Pambolus albospina Martínez, Ceccarelli & Zaldívar-Riverón 2012

Following the key to Neotropical species (Braet and van Achterberg 2003), the female of this new species runs to Pambolus hemitaeniatus van Achterberg, but differs from the latter and all other Neotropical species of the subgenus Phaenodus by having an entirely smooth first metasomal tergite without striations, and by its entirely white propodeal spines. Males, however, are difficult to relate to those of the other species. They can be distinguished from Pambolus longicornis (Enderlein)-the only neotropical species of the subgenus Phaenodus with known males- also by the color of the propodeal spines and the smooth first metasomal tergite. Female. Color: Mostly reddish brown (fig. 1); scape and base of pedicel pale yellow, apex of pedicel and first five flagellomeres honey yellow, sixth to eleventh flagellomeres gradually darkening from brownish yellow to black, further flagellomeres (12th to 24th ) entirely white. Palpi white; lower area of temple, gena, face, clypeus and labrum reddish brown; frons, vertex and upper area of temple orange brown, ocellar triangle darkened. Mesoscutum, scutellum and propodeum except propodeal spines, orange brown; pronotum, mesopleuron and metapleuron darker, rusty brown; propodeal spines entirely white. First metasomal tergite reddish brown, reminder of metasoma brown. Coxae, trochanters and trochatelli white, femora white basally and brown on apical third fourth, tibiae whitish, tarsi light brown. Fore wing with faint infuscate bands, hind wing hyaline, pterostigma and veins brown, except vein r-m and junction of veins 2RS and 2M, which are not pigmented. Head: Antenna (fig. 5) with 24 flagellomeres, first flagellomere 1.1 times longer than second, first and second flagellomeres 5.5 and 5.0 times longer than their maximum width respectively. Scapus oblique apically; in dorsal view (fig. 3) length of eyes 1.9 times temple; POL 1.5 times OD and 0.7 times OOL; in dorsal view width of head 1.7 times its maximum length; face flattened and clypeus weakly convex in lateral view; face (fig. 2) weakly coriaceous near toruli, turning smooth near clypeus; clypeus largely smooth; anterior tentorial pit big and circular; frons, vertex and temple rugulose; gena smooth and shining (fig. 4); malar space 1.5 times basal width of mandible; occipital carina complete, meeting hypostomal carina ventrally. Mesosoma: Length of mesosoma 1.4 times its maximum height and 1.6 times its maximum width; mesosoma setose; pronotum largely smooth, pronotal furrow deep and scrobiculate; propleuron convex and weakly coriaceoous; mesopleuron smooth (fig. 4), precoxal sulcus deep and scrobiculate, occupying two thirds length of mesopleuron, posterior mesopleural furrow strongly scrobiculate; subalar area rugose; episternal scrobe deep; prepectal and postpectal carinae strongly developed; metapleuron reticualte; mesoscutum (fig. 3) acinose-coriaceous; notauli wide and scrobiculate anteriorly, rather obscured in a median area posteriorly; scutellum coriaceous and slightly convex; scutellar sulcus with five carinae, its median length 0.6 times as long as scutellum; propodeum areolate rugose, with a long and narrow areola medially (fig. 3), areola irregularly rugose anteriorly and with four transverse carinae posteriorly, spines of propodeum 0.8 times as long as fore basitarsus. Wings: Wings (fig. 6) densely setose. Fore wing: veins r and 3RSa basally widened; r:3RSa:3RSb = 2:5:16; 2RS:2M:r-m = 6:10:3; vein (RS+M)a straight; vein cu-a just interstitial and almost indistinct; first subdiscal cell open. Hind wing: vein cu-a oblique, directed towards wing base; M+CU:1-M = 2:5. Legs: Hind coxa unsculptured dorsally; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 4.4, 7.6 and 6.0 times their width, respectively; hind femur very weakly coriaceous. Metasoma: Length of first tergite 0.7 times its apical width, its median area well delimited by carinae but entirely smooth, lateral areas also smooth (fig. 3); second metasomal tergum with a few basal striations, otherwise smooth, remaining terga completely smooth; combined length of second and third tergites as long as their maximum width; length of ovipositor sheath 0.4 times the length of metasoma. Male Similar to female, except for its slightly lighter body color and its much longer antennae, with 31 flagellomeres, five apical flagellomeres entirely white.

