Open access journal: http://periodicos.uefs.br/ojs/index.php/sociobiology ISSN: 0361-6525 DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v62i1.105-108Sociobiology 62(1): 105-108 (March, 2015) A New Species of the Neotropical Social Swarming-Wasp Chartergellus Bequaert (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Epiponini) Introduction Chartergellus is a small genus of social wasps with nine species described [C. afoveatus Cooper, C. amazonicus Richards, C. atectus Richards, C. communis Richards, C. golfitensis West-Eberhard, C. nigerrimus Richards, C. punctatior Richards, C. sanctus Richards, and C. zonatus (Spinola)], extending from southeastern Brazil to northern Costa Rica. (Hanson & Gauld, 1995; Carpenter & Marques, 2001; West-Eberhard et al., 2010). Hitherto, six species were distributed in Brazil, two being endemic (Carpenter & Marques, 2001). From Acre State only C. nigerrimus had been recorded. The genus is diagnosed by a prominent curved bristle on the third labial palpomere, the maxillary palp five-segmented and labial palpi three-segmented, lacking an occipital carina, the mesepisternum lacking a dorsal groove, and the metanotum rounded (Carpenter, 2004 apud West-Eberhard et al., 2010). Abstract A new species of Chartergellus, collected in Acre State, is described and comparative remarks are given. Sociobiology An international journal on social insects S Mateus1, FS Nascimento1, M Aragão2, SR Andena2 Article History Edited by Marcel Gustavo Hermes, UFPR, Brazil Received 14 August 2014 Initial acceptance 04 September 2014 Final acceptance 02 December 2014 Keywords Epiponini, New Species, Chartergellus zucchii. Corresponding author Sidnei Mateus FFCLRP - Universidade de São Paulo Av. Bandeirantes, 3900 Ribeirão Preto-SP, Brazil 14040-901 E-Mail: sidneim@ffclrp.usp.br In this paper, the female, nest and males of a new species are described. Comparative notes with C. atectus. C. punctatior and C. communis are given. Chartergellus zucchii sp. n. Mateus and Andena (Fig 1A and B) Diagnosis The new species is similar to C. atectus and C. punctatior, in general coloration; however it is similar to C. communis in terms of the size. Differently of C. atectus and C. communis, C. zucchii and C. punctatior have the propodeal valve narrow throughout. The mandible rises more abruptly than in C. communis, C. punctatior and in C. atectus, recalling that of C. afoveatus; the basal rim is absent in C. zucchii and in C. atectus. Chartergellus zucchii is less hairy than C. punctatior, sharing it with C. atectus and C. communis. RESEARCH ARTICLE - WASPS 1 - Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil 2 - Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil S Mateus et al - A New Species of the Neotropical Social Wasp Genus Chartergellus 106 Description Size: 8.0 – 9.0 mm Color: black species with reddish marks on frons, clypeus, mandible, gena and malar space; yellowish bands on upper part of gena, extending to middle region; scape blackish above, reddish beneath, the rest of antennomeres are blackish; yellow band on pronotal carina and dorsal margin of the pronotum; metanotum with yellow band on anterior region; metasoma blackish, without yellow bands. Variation: Some specimens have the frons, clypeus and mandible yellowish; pubescence on clypeus covering little less than a half; the ventral corner of the pronotum with a yellow spot; upper region of the gena blackish, becoming reddish toward inferior region; tarsomeres yellowish. Head (Fig 2A): (1) clypeus as long as wide, convex in profile, laterally sinuous; separated from the eyes; pubescence covering top half, bristles longer and denser on lower half than on top half; punctation deep, spaced, separated by more than 2.0 diameters; (2) eyes with short and spaced hairs; (3) frons and vertex with medial size punctation, deep, spaced, separated by more than 2.0 diameters; very short and spaced hairs; (4) malar space longer than 4th antennal article; (5) medial region of gena equal to eyes, narrowing toward upper region; punctation very spaced and shallow; pubescence present on top ¾, lower ¼ shinning, without pubescence; (6) mandible with very spaced and shallow punctation; raising abruptly, not forming a rim (Fig 2B). Mesosoma: (1) pronotum with short and dense pubescence, concentrated on upper part; punctation medium sized, separated by about 1.0 