Xylocopa splendidula Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1841

Lucia, Mariano, Gonzalez, Victor H. & Abrahamovich, Alberto H., 2015, Systematics and biology of XylocopasubgenusSchonnherria (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in Argentina, ZooKeys 543, pp. 129-167 : 145-147

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Apidae

Xylocopa splendidula Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1841 Figures 5, 11, 17, 23, 28, 33, 38, 43, 56

Xylocopa splendidula Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau, 1841: 190 (holotype: ♀, Brazil, whereabouts unknown, see comments below)

Xylocopa (Schonnherria) splendidula : Hurd and Moure 1963: 123.

Diagnosis.

Both sexes of this species can be distinguished easily from other Argentinean species of Schonnherria by the following combination of characters: small to medium body size (body length 13-19 mm); body pubescence entirely black in the female, in the male with dense off-white pubescence on mesepisternum, tegula anteriorly, sides of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum, and dorsum of T1; meso- and metasoma with distinct metallic blue highlights; wing membrane subhyaline with weak violet highlights; male compound eyes enlarged, dorsally convergent, with upper margins separated by at least 2.7 times OD (Fig. 11); and hind leg of male unmodified, except by metatibia with long, slender subapical projection on inner margin, similar in size and thickness to tibial spur. This species can be confused with Xylocopa macrops , particularly the male, by the compound eyes distinctly convergent dorsally, metasoma with metallic blue highlights, off-white pubescence on mesosoma and T1, and wings subhyaline. However, in Xylocopa macrops the compound eyes are larger and closer dorsally (0.54-0.72 times OD) than in Xylocopa splendidula and the hind leg is distinctly modified, with coxa and trochanter each bearing a tooth or spine, femur strongly protuberant ventrally, tibia with two large subapical spines on its inner margin, and basitarsus robust, shorter than the tibia (slender and longer than tibia in Xylocopa splendidula ). In addition, the labrum is yellow and the metasomal sterna are maculated in Xylocopa macrops (labrum and metasoma inmaculate in Xylocopa splendidula ).

Female.

Body length 17.2 (16.6-18.3); head length 4.9 (4.7-5.0); head width 5.5 (5.2-5.8); mesosoma width 6.3 (5.8-6.6); metasoma width 7.1 (6.6-7.5); forewing length 13.3 (12.7-14.0); forewing width 3.7 (3.6-3.8). Coloration. Integument dark brown to black with distinct metallic blue highlights, particularly dorsum of meso- and metasoma. Wings subhyaline with weak violet highlights. Pubescence. Dark brown to black, except patch of off-white setae on sides of T5. Head with abundant setae, scattered on gena and vertex. Mesosoma with abundant, plumose setae except nearly asetose on disc of mesoscutum and anterior half of mesoscutellum. T1 with scattered plumose setae on basal half; distal half of T1, as on discs of T2-T5, with very short, appressed simple setae, each barely exiting puncture, setae becoming longer and denser towards apical terga; disc of T6 and sides of T1-T6 each with long, semierect, simple and plumose setae; sterna with semierect, long setae as long as those on sides of terga. Sculpturing. Weakly imbricate to smooth and shiny. Vertex and upper gena with punctures separated by 1-2 times a puncture width, punctures scattered on upper gena. Mesoscutum with punctures separated by 1-2 times a puncture width, punctures becoming sparser towards center to completely absent on disc; mesoscutellum largely impunctate, with few, scattered punctures. Metasomal terga with circular to ovoid punctures separated by 1.0-1.5 times a puncture width, punctures becoming denser laterally and towards apical terga; sterna with elongate punctures on discs, punctures contiguous laterally, becoming sparser medially. Structure. Head broader than long (1.1-1.2:1); compound eyes with inner margins parallel; proportion of upper to lower interocular distance 0.8-0.9:1; middle interocular distance 3.4-4.0; vertex broad, distance between median ocellus and posterior margin of vertex 3.7-4.4 OD; orbitoccipital distance 0.6-0.8; lateral ocelli below supraorbital line; interocellar distance to ocelocular distance 0.9-1:1; interocellar to ocelloccipital 0.5-0.6:1; ocellocular to alveolo cellar 0.6-0.8:1; orbitoccipital to ocellocular 0.9-1.1:1; alveolocular to interalveolar 1.0-1.3:1; clypeoalveolar distance 1.3 times longitudinal diameter of anntenal socket; clypeocellar distance to distance between median ocellus and posterior margin of vertex 0.8-1:1; frontal carina moderately elevated, forming a small protuberance at level of lower tangent of anntenal sockets; clypeus broader than long, 2.1-2.3:1; proportion of length of scape, pedicel and F1-F4: 3.2 –3.5:0.3–0.5:1:0.3–0.4:0.4–0.5:0.4– 0.5, respectively; labrum broader than long, with three basal protuberances, median tubercle distinct, longitudinally elongate, sublateral tubercles small. Mesoscutellum gently convex; metanotum and propodeum subvertically inclined.

