Spinoliella aidae Gonzalez, Smith-Pardo, and Engel, 2017

Gonzalez, Victor H., Smith-Pardo, Allan H. & Engel, Michael S., 2017, Phylogenetic Relationships Of A New Genus Of Calliopsine Bees From Peru, With A Review Of Spinoliella Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2017 (412), pp. 1-72 : 27-31

Spinoliella aidae Gonzalez, Smith-Pardo, and Engel , new species

Figures 4 , 5

DIAGNOSIS: This Argentinean species can be recognized by the following combination of features: small body size (4–5 mm); female pygidial plate with apex bifid (fig. 4G); female mesobasitarsus robust, 2.7× longer than broad; metabasitibial plate depressed, asetose on disc, delimited by strong carina, apically broadly rounded (fig. 4C) (delimited by weaker borders in the male: fig. 5D); T1–T5 with yellow bands on discs (figs. 4D, 4F, 5B), medially interrupted in the female and sometimes reduced to lateral spots in the male; and the frons, mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, and propodeum smooth and shiny, largely impunctate (e.g., fig. 4E). This species resembles S. psamita and S. tadeyi in the small body size and color, but in those species the integument of the head and mesosoma is duller, with minute, contiguous punctures. Spinoliella psamita also differs from S. aidae in the pygidial plate, which is apically truncate and not bifid in the former (fig. 19E), and the outer metatibial spur, which is distinctly curved apically (straight in S. aidae ).

DESCRIPTION: Female. Total body length 4.7 mm; forewing length 2.9 mm; head width 1.3 mm. Head 1.2× wider than long; inner orbits of compound eyes subparallel or nearly so (fig. 4A); intertorular distance 2.2× OD, about 1.4× greater than torulorbital distance; torulus diameter slightly narrower than OD; ocellocular distance 1.5× OD, 0.8× length of ocelloccipital distance; interocellar distance 2.4× OD, 1.6× greater than ocellocular distance; compound eye about twice as long as wide; clypeus 2.6× broader than long, with apex surpassing inferior tangent of compound eyes by about one-half its length, projected about 0.7× compound eye width in lateral view; gena 0.7× width of compound eye in profile, widest medially; inner subantennal sulcus about one-half length of outer subantennal sulcus; facial fovea deep, widest inferiorly (0.6× width of scape), about 6.0× longer than broad, 1.7× longer than scape; scape 3.2× longer than broad; pedicel 1.6× longer than F1, about as long as wide; F1 broader than long, about as long as F2 and F3 individually; remaining flagellomeres broader than long, except last flagellomere longer than broad. Right protibial spur with apical portion of rachis about one-third length of malus, with two elongate branches (not including apical portion of rachis), left protibial spur with apical portion of rachis about one-half length of malus, with distinct row of four elongate branches; mesobasitarsus robust, about 2.7× longer than broad; mesotibial spur straight, slightly longer than one-half mesobasitarsus length; metatibial spurs straight, inner spur about 1.6× longer than the outer spur; metatibia 4.3× longer than broad; metabasitibial plate depressed, asetose on disc, delimited by strong carina, broadly rounded apically (fig. 4C); metabasitarsus 6.7× longer than broad, about 0.6× length of metatibia. Pygidial plate with lateral margins converging toward apex at 50° angle, apically bifid (fig. 4G).

Color black, except reddish brown on apex of mandible, lower gena, pronotum, coxae, trochanters, femora excluding apices, and metasoma (fig. 4A, B, D, E). Yellow to cream maculation as follows (fig. 4A, D, E): mandible basally; labrum; distal half of clypeus; lower paraocular area including paraclypeal swelling; subantennal area; supraclypeal area; antenna except on posterior surfaces of scape and pedicel; pronotal lobe; apices of femora and remaining podites of legs, except pro- and mesotibia with diffuse dark brown spot on inner surfaces, metatibia with large dark brown spot on inner and outer surfaces distally, and apices of pretarsal claws; T1‒ T5 with broad, nearly complete bands on discs, widely separated on basal two terga. Tegula translucent yellow; wing membranes hyaline with weak green and copper highlights, veins and pterostigma light brown.

