Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of ensign wasp of genus Hyptia (Hymenoptera, Evaniidae)

Author(s)

Ricardo Kawada

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2012-09-14

Examining board members

Carlos Roberto Ferreira Brandao; Celso Oliveira Azevedo; Rodrigo Barbosa Gonçalves; Antonio Carlos Cruz Macedo; Fernando Barbosa Noll

• Advisor: Carlos Roberto Ferreira Brandao

Abstract

Among the extant Evaniidae genera, Hyptia Illiger is the fourth richest in species (50 spp.), only behind Prosevania Kieffer (102), Evaniella Bradley (73) and Evania Fabricius (67). Despite major recent contributions, most Hyptia species are superficially known. The inadequacy of the descriptions is usually due to sexual dimorphism that hampers recogntion, convergence in appearance of different species, inadequate descriptions in face of current concepts, few reliable distribution data, work based on very few specimens and inadequate illustrations and identification keys. It is therefore imperative that a comprehensive review of this genus is performed. This study represents the first effort combining a taxonomic revision with a phylogenetic analysis of the internal classification of Hyptia species, based on external morphology. The current classification accepts 50 valid and 11 invalid species, in a total of 61 names.With the new proposal for Hyptia classification, 80 species are considered valid and 14 invalid, in a total of 94 names, 46 previously described and 34 undescribed species for Hyptia. In this study, lectotypes were designated for Hyptia amazonica, H. poeyi, H. petiolata and H. rufipes; the synonymy of H. argenteiceps Kieffer, 1904 syn. nov. (=H. petiolata (Fabricius, 1798)); H. hirsuta (Taschenberg, 1891) syn. nov. (=H. amazonica (Schletterer, 1886)), H. stimulata (Schletterer, 1889) syn. nov. (=H. poeyi (Guérin-Méneville, 1843)) and H. spinifera Frison, 1922 syn. nov. (=H. nigriventris Szépligeti, 1903). Proposal for justified emendation from H. peruanus (Enderlein, 1905) to H. peruana n. em. and from H. rufipectus Dewitz, 1881 to H. rufipecta n. em. Rank change from ssp. to sp., H. sericea (Kieffer, 1910a) stat. nov. and transfered from Hyptia to Semaeomyia, Semaeomyia festiva (Taschenberg, 1891) comb. nov. In addition to taxonomic changes, the sexes of the type specimens of two species were incorrectly determined by the original authors: H. brasiliensis Szépligeti, 1903 identified as a female and H. crassa (Cameron, 1888) as being a male., H. hapyoides Bradley, 1908 holotype sex has not been determined (female). The study of 80 terminals, including the outgroups but not those species which holotypes were not actually studied, resulted in a matrix with 173 characters, of which 41 in the head, 84 (mesossoma), 21 (legs), 6 (metassoma) and 21 (wings). As herte presented and discussed, all characters are proposed and analyzed for the first time. The phylogenetic analysis shows by the first time a sister relationship among Hyptia and Decevania, supported by six synapomorphies and the monophyly of Hyptia, with at least two synapomorphies supporting this hypothesis. Internal relationships indicate the existance of two major basal clades, the species present in the Caribbean islands and the species distributed throughout the American continents. The addition of new characters from external and internal morphologies (apodemes and muscles) should improve the support and reveal more accurately the relationship between the clades of the genus, as in the present analysis, some clades showed no acceptable resolution. The development of an morphological atlas for Hyptia was important for the establishment of the used terms and sforms the basis for further studies, as well as an incentive for beginners in the taxonomy of the family. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/04661-3 - Taxonomic revision of ensign wasp genus Hyptia (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae)
• Grantee: Ricardo Kawada
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate