Paratrigona intermedia Oliveira, Madella-Auricchio & Freitas, 2020

Oliveira, Favízia Freitas de, Madella-Auricchio, Cláudia Renata & Freitas, Breno Magalhães, 2020, A new species of Paratrigona Schwarz, 1938 from northeastern Brazil, with notes on the type material of Melipona lineata Lepeletier, 1836 (Hymenoptera: Anthophila: Apidae), Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 54 (25 - 26), pp. 1637-1659 : 1640-1649

Paratrigona intermedia Oliveira, Madella-Auricchio & Freitas , sp. nov. ( Figures 1 , 2 )

Paratrigona lineata ; Camargo and Pedro, 2007 [partim]; Camargo and Pedro, 2013 [partim];

Paratrigona lineata lineata ; Camargo and Moure, 1994 [71–72, partim); Camargo and

Moure, 1996 [partim].

Holotype, ♀. HOLÓTIPO // MHNBA-MZUFBA 5.146 // Brasil, Ceará, Catalão, Betânia – Serra do Araripe, 07°27 ʹ 36.4”S, 39°25 ʹ 53.0”W, 27.xii.2007, n. 127, Ninho no solo – solo queimado, Thiago Malhman Leg. ( Figures 1 , 2 ) ( MHNBA).

Paratypes, 10 ♀. PARÁTIPO // Favízia /05.873 // Brasil, Ceará, Catalão, Betânia – Chapada do Araripe , 07°27 ʹ 36.4”S, 39°25 ʹ 53.0”W, 18 .ix .2006, 11:30 h, Rede Entomológica , Thiago Malhman Leg. ( MHNBA) ; PARÁTIPO // MHNBA-MZUFBA 5.147 // Brasil, Ceará, Catalão, Betânia – Serra do Araripe , 07°27 ʹ 36.4”S, 39°25 ʹ 53.0”W, 27 .xii .2007, n. 128, Ninho no solo – solo queimado, Thiago Malhman Leg. ( MHNBA) ; PARÁTIPO // MHNBA- MZUFBA 5.148 // Brasil, Ceará, Catalão, Betânia – Serra do Araripe , 07°27 ʹ 36.4”S, 39° 25 ʹ 53.0”W, 27 .xii .2007, n. 129, Ninho no solo – solo queimado, Thiago Malhman Leg. ( MHNBA) ; PARÁTIPO // MHNBA-MZUFBA 05.139 // Brasil, Ceará, Catalão, Betânia – Serra do Araripe , 07°27 ʹ 36.4”S, 39°25 ʹ 53.0”W, 27 .xii .2007, n. 119, 17:00, pousando na pele, Próx. ao ninho no barranco, Thiago Malhman/Márcia F. Ribeiro Legs. ( MHNBA) ; PARÁTIPO // MHNBA-MZUFBA 5.145 // Brasil, Ceará, Catalão, Betânia – Serra do Araripe , 07°27 ʹ 36.4”S, 39°25 ʹ 53.0”W, 27 .xii .2007, n. 126, Ninho no solo – solo queimado, Thiago Malhman Leg. ( MHNBA) ; PARÁTIPO // MHNBA-MZUFBA 5149 // Brasil, Ceará, Catalão, Betânia – Chapada do Araripe , 07°27 ʹ 36.4”S, 39°25 ʹ 53.0”W, 27 .xii .2007, n. 130, Ninho no solo – solo queimado, Thiago Malhman Leg. ( MHNBA) ; PARÁTIPO // MHNBA-MZUFBA 5.143 // Brasil, Ceará, Jardim, Sítio Granja do Brejinho , 29 .xii .2017, n. 124, 12:40, coletando pólen de mucuzeiro, Thiago Malhman Leg. ( MHNBA) ; PARÁTIPO // MHNBA-MZUFBA 5.144 // Brasil, Ceará, Jardim, Sítio Granja do Brejinho , 29 .xii .2017, n. 125, 12:40, coletando pólen de mucuzeiro, Thiago Malhman Leg. ( MHNBA) ; PARÁTIPO // Favízia /05.872 // Brasil, Piauí, Bom Jesus , 08º32´46´´S, 44º40´09´´W, 25 .xi . 2015, 540 m de altitude, Projeto n. 573, Armadilha PANTRAP Branca, Cerrado sensu stricto mata – 900 m dentro da Mata, C . R.Madella- Auricchio Leg. ( MHNBA) ; PARÁTIPO // UFC 05.398 // Brasil, Piauí, Bom Jesus , 09° 02 ʹ 56.6”S, 44°22 ʹ 40.1”W, 29 .xi . 2015, 290 m de altitude, Projeto n. 621, Armadilha Odorífera com Eucaliptol, Caatinga , área Palmeirinha, C . R. Madella-Auricchio Leg . ( CAUFC).

