Xylocopa (Schonnherria) bigibbosa, Lucia & Gonzalez, 2017

Lucia, Mariano & Gonzalez, Victor H., 2017, New species and designation of primary types in Neotropical carpenter bees of the genus Xylocopa Latreille (Hymenoptera, Apidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 61, pp. 31-48 : 40-43

Xylocopa (Schonnherria) bigibbosa sp. n. Figs 12-16

Diagnosis.

The female of this species superficially resembles that of X. splendidula Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau and other small species of Schonnherria , such as X. lucida Smith and X. muscaria (Fabricius). However, X. bigibbosa can be easily separated from those species and from any other species of the subgenus by the mesoscutum anteriorly with two distinct round tubercles (Fig. 15 ).

Description.

♀, Body length 16.7 mm; head width 5.6 mm; mesosoma width 6.8 mm; metasoma width 7.5 mm; forewing length 14.3 mm. Coloration. Integument dark brown to black throughout, with strong blue metallic highlights on gena, vertex, mesoscutum lateral and anterior to tubercles, and sterna; outer surfaces of tibiae with weak blue metallic highlights; terga with weak greenish metallic highlights. Wing membranes dark brown with strong violet highlights, pterostigma and veins dark brown to black. Pubescence. Dark brown to black, except face, gena, and sides of T2-T5 with white setae. Discs of terga with decumbent to semierect simple setae, shortest on T1 (< 0.5 × OD), progressively increasing in density and length towards apical terga, longest on T6 (~5.0 × OD), sides of terga with semierect, mostly branched setae, denser and longer than discs. Sculpturing. Weakly imbricate to smooth and shiny. Vertex and upper gena with scattered punctures, largely impunctate. Mesoscutum with scattered, coarse punctures on anterior margin and lateral to tubercles, impunctate otherwise; mesoscutellum largely impunctate, with large, scattered punctures on posterior half. Terga with circular to ovoid setiferous punctures, as large and coarse as those on mesoscutellum, mostly separated by 1-2 times a puncture width, denser laterally and on apical terga; sterna with elongate punctures on discs, denser and coarser preapically. Structure. Head 1.2 times broader than long; compound eyes with inner margins parallel or nearly so; inferior interocular distance 1.1 times superior interocular distance; lateral ocelli just below supraorbital line; interocellar distance 1.5 times OD, 0.8 times ocellocular distance; ocellocipital distance 3.7 times OD; clypeotorular distance about as long as longitudinal diameter of antennal torulus; clypeus about twice longer than broad; labrum basally with a distinct, large, single capitate tubercle, about as large as OD. Mesoscutum anteriorly with two round tubercles; mesoscutellum gently convex; metanotum and propodeum vertical or nearly so.

Holotype. Peru: ♀, Yurac, 67 mi. E. of Tingo Maria., 350 m, XII-11-54 [November 11, 1954] / E.I. Schlinger & E.S. Ross collectors / SEMC1232253 ( SEMC).

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to the two distinctive humps on the mesoscutum of this species. The novelty of this species was recognized by P.D. Hurd and J.S. Moure who intended to use this name. We retained this designation.

Distribution.

This species is known only from the type locality in eastern Peru.

Figures

Figures 12 - 16. Female holotype of Xylocopa (Schonnherria) bigibbosa sp. n. 12 Facial view 13 Lateral habitus 14 Dorsal habitus 15 Detail of mesoscutum in profile with arrow pointing to tubercles 16 Detail of T 1 - T 3.