Thygater danunciae Freitas & Silveira

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 : 13-14

Thygater danunciae Freitas & Silveira sp. n.

( Figs. 3 .F; 7)

Diagnosis. T. danunciae may be confused with male T. analis , from which it can be distinguished mainly by the hyaline wings, yellowish veins (brownish veins and amber wings in T. analis and all other closely related species— Fig. 5 . D, E, F) and for the hyaline marginal zone on terga ( Fig. 7 . A; C) (amber-translucent in T. analis and all other species). Other differences are found on S7, especially on the base of the proximal lobe, which is longer in T. analis ( Fig. 3 .A) than in T. danunciae ( Fig. 3 .F) and in the genital capsule, with T. danunciae sp. n. having a much smaller mid projection in the anterior margin of the spata ( Fig. 7 .D) than T. analis ( Fig. 5 .G).

Description. ♀: unknown.

♂ (holotype): Integument black, except: whitish-yellow on labrum and legs, especially on tarsi, hyaline on apex of marginal zone of all terga and of S1-S5; on head entirely reticulate, except around ocelli; on mesosoma reticulate and densely punctate (>1 dp), sparser (= 1 dp) on posterior half of mesoscutum; on metasoma strongly reticulate, especially on terga; terga finely and densely punctate (= 1 dp); translucent-amber areas on apex of marginal zones long on all terga (= twice as long as F1); on sterna still finer and sparse; smooth on marginal zone of all terga; translucent-amber areas on apex of marginal zone of S1–S5 longer than F1 length medially. Pilosity white on head, except dark grey on vertex; whitish on mesosoma, including legs; on metasoma predominantly white, black on disc of T2–T4; on sterna sparse on disc, forming medially-interrupted apical fringes on S2–S4; on S5 forming complete apical fringe; on S6 simple and short forming an hourglass-like patch on disc. Structure —malar area 2/3 as long as basal mandibular width; clypeus lightly convex on disc, with basal depression reaching 1/5 of clypeal length; T7 deeply emarginate, forming two flat triangular lobes; S5 without marginal projections; S6 lacking lateral or medial carinae.

Variation and taxonomic notes: One of the examined specimens has completely yellow legs; however, leg color varies among legs of a same specimen and among specimens.

Holotype (♂): “ Projeto Salinas—Sul American Metais Mineroduto 26064—76767” “ Salinas MG Brasil 20/01/2011, R.R.Ferrari ”. [ UFMG] . The right, hind leg of the holotype was removed for DNA analysis.

Paratypes (2 ♂♂): “ Projeto Salinas—Sul American Metais Mineroduto 26064—76768” “ Salinas MG Brasil 20/01/2011, R.R.Ferrari ” “Projeto Salinas—Sul Americana Metais Mineroduto 26059—76695” “ Salinas MG Brasil 21/01/2011, M.S.Fornazier ” both at UFMG .

Distribution in Minas Gerais: Know only from the type locality, municipality of Salinas, northeastern Minas Gerais.

Etymology: The species epithet is an homage to professor Danuncia Urban for her great contributions to the knowledge of Neotropical bees in general and of the species of Thygater in particular.

Flower records: unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Ventral view of S 7 of males of: A — T. analis, B — T. anae, C — T. minarum, D — T. palliventris, E — T. paranaensis and F — T. danunciae. adl: anterior margin of distal lobe; apl: anterior margin of proximal lobe; dl: distal lobe; lpl: lateral margin of proximal lobe.

FIGURE 5. T. analis — ♀: A — frontal view, B — lateral view, C — dorsal view (UFMG 34096); ♂: D — frontal view, E — lateral view, F — dorsal view, G — Genital capsule (the arrow indicates the long projection on the anterior margin of the spata, mentioned in couplet 7 of the key to males) (UFMG 1402951). Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 7. T. danunciae sp. n. — ♀: A — frontal view, B — lateral view, C — dorsal view, D — Genital capsule (the arrow indicates the short median projection on anterior margin of the spata, mentioned in couplet 7 of the key to males). (Holotype— UFMG 76767). Scale bar = 1 mm.