): 32 (description of the lectotype).

Paratetrapedia (Lophopedia) albipes; Michener and Moure (1957): 415; Rasmussen and Ascher (2008): 22.

Paratetrapedia (Lophopedia) tarsalis; Michener and Moure (1957): 415; Albuquerque and Rego (1989): 168; Rêgo and Albuquerque (1989): 185.

Paratetrapedia (Lophopedia) cf. pygmaea; Pedro (1994): 252 (floral record: Byrsonima crassa (Malpighiaceae); Vernonia rubriramea (Asteraceae)). Pedro (1996): 251.

Lophopedia albitarsis; Aguiar (2007): 616.

Paratetrapedia (Lophopedia) albitarsis; Rasmussen and Ascher (2008): 22.

Lophopedia pygmaea; Aguiar (2007): 617.

Comments and diagnosis. Lophopedia pygmaea is the only species with mesepisternum carinate laterally on omaular area. Also, the female can be distinguished from the remaining species by the mandible with two preapical teeth. The male is very distinctive due to the pubescence on apices of S6 with erect stout setae along the mid line. Aguiar and Melo (2005) presented a complete redescription of the lectotype of L. pygmaea. The wide distribuition of L. pygmaea associated to variation in color and size could indicate that it represents a complex of species wich must be an object of a further study.

Distribution: BOLIVIA; BRAZIL: Acre, Amazonas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia, Santa Catarina, São Paulo; COLOMBIA; COSTA RICA; ECUADOR, MEXICO; PARAGUAY; PERU; TRINIDAD and TOBAGO; VENEZUELA (Fig. 21).

Variation. About half of the specimens from Venezuela present the metasoma completely orange yellow and wing membrane orange yellow infumated, and the other half are mostly black with wing membrane brown infumated. Two male and two female specimens from Mexico (Vera Cruz: “coffee plantation”; “llano grande”; Guerrero) present the metasoma mostly orange yellow but the wing membrane is similar to remaining specimens. The specimens from Southeasthern Brazil, Central America, and Mexico are almost 2x larger than those from Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Bolivia and Macapá (Brazil). The larger specimens present the scutellum weakly biconvex with the mid line sulcate and the smaller specimens from Bolivia and Peru present the scutellum convex. The male specimens usually present the T5–T6 with a complete marginal band of plumose hairs. It was also observed the same pattern of variation of the shape of scutellum and body size of the specimens on the study of species of Paratetrapedia with similar pattern of distribution (Aguiar 2006).