Following the key to Neotropical species (Braet and van Achterberg 2003), the female of this new species runs to Pambolus hemitaeniatus van Achterberg, but differs from the latter and all other Neotropical species of the subgenus Phaenodus by having an entirely smooth first metasomal tergite without striations, and by its entirely white propodeal spines. Males, however, are difficult to relate to those of the other species. They can be distinguished from Pambolus longicornis (Enderlein)-the only neotropical species of the subgenus Phaenodus with known males- also by the color of the propodeal spines and the smooth first metasomal tergite. Female. Color: Mostly reddish brown (fig. 1); scape and base of pedicel pale yellow, apex of pedicel and first five flagellomeres honey yellow, sixth to eleventh flagellomeres gradually darkening from brownish yellow to black, further flagellomeres (12th to 24th ) entirely white. Palpi white; lower area of temple, gena, face, clypeus and labrum reddish brown; frons, vertex and upper area of temple orange brown, ocellar triangle darkened. Mesoscutum, scutellum and propodeum except propodeal spines, orange brown; pronotum, mesopleuron and metapleuron darker, rusty brown; propodeal spines entirely white. First metasomal tergite reddish brown, reminder of metasoma brown. Coxae, trochanters and trochatelli white, femora white basally and brown on apical third fourth, tibiae whitish, tarsi light brown. Fore wing with faint infuscate bands, hind wing hyaline, pterostigma and veins brown, except vein r-m and junction of veins 2RS and 2M, which are not pigmented. Head: Antenna (fig. 5) with 24 flagellomeres, first flagellomere 1.1 times longer than second, first and second flagellomeres 5.5 and 5.0 times longer than their maximum width respectively. Scapus oblique apically; in dorsal view (fig. 3) length of eyes 1.9 times temple; POL 1.5 times OD and 0.7 times OOL; in dorsal view width of head 1.7 times its maximum length; face flattened and clypeus weakly convex in lateral view; face (fig. 2) weakly coriaceous near toruli, turning smooth near clypeus; clypeus largely smooth; anterior tentorial pit big and circular; frons, vertex and temple rugulose; gena smooth and shining (fig. 4); malar space 1.5 times basal width of mandible; occipital carina complete, meeting hypostomal carina ventrally. Mesosoma: Length of mesosoma 1.4 times its maximum height and 1.6 times its maximum width; mesosoma setose; pronotum largely smooth, pronotal furrow deep and scrobiculate; propleuron convex and weakly coriaceoous; mesopleuron smooth (fig. 4), precoxal sulcus deep and scrobiculate, occupying two thirds length of mesopleuron, posterior mesopleural furrow strongly scrobiculate; subalar area rugose; episternal scrobe deep; prepectal and postpectal carinae strongly developed; metapleuron reticualte; mesoscutum (fig. 3) acinose-coriaceous; notauli wide and scrobiculate anteriorly, rather obscured in a median area posteriorly; scutellum coriaceous and slightly convex; scutellar sulcus with five carinae, its median length 0.6 times as long as scutellum; propodeum areolate rugose, with a long and narrow areola medially (fig. 3), areola irregularly rugose anteriorly and with four transverse carinae posteriorly, spines of propodeum 0.8 times as long as fore basitarsus. Wings: Wings (fig. 6) densely setose. Fore wing: veins r and 3RSa basally widened; r:3RSa:3RSb = 2:5:16; 2RS:2M:r-m = 6:10:3; vein (RS+M)a straight; vein cu-a just interstitial and almost indistinct; first subdiscal cell open. Hind wing: vein cu-a oblique, directed towards wing base; M+CU:1-M = 2:5. Legs: Hind coxa unsculptured dorsally; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 4.4, 7.6 and 6.0 times their width, respectively; hind femur very weakly coriaceous. Metasoma: Length of first tergite 0.7 times its apical width, its median area well delimited by carinae but entirely smooth, lateral areas also smooth (fig. 3); second metasomal tergum with a few basal striations, otherwise smooth, remaining terga completely smooth; combined length of second and third tergites as long as their maximum width; length of ovipositor sheath 0.4 times the length of metasoma. Male Similar to female, except for its slightly lighter body color and its much longer antennae, with 31 flagellomeres, five apical flagellomeres entirely white.