Ecitonides tuberculosus Wasmann 1894

Ecitonides tuberculosus Wasmann, 1894 Figs 6, 9 D, K, 10 A, 11, 13 F, G Ecitonides tuberculosus Wasmann 1894: 212. Bruch 1933: 15 (redescription); Borgmeier 1949: 122. = Ecitonides fiebrigi Wasmann, 1909: 182. Borgmeier 1949: 122 (syn). Material examined. Brazil (MZSP) • 1 undetermined sex; Minas Gerais; 16 Jun. 1923; E. luja leg.; MZSP 21509 • 2 undetermined sex; Rio de Janeiro, Itatiaia; 5–9 Jul. 1932; J. F. Zikán leg • same collection data as for preceding; 25 Apr. 1935; MZSP 21504 • 1 ♂; 2 undetermined sex; same collection data as for preceding; MZSP 21503, 21505 • 1 ♀, 2 undetermined sex; same collection data as for preceding; Dirings leg; MZSP 21506, 21507 • 1 undetermined sex; São Paulo, Estrada Velha de Santos, Meio da Serra; 12 Feb. 1957; W. Kempf leg.; MZSP 21516 • 1 undetermined sex; São Paulo, Salesópolis, Estação Biológica de Boracéia; 25 Fev. 1963; Reichardt leg.; MZSP 21510 • 1 undetermined sex; same locality data as for preceding; 12–14 Nov. 1967; MZSP 21511 • 1 undetermined sex; same collection data as for preceding; 21–22 Mar. 1963; S. Vanin and M. Jorge leg.; MZSP 21512 • 1 undetermined sex; same collection data as for preceding; 3 Apr. 1973; A. S. Rano leg.; MZSP 21513 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 14–15 Apr. 2023; H. P. Moleiro leg.; MZSP 21517 • 1 undetermined sex; Santa Catarina, Nova Teutônia; Oct. 1936; F. Plaumann leg.; MZSP 21514; BRAZIL (CEMT) • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Rio de Janeiro, Nova Friburgo; Nov. 2009; E. Grossi leg • 1 undetermined sex; same locality and collector data as for preceding; Mar. 2012. Diagnosis. Body less robust, head oval, pronotum longer than wide and subconical, and prominent tubercles over body as in E. brevicornis, E. fraterculus, E. longiceps, E. volans, and E. soesilae. From E. brevicornis and E. fraterculus, it differs by antennae being almost twice as long as head (same length as head in other two species), from E. longiceps by larger eyes, from E. volans by pattern of the tuberculate sculpture on tergites III – V, which is denser in E. volans and sparser in E. tuberculosus, and from E. soesilae by each elytron with four regular rows of tubercles (5 rows in E. soesilae). Additional characters. Antennae (Fig. 9 D) with scape almost as long as antennomeres 2–6 combined; antennomere 2 slightly shorter than 3; antennomeres 3–11 longer than wide and of subequal length; labrum (Fig. 10 A) with three small denticles: one median, acute, and one rounded denticle on each side; abdomen with tergites III – V and paratergites of segments III and IV bearing small tubercles; sternites III and IV bearing small and flattened tubercles and III – V with ridges extending beyond posterior margin. Aedeagus (Fig. 13 F, G) with rounded dorsal strut near foramen; apex of median lobe narrow and pointed, weakly sinuate. Measurements. TL: 6.0–7.5; HL: 1.51; HW: 0.78; PL: 1.2; PW 0.8: EL: 1.41; EW: 1.32; LA: 1.1. Distribution. BRAZIL, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Santa Catarina. PARAGUAY, Cordillera. ARGENTINA, Misiones (Fig. 15). Host ant. Labidus praedator. Remarks. Most of the studied specimens are old, entirely glued to cardboards, and therefore fragile. In order to preserve them, it was decided not to unglue them, making sex determination impossible. Borgmeier (1949) synonymized E. fiebrigi with E. tuberculosus because the size difference (7.5 mm and 6.0 mm, respectively) was considered insufficient to separate them. Although the description and illustrations given for E. tuberculosus enable reliable identification of additional material from Brazilian collections, no illustrations were given for E. fiebrigi, and the description is insufficient to clearly distinguish the two species. The confirmation of the synonymy will require comparison of the type specimens of both species, which were not available to us.