256 
Psyche 
[Vol. 94 
The remaining seven subspecies are supposed to key to the second 
alternative. They are not really distinct from one another. The char- 
acter distinguishing dives and riojanum in Giordani Soika’s key, 
whether the pronotum is entirely or only partly yellow, is both 
trivial and not really true. For example, one of the MCZ specimens 
of riojanum from Belen-Los Nacimentos (seen by Giordani Soika, 
but cited as deposited in the USNM), and three CU and one USNM 
specimens from La Rioja have the pronotum nearly entirely 
yellow — supposed to characterize dives. The subspecies peruense in 
turn differs from these two forms in the amount of black on the 
mesepisternum and pronotum, as well as the relatively long hair on 
the scutum. These are all trivial features; the color in peruense 
differs only in having the black sometimes more extensive on the 
pronotum and mesepisternum, but there are specimens in the 
USNM with the pronotum completely yellow, and the amount of 
black on the mesepisternum varies considerably in specimens of all 
three subspecies. The length of the hair is probably an ecological 
correlate, as noted above. The characters cited in the key as distin- 
guishing hubrichi from the three preceding subspecies all occur in 
dives and riojanum. The subspecies pallidior is in turn distinguished 
from these four forms by reduction of the black markings; it is 
Mexican while the others are South American. A specimen in the 
MCZ from Costa Rica: Guanacaste Prov., Playa Brasilito has the 
black markings limited to the base of terga I and II, the base of the 
metapleuron and the scutum. A specimen at CU from Panama, 
Coco Solo CZ is similar, but has a mesal black line on the scutum 
and most of the metapleura black. These specimens are thus inter- 
mediate both in color and range. The subspecies distinguendum is 
distinguished from these five forms only by having the propodeum 
black, whereas it is primarily yellow or ferruginous in the other 
subspecies. However black markings may appear in specimens of 
these other subspecies, and their extent varies in specimens of dives 
from Peru and Ecuador in the USNM. Recognition of any of these 
six forms as subspecies is therefore unjustified. Further, although I 
have not seen specimens of apurimacense, the characteristics by 
which it is distinguished from distinguendum in the key are subject 
to the same kind of variation as those just discussed. These are the 
extent of yellow on the dorsum of the thorax and ferruginous on the 
first metasomal tergum. I am confident that apurimacense is no 
more than another minor local variant, and have no hesitation in 
synonymizing it. 
