Mirnapis inca Urban

Packer, Laurence & Dumesh, Sheila, 2012, Mirnapis ohloweni Packer and Dumesh, new species with notes on M. inca Urban (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Eucerini), Zootaxa 3478, pp. 113-122 : 119

Mirnapis inca Urban

(Figs. 1C, E, G–J; 2C, D, G and H, 3B and D; 4C)

Diagnosis: This species is most easily distinguished from M. ohloweni by the following characteristics: female with metatibial and metabasitarsal scopa dusky brown ( Figs. 2 C and 4B); male with fewer dark hairs on metasomal terga, on T2 reduced to at most a subapical transverse row ( Fig. 2 H); T2–T4 with basal bands of white, plumose, appressed hairs, most complete on T3 (though sometimes abraded or hidden by preceding tergum, visible only laterally in Fig. 2 H); apical translucent areas on terga long, on T2 ~1MOD (range 1 – 1.3MOD) ( Fig. 2 H).

Female: as in M. ohloweni except as noted in diagnosis and as follows: F3–F10 orange-brown anteriorly; tarsomeres 1–4 entirely brown; 2nd submarginal cell with length and breadth subequal; apical impressed areas of terga with longer translucent apical rim (~1MOD) ( Fig. 2 D); T2 with more extensive patch of white hairs basally ( Fig. 2 D).

Male: as in male of M. ohloweni except as noted in diagnosis and as follows: F1 with minimum length slightly greater than minimum diameter; minimum length 1/4 length of F2, maximum length nearly 1/3 length of F2; T1–T2 with hairs long and almost entirely pale ( Fig. 2 H), T3–T5 with dark hairs only subapically, otherwise hairs pale; apical impressed areas of terga with longer translucent apical rim (1–1.3MOD) ( Fig. 2 H). Genitalia as in figures 3B and D.

Material Studied: Paratype male, PERU: Arequipa, 2200m, III.1954, A. Meza (SEM); CHILE Region XV, Candelabra cactus zone, 7.v.2001, R. E. Owen 1 male; Region XV, Hwy 11, 72.5km, Quebrada Cardones, - 18.45698 -69.77264, 2378m, 19.iv.2012, L. Packer, 10 males, 1 female; same locality but 19.iv.–13.v.2012, one male, blue vane trap; same locality but 12–13.v.2012, 20 males. CHILE Region XV, Hwy 11, 74.5km, Quebrada Cardones, -18.44759 -69.76234, 2443m 17–19.iv.2012, L. Packer, blue cup trap, 1 female; CHILE Region XV, Hwy 11, Quebrada Cardones, -18.43780 -69.74481, 2618m 17.iv.–12.v.2012, L. Packer blue vane trap, 1 male; CHILE Region XV, Hwy 11, 69km, -18.46403 -69.80427, 2189m 17.iv.–12.v.2012, L. Packer, blue vane trap, one female. CHILE Region I, Mamiña vertedero, -20.06175 -69.22181, 2660m 16.–21.iv.2012, L. Packer, blue deep cup, one female. Same locality 21.iv–10.v.2012, 2 females, deep blue cup. All specimens currently housed at PCYU, one male will be distributed to each of CTMI, RPSP, MNHN, AMNH and one female and multiple males to PUCV in due course.

Comments: Males were collected mostly flying rapidly over an unidentified Shrub1 that was not flowering in April. Some were also flying over T. operculata from which the sole female netted was collected and another was seen but not caught. Tarasa is not considered to be the source of pollen collected by these bees for the same reasons given for M. ohloweni above.

The highly male biased sex ratio in samples netted versus the female biased one from traps is worthy of note. By net, the ratio of males to females caught was 30:1, in the deep cup and blue vane traps the total was 2 males to 5 females. The overall high male bias is not likely to be a result of protandry as the sample netted in May was 100% male and the species had been active for at least three weeks by that time. It is possible that the females are active at a restricted time of day. However, both females that were seen alive were observed in the afternoon and prolonged searches from 8:00 hrs to 14:00 hrs on May 13th 2012 (a day that started off unusually cloudy) resulted in only males being seen.

This bee was common in the Candelabra cactus zone ( Browningia candelaris (Meyen) Britton & Rose ) in April and May of 2012. The area had received an unusually large amount of rainfall earlier that year and vegetation was abundant. However, many plants were drying up and overall bee activity was considerably reduced by mid May although some T. operculata remained in strong bloom. It seems that M. inca flies later into the early winter in northern Chile than most other bees, only Centris spp. and Anthophora arequipensis Brèthes seemed more common this late in the year than in April.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A, B, E, F Mirnapis ohloweni Packer & Dumesh, new species. C, D, G, H. M. inca. A and C, female habitus lateral view; B and D, female T 1 – T 3, dorsal view; E and G, male habitus, lateral view; F and H, male T 1 – T 3, dorsal view.