Tapinotaspoides flavifrons, Melo, Gabriel A. R. & Aguiar, Antonio J. C., 2008

Melo, Gabriel A. R. & Aguiar, Antonio J. C., 2008, New species of Tapinotaspoides (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Tapinotaspidini), Zootaxa 1749, pp. 53-61 : 54-55

Tapinotaspoides flavifrons sp.n.

( Figs. 1–7 )

Comments and diagnosis. The male of Tapinotaspoides flavifrons sp.n. is quite characteristic by its predominantly white pubescence ( Fig. 1 ); yellow labrum, clypeus, supraclypeal area and lower portions of the parocular area ( Fig. 2 ); T1–T4 with loose bands of white plumose hairs ( Fig. 3 ); and fore basitarsus strongly modified. The relatively flat clypeus and supraclypeal area, as well as the crenulated flagellum, indicates a closer relationship to the group of species containing T. rufescens , T. serraticornis , and T. tucumana . The new species, however, does not have a modified hind basitarsus. Tapinotaspoides flavifrons sp.n. resembles Tapinotaspis chalybaea ( Friese, 1899) in general appearance, in particular the color of pubescence and body size.

Distribution: BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul.

Description. Holotype male. Body length: 10.2 mm. Integument color. Mostly black, except for the following yellow areas: labrum and clypeus (except for a brown semicircular area on the lower margin of the labrum and a thin black stripe on lower margin of clypeus); lower half of supraclypeal area; spot below antennal fovea on lower paraocular area ( Fig. 2 ). Flagellum dark reddish brown anteriorly, apical two-thirds of its posterior surface mostly black. Pubescence. Plumose setae mostly white on head, pronotum, mesepisternum, anterior half of mesoscutum, entire fore legs, large patch on hind tibiae, margin of T1 and on disc of T2-T4; on remainder of body, pubescence mostly black. Labrum with dense erect white plumose hairs; lower twothirds of clypeus with dense decumbent white plumose hairs. T1–T4 with broad, loose bands of white plumose hairs ( Fig. 3 ); on lateral margins of T3 and entire margins of T4-T6 with dense bands of black plumose hairs. Mid and hind tibiae and basitarsi with well-developed fringe of long plumose hairs on posterior margin, on hind basitarsus distinctly longer than in mid basitarsus; anterior border of hind basitarsus with a row of long, thick setae, setae almost as long as maximum width of basitarsus, their apex with very short branches. S2-S5 with well-developed marginal fringes of black plumose setae, fringe narrowly interrupted along mid portion of S2. Integumental sculpture. Punctures mostly very fine and sparse (> 2 pd); mesoscutum with very sparse fine punctures (> 5 pd). Structure. Clypeus and supraclypeal area mostly flat. Flagellum weakly crenulated. Fore basitarsus highly modified, almost club-shaped due to narrowing of its mid portion; hind basitarsus unmodified. Ratio of head length to width: 0.75 (2.4:3.2); ratio of lower interocular distance to upper interocular distance: 0.86 (1.56:1.8); scape: maximum width, 0.27, length, 0.63; length of F1–3:0.27, 0.27, 0.27; diameter of F2: 0.27; T2 maximum width: 3.5; fore wing length (including tegulae): 8.1. Sterna 7 and 8, and genitalia illustrated in Figs. 4–7 .

Type material. Holotype, ɗ, labelled: " DZUP \ 021451 " "Esteio\ R.G.S.\ XI-1942 " [also a third label by Moure with an unpublished manuscript name].

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Tapinotaspoides flavifrons sp. n. (holotype); 1, Habitus, lateral view. 2, Head, frontal view. 3, Metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURES 4 – 7. Tapinotaspoides flavifrons sp. n. (holotype), male terminalia. 4, Sternum 7, ventral view. 5, Sternum 8, ventral view. 6, Genitalia, dorsal view (same scale as Fig. 7). 7, Same, ventral view. Scale bar: 0.2 mm.