Scaura latitarsis (Friese)

Melo, Gabriel A. R. & Costa, Marco Antônio, 2004, A new stingless bee species of the genus Scaura (Hymenoptera, Apidae) from the Brazilian Atlantic forest, with notes on S. latitarsis (Friese), Zootaxa 544, pp. 1-10 : 3-6

Scaura latitarsis (Friese)

( Figs. 1, 3, 5 , 7, 9, 11 , 13 )

Trigona latitarsis Friese, 1900: 388 . Lectotype worker (presently designated), Brazil: São Paulo, Jundiaí (ZMHB).

Schwarz (1948) gave a very broad definition to Scaura latitarsis . According to him, this species occurs from southern Mexico to the state of São Paulo, in Brazil. Examination of material deposited at the DZUP collection indicates that latitarsis sensu Schwarz (1948) represents a species complex, here referred as the latitarsis group. The only additional available name in this group is Trigona argyrea , a species described by Cockerell (1912) from Guatemala, and placed in the synonymy of latitarsis by Schwarz (1948). This name should be reinstated for populations from Central America, since specimens from this region (material examined from Guatemala and Costa Rica) show many differences from S. latitarsis proper. Indeed, Scaura atlantica , a new species proposed in this paper, exhibits several features in common with S. argyrea , when compared to S. latitarsis .

Friese (1900) described latitarsis from three workers and several males from “ Brasilia: São Paulo” and “ Surinam ”. Considering that the original type series is probably composed of more than one species, a worker syntype from Jundiaí, São Paulo, is here designated lectotype in order to stabilize the taxonomy of the group. The name latitarsis should be used only for the form occurring in the basin of the Paraná river, in Brazil ( Fig. 13 ). The lectotype bears the following labels: “ Brasil / Jundiahy / 1899 / Schrottky” and “Zool. Mus. Berlin”. A third label was added: “ LECTOTYPE / Trigona latitarsis / Friese, 1900 / desig. Melo & Costa, 2004”.

The lectotype is in almost perfect condition, except for lacking the pedicel and entire flagellum of the left antenna, the last six flagellomeres of the right antenna, and the last two tarsomeres of the left hind leg. The redescription presented below emphasizes the characters that proved useful in distinguishing the different forms within the latitarsis group.

Redescription

Worker lectotype. Body length: 3.7 mm; maximum head width: 1.75 mm; forewing length: 3.9 mm. Color: Integument predominantly black. Labrum and apical one­third of mandibles reddish brown. Basal one­fourth of frontal surface of scape and basal half of posterior surface light brown. Pronotal lobes dark brown. Legs dark brown, except for reddish brown basal one­fourth of hind tibia and basal joints of fore and mid tibiae, and for light brown last three tarsomeres. Terga reddish brown and sterna light brown. Tegulae, wing veins and pterostigma brown; wing membrane hyaline. Pubescence: Longest simple setae on upper frons with 0.10–0.12 mm in length; those on the scape with about 0.04 mm. Longest simple setae on disc of mesoscutum 0.12–0.14 mm long; short, plumose pubescence light brown and entirely finely branched. Simple setae on upper mesepisternum entirely white. Erect setae on posterior margin of T2–5 brown, those on T6 light brown to white; longest setae on mid portion of T3 with 0.05–0.06 mm in length, on T4 with 0.07– 0.08 mm, and on T5 with 0.09–0.10 mm. Integumental surface: Predominantly smooth and shiny. Upper half of frons entirely finely microreticulate between setal punctures, reticulation stronger on upper frons and around ocelli; sockets of simple setae on upper frons and vertex distinctly raised and forming small bumps on the surface. Structure (measurements in mm): Head about 1.2x wider than long (1.75:1.42); proportion between upper (tangential to lower rim of mid ocellus), maximum and lower interorbital distances, 0.87:1:0.79 (1.04:1.20:0.95); clypeus 2.4x wider than long (0.85:0.35); scape, excluding radicle, about 6.1x longer than its maximum width (0.67:0.11); proportion between pedicel, 1st and 2nd flagellomeres, 1.3:1:1.3 (0.13:0.1:0.13); ocelo­orbital distance, in dorsal view, 0.56x distance between posterior ocelli (0.2:0.36). Hind basitarsus, in inner view, about 1.8x longer than its maximum width (1.15:0.65).

Additional material examined (all from DZUP)

Brazil, Minas Gerais: 6 workers, “ALPINOPOLIS ­ MG / Brasil / III ­ 1961 / C. Elias, leg.”; 5 workers, “UBERABA MG / Brasil / X ­ 61 / C. Elias leg.”; São Paulo: 1 worker, “ PORTO CABRAL / RIO PARANÁ / Travassos Filho c”, “ 15­30/X/1941 ” and “ latitarsis ”; 2 workers, “LENÇOIS­SP. / Brasil / iii­1939 / P. Pereira.”; 5 workers, “ SÃO PAULO / I­1945 / Guatapará.”; 1 worker, “Ribeirão Preto­SP / Brasil 20/01/1987 / G. A. R. MELO ”; 3 workers, “ Brasil, São Paulo, / Teodoro Sampaio, / P. E. Morro do Diabo, / Estrada do Angelim, / 16.ii.1999, GAR Melo”; Paraná: 2 workers, “Londrina PR / 0 3.5.1996 / Dr. Ed. Proni”, “ Scaura latitarsis ( Friese, 1900) / Pe J. S. Moure / 1996”; 4 workers, “Londrina, PR / 03.v.1996 / Prof. E. Proni”.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Map of South America showing the known locality records for Scaura latitarsis (solid triangles) and S. atlantica, sp. nov. (solid circles), in Brazil.

FIGURES 1 – 6. (1, 3, 5) Scaura latitarsis, worker (from Uberaba, Minas Gerais): head, in frontal view (1) and detail of upper frons (3); upper portion of mesosoma, in lateral view (5). (2, 4, 6) Scaura atlantica, sp. nov., worker (from Ilhéus, Bahia): head, in frontal view (2) and detail of upper frons (4); upper portion of mesosoma, in lateral view (6). For figs 1 – 2, scale bar = 1.0 mm; for figs 3 – 4, 0.3 mm; and for figs 5 – 6, 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 12. (7, 9, 11) Scaura latitarsis, worker (from Uberaba, Minas Gerais, except fig 9, material from Alpinópolis, Minas Gerais): base of antenna, in frontal view (7); hind leg, in outer view (9); apical portion of metasoma, in lateral view (11). (8, 10, 12) Scaura atlantica, sp. nov., worker (from Ilhéus, Bahia): base of antenna, in frontal view (8); hind leg, in outer view (10); apical portion of metasoma, in lateral view (12). For figs 7 – 8, scale bar = 0.3 mm; for figs 9 – 10, 1.0 mm; and for figs 11 – 12, 0.5 mm.