Lophopedia pulchra, Aguiar, Antonio J. C., 2009

Aguiar, Antonio J. C., 2009, Taxonomic revision of the bee genus Lophopedia Michener and Moure (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Tapinotaspidini), Zootaxa 2193, pp. 1-52 : 38

Lophopedia pulchra sp.nov.

( Figs. 22 , 84−86 )

Comments and diagnosis. Lophopedia pulchra sp.nov. is very similar to L. savanicola sp.nov. due to the bicolored integument, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by the yellow mesepisternum and wing membrane yellow infumated with black microtrichia. It is only known the female from L. pulchra sp.nov. The registers of this species suggest that its distribution is associated with the Atlantic coastal forest on the Eastern Brazil.

Distribution: BRAZIL: Espírito Santo, Santa Catarina, São Paulo ( Fig. 22 ).

Description. Holotype female. Body length:7.92. Color. Mostly orange-yellow, except for a large black spot occupying the midle line of frons and upper paraocular area; mesoscutum black with two thin yellow stripes on disc and lateral margins; mesepisternum reddish-brown ventrally; wing membrane yellow infumated; black microtrichia distributed on all membrane; veins yellow hyaline. Pubescence. Mostly golden yellow to pale yellow, except for simple long setae reddish brown on proximal portion of hind tibia; hind tibia with simple and plumose black hairs. Clypeus with sparse erect simple setae; mesoscutum and scutellum with velvet pubescence very short pubescence, velvet-like; on mesoscutum with very short sparse simple erect setae; on scutellum with sparse long simple setae (ca. 0.09−0.2 mm in length); metapostnotum with very short sparse hairs; T5−T6 with marginal bands of simple setae golden yellow. Integument sculpture. Clypeus and supraclypeal area with dense to contiguous coarse punctures (<0.5 pd), upper margin of clypeus almost smooth; frons with dense coarse punctures (ca. 0.51 pd); middle line of frons slightly concave and smooth; vertex with very finely minute punctures (<0.5 pd), intermingled with few sparse fine punctures (>3 pd); scutellum with dense finely minute punctures intermingled (1 pd) with sparse fine punctures (ca. 3 pd); mesepisternum with coarse shallow punctures, dense on omaular area (<0.5 pd) and mostly sparse on the remaining area of sclerite (>2 pd); metapostnotum with sparse very finely minute punctures (> 2 pd). Structure. Head: width, 2.63, length, 2.00; clypeus: length, 0.66, width, 1.04; wing length, including tegulae: 7.04; maximum T2 width: 2.48; lower interocular distance: 1.10; upper interocular distance: 1.49; scape: maximum width, 0.17, length, 0.61; length of F1−F3: 0.23, 0.09, 0.17; F2 diameter: 0.19.

Etymology. The species name refers to the beautiful color of the integument.

Type material. Holotype female, “ DZUP \ 023615” " CONC. DA BARRA-ES\ BRASIL- 4/4/1968 \ C.T. & C. Elias". Paratypes: BRAZIL, Espírito Santo, 1 female, “ DZUP \ 023591” " CONC. DA BARRA-ES\ BRASIL- 4/4/1968 \ C.T. & C. Elias"; Santa Catarina, 1 female ( UFSC), “ Brasil, SC, Pomerode\ Bairro Testo Alto\ 0.7. iv.2007 \ Rafael Kamke leg.” “ Vernonia \ polianthes \ Asteraceae \ Rafael Kamke det. 2007” “CJS 2950” “ Vernonia tweedieana ”; São Paulo, 1 female, “ DZUP \ 023600” "Boracéia\ XII-51 \ Travassos".

Figures

FIGURES 21 − 22. Distribution records for species of Lophopedia. Fig. 21: L. pygmaea; Fig. 22: L. fulviventris sp. nov (Δ), L. nigrispinis (Ο), L. pulchra sp. nov. (․), L. savanicola sp. nov (●).

FIGURES 84 − 86. Lophopedia pulchra sp. nov.; holotype female. Fig. 84: head, frontal view; Fig. 85: lateral view of mesepisternum; Fig. 86: dorsal view.