Male.

As in the female, except for usual secondary sexual characters and as follows: body length 16.1 (13.3-18.6); head length 4.7 (3.8-4.4); head width 4.9 (4.6-5.2); mesosoma width 6.2 (5.6-6.8); metasoma width 6.8 (6.6-7.6); forewing length 12.6 (12.0-13.3); forewing width 3.3 (3.2-3.4). Coloration. Clypeus, supraclypeal area, paraocular area, and anterior surfaces of scape and F1 yellow (Fig. 11). Pubescense. Off-white pubescence on mesepisternum, tergula anteriorly, sides of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum, and dorsum of T1. Sculpturing. Punctures denser than in the female, particularly on metasomal terga. Structure. Compound eyes enlarged, strongly converging dorsally, upper orbital margins separated by at least 2.7 times OD; proportion of upper to lower interocular distance 0.4-0.6:1; upper interocular distance 2.0-2.9 times OD; middle interocular distance 1.7-2.0; distance between median ocellus and posterior margin of vertex 2.6-3.1 OD; orbitoccipital distance 0.1-0.2; lateral ocelli below supraorbital line; interocellar distance to ocelocular distance 2.0-4.5:1; interocellar to ocelloccipital 0.3-0.5:1; ocellocular to alveolocellar 0.1-0.2:1; orbitoccipital to ocellocular 0.5-1:1; alveolocular to interalveolar 0.5-0.7:1; clypeocellar distance to distance between median ocellus and posterior margin of vertex 0.9-1.1:1; clypeus broader than long, 1.4-1.6:1; proportion of length of scape, pedicel and F1-F4 2.8 –3.1:0.3–0.4:1:0.3–0.4:0.4–0.5:0.4– 0.5, respectively. Legs slender, unmodified, except metatibia with long, slender subapical projection on inner margin, similar in size and thickness to tibial spur; mesobasitarsi longer than tibiae. Genitalia as in Figs 28, 33, 38, 43.

Distribution.

This species is presumably widespread in South America (Table 1) as well as in Argentina, where it has been found in all provinces except Tierra del Fuego and Santa Cruz (Fig. 56). It occurs in all biogreophic provinces except subantartica. The southernmost collection locality for this species is Altares, Province of Chubut, near parallel 43°.

Comments.

Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau (1841) described this species based on a female specimen from Brazil, which is presumably deposited at MNHN as indicated in the original publication. We received a female specimen from the MNHN identified as the type of Xylocopa splendidula . The complete label data for this specimen are as follows: "Museum Paris-EY0000001755 // Type? [red label] // del` emb. del` Uruguay jusquiana missions [handwritten-round label] // splendidula [handwritten]". Because this specimen was collected in Uruguay, not in Brazil, it is not the true type of Xylocopa splendidula . We also examined from the same museum three specimens of Xylocopa splendidula from Brazil, but the label data do not agree with those indicated in the original description. Therefore, the whereabouts of the type of Xylocopa splendidula are currently unknown.

In specimens of both sexes the color of legs, propodeum, mandibles and tegulae ranged from black to dark brown, and that of the metasoma from greenish to bluish. The presence of tufts of white setae on the sides of the terminal terga is also a variable character.