diameter; pronotal carina produced, slightly lamellated, extending to medial region; pronotal fovea oval, deep; ventral corner bulging; (2) mesopleura with very short and spaced pubescence; punctation medium sized, separated by about 1.0 diameter; dorsal groove shallow and wide; (3) upper plate of metasoma longer than wide, with large punctation separated by about 1.0 diameter; pubescence very short and spaced; lower plate with punctation very shallow and spaced, separated by more than 2.0 diameter; (4) scutum with very short and spaced pubescence, coriaceus; punctation medium sized, dense, separated by less than 1.0 diameter, becoming more spaced on central region; (5) scutellum with the same pattern of punctation and pubescence as that of scutum; (6) metanotum flat, with very spaced pubescence, very small, shallow and spaced punctures, separated by much more than 2.0 diameters; (7) propodeum with dense pubescence; spaced long hairs centrally, laterally more spaced; propodeal valve narrow throughout; (8) propodeal concavity shallow, wide. Metasoma: (1) tergum I as long as wide, cap-shape; Fig 1. Chartergellus zucchii. A= lateral view; B= dorsal view. Scale bars = 1.0 mm. Fig 2. Chartergellus zucchii. A= head, frontal view; B= mandible, frontal view. Scale bars = 1.0 mm. Sociobiology 62(1): 105-108 (March, 2015) 107 (2) tergum II wider than long, coriaceous (3) sternum with the same pattern than tergum. Fore wings: 7.5-8.0 mm, infuscated, costal region darker, venation brown; prestigma as long as wide. Male: like female except that the gena and clypeus are narrower and entirely yellow; the mandible is blackish; the clypeus is covered with a silver pubescence; the frons is also yellowish with a central area becoming reddish; yellow marks are present beneath of the coxae and femur; yellow spot on upper region of mesopleuron. Male genitalia: (1) Paramere longer than wide, basal angle obtuse, apical angle truncate, long and curved spine, without bristles (Fig 3A); (2) aedeagus with small triangular and irregular serration beneath, ventral process forming a ̈ U¨, area near serration darker (Fig 3 B and C); (3) cuspis rounded apically, with small and spaced hairs (Fig 3D); (4) digitus pointed apically, with small and spaced hairs (Fig 3E). Nest: We found two similar nests into the Catuaba Reserve, one populated and the other not. The description and photos refer to the populated nest. The nest is spherical, about 10 cm of diameter and 6 cm high (Fig 4A), built on twigs with leaves incorporated on the top (Fig 4B); the envelope is predominantly yellowish/grayish; long vegetable fibers; the construction lines are parallel giving a grooved aspect to the surface of the envelope; the entrance is short, (about 1,2 cm in diameter) located downward spout, forming a ring externally, measuring 10mm height (Fig 4C); The combs are horizontal suspended from center to margins by multiple pedicels fused or buttressed sheet in the substrate, the second comb are fixed in the first one by the same structures, multiple pedicel fused or buttressed sheet (Fig 4D). Nest composition: two combs were found, one with 256 cells and the other with 226 cells, totaling 482 cells. One hundred seventy-two adults were collected, being 141 females and 31 males. Due the great number of males, we classified the colony phase as “male producing”. Etymology: The name zucchii is named in honor to Prof. Dr. Ronaldo Zucchi, in gratitude for his advice for many students’ in behavioral works over many years, a wasp worker and friend. Distribution: A single populated nests was collected in Fig 3. Male genitalia. A= paramere, lateral view; B= aedeagus, ventral view; C= aedeagus, lateral view; D= cuspis, lateral view; E= digitus, lateral view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm. Fig 4. Nest of Chartergellus zucchii. A= spherical nest with envelope opened; B= detail of the nest attached on twigs with leaves incorporated; C= entrance with dark vegetal resin around the ring; D= combs connected by multiple pedicel fused or buttressed sheet. 