Body pubescence pale to whitish, sparse, minutely branched, except ventral margin of mandible, labrum, tarsi of all legs, and outer surface of metatibia with poorly branched or simple, stiff setae; setae longer (at least 2.0× OD) on ventral margin of mandible, hypostomal area, mesoscutellum, protrochanter, profemur, posterior margin of metabasitarsus, T5 and T6. Metasomal terga and sterna with minute, appressed, sparse setae, denser and longer laterally.

Outer surface of mandible distally and basal area of labrum smooth and shiny, impunctate; clypeus with sparse, faint punctures separated by a puncture width or more, integument between punctures smooth and shiny as on remaining areas of face; supraclypeal area laterally with scattered, large, faint punctures as on clypeus; subantennal area with scattered, minute punctures near torulus; paraclypeal swelling impunctate; remaining areas of face with smaller, coarser punctures than on clypeus separated by at least 2× a puncture width, punctures becoming minute, scattered toward median ocellus; ocellocular area impunctate near lateral ocellus, shiny, weakly imbricate; vertex with coarse punctures separated by at least a puncture width; gena smooth and shiny with minute, scattered punctures; hypostomal area weakly imbricate with coarser, denser punctures than on gena laterally. Mesosoma generally smooth and shiny (e.g., fig. 4E), except weakly to strongly imbricate on pronotum laterally, tegula, mesepisternum dorsally and ventrally, and metepisternum, lateral and posterior surfaces of propodeum and legs; punctures minute and scattered on anterolateral area of mesoscutum, mesepisternum ventrally, posterior surface of propodeum, and most of legs with coarser, denser punctures. Metasomal terga and sterna imbricate with minute, scattered punctures on discs, coarser and denser on terminal terga.

Male. As in female except pubescence slightly longer and denser, terga with integumental bands broadly separated medially, and the following: total body length 4.5‒4.8 mm; forewing length 2.8‒2.9 mm; head width 1.3‒1.4 mm. Ocellocular distance slightly narrower than ocelloccipital distance; compound eye 1.8× longer than wide; mandible with large, triangular basal tooth on upper margin; facial fovea about same width across length (0.3× width of scape), 3.0× longer than broad, about as long as scape; scape 2.6× longer than broad. Protibial spur with apical portion of rachis about two-thirds length of malus, with six or seven elongate branches (not including apical portion of rachis); mesotibial spur 0.7× mesobasitarsus length; mesobasitarsus about 3.5× longer than broad; metatibia about 4.0× longer than broad; metabasitibial plate with borders not as well defined as in female (fig. 5D); metabasitarsus 4.5× longer than broad. S7, S8 and genital capsule as in figure 5E–H.

HOLOTYPE: ♀, Arg [ Argentina], La Rioja Dept. Grl. La Madrid [General Lamadrid], 2 km N, Villa Castelli 13‒15 Oct 97 malaise, net & pantrap, Irwin F, Parker, S Roig, 28.9977°S, 68.2027°W ( BBSL).

PARATYPES (n = 1♀, 7♂♂): ARGENTINA: Catamarca: 1♀, 1♂, San Fernando , March 7, 1990, Rozen & Roig, on Sclerophylax gilliesii // SEMC 1008510, 1008509 ( SEMC) ; 6♂♂ with same data as other paratypes, except one without floral record (5♂♂ AMNH, 1♂ SEMC) .

ETYMOLOGY: This species is named after Aida Pardo, beloved mother of Allan H. Smith-Pardo.

DISTRIBUTION: Argentina: Catamarca, La Rioja.

FLORAL RECORD: Sclerophylax arnottii Miers (recorded on labels as S. gilliesii Miers , which is today a junior synonym) ( Solanaceae ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Female holotype of Spinoliella aidae Gonzalez, Smith-Pardo, and Engel, new species. A. Facial view. B. Detail of face. C. Metabasitibial plate. D. Dorsal habitus. E. Detail of mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, metanotum, and propodeum in dorsal view. F. Lateral habitus. G. Terminal metasomal terga.

FIGURE 5. Male paratype of Spinoliella aidae Gonzalez, Smith-Pardo, and Engel, new species. A. Facial view. B. Lateral habitus. C. Dorsal habitus. D. Metabasitibial plate. E. Metasomal S7. F. Metasomal S8. G. Genital capsule in dorsal (left half) and ventral (right half) views. H. Lateral aspect of genital capsule.