Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) asthenes Engel, 2021

Engel, Michael S., 2021, A key to the species of Nanoplebeia, with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of Melittology 2021 (106), pp. 1-14 : 6-8

Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) asthenes Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D990F05D-8E4A-49BC-A874-DE93E768DB5F

( Figs. 8 , 15 )

DIAGNOSIS: This species, as well as the two that follow (infra), have the mesoscutellar maculation confined to the medioapical margin as well as a distinctly yellow or white coloration ( Fig. 15 ) and reticulate or microreticulate propodeum. Like P. (N.) orphne and P. (N.) chondra the facial punctation is coarser and denser, unlike that of P. (N.) minima . In addition, the facial maculation is rather faint and does not extend along the ocular margin as far as the other species ( Fig. 8 ).

DESCRIPTION: ⚲: As described for P. (N.) pleres (vide supra) except as follows: Total body length approximately 2.79–3.06 mm, forewing length (including tegula) 2.75–2.88 mm. Head wider than long, width 1.21–1.25 mm, length 1.08–1.13 mm; compound eye length 0.85–0.88 mm; upper interorbital distance 0.81–0.85 mm, lower interorbital distance 0.67–0.71 mm. Scape length 0.42–0.44 mm. Preoccipital ridge absent. Metabasitarsus apical margin diagonal, superior distal angle rounded, extending to about 0.33–0.40× length of metatarsomere II.

Mandible yellow except base dark brown and mandibular apex reddish brown; clypeus yellow with brown patches on either side of broad midline, yellow midline nearly as broad as supraclypeal area, subtriangular apicolateral corners yellow to yellowish brown; supraclypeal area yellow with narrow area of brown above at tangent of upper margin of antennal toruli; scape yellow except brown to dark brown dorsally, pedicel and flagellum brown except ventral surface of apicalmost flagellomeres lighter brown; lower paraocular area with faintly yellow to tawny triangular area, with black mesially near antenna and clypeal base from anterior tentorial pit to torulus, yellow disappearing at or slightly above tangent of upper margin of antennal toruli, sometimes continuing a bit further as a thin, faint, dark brown strip along ocular margin but completely gone before arch in ocular margin. Pronotum and propleura brown, with yellow on pronotal lobe and transverse paralateral patches of yellow on either side of midline on dorsal collar bordering mesoscutum; mesoscutum black with thin stripes of pale yellow along lateral borders; axilla pale yellow to tawny; mesoscutellum black to reddish brown with yellow medioapically along rounded posterior margin, sometimes patch medially divided forming paralateral patches on either side of midline, yellow maculation separated from axillae by about axillar length; legs largely dark brown to brown except trochanters and tarsi yellow, although meso- and metabasitarsus dark brown to brown, with yellow on retrolateral surfaces and yellow on superior distal angle and inferiorly near proventral margin of metabasitarsus, and yellow proximally on tibiae near articulation with femora, metatibia with apical patch of yellowish brown to yellow on corbicula; wing membranes hyaline clear, veins brown to light brown; metasoma brown to dark brown, sometimes lighter on lower portion of anterior-facing surface of metasomal tergum I.

Integument typically smooth and shining between minute punctures except as noted; clypeus with coarser, shallow, ill-defined, contiguous, setiferous punctures giving a faintly roughened appearance; supraclypeal area as on clypeus; lower and upper face with minute, well-defined, setiferous punctures separated by 1–3× a puncture width, such punctures becoming less distinct and a bit more spaced in ocellocular area; vertex and upper gena with shallow, coarse, ill-defined, contiguous to nearly contiguous punctures; punctures become a bit more defined and smaller on gena, separated by a puncture width or less, but remain shallow and giving a somewhat reticulate appearance, punctures blending to impunctate integument on postgena. Mesoscutum smooth, shining, with minute, setiferous punctures separated by 2–5×, less frequently by a puncture width; punctures of mesoscutellum as on mesoscutum except sparser in anterior half, blending to more faintly reticulate integument with exceedingly sparse, minute punctures; basal area of propodeum faintly reticulate, glabrous.

Pubescence generally white; clypeus with numerous, short, nearly decumbent, plumose setae, not obscuring integument, intermixed with sparse, erect, simple setae, such simple setae more numerous and suberect on supraclypeal area; lower and upper face with similar setation as on clypeus except somewhat denser, but not obscuring integument, such setae becoming sparser in ocellocular area, upper face with sparse, erect, short, simple setae intermixed; vertex with erect, largely simple (sometimes with minute branches) setae more numerous and longer and plumose setae disappearing; gena with abundant minute, decumbent, minutely plumose setae, blending to simple setae posteriorly and ventrally, setae becoming sparse by postgena; postgena with sparsely scatered, long, erect, simple setae. Penicillum, inferior parapenicillum, and rastellum golden yellow; bristles of tarsi golden.

♀: Latet.

♂: Latet.

HOLOTYPE: ⚲, Bolivia: Cochabamba, Cochabamba, 67.5 km NE, Est. Biol. Valle del Sajita, Univ. de San Simón , 300 m, 17°6’33’’S, 64°47’52’’W [-17.1092, -64.7978], 7–9 Feb 1999, R. Hanley, ex: flight intercept trap ( SEMC).

PARATYPES: 5⚲⚲, Bolivia: Cochabamba, Cochabamba, 67.5 km NE, Est. Biol. Valle del Sajita, Univ. de San Simón , 300 m, 17°6’33’’S, 64°47’52’’W [-17.1092, -64.7978], 7–9 Feb 1999, R . Hanley, ex: flight intercept trap ( SEMC); 2⚲⚲ , Bolivia: Cochabamba, Cochabamba, 67.5 km NE, Est. Biol. Valle del Sajita, Univ. de San Simón , 300 m, 17°6’33’’S, 64°47’52’’W [-17.1092, -64.7978], 9–13 Feb 1999, F. Genier, ex: flight intercept trap ( SEMC) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is taken from the Ancient Greek adjective asthenḗs [ἀΣΘΕνής, meaning, “weak”, “feeble”, or “insignificant”, and a combination of a – (ᾰ –, alpha privativum), sthénos (ΣΘΈνος, meaning, “strength”), and the adjectival suffix – ḗs (– ής)], and refers to the faint, thin yellow of the face.

Figures

Figures 8–10. Faces of select species of Nanoplebeia Engel, workers. 8. Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) asthenes, new species. 9. P. (N.) pleres, new species. 10. P. (N.) chondra, new species.

Figures 15–17. Mesoscuta and mesoscutella of select species of Nanoplebeia Engel, workers. 15. Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) asthenes, new species. 16. P. (N.) pleres, new species. 17. P. (N.) chondra, new species.