27/xi/2002 by Nascimento, F.S., in Catuaba experimental farm (UFAC), Rio Branco municipality, Acre State, northern Brazil (10° 04’ 36.’’S 67° 37’ 40.2’’W). It was found in a small orchard, hanging on a twig of a Citrus sp., about 1.9 meters from the ground. Holotype: 1 female- Catuaba experimental farm (UFAC), Rio Branco municipality, Acre State (10° 04’ 36.’’S 67° 37’ 40.2’’W); Nascimento, F.S. col. [Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo – São Paulo, Brazil (MZUSP)] Paratype: the paratypes belongs to the same nest of holoype and are deposited in the following institutions: 3 females and 3 males [Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil - (MZUSP)]; 3 females and 3 males [American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA (AMNH)]; 3 females and 3 males [Museu de Zoologia da Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, Brazil (MZFS)]; 3 females and 3 males [Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil (FFCLRP-USP)]; 3 females and 3 males [Natural History Museum, London, UK (NHM)]. Remarks Chartergellus zucchii is grouped within those species in which the clypeus is separated from the eyes, however some aspects deserve consideration. Chartergellus zonatus, C. communis, C. nigerrimus and C. zucchii have the eyes narrowly separated from the clypeus, while C. sanctus has the eyes widely separted from the clypeus. Within the genus, C. amazonicus, C. atectus, C. golfitensis and C. punctatior have the clypeus touching the eyes, although, as pointed out by Carpenter (pers. comm.) some specimens of C. puctatior have the clypeus narrowly separated from the eyes. Such variation S Mateus et al - A New Species of the Neotropical Social Wasp Genus Chartergellus 108 is not uncommon in Epiponini as cited by Cely and Sarmiento (2011) and Carpenter et al. (2013) for the genus Synoeca. The clypeus of C. zucchii is convex, like in C. punctatior and C. sanctus, and the pubescence cover the top half as all species within the genus, except C. amazonicus and C. atectus, which have the pubescence covering only the top third. The new species Chartergellus zucchii, would be placed within couplet 3 of the Richards’s key sharing the face reddish and the malar space longer with C. punctatior, C. communis and C. atectus, although, as cited above, C. zucchii may have the face yellowish. Chartergellus communis and C. punctatior have the mandible forming a basal rim, a feature absent in C. zucchii and C. atectus. Except C. communis, which has the eyes bare, the other three species have eyes with short and spaced hairs. The propodeal valves are narrow throughout in C. zucchii, C. punctatior and C. communis, and little wider in C. atectus. Chartergellus punctatior has the scutum and pronotum with long and dense hairs, an exclusive feature of this species within the genus. We do not observe camouflage in the nest color, which differs from C. communis (Richards, 1978; Wenzel, 1998; Mateus et al., 1999), C. golfitensis (Chavarría-Pizarro & West- Eberhard, 2010) and C. punctatior (Wenzel, 1998). The grooves are not evident like in C. communis (Richards, 1978; Wenzel 1998; Mateus et al., 1999). The entrance is similar to that of C. atectus (Richards, 1978), different from others Chartergellus species studied, the external ring of the entrance was impregnated with dark vegetal resin measuring 2 mm large, probably related to ant defense, a strategy also recorded in Leipomeles dorsata, which uses ant guards on the leaf petiole (Wenzel, 1998). Such a strategy of ant defense was also seen in two nests of this species collected by SRA and SM in Presidente Figueiredo, Amazon State in 2005. Both nests have dozens of small balls of resinous material attached to the leaf petiole. A similar strategy was observed in the related genus Nectarinella: on the nest entrance and around the envelope of Nectarinella xavantinensis a resinous material was impregnated (personal observation S.M.). Cells may be lengthened after adult emergence due to accumulation of meconium layers. Acknowledgment We thank FAPESP (# 10/10027-5), and FFCLRP-USP, Departamento de Biologia. References Carpenter J.M., Marques, O.M. (2001). Contribuição ao Estudo dos Vespídeos do Brasil. Universidade Federal da Bahia, Departamento de Fitotecnia, Bahia, CD-ROM, 147p. Carpenter, J.M., Andena, S.R., Noll, F.B., Wenzel, J.W. (2013). Well, what about intraspecific variation? Taxonomic and phylogenetic characters in the genus Synoeca de Saussure (Hymenoptera, Vespidae). Zootaxa, 3682: 421-431. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3682.3.3h Cely, C.C., Sarmiento, C.E. (2011). What about intraspecific variation? 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