Neocorynura tica Smith­Pardo, 2006

Brosi, Berry J., Smith-Pardo, Allan & Gonzalez, Victor H., 2006, A new wood-nesting Neocorynura (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Augochlorini) from Costa Rica, with notes on its biology, Zootaxa 1189 (1), pp. 55-68 : 56-63

Neocorynura tica Smith­Pardo sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Diagnosis

Neocorynura tica is similar in appearance to other species of Neocorynura from Central America (e.g. N. discolor Smith ) exhibiting dark coloration with metallic green to yellow highlights and banding on the metasoma, but it can be readily recognized by its small body size (~ 7mm) and absence of the metatibial spine. N. tica is most similar to the allopatric, Andean N. rhytis (Vachal) in overall appearance: small for Neocorynura ; with face, metanotum and propodeum metallic green­yellowish, metasoma mostly dark green, with integument metallic basally, forming bands; shape of inner metatibial spur (pectinate with only 3 to 4 teeth), and in not having a metatibial spine close to articulation with the basitarsus. It differs from N. rhytis by the dark metallic green, strongly punctate, mesoscutellum, and in its pronotum not being strongly produced on the anterior margin.

Description

Female (Holotype). Body length 7.0; forewing length 5.7; Head width 1.9, length 1.8. Scape longer than combined lengths of F1–F6; F10 longer than preceding flagellomeres; F1 slightly shorter than F2. Clypeus almost two times wider than long; paraocular lobe obtuse. Mesoscutum wider than long; metanotum more than half the length of mesoscutellum. Mesotibial spur serrate, more than half the length of the mesobasitarsus; inner metatibial spur pectinate with only 3 to 4 teeth, last two (apical process and subapical tooth) almost completely fused. Marginal cell elongate, almost as long as combined length of three submarginal cells; 1m­cu confluent with 1rs­m; first submarginal cell longer than combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells together; second submarginal cell rectangular; anterior border of third submarginal cell longer than anterior border of second submarginal cell; pterostigma twice as long as the prestigma, with margin in marginal cell convex; hamuli spaced 3­1­1­2.

Punctation

Labrum slightly striate. Clypeus and supraclypeal area with punctures uniformly separated by 1–1.5 PD; rest of face strongly punctate (less than 1 PD in between punctures); gena and postgena smooth with small, faint striations. Scape imbricate, with minute punctures separated by more than 1 PD. Pronotum mostly smooth, with few scattered punctures. Mesoscutum strongly punctate, smooth between punctures; mesoscutellum smooth and punctate. Metanotum imbricate and densely punctate, punctures smaller than those on mesoscutellum. Pleura imbricate, densely punctate and slightly striate. Tegula faintly imbricate. Basal area of propodeum striate.

* = larva of a putative mutillid wasp; P = open cells with pollen. Stippling indicates loose sawdust; measurements in text.

Coloration

Mandible dark brown, apex clear. Labrum brownish; lower third of clypeus dark brown, remainder of clypeal surface metallic green to yellowish; head metallic green, darker behind antennal insertions. Mesosoma dark metallic green, brighter on pleura. Legs mostly dark brown except metatarsi light brown. Metasoma mostly dark green, dully metallic; basal third of T2 and T3 bright metallic green.

Pilosity

Mandible with yellow, unbranched setae (0.5–1.5 OD in length), mostly arising from grooves. Labrum mostly bare with a row of unbranched setae along anterior margin. Clypeus with a row of coarse, light brown, unbranched setae along articulation with labrum, with thinner, branched setae (1 OD), distributed along lateral margins. Supraclypeal area sparsely covered with minute branched setae; subantennal area and frons with light brown, minute branched setae more densely distributed, with some dark, longer setae (0.5–1 OD) sparsely distributed in among the smaller ones. Vertex with vestiture as on frons, except for some minute, white, branched setae scattered among larger ones; gena and postgena with vestiture as on vertex, except for some longer (1.5–2 OD) setae sparsely distributed in among the minute ones. Pronotum densely covered with minute, whitish setae with some dark, branched, longer setae (1–1.5 OD). Mesoscutum with dark brown to black, minute, branched setae more or less densely distributed. Mesoscutellum as mesoscutum, except for some coarse, black, branched setae (2.5 OD), sparsely distributed. Metanotum more densely covered with light brown, branched setae (minute to 1.5 OD), longer ones occurring more laterally. Base of propodeum essentially bare, remainder of surface with light brown, branched setae, sparsely distributed but with some minute setae close to metapleuron. Procoxa with light brown, unbranched setae, sparsely distributed; protrochanter like procoxa but some longer setae (1 OD) along posterior margin; profemur like protrochanter, except branched setae more densely distributed; protibia with outer side mostly covered with coarse, light brown, unbranched setae (minute to 1 OD), densely distributed, inner surface with darker, minute setae; tarsi as on protibia; mesocoxa covered with few, light brown, branched setae, mostly close to articulation with mesotrochanter; mesotrochanter with light brown, branched setae (0.5–1 OD), sparsely distributed; mesofemur on inner side with coarse, light brown setae (0.5 OD), denser on anterior angle and forming a patch, rest of surface with light brown, poorly branched setae (minute­1 OD), sparsely distributed, mostly on outer surface; mesotibia as protibia, except setae on outer surface darker and branched; mesotarsus as for protarsus; metacoxa as for procoxa, except setae more abundant; metatrochanter with dark brown, branched setae (1–1.5 OD), mostly on ventral surface; metafemur as for metatibia except setae longer (3–3.5 OD), mostly basal, bending and forming scopa, setae closer to articulation with metatibia smaller and less branched than on remainder of femoral surface; metatibia covered with coarse, dark to white setae, those on anterior margin branched (1–2 OD), unbranched setae mostly close to articulation with basitarsus. T1 with light brown, unbranched (1–2 OD), sparsely distributed setae; T2–T4 sparsely covered with dark brown, unbranched setae (minute to 1 OD), with a band of minute, white setae along base; basal band of white setae narrower on T4; T5 more densely covered with coarse, dark brown, branched setae (minute to 2 OD).

