Perdita sycorax Portman

Portman, Zachary M., Neff, John L. & Griswold, Terry, 2016, Taxonomic revision of Perdita subgenus Heteroperdita Timberlake (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), with descriptions of two ant-like males, Zootaxa 4214 (1), pp. 1-97 : 76-78

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4214.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9FAD41E4-36F3-4AE0-B626-6A372E894A59
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6066812
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DA5156-6E41-380F-FF43-FDCCFAB76D4C
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Perdita sycorax Portman
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Perdita sycorax Portman View in CoL , sp. n.

Figs. 6 View FIGURE 6 E, 7E, 8E, 9F, 23P, 24R, 39, 49, 57D, 60C–D

Diagnosis. Both sexes of P. sycorax have the metasoma yellow with dark spots, though the dark spots are reduced and sometimes absent in the females ( Figs. 6 View FIGURE 6 E, 7E). They can be recognized by their unique shade of golden or dull yellow coloration, a darker shade than similar species such as P. arenaria , P. maculosa , P. nuttalliae , and P. yanegai . Both sexes also have a yellow band on the metapleura and contiguous sides of the propodeum ( Fig. 49 View FIGURE 49 ) as well as a well-defined yellow triangular dorso-anteriorly on the propodeum (e.g. Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 B).

The female can be further recognized by having the second medial cell present, head and mesosoma with greenish-bronze metallic tints, and the metasoma with reduced dark spots ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 E). The male can be further recognized by the head and mesosoma with strongly metallic greenish-bronze coloration, the larger yellow markings that fill the entire lateral area and extend slightly above the antennal sockets ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 A), and the pygidial plate narrowly triangular with the apex narrowly and bluntly pointed ( Fig. 23 View FIGURE 23 P).

Description of female. Length: 3.0 mm. Forewing length: 1.9 mm.

Coloration. Head ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 F) and mesosoma base color black with metallic greenish-bronze luster; clypeus dull yellow; supraclypeal mark dull yellow, large, transverse; paraocular mark dull yellow, triangular or subtriangular, extending narrowly up along eyes to above level of antennal socket; subantennal mark typically yellow along margin of antennal socket; mandible yellowish-white, tip reddish; labrum yellowish-white, sometimes with basomedial dark spot; scape dull yellow; antenna light brown dorsally, yellowish-tan ventrally; pronotal collar yellow, more or less marked with brown along medial suture; pronotal lobe yellow; metapleuron and anterior propodeum yellow ( Fig. 49 View FIGURE 49 A), often more or less invaded by brown ventrally; propodeum with large narrow yellow triangle dorso-anteriorly; ventral surface of mesepisternum yellow along posterior margin; legs dull yellow except more or less brown on distal hind tarsi; wing veins transparent tan; metasoma dull yellow, terga more or less lightened to white apically with multiple brown spots, though spots often reduced ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 E); T1 with pair of small sublateral spots on anterior and posterior face; T2–T5 with two to four spots: pair of small baso-lateral transverse marks and pair of small apico-sublateral spots present on T2–T5, small basomedial spot often on T3–T4; T2 fovea brown; pygidial plate transparent yellow.

Structure and vestiture. Head broader than long ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 F); face, except for clypeus, lower supraclypeal area, and frons covered by sparse recumbent white pubescence; eyes subparallel, slightly converging ventrally; facial fovea diverging dorsally, oval, extending from top of antennal socket 2/3 distance to apex of eye, generally more or less obscured by pubescence; mandible simple; labrum quadrate, 1.5X broader than long; disc of clypeus broader than high, convex, apically protruding slightly less than 1 OD from face; lateral extension reaching 1/3 distance to base of mandible; venter of head with abundant inward-facing broadly hooked hairs; mesosoma strongly tessellate, impunctate, slightly shiny; pronotal collar slightly impressed, humeral angle weak; mesepisternum and margins of scutum mostly covered by combination of recumbent and erect white pubescence; fore coxa with abundant, broadly hooked hairs; apex of mid tibia with some short, thick, curved setae; forewing with second medial cell present; metasoma oval, wide basally, tapering apically, widest at T3 ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 E); terga tessellate and impunctate; T2 fovea linear, slightly thickened, 1/2 length of T2; pygidial plate narrowly triangular, apex sharply pointed ( Fig. 24 View FIGURE 24 R); hairs of prepygidial fimbria thin, sparse.

