Tiphia caerulea Allen 1972

Tiphia (Tiphia) caerulea

T. caerulea has been described from the holotype specimen, somewhat damaged, lacking tarsi of middle and hind legs, and most of both antennae. It can be distinguished at once from two other species of metallic-colored Tiphia from South America, since it has short, obicular tegulae. It has been grouped in the key with T. vandervechti because of the metallic body color. Actually the two species do not appear to be closely related. According to a letter from L. L. Pechuman of Cornell University, Naiguata is a locality in the Districto Federal, Venezuela.

HOLOTYPE.—♀; “Los Canales,” Naiguata, D.F., Venezuela, “F 20 mts;” 24–VII–1939 (V. Berthier) (CU).

FEMALE.—Body completely and uniformly dark blue and with only short, sparse, inconspicuous hairs.

Front with punctures on lower half of well-separated first-degree density, sparser on upper half but without interspaces wider than an ocellus. Clypeal extension definitely bidentate; lateral carina strongly overhanging the lateral pit. Area ventral to oral openings deeply depressed. Mandible stout, very short, terminating almost on median line, without preapical cusp.

Dorsal pronotum with transverse carina complete with a sharp, regular crest; punctures uniformly distributed in a pattern of second-degree density. Lateral pronotum with a well-defined escarpment across disc. Scutum with median plaque of punctures of first-degree density and anteromedian escarpment not connected with notaulices. Mesopleuron with coarse punctures largely of first-degree density on anterior slope; subtegular patch of micropunctures narrower than tegula. Hind tibia not inflated nor arched on upper margin, angular in cross section with broadly triangular sensorium flush with surrounding area. Hind basitarsus missing. Tegula very faintly shagreened without marginal grooves. Both wings deeply infumate. Forewing with radius sharply bent two-fifths distance to intercubitus and terminating in long, outwardly directed spur; stigma separated by less than its length from basal vein.

Dorsal propodeum with rectangular areola slightly more than 3 times as long as wide. Lateral propodeum with rugulae on upper part not numerous and widely separated.

Tergum 1 with anterior transverse carina; dorsum laterally with coarsely punctate areas; preapical band reduced to an irregular line of about 8 punctures, not impressed. Sternum 2 with perceptible anteromedian callosity. Intermediate terga with punctures ranging in size from minutes to coarse, with the largest on tergum 3 shallow and dimpled. Pygidium punctate on basal half; apical half not wrinkled or shagreened.

Length 8.6 mm.

MALE.—Unknown.