Cremnops cameronii Dalla Torre

Cremnops cameronii (Dalla Torre)

[Plate 6, Figs A–I]

Agathis cameronii Dalla Torre, 1898. Female. Agathis tibialis Cameron, 1887. Female.

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from most other species by two distal hind tibial spines, non-prominent scutal flange, and a distribution from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec south to Argentina.

Description. Holotype: female. Body length 6.5 mm (6.0–7.0 mm).

Head (Figs C & F). Antennae broken on type specimen, 32–37 flagellomeres. Lateral carina of frons weak, ending significantly anteriad (to immediately anteriad) lateral ocellus. Interocellar space not elevated, level with lateral ocelli. Malar space 0.8x (0.6–1.1x) eye height.

Mesosoma (Figs D, E & H). Subpronopes adjacent, separated by a partition wider than (or about to equal) the longitudinal length of the dorsomedial portion of pronotum. Median mesonotal lobe weakly depressed medially (to not depressed). Notaulus smooth (to foveolate). Scutellar sulcus with 1 (1–3) longitudinal carina. Hind margin of posterolateral scutal flange not prominent; rather: 90° to obtuse (to reduced and blunt). Mesoscutellar trough without (to with) longitudinal carinae laterally. Metanotal trough without extensive longitudinal carinae laterally. Sternaulus with 4 (3–5) pits; about 1/ 2x (1/3–1/ 2x) length of mesopleuron. Discrimen smooth. Medial propodeal areola with 3 (3–4) transverse carinae. Metapleuron rugose on ventral 1/4.

Hind leg (Fig. I). Femur length about 3x width. Trochantellar carina absent. Distal tibia with 2 (or 3) spines. Inner tooth of inner and outer claws symmetrical, broad, angled quadrangular-shaped.

Fore wing (Fig. G). Hyaline with melanic tint (to melanic).

Metasoma (Figs A & B). 1st median tergite length about 2x apical width, apical width about 1.5x basal width.

Body Color Red-orange, except black as follows: vertex, parts of face, ventral part of mesosoma, fore- and mid- leg, hind trochanter, trochantellus, distal tibia and tarsus (to all red-orange, black hind leg; orange instead of red-orange).

Biology. Host —Unknown.

Adults Collected —February to October.

Geographic Range —The Isthmus of Tehuantepec and south to Argentina. See map in Appendix II.

Comments. Cremnops cameronii is difficult to distinguish from C. meabilis. Cremnops cameronii has symmetrical inner and outer hind claw inner teeth (98% of specimens) (compared to asymmetrical or symmetrical in C. meabilis) and the hind angle of the scutal flange is not prominent varying from 90° to obtuse to reduced and blunt, whereas the hind claw inner teeth of C. meabilis is variable and the non-prominent scutal flange is generally 90° to obtuse (95% of specimens). Cremnops cameronii has a Neotropical distribution, from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec south to Argentina, whereas C. meabilis has a Nearctic distribution from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec north to Canada. Correct species identifications of specimens collected near the Isthmus of Tehuantepec should be confirmed by molecular (COI) analyses when possible.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: female, Presidios, Mexico, B.M. Type Hym. 3:936, (BMNH) (H8911). Non-Types: 37 (ESSIG), 18 (CAS), 37 (CNC), 26 (MNHN), 16 (MCZ), 42 (FSCA), 3 (UCDC), 18 (HIC). For holotype and additional images see Appendix VIII.