Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) hestia, Engel, 2014

Engel, Michael S., 2014, Three new species of the genus Caenaugochlora from Central America and Colombia (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), Journal of Melittology 2014 (41), pp. 1-15 : 7-10

Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) hestia Engel, new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BD9AE87D-F9F1-45E1-AAA4-44434A6F4CF5

( Figs. 5 , 7–9 )

DIAGNOSIS: The new species at first glance is superficially reminiscent of C. (Ctenaugochlora) perpectinata (Michener) , differing from that species by the usual subgeneric distinctions in addition to the coloration of the metapleuron and propodeum, as well as details of integumental sculpturing (vide Michener, 1954; Engel & Gonçalves, 2010). The new species may be recognized by the combination of its pattern of coloration lacking metallic highlights ( Figs. 7–9 ), the generally black setae of the leg contrasting with the yellow setae of the metafemoral scopa; sculpture of the basal area of the propodeum ( Fig. 5 ), and the coarsely imbricate mesepisternum contrasting with the more finely sculptured mesoscutal disc.

DESCRIPTION: ♀: Total body length 9.6 mm; forewing length 7.4 mm. Head slightly wider than long, length 2.1 mm, width 2.4 mm. Mandible with distinct subapical tooth. Labrum with basal area transverse, with low orbicular elevation, elevation basally blending into remainder of surface. Malar space linear. Clypeus and supraclypeal area not strongly produced in profile. Upper interorbital distance 1.2 mm; lower interorbital distance 1.0 mm. Compound eyes with sparse minute setae, individual setae not longer than ommatidial diameter. Preoccipital ridge angled above, not carinate, laterally rounded. Pronotal lateral angle slightly obtuse, dorsal ridge carinate, lateral ridge angled, not carinate. Mesoscutum with anterior border broadly rounded, with narrow, anterior-facing surface not projecting over pronotum; intertegular distance 1.8 mm. Inner metatibial spur pectinate, with six branches, not including apical portion of rachis, branches progressively shorter toward apex of spur, rachis thickened around basal branches; metabasitibial plate narrowly triangular, with rimmed anterior and posterior borders, apex narrowly rounded. Forewing with basal vein distad 1cu-a by three times vein width; pterostigmal margin inside marginal cell continuously arched; marginal cell elongate; first submarginal cell longer than combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells; second submarginal cell slightly narrowed anteriorly, anterior border along Rs shorter than anterior border of third submarginal cell along same vein; 1rs-m confluent with 1m-cu; apex of second submarginal cell at tangent with pterostigmal apex; 2rs-m gently arched, distad 2m-cu by six times vein width; hind wing with distal hamuli arranged 3-1-3. Metasomal terga not depressed; sterna unmodified.

Clypeus with coarse, shallow punctures separated by less than a puncture width, integument between punctures imbricate; supraclypeal area imbricate and impunctate or with exceedingly faint, coarse punctures along borders; face coarsely imbricate, appearing almost granulose, similar integument on vertex, imbricate pattern becoming broader on gena; postgena impunctate and longitudinally striate. Pronotum finely imbricate. Mesoscutum with lateral thirds consisting of contiguous, ill-defined punctures giving roughened texture, such integument blending on inner side of parapsidal lines to shallow, more well-defined and separated punctures and then to a largely impunctate and faintly imbricate medial third, with sparse minute punctures medially; mesoscutellum faintly imbricate with small to minute punctures, such punctures separated by more than twice a puncture width over much of surface except more closely spaced posteriorly and laterally; metanotum imbricate, appearing slightly nodulose around setae; mesepisternum coarsely imbricate, appearing roughened, impunctate; metepisternum smooth with scattered minute punctures; lateral and posterior surfaces of propodeum faintly imbricate to smooth with sparse, shallow punctures; basal area of propodeum imbricate, with irregular, radiating basal rugae, rugae extending from one half to two thirds of surface, not reaching apical margin, apical margin rounded and faintly imbricate ( Fig. 5 ). Metasomal terga finely imbricate, more finely so on apical margins, anterior-facing surface of first tergum largely smooth and shining; sterna finely imbricate with scattered coarse punctures.

Mandible dark brown; labiomaxillary complex dark brown, with palpi yellow; labrum dark brown; clypeal apex with narrow band of yellowish brown, remainder of clypeus and head black; scape dark brown except basally light brown; pedicel dark brown; flagellum dark brown except yellowish on ventral of penultimate flagellomere and entirely yellow on apical flagellomere ( Fig. 9 ). Mesosoma black except as follows: pronotum yellow brown ( Fig. 7 ) except brown anterior to pronotal lobe; metepisternum and propodeum yellow brown ( Figs. 7, 8 ); tegula semi-translucent yellow; wing membranes hyaline, with faint parchment color, venation yellow brown to brown except Sc+R dark brown; legs dark brown except promediotarsus and distitarsi yellow, upper surfaces of meso- and metafemora yellow brown. Metasoma dark brown except anterior-facing surface of first tergum largely light brown except with large dark brown medial area ( Fig. 8 ), and pregradular area of sterna lighter brown.

Pubescence of head generally fuscous except face below ocelli with short, subappressed, branched setae not obscuring integument ( Fig. 9 ), setae of gena yellow; pronotum with largely yellow, shorter setae, particularly on surface of dorsal ridge and bordering pronotal lobe ( Fig. 7 ), along with more sparse, longer, erect, fuscous setae largely along dorsal ridge; setae of mesosomal nota intermixing typically erect, long, fuscous setae that become progressively longer, more branched, and more numerous from mesoscutum to metanotum, with shorter, lighter or even pale yellow setae that are more scarce and typically along margins; pleura with largely, long, branched yellow setae, with some long, erect, fuscous setae intermixed mostly on upper mesepisternum; lateral and posterior surfaces of propodeum with long, branched, yellow setae ( Fig. 8 ); legs with largely fuscous to black setae except lighter on distal pro- and mesotarsomeres, coxae, trochanters, mesofemoral brush, and metafemoral scopa, penicillus composed of yellow setae; first metasomal tergum with, long, sparse yellow setae predominant on disc, replaced with more numerous, shorter, simpler, finer, less erect, pale yellow setae more posteriorly, such setae dominant on remaining terga and becoming progressively more fuscous on succeeding segments such that those of sixth tergum largely dark fuscous; sternal setae elongate, branched, and yellow ( Fig. 7 ) although becoming progressively more fuscous on fourth through sixth sterna.

♂: Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: ♀, Panama: Chiriquí Prov. [Province], La Fortuna , “Cont. Divide Trail” [Continental Divide Trail], 8°46’ N, 82° 12’ W, 1100 m, 23-v–9-vi 1995, J. Ashe, R.

Brooks, #157, ex: flight intercept trap; deposited in the Division of Entomology, University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Lawrence, Kansas.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is from Hestia, Olympian goddess of hearth and fire. The name is a reference to the appearance of the yellow brown propodeum against the otherwise largely black body, and reminding the viewer of the glow of a fire against a dark hearth.

Figures

Figures 4–6. Dorsal views of the mesoscutella, metanota, and propodea of the female holotypes of the species treated here. 4. Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) leoi, new species. 5. C. (C.) hestia, new species. 6. C. (C.) gonzalezi, new species.

Figures 7–9. Holotype female of Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) hestia, new species. 7. Lateral habitus. 8. Dorsal habitus. 9. Facial view.