Male. As described for the female except: body length 6.5; forewing length 5.5; Head width 1.7, length 1.6. Scape shorter than the combined length of F1–F3; F2 longer than F1. Mandible slender and pointed, without preapical tooth. Clypeus longer (less than 1.5 times wider than long). Mesoscutum slightly wider than long. Metabasitibial plate absent; inner metatibial spur one­fourth length of metabasitarsus, rather slender and serrated. Metasoma with more elongate appearance; T1 longer than wide; S6–S8, and genital capsule as in Fig. 2 .

Punctation

Mandible without grooves on outer surface, slightly carinate along posterior margin. Subantennal and lower paraocular areas with well defined, more sparsely distributed punctures. Mesoscutellum slightly imbricate with punctures uniformly distributed.

Coloration

Clypeus smooth, uniformly metallic green, rest of the face metallic green­yellowish. Mesoscutum mostly metallic green. Metasomal T1–T4 with basal half metallic green; T5 completely metallic.

Pilosity

Pubescence of head similar to that of female, except setae on gena and postgena shorter and more branched. Metanotum in general with longer and darker setae, sparsely distributed. Legs (particularly hind ones) in general less pubescent; procoxa more densely covered with white, branched setae; profemur with white setae (0.5–1 OD) on posterior margin; protibia with unbranched setae, less densely distributed; mesofemur mostly bare on inner surface, without patch of setae; metatrochanter sparsely covered with setae, most of them unbranched; metafemur with outer surface also sparsely covered, with more setae on inner surface but without keirotrichia. Setae scattered on S1–S3.

Type material

Holotype. ♀, COSTA RICA. [Puntarenas] San Vito, Las Cruces : 8° 47’10.5’’W 82°57’52.6’’N. 1200m. Aug. 2, 2003. exc: nest in wood. V. H. González Coll. ( SEMC).

Paratypes. Same data as holotype (1♂ SEMC); Idem, except Coto Brus near San Vito: 8°49.01’88’’N 82°59’31.02’’W. 1200m. exc: Van Someren traps baited with rotten fish. Aug. 2004. B. Brosi, T . Shih, & B. Graham Coll. (1♀ SEMC); Idem, except 8°48’19.55’’N 82°54’17.3’’W. 900m. July 2004. (1♀ SEMC); Idem, except 8°46’53.61’’N 82°57’59.29’’W. 1300m. (1♀ AMNH) .

Etymology

The specific epithet is a self­referential nickname for inhabitants of Costa Rica. It is also used as an affectionate diminutive suffix in Costa Rican Spanish, which is particularly appropriate given the small size of N. tica sp. nov. relative to most Neocorynura .

Variation

Female specimens differ to some extent in their metallic coloration, which is sometimes more greenish or yellowish. Furthermore, the basal areas of T2 and T3 exhibit a variable extent of metallic coloration, covering from one­fifth to one­third of the surface of those terga.

Pupa

In total two male pupae were examined. Pupae agree closely with the description for Neocorynura iguaquensis Smith­Pardo & Gonzalez ( Gonzalez et al. 2006) except for the coxae of all legs, each with smaller and rounded tubercle; spines on metasomal terga as follows: T2 with 7 spines, T3–T4 with 6 each, T5 with 5, and T6 with only two spines.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Lateral habitus of Neocorynura tica sp. nov. a. female, b. male.

FIGURE 2. Male terminalia of Neocorynura tica sp. nov. a: genital capsule: ventral (left half) and dorsal (right half), b: genital capsule lateral view, ventral to the left, c: S6, d: S7, and e: S8.