Priochilus scrupulum (Fox 1897)

Priochilus scrupulum (Fox)
Pompilus scrupulus Fox, 1897, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 49: 252 [Type:
2, Brazil: Santarem (CM)]. Priochilus scrupulus Banks, 1944, Zoologica, 29: 105 (Br. Guiana). Priochilus (Foximia) clarus Banks, 1945, Bol. Ent. Venez., 4: 98-99 [Type:
$, Colombia: Muzo, Dept. Boyaca, 20-30 June 1936 (JB) (MCZ,
no. 26, 701)]. — Banks, 1946, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 96: 519.
New synonym. Priochilus (Foximia) scrupulus Banks, 1946, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 96: 511,
518 (Brazil, Br. Guiana, Bolivia).
This species is very close to the preceding and to the following species. The male, described as clarus by Banks, differs from the male splendidulum in having the SGP abruptly truncate or slightly emarginate, the basal hooklets of the genitalia absent, and the first intercubital vein of the fore wing less strongly slanted.
Female. — Length 9-12 mm. Black; pubescence very fine, silvery on the front, scape, much of the prothorax, coxae and parts of the femora and tibiae, mesopleura, lower metapleura, sides of metanotum, posterior slope of propodeum, abdominal venter, and more or less distinct banding on the abdominal dorsum. Fore wing strongly banded, as described for the preceding species, median and submedian cells (except apically) hyaline or nearly so, the wing membrane between the two major bands weakly to moderately tinged with luteous. Clypeus, front, and thoracic dorsum with a very few strong setae, the body otherwise largely devoid of erect setae except for the usual ones on the venter of the abdomen; apical tergite with rather dense bristles. Mandibles with two small teeth along the inner margin. Clypeus 2.5-2.7 X as wide as high, apical margin truncate and with a rather wide polished band. Head about 1.2 X as wide as high; front narrow, MID .43-.46 X TFD; UID .82-.90
X MID, eyes diverging rather strongly on the lower half. Ocelli small, in a compact triangle on the narrow vertex; POL:OOL about as 2:3, in some specimens approaching 1:2. Antennae slender, third segment and those beyond with elongate, rather ill-defined sensoria; third segment equal to 1.10-1.25 X UID. Pronotum obtusely angulate behind; postnotum a transverse band slightly shorter than the metanotum; propodeum with the median line strongly impressed, the surface otherwise smooth, completely without evidence of transverse rugae. Hind tibiae with two series of strong spines on the upper surface, between which there is a series of short spines each of which arises at the lower end of a low elevation; thus, when viewed from the correct angle, the tibiae may be said to be very weakly serrate. Fore wing with the marginal cell removed from the wing tip by .55-.65 X its own length; SMC2 rhomboidal, approximately as high as wide (sometimes slightly higher or not quite as high as wide), narrowed only slightly above, the first and second intercubital veins being approximately parallel; anal vein of hind wing meeting media slightly before the origin of the cubitus.
Male. — Length 6.5-9.0 mm. Black, the antennae beneath and the apical parts of the legs tending to be brownish, the body maculated with whitish as follows: entire clypeus except for a small dark spot in the middle; a spot on each side of the face, opposite the antennal orbits; collar and posterior margin cf pronotum; front coxae in front; basal spots on the middle and hind tibiae; all the spurs; basal rings on the second and third abdominal segments; and a large spot on the apical tergite. Wings hyaline, fore wing with a very small infuscation at the basal and transverse median veins and a much stronger band across the marginal and outer two submarginal cells, not reaching the posterior wing margin. Pubescence silvery except dark on some parts of the dorsum; body without erect hairs except for a few on the head and propleura. Head about 1.22 X as wide as high. Clypeus 2.45 X as wide as high, broadly truncate below. MID .50-.53 X TFD, about 1.15-1.20 X LID; UID 1.10-1.18 X LID. Ocelli not enlarged, in a compact triangle; POL:OOL about as 7:10. Third antennal segment about 3.5 X as long as thick, slightly longer than fourth segment. Pronotum broadly angulate behind; postnotum medially about as long as the metanotum. Venation as in female except SMC2 tending to be smaller, often higher than wide, narrowed by .3-. 5 above. SGP broad basally, tapering apically but the extreme tip abruptly truncate (usually weakly emarginate), sides of the plate near the base with a group of large punctures which give rise to short, thick setae (fig. 72). Genitalia with the parameres slender; basal hooklets absent, replaced by small flaps; digiti shaped much as in the following species, with a lobe on the mesal margin, sparsely covered with small setae; aedoeagus slender basally, expanded subapically, the tip narrowly bilobed (fig. 32).
Distribution. — Brazil and Bolivia north to the Guianas and to Panama. (Map 28.) Central American specimens examined. — 5 9 9,6 $ S . Panama: 4 9 2,6 $ 8 , Barro Colorado Isl., Feb., Apr., May, Aug. (CWR) [KU, KSU, MCZ]; 1 2, Porto Bello, 21 Feb. 1911 (A. Busck) [USNM].
Variation. — There is some variation in the degree to which the wings of the female are tinged with yellowish; in the Barro Colorado female the yellow is very weak, such that on superficial examination these specimens differ but little from the following species. The males are strikingly similar to those of splendidulum, but the differences pointed out in the keys appear to be constant.