Description of male. Length: 2.4 mm. Forewing length: 1.7 mm.

Coloration. Head ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 E) and mesosoma base color metallic greenish bronze; clypeus dull yellow; supraclypeal mark dull yellow, large, transverse; paraocular mark dull yellow, triangular, extending slightly above level of top of antennal socket; subantennal area generally dark, sometimes with yellow mark along margin of antennal socket; mandible yellowish-white, tip reddish; labrum yellowish-white; scape dull yellow; antenna brown dorsally, yellowish-tan ventrally; pronotal collar yellow, more or less marked with brown along medial suture; pronotal lobe yellow; metapleuron and anterior propodeum yellow, often more or less invaded by brown ventrally ( Fig. 49 View FIGURE 49 B); propodeum with narrow yellow triangle dorso-anteriorly, triangle often reduced or absent; ventral surface of mesepisternum lightened to yellow along bases of mid and hind coxae; legs yellow except brown basally on fore and mid coxae, dorsoapical spot on hind femur, and anteromedially on hind femur, more or less darkened on distal hind tarsi; wing veins light brown; metasoma dull yellow or yellowish-white with multiple brown spots ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 E); T1 with pair of sublateral splotches on anterior and pair of sublateral spots on dorsal face; T2–T6 with two to four spots: prominent apico-sublateral spots present on T2–T6, small baso-lateral spots present on T2–T4 (spots more transverse on T2), and small basomedial spot present on T3–T5; T2 fovea brown; pygidial plate transparent yellow.

Structure and vestiture. Head oval, broader than long ( Fig. 8 View FIGURE 8 E); face, except for clypeus, lower supraclypeal area, and frons covered by sparse recumbent white pubescence; eyes converging ventrally; mandible simple, not quite extending to opposite side of labrum in repose; labrum quadrate, 1.5X broader than long; disc of clypeus broader than high, convex, apically protruding less than 1 OD from face; lateral extension reaching 1/3 distance to base of mandible; head with sparse pubescence ventrally; mesosoma strongly tessellate, impunctate, slightly shiny; pronotal collar slightly impressed, humeral angle weak; mesepisternum and scutum sparsely covered by combination of recumbent and erect white pubescence; hind tibia with sparse, short, slightly thickened hairs; metasoma equal in width to mesosoma, suboval, wide basally, tapering apically, widest at T3 ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 E); terga tessellate and impunctate; T2 fovea linear, thickened, generally approaching half length of T2; pygidial plate narrowly triangular, apex narrowly and bluntly pointed ( Fig. 23 View FIGURE 23 P); hairs of prepygidial fimbria slightly thickened, sparse.

Terminalia . S8 ( Fig. 57 View FIGURE 57 D) with spiculum relatively broad basally, bifurcate apically; lateral apodemes slightly prominent, weakly flexed downwards; apical portion slightly convex, much longer than broad, sides weakly converging above; apex strongly truncate; sparse short hairs ventrally; cuticle thinned in small circle subapically. Genital capsule as in Figs. 60 View FIGURE 60 C–D. Gonostyli separated dorsally by narrow V-shape; dorsal lobe of gonostylus relatively narrow; ventral lobe slightly longer than dorsal lobe with minute hairs apically, extending slightly beyond level of penis valve; volsella relatively small; cuspis narrow with few spicules apically; digitus minute and unornamented; penis valve narrow, parallel, turned outwards at apex; endophallus extending to level of penis valve.

Floral records. Apocynaceae (1 ♂): Cycladenia humilis 1 ♂, Boraginaceae (6 ♂ 6 ♀): Tiquilia latior 6 ♂ 6 ♀.

Phenology. Active May to August.

Distribution. Colorado Plateau ( Fig. 39 View FIGURE 39 ), USA.

