Protandrena avulsa, Ramos & Melo, 2006

Ramos, Kelli S. & Melo, Gabriel A. R., 2006, A new species of Protandrena Cockerell from Brazil (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Andreninae) *, Zootaxa 1330 (1), pp. 43-60 : 43-60

Protandrena avulsa new species

(Figs. 1–15)

Diagnosis and comments

According to Michener's (2000) key, Protandrena avulsa n. sp. agrees with the genus in the relatively long flagellum (Figs. 1 and 3), metapostnotum with basal striation ( Fig. 8 ), hind tibia of the males with toothed margin, tentorial pit at intersection of outer subantennal and epistomal sutures and first labial palpomere slightly longer than palpomeres 2–4 together. The S7 of male with a pair of slender distal lobes, constricted at their bases and retrorse extensions at the apices resemble those of some Protandrena s. str. ( Michener 2000). Despite this, the new species possesses two submarginal cells and other external morphological characteristics (such as coloration and punctation of the integument) that distinguish it from the species in Protandrena s. str.

The hind tibial spur slightly curved, the metapostnotum basally glabrous ( Fig. 8 ), tibial scopa composed of sparser and simple hairs and the mesoscutum with small and dense punctures ( Fig. 6 ) are features that better fit the new species in the subgenus Heterosarus . However, considering the great species diversity in this subgenus and in Protandrena s. l., as well as the overall precarious classification of the tribe and the peculiar characteristics of Protandrena avulsa n. sp., we decided not to place this species into any available subgenus.

Protandrena avulsa n. sp. is distinguished from most Protandrena s. l. by the presence of an evident pronotal lamella ( Fig. 6 ) and by a protuberant interantennal area ( Fig. 5 ). Within Protandrenini , this lamella is only found in Pseudopanurgus Cockerell , Parapsaenythia Friese , and to a lesser degree in females of Chaeturginus Oliveira & Moure. The new species differs from Pseudopanurgus by fore coxa of female unmodified, hind tibia of male toothed and with distinct but fine punctation. It can be easily distinguished from Chaeturginus by antennal flagellum longer than head, metapostnotum striate basally and S2 to S5 of female with normal hairs. The glabrous eyes, integumental surface predominantly finely punctate and absence of basal hairs bands on the metasomal terga separate it from Parapsaenythia .

Protandrena avulsa n. sp. superficially resembles a large Rhophitulus (sensu Silveira et al. 2002), a Neotropical genus with many species occurring in sympatry with P. avulsa n. sp. However, it differs from Rhophitulus by the uniformly dense body punctation, by lacking a basal sclerite in the male genitalia (sometimes referred as a remnant of the gonobase, but see Ruz & Melo 1999), lateral line evident in the female T1–T2 and male T1–T3, and notch in the male S6 shallow.

Figures 1–4. Protandrena avulsa n. sp. 1, head of female (holotype) in frontal view. 2, female (holotype) in lateral view. 3, head of male (paratype) in frontal view. 4, male (paratype) in lateral view. Scale bar for figures 1 and 3: 0.5 mm; figures 2 and 4: 3 mm.

Description

HOLOTYPE FEMALE. Body length: 7.7 mm; maximum head width: 2.4 mm; forewing length: 5.9 mm; maximum T 2 width: 2.7 mm. Color. Integument mostly black (Figs. 1 and 2), except for brown underside of antennal fagellum, mid and hind legs, tegula, wing veins, pterostigma and marginal zone of the metasomal terga; spurs, apex of fore femur, basal two-thirds of fore tibia and entire fore tarsus yellowish brown. Pubescence. Predominantly pale yellow, with hind femoral and tibial scopae white and prepygidial fimbria brown. Labrum with dense and simple setae, except for glabrous labral plate; longest simple setae on lateral portions of clypeus about 0.3mm (Fig. 1); eyes glabrous; on frons, vertex and gena short and decumbent, except for a few longer setae between ocelli (Figs. 2 and 5); on back of head, longer, erect and minutely branched, setae length about one ocellus diameter. Pronotal collar with dense and very short decumbent finely branched hairs ( Fig. 6 ); on edge of pronotal lobe, dense and finely plumose; mesoscutum with dense simple and very short setae, their length about twice the puncture diameter ( Fig. 6 ); on metepisternum and dorsolateral portion of mesepisternum, dense and very short; on lower half of lateral mesepisternum, much sparser and gradually increasing in length; ventral apex of fore tibia and ventral surface of trochanter, coxa and of mesepisternum with long simple setae; on scutellum, sparser and mostly inconspicuous except for single simple seta laterally, its length about 0.3mm; basal striated depression and dorsal lateral portions of metapostnotum glabrous, its disc with dense and very short hairs ( Fig. 7 ); lateral corners of propodeum with long and finely plumose hairs; hind tibial scopa loose, setae long and simple, those on anterior surface about twice as long as maximum width of tibia; basitibial plate hidden by dense, coarse and simple setae. Disc of T 1 and T 2 with very short setae, about as dense as on mesoscutum ( Fig. 8 ); on disc of T 3– T 5, setae longer, especially on T 5; posterior margin of disc of T 2– T 4 with a loose fringe of long decumbent hairs ( Fig. 8 ), those on lateral portions about as long as marginal zone; disc of S2–S5 with abundant erect, simple long setae; distal margin of S5 with a fringe of long plumose hairs. Integumental surface. Predominantly finely and closely punctate ( Figs. 5–8 ). Labral plate smooth and shiny; punctures contiguous on frons, vertex, gena, upper half of lateral mesepisternum, anterior fifth of mesoscutum and metanotum; clypeus more coarsely and irregularly punctured, punctation sparse on distal half of disc ( Fig. 5 ); facial fovea rugose (Figs. 1 and 5); ventral portion of gena almost unpunctured and strongly reticulate. Tegula finely reticulate; central portion of mesoscutum closely punctate (<1 pd); scutellum and metanotum coarsely punctured, punctures about 2–3x larger than on mesoscutum (1–2 pd on scutellum) ( Fig. 7 ); metaposnotum with a transversely striate basal depression ( Fig. 7 ), dorsal lateral portions unpunctured and finely reticulate. Disc of T 1 and T 2 closely punctate (1–2 pd on T 1, 0.5–1 pd on T 2) ( Fig. 8 ); punctures on disc of T 3– T 5 finer and shallow; marginal zone of T 1– T 4 densely micropunctured (Figs. 2 and 8); metasomal sterna weakly reticulated among the punctures; pygidial plate with evident transverse microsculpture. Structure (measurements in mm): head about 1.4x broader than long (2.38:1.73); first labial palpomere slightly longer than palpomeres 2–4 together; labral plate 1.2x broader than long (0.36:0.3); tentorial pit at intersection of outer subantennal and epistomal sutures; eye about 1.9x longer than broad (1.12:0.54) and inner orbits slightly convergent below (upper: 1.33; lower: 1,27) (Figs. 1, 5); clypeus about 2x broader than long (1.32:0.56); interantennal area distinctly protuberant, frontal line indicated as shallow sulcus ( Fig. 5 ); F3 approximately 1.5x broader than long (0.18:0.12); facial fovea 3.2x as long as broad (0.38:0.12) (Figs. 1, 5); gena, in lateral view, about two-thirds as broad as eye (Fig. 2). Lamella of pronotal collar well developed ( Fig. 6 ); parapsidal line conspicuous and relatively long ( Fig. 6 ). Fore wing with two submarginal cells, 1 st cell distinctly longer than 2 nd; Rs extending beyond marginal cell as a nebulous vein and almost reaching the distal margin of wing; 1m-cu reaching 2 nd submarginal cell on its first half; mid tibial spur coarsely serrate, about as long as basitarsus (0.57:0.57); tarsal claws bifid; tergal marginal zone well marked, slightly depressed in relation to disc ( Fig. 8 ); tergal disc flat adjacent to pregradular area ( Fig. 8 ); lateral line evident in T 1 and T 2; lateral fovea of T 2 inconspicuous; pygidial plate V-shaped, apex narrowly rounded.

