Paratrigona ornaticeps (Schwarz, 1938)

Gonzalez, Victor H. & Griswold, Terry L., 2011, Two new species of Paratrigona and the male of Paratrigona ornaticeps (Hymenoptera, Apidae), ZooKeys 120, pp. 9-25 : 16-18

Paratrigona ornaticeps (Schwarz, 1938) Figs 20-27

Trigona (Paratrigona) opaca ornaticeps Schwarz, 1938

Diagnosis.

The female of this species can be separated from other species of the haeckeli-lineatifrons group by the following combination of characters: frons with broad and long inverted Y-shaped maculation; paraocular area with complete, long, broad maculation; supraclypeus yellow; and clypeus with broad, inverted T-shaped maculation (cf., Camargo and Moure 1994; fig 115). Paratrigona ornaticeps can be confused with Paratrigona uwa Gonzalez and Vélez and Paratrigona compsa Camargo and Moure by the shape of the facial maculations but in those species they are much narrower and the metasoma is ferruginous (cf., Camargo and Moure 1994; fig 118; Gonzalez and Vélez 2007; fig 1).

The male of Paratrigona ornaticeps can be separated from that of Paratrigona haeckeli , the only other male known of the haeckeli-lineatifrons group (Table 2), by the sixth sternum, which has a broader midapical projection, and the shape of the gonostylus, which is more strongly curved apically in profile (compare Figs 26 and 27 with Camargo and Moure 1994; figs 130, 132).

Description.

Male: Total body length 4.7-5.1 mm; head width 1.6 -1.7 mm; forewing length 3.7-3.8 mm. Head slightly wider than long; inner orbits of compound eyes strongly converging below (Fig. 21); malar area very short, about one-fourth width of third flagellomere; clypeus 1.5 times broader than long; interalveolar distance slightly shorter (0.9x) than median ocellar and alveolar diameters individually; alveolocular distance 1.3 times alveolar diameter, 1.2 times interalveolar distance; interocellar distance 1.5 times median ocellar diameter, 2.7 times longer than ocellocular distance; ocelloccipital distance about 0.7 times median ocellar diameter; scape 2.8 times longer than wide, slightly broader than width of third flagellomere; pedicel about as long as broad, slightly longer than first flagellomere; first flagellomere 1.5 times broader than long, 0.7 shorter than second flagellomere, remaining flagellomeres slightly broader than long, except apical flagellomere much longer than broad; compound eye 2.6 times longer than broad; gena about half width of compound eye in profile. Scutum with anterior margin rounded, 1.1 times broader than long, 2.3 times longer than scutellum; scutellum 1.5 times broader than long, broadly rounded on distal margin (long-paraboloid sensu Camargo and Moure 1994); hind tibia about 3 times longer than broad; hind basitarsus 2.6 times longer than broad. Genitalia and associated sterna as in Figs 22-27.

Integument in general finely and densely punctate, dull, as in other species of the genus; propodeum with faint midline.

Color predominantly black, except: brownish on anterior surface of flagellum, tegula, legs (legs light yellow to ferruginous with pale maculations); yellow maculations as follows: mandible, labrum, anterior surface of scape, face as in Fig. 21 (frons sometimes maculate along middle line, never with inverted broad Y-shaped maculation as in fe male), gena basally with thin band (less than half median ocellar diameter), vertex with small spot laterally, pronotum, pronotal lobe, tegula with small spot on anterior half, costal sclerite, mesepisternum laterally with spots, metepisternum almost entirely, scutum laterally with broad band (about half median ocellar diameter), axilla, lateral and distal margins of scutellum with narrower band than on scutum, apices of middle and hind femora, outer surfaces of fore and middle tibiae with narrow band, hind tibia with band on posterior margin, fore and middle basitarsi basally. Wing membrane subhyaline with weak greenish and coppery reflections; veins and stigma dark brown (Fig. 20).

Body sparsely covered with minute, appressed, simple yellowish to whitish hairs except as follows: vertex, hypostomal area, middle trochanter with long (about half median ocellar diameter), erect hairs; hind coxa, seventh tergum with much longer erect hairs (at least as long as median ocellar diameter); sides of propodeum with dense, branched, semierect hairs (about 0.5 times median ocellar diameter) partially obscuring integument.

Material examined.

(n = 33♀, 39♂) Costa Rica: 1♀, 1♂, Turrialba, VII-15-19-65, P.J. Spangler; 2♀, 5♂, S.J. [San José], San Isidro General, Feb. 1993, F. D. Parker; 1♀, 13♂, Alaj. [Alajuela], 20 km S Upala, collected on 1-10 April, 20-31 March, 22-31 May, 3-21 June 1991, and 1-10 August 1991, F. D. Parker; 25♀, 18♂, Alaj., Bijagua, 20 km S Upala, collected on 6-29 January, 12 February, 5-28 March, 10 April– 6 May, 1-11 June, 1-15 July, 1-12 Aug, 1-15 Sep, 9-19 October, 1-20 November, and 25-30 December 1991, F. D. Parker; 4♀, Cart. [Cartago], Turribalba, CATIE, 26-29 June 1986, W. Hanson, G. Bohart; 2♂, Guan [Guanacaste], 14 km S Cañas, collected on 17 March, 11-12 June 1991, F. D. Parker (BBSL, USMN).

Comments.

Unlike the female, the yellow maculations in the male are usually reduced on gena, vertex, pronotum, frons, and sides of propodeum.