Type material. Holotype data: ♀, UTAH: Emery Co.: Flat Top Pass (38.5417 -110.4906): 23 May 2000, F.D. Parker ( BBSL, accession no. BBSL 392200 View Materials ) . Paratype data: (13 ♂ 17 ♀) UTAH: Emery Co.: Big Flat Top, NE (38.5197 -110.4463) : 1 ♂, 13 Jun 1991, T.L. Griswold, Tiquilia latior ; Buckskin Springs (38.62 -110.6733): 1 ♀, 5 Aug 1997, F.D. Parker; Flat Top Pass (38.5417 -110.4906): 1 ♂ 6 ♀, 23 May 2000, F.D. Parker; San Rafael Desert, Flat Top Pass, 1 mi E (38.54 -110.46): 1 ♀, 23 May 2000, F.D. Parker; San Rafael Desert, Flat Top Pass, 3 mi E (38.51 -110.4255): 1 ♂, 24 May 2000, F.D. Parker; San Rafael Desert, Flat Top Pass (38.53 -110.48): 1 ♂ 1 ♀, 23 May 2000, F.D. Parker; San Rafael Reef, E edge, 1 mi S I-70 (38.9121 -110.4315): 3 ♂ 2 ♀, 14 Jun 1991, T.L. Griswold, T. latior (1 ♀ UCRC); San Rafael Reef, E edge, 2 mi S I-70 (38.9018 -110.4407): 1 ♂, 14 Jun 1991, T.L. Griswold, T. latior ; 2 ♂, 19 Jun 1991, T.L. Griswold (1 ♂ UCRC); South Temple Wash (38.65 -110.66): 1 ♂, 31 Jul 2000, F.D. Parker ; Wild Horse Creek, N Goblin Valley (38.5961 -110.7028): 5 ♀, 21–23 Jul 1981, D.F. Veirs, T.L. Griswold, F.D. Parker ; 2 ♂ 1 ♀, 22 Jul 1981, D.F. Veirs, T.L. Griswold, F.D. Parker.

Additional material examined. Total specimens: 19 ♂ 22 ♀. UTAH: Emery Co.: Big Flat Top, NE (38.5197 -110.4463): 1 ♀, 13 Jun 1991, T.L. Griswold, Tiquilia latior ; Flat Top Pass (38.5417 -110.4906): 8 ♂ 11 ♀, 23 May 2000, F.D. Parker; San Rafael Desert, Flat Top Pass (38.53 -110.48): 2 ♂ 1 ♀, 23 May 2000, F.D. Parker; San Rafael Reef, E edge, 2 mi S I-70 (38.9018 -110.4407): 1 ♂, 14 Jun 1991, T.L. Griswold, T. latior ; 4 ♂, 19 Jun 1991, T.L. Griswold; 3 ♀, 19 Jun 1991, T.L. Griswold, T. latior ; San Rafael Reef, E edge, 2.8 mi S I-70 (38.88694 - 110.44416): 1 ♂, 24 Jun 1991, S. Sipes, W.R. Bowlin, Cycladenia humilis ; Wild Horse Creek, N Goblin Valley (38.5961 -110.7028): 1 ♂, 22 Jul 1981, D.F. Veirs, T.L. Griswold, F.D. Parker ; 1 ♂, 27 Jul 1982, F.D. Parker, T.L. Griswold; Wildhorse Creek (38.5967 -110.7033): 3 ♀, 31 Jul 2000, F.D. Parker ; Garfield Co.: Hwy 95, jct Hwy 276, 9 mi S (37.9107 -110.577): 1 ♀, 24 May 2000, F.D. Parker ; Lake Powell, 4 air mi NNW Bullfrog (37.59705 - 110.81463): 1 ♂, 30 Jul 1983, F.& A. Parker; Ticaboo, 4 mi S (37.6142 -110.7168): 1 ♀, 25 May 2000, F.D. Parker ; Wayne Co.: Bull Mountain Road; 18 km S Hanksville (38.08 -110.37): 1 ♀, 22 May 2002, M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker.

Etymology. The name comes from the unseen character in Shakespeare's The Tempest. Treat as a noun in apposition.

Remarks. Perdita sycorax is currently the only Heteroperdita known from the Colorado Plateau. However, given the relative dearth of collection on Tiquilia in the area, it seems likely that additional species occur there.