Thygater chaetaspis Moure 1941

Freitas, Felipe V. & Silveira, Fernando A., 2017, Synopsis of the bee genus Thygater Holmberg 1884 (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, with the description of a new species and a key to all Brazilian species, Zootaxa 4238 (1), pp. 1-29 : 11-13

Thygater chaetaspis Moure 1941

( Fig. 6 )

Thygater (Thygater) chaetaspis Urban 1967 ; Urban, Moure & Melo 2012.

Diagnosis. Female T. chaetaspis have the integument and pilosity almost completely black and can be easily recognized by the dense, thick setae on their clypeus, which have their thin tips bended downward ( Fig. 6 .A). Considering the group of species which males are almost entirely black-haired and have no dense tuft of plumose setae on the disc of S6, male of T. chaetaspis can be distinguished from those of T. sordidipenis by the length of its third submarginal cell, which is about 1.5 times as long as the second submarginal cell (as long as second in T. sordidipenis ).

Description ♀ (holotype): Integument black, except translucent-amber on apex of marginal zones of S2–S5; on clypeus, entirely reticulate and dull, with strong mid-longitudinal keel; on mesepisternum reticulate, densely punctate (<1 dp); on mesoscutum smooth, sparsely punctate(>1 dp), denser on anterior half; on scutellum densely punctate; on terga entirely reticulate, densely and finely punctate; translucent-amber areas on apex of marginal zones of terga narrow as F2; translucent-amber areas on apex of marginal zones of S2– S5 2 /3 as long as F2; on sterna, reticulate. Pilosity black; on clypeus and labrum composed by thick setae with thin apices bended downward (frequently broken in worn specimens); on mesepisternum dense, sparser on mesoscutum, especially on disc; on scutellum and terga, dense, but less so on T4; on T5 denser, completely hiding the integument; on T5 and T6 not as darker as on preceding terga; on sterna very sparse, but forming apical fringe of thick setae, especially on S5, where it is denser than on other sterna. Structure —malar area 1/3 as long as basal mandibular width; S6 with mid-longitudinal carina.

♂: Integument black, except lighter on labrum and on tarsi, especially on distal tarsomeres; ferruginous on T6, T7 and S6, translucent-amber on on apex of marginal zones of sterna; on clypeus, entirely reticulate, coarsely and sparsely punctate; on paraocular area and frons reticulate; on vertex smooth; on mesoscutum relatively dense (> 2 dp); on mesepisternum and scutellum denser; on terga and sterna weakly lineolate, on terga densely punctate (1 dp), sparser apicad; translucent-amber on apex of marginal zones of sterna long, as long as F 1 in S3. Pilosity on head mostly white, blackish on vertex; on mesosoma fuscous, uniformly dense on mesoscutum, mesepisternum and scutellum; on legs fuscous, except on front trochanters, white; on T1–T4 fuscous, turning into bright yellow apicad, especially on T6 and T7; on sterna sparse, except for dense tufts on S4 and S5 and an ill-defined tuft of simple hairs on S6. Structure —malar area less than as long as basal mandibular width; clypeus weakly convex on disc, with low mid-longitudinal keel, without basal depression; apex of T7 deeply emarginate, forming two flat triangular lobes; apical margins of S5 with dentiform projections; S6 with low mid-longitudinal carina.

Holotype (female): “♀” “No. 125; J. F. Zikán” “J.F.Zikán; Itatiaya— 1100m; Maromba; E.do Rio–Brasil; 18.- 1.-1930 ” “Holótipo” “ Thygater ♀; chaetaspis ; n.sp.; P. Moure det. 1940” [DZUP]—examined.

Habitat: At least in southeastern Brazil, it is apparently restricted to forest environments in altitudes above 1500 m (Silveira & Cure 1993).

Additional material examined (15 specimens, 0 8 ♀♀ and 0 7 ♂♂). BRAZIL — MINAS GERAIS: Alto Capara — 04/04/2007, R.C.C. Arantes 1♀ [UFMG]; 04/04/2007, A.A. Azevedo 1♀ [UFMG]. Araponga — 13/05/ 89, G. Melo 1♀ [UFV]. Espirito Santo: Dores do Rio Preto — 02/04/2007, M.F. Goulart 1♀; 02/04/2007, A.A. Azevedo 2♂♂ [UFMG]. RIO DE JANEIRO: Itatiaia — 07/01/1954, no collector data 1♂ (Paratype) [ DZUP] ; 8/02/ 1951, Trav. e Albuquerque 1♀; 21/01/1969 [DZUP]; Mielke 1♂ [DZUP]; 15/03/2007, A.A. Azevedo, 3♀♀ 2♂♂ [UFMG]; 16/03/2007, A.A. Azevedo 1♀ [UFMG]. RIO GRANDE DO SUL: Osório —RS486 26/02/1994, I. Alves dos Santos 1♂ [ PUC –RS].

Distribution in Minas Gerais: T. chaetaspis is restricted, in Minas Gerais State, to elevations above around 1500 m on mountain chains, as the Serra da Mantiqueira, Serra do Brigadeiro, and Serra do Capara. Besides the localities listed above for the examined specimens, T. chaetaspis was previously recorded in Minas Gerais, in the municipality of Passa Quatro ( Urban 1967).

Flower records: Acanthaceae — Hygrophila costata , Osório—RS [PUC–RS]. Lythraceae — Cuphea sp., Araponga (Serra do Brigadeiro)—MG [UFV].

Figures

FIGURE 6. T. chaetaspis — ♀: A — frontal view, B — lateral view, C — dorsal view (UFMG 37874); ♂: D — frontal view, E — lateral view, F — dorsal view (UFMG 38305). Scale bar = 1 mm.