Diagnosis

Paratrigona intermedia Oliveira, Madella-Auricchio & Freitas , sp. nov. belongs to the lineata species group sensu Camargo and Moure (1994) recognised by the anterior margin of the mesoscutum with a gently rounded slope and with its surface uniformly matt and reticulated, absence of maculation on frons, genae, mesepisternum and metepisternum, antennal scape cylindrical, slightly wider, equal to or narrower than the width of F3 (not enlarged-flattened), the submarginal angle acute (less than 90°), malar space narrower than half the diameter of F3, elongated head, integumental colour predominantly blackish, with the yellow maculations on the body.

The short-semicircular mesoscutellum, 0.50 and 0.51 times as long as wide, the paraocular yellow band not sinuous at the level of the antennal alveolus, and the scape narrower than the width of F3 make P. intermedia Oliveira, Madella-Auricchio & Freitas sp. nov. morphologically closest to P. glabella , P. incerta , P. lineata and P. wasbaueri .

The new species can be easily distinguished from P. lineata ( Figures 3–5 ) by the visibly shorter and sparser pubescence on the face ( Figure 1 (a)); the mesepisternal setae, which are considerably sparser and shorter (shorter than the antenna scape diameter) ( Figures 1 (c), 2(a)); and the absence of long erect setae on the mesoscutum and disc of the mesoscutellum. Long erect setae are present only on the apical border of the mesoscutellum (on the dorsal surface restricted to the yellow marks, and on the posterior border and ventral surface more widely distributed) ( Figure 1 (d)). It is most similar to P. glabella ( Figure 6 (d,e)) and P. incerta ( Figure 7 ), sharing with these species the lack of erect setae on the mesoscutum and disc of the mesoscutellum ( Figures 1 (d), 3(d), 4(d), 5(c), 6(d,e), 7 (d)). It can be easily distinguished from P. glabella and P. incerta by the erect setae on the upper 2/3 of the mesepisternum ( Figures 1 (c), 2(a)).

Paratrigona intermedia Oliveira, Madella-Auricchio & Freitas sp. nov. also resembles P. wasbaueri in the lack of erect setae on the mesoscutum and the presence of erect setae on the upper 2/3 of the mesepisternum. However, in P. wasbaueri the erect setae of the mesoscutellum are longer (about as long as the median ocellar diameter) and entirely cover the surface, as in P. lineata ( Figures 3 (c), 4(d), 5(c)).

Description

Worker: Colour. Integument predominantly black, except: light yellowish on mandible, darker (brown) on base, contours and teeth; tegula, margins of middle and posterior basitarsi, and distitarsi honey-yellowish, tegula with yellow spot on disc of anterior half. Yellow maculations as follows: labrum, completely; scape except for brown band on dorsal surface; clypeus with large broad anchor-shaped spot occupying almost entire surface; supraclypeal entirely yellow; broad band in parocular area, widest below at tentorian pit and almost connected to clypeus spot, gradually narrowing upward and ending just below tangent of middle ocellus ( Figure 1 (a)); pronotum dorsally with medially interrupted broad band ( Figure 1 (b,d)); pronotal lobe with large yellow spot and translucent area on superior and inferior surfaces, near middle of margins ( Figure 1 (b,d)); mesoscutum laterally with narrow band (about half width of median ocellar diameter) ( Figure 1 (b,d)); entire dorsal surface of axilla ( Figure 1 (b,d)); entire posterior border of mesoscutellum, with band slightly broader than on mesoscutum ( Figure 1 (d)); tibiae basally (basal 1/5, spot slightly longer on posterior border) ( Figures 1 (b), 2(b)); basitarsi of all legs brownish. Wing membrane hyaline and iridescent with weak purple-bluish-greenish reflections ( Figure 1 (b,c)); veins and stigma brown, darker on veins of basal half, except basis; tegulae honey-yellowish with yellow spot in centre ( Figure 1 (c,d)).

Pubescence. Body covered with dense, minute, uniformly appressed, decumbent, simple whitish plumose hairs (similar to microvilli), with micro-plumose decumbent pilosity on face, surrounding antennal socket ( Figure 1 (a)), on posterior border of pronotal lobe longer than face ( Figure 1 (d)), dense and decumbent on mesepisternum, less than half as long as erect setae ( Figures 1 (b–d), 2(a)). Long erect whitish setae present, as follows: labrum; inferior margin of mandible; very few between ocelli; vertex of head; hypostomal area; mesoscutellum, only on distal edge and ventral surface, with some on dorsal surface but restricted to yellow stripe ( Figure 1 (d)); mesepisternum, superior surface (apical 2/3) ( Figure 1 (c)), on ventral surface thicker and about 8–10 times longer than superior 2/3 ( Figure 2 (a)); coxae and trochanters; sterna with longer setae, especially on first two sternites, about 2.5 times shorter than setae on ventral surface of mesepisternum; posterior border of mesoscutellum dorsally and ventrally (2–3 times longer than setae on superior surface of mesepisternum) ( Figure 1 (d)); sides of propodeum with long (0.8 length of median ocellar diameter) semidecumbent plumose hairs, very dense, nearly obscuring entire integument, interspersed with semierect setae 3–4 times longer than superior surface of mesepisternum (length about equal to one ocellar diameter); inner surface of tarsi with yellowish to ferruginous setae; setae on terga shorter and semidecumbent, very dense on posterior border of terga and gradually longer towards metasoma apex.

