Ruizantheda kallos, Coelho, Beatriz W. T., De Seixas Felizardo, Sherlem P. & Engel, Michael S., 2014

Coelho, Beatriz W. T., De Seixas Felizardo, Sherlem P. & Engel, Michael S., 2014, Three new species of the bee genus Ruizantheda sensu lato (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Caenohalictina), Zootaxa 3889 (1) : -

Ruizantheda kallos n. sp.

( Figures 9 , 10 , 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35)

Diagnosis. Male: Body bright blue-green; apical margin of S4 with a central patch of setae; gradulus of S6 greatly invaginated medially; median apical process of S8 with apical margin bearing three little peaks, separated by two weak concavities; retrorse ventral lobe with short setae on dorsal surface near apex.

Description. Male. Size. Total body length 7–8 mm; forewing length 1.5 mm. Structure. Head as wide as long, head width to length ratio 1.12–1.07; malar area linear; mandible simple; labral distal process in the form of a minute inverted triangle; epistomal sulcus forming obtuse angle; clypeus projecting about half of its total length below the lower tangent of compound eyes; compound eyes emarginated above level of antennal torulus; surface between compound eye and lateral ocellus straight; region behind ocelli flat; preoccipital carina weak; F2 about 2x length of F1, flagellomeres without glabrous areas, flagellum straight; pronotal lateral angle obtuse; anterior border of mesoscutum rounded; metapostnotum about 1.5x length of metanotum medially; legs straight; metabasitibial plate rounded, flat; S4 and S5 unmodified; gradulus of S6 greatly invaginated medially, covered by membrane; pygidial plate large with rounded margin; median apical process of S7 short, without setae; median apical process of S8 broad with apical margin bearing three little peaks, separated by two weak concavities, but nearly truncate in outline. Genitalia. Gonobase. Length about 1/3 that of gonocoxite. Gonocoxite. Outer margins straight and slightly divergent; surface smooth; basal portion of inner dorsal margins parallel with large, semicircular excavated area curved outward; superior portion of inner dorsal margins strongly concave. Gonostylus. Basal region with rvl membranous, short, about ½ of length of gonocoxite, rounded apically, with a few short setae at extremity and with short setae on dorsal surface near apex; mgl a crescent-shaped lobe with scattered short setae; ogp large, ending before apex of mgl, with many long setae near apex and free margin membranous extending to ventral region; clump of median setae at base of ogp. Penis valve. Widely angled in lateral view; main dorsal ridge central; apex