PARATYPE MALE. Body length: 7.2 mm; maximum head width: 1.8 mm; forewing length: 4.9 mm; maximum T 2 width: 1.6 mm. Agreeing with female, except as follows yellowish areas (Figs. 3 and 4): basal area of mandible; clypeus (Fig. 3); lower paraocular area (Fig. 3); fore tibia, entire tarsus and apex of fore and mid femur (Fig. 4). Metasoma with yellowish brown apex; hind legs brown; dorsolateral portion of mesepisternum with dense, long and plumose pilosity (Fig. 4); on basitibial plate sparse and fine; disc of sterna with decumbent, short and plumose hairs. Head about 1.1x broader than long (1.82:1.58); labral plate 1.2x broader than long (0.33:0.27); eye about 1.6x longer than broad (1.04:0.64) and inner orbits convergent below (upper: 1.12; lower: 1.93) (Fig. 3); clypeus about 1.7x broader than long (0.87: 0.51); F3 approximately 1.1x broader than long (0.16:0.14); facial fovea 3.1x longer than broad (0.22:0.07); mid tibial spur about 0.6x length of basitarsus (0.28:0.47); hind tibia with toothed upper margin; metasomal terga parallel-sided and marginal zone strongly depressed in relation to disc; basal portion of disc of T 2-4, adjacent to pregradular area, depressed. The genitalia and associated sterna are depicted in figures 9–15.

Distribution Southeastern Brazil, in the states of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo.

Type material

Brazil, Espirito Santo: Holotype female, ‘ DZUP 26756’ and ‘ SANTA TERESA—ES \ BRASIL — 19/4/1967 \ C. & C. T. ELIAS’. Paratypes . Brazil, Espirito Santo: 6 females and 7 males ( DZUP 26653–26659, 26752–26755 and 27369–27370), ‘ Cariacica —ES\ 2–8. V.1967 \ C. Elias col’; 7 females ( DZUP 26746–26751 and 27371), ‘CARIACICA— E. STO \ BRASIL 2–8/ V /67\ C. & C. T. Elias leg’; 4 females ( DZMG, MZSP), same data; 80 females and 21 males ( DZUP 26660–26679, 26692–26729 and 27310–27351), same data as holotype; 4 males ( DZMG, MZSP), same data; 2 females ( DZUP 26730 and 26742), ‘ STA. TEREZA—E. STO \ BRASIL 17–22/IV/67\ C. & C. T. Elias leg.’; 32 females and 8 males ( DZUP 26684–26691, 26731–26741, 26743–26745 and 27352–27368), same data except ‘24–31/IV/67’. Minas Gerais: 3 males ( DZUP 26650–26652), ‘BARBACENA MG \ Brasil 6-4-63\ Alvarenga Seabra’.

Etymology

The name refers to the peculiar characteristics of this species in relation to the other species in the genus.

Figures

FIGURES 5–8. Integumental surface of female of Protandrena avulsa n. sp. 5, head in frontal view. 6, detail of pronotal collar and mesoscutum. 7, scutellum, metanotum and metapostnotum. 8, metasomal terga 1–3. Scale bar for figure 5: 500 µm; figures 6–8: 200 µm.