Sculpturing. Integument in general finely and densely punctate-tessellate, dull, as in other species of the genus, especially in the lineata group; propodeum with more marked sculpture than on rest of body, uniformly punctate-tessellate with smooth midline; sculpturing denser and dull on terga and more superficial on posterior tibiae.

Structure. Total body length approximately 4.0 mm; forewing length 3.7 mm. Head slightly wider than long (1.5: 1.4 mm); inner orbits of compound eyes converging inferiorly ( Figure 1 (a)); malar area (0.05 mm) almost half width of F3 (0.15 mm; F3 length 0.1 mm); clypeus 1.9 times broader than long (0.77: 0.4); interalveolar distance 1.2 times median ocellar diameter, about equal to alveolar diameter; alveolocular distance 1.3 times alveolar diameter; interocellar distance 1.8 times median ocellar diameter, 1.7 times longer than ocellocular distance; ocelloccipital about 1.1 times median ocellar diameter; scape 6.3 times longer than wide, narrower (1.2 times) than width of F3; pedicel about as long as broad, slightly shorter than first flagellomere; flagellomeres slightly broader than long, except apical flagellomere much longer than broad (1.8 times); compound eye 2.7 times longer than broad; genae 1.2 times narrower than compound eye in profile. Mesoscutum with anterior margin rounded, slightly broader than long (1.2 times), 2.76 times longer than mesoscutellum; mesoscutellum about twice as long as broad, broadly rounded on distal margin (short-semicircular sensu Camargo and Moure (1994); hind tibia 2.5 times longer than broad; hind basitarsus about twice as long as broad, strongly projecting on postero distal margin ( Figure 2 (b)).

Male and Queen: Unknown.

Figures

Figure 1. Holotype female (worker) of Paratrigona intermedia Oliveira, Madella-Auricchio & Freitas sp. nov., deposited at the MHNBA, Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil: (a). Frontal view of head; (b). Lateral view of body; (c). Mesepisternum in profile, and iridescence on wing; (d). Dorsolateral view of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum. Arrows indicate presence or absence of setae.

Figure 2. Holotype female of Paratrigona intermedia Oliveira, Madella-Auricchio & Freitas sp. nov., deposited at the MHNBA, Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil: (a). Mesepisternum in profile; (b). Metatibia; (c). Labels. Arrow indicates whitish setae/pilosity.

Figure 3. Lectotype of Melipona lineata Lepeletier, 1836 deposited at the MNHP, Paris, France: (a). Frontal view of head; (b). Lateral view of body; (c, d). Dorsolateral view of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum; (e). Metatibia; (f). Labels of lectotype. Arrows indicate presence of setae.

Figure 4. Paralectotype of Melipona lineata Lepeletier, 1836 deposited at the MNHP, Paris, France: (a). Frontal view of head; (b). Lateral view of head; (c). Lateral view of body; (d). Dorsolateral view of mesosoma; (e). Metatibia; (f). Labels of paralectotype. Arrows indicate absence of setae.

Figure 5. Specimen of Paratrigona lineata (Lepeletier, 1836) from Januária (Minas Gerais State, Brazil), deposited at the BIOSIS, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia, Brazil: (a). Frontal view of head; (b). Lateral view of body; (c). Dorsolateral view of mesosoma; (d). Labels. Arrows indicates presence of setae.

Figure 6. Paratype of Paratrigona lineata glabella Camargo & Moure, 1994, deposited at the Prof. J.M.F. Camargo Collection from the RPSP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil: (a). Frontal view of head; (b). Lateral view of body; (c). Lateral view of mesepisternum; (d). Dorsal view of mesoscutellum; (e). Dorsal view of mesosoma; (f). Labels. Arrows indicate absence or presence of setae. Ownership rights to these images and their copyright belong to RPSP (Coleção Entomológica ‘Prof. J.M.F. Camargo’). Photo by E.A.B. Almeida.

Figure 7. Holotype of Paratrigona incerta Camargo & Moure, 1994, deposited at the Prof. J.M.F. Camargo Collection from the RPSP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil: (a). Frontal view of head; (b). Lateral view of body; (c). Lateral view of mesepisternum; (d). Dorsal view of mesosoma; (e). Labels. Arrows indicate presence or absence of setae. Ownership rights to these images and their copyright belong to RPSP (Coleção Entomológica ‘Prof. J.M.F. Camargo’). Photo by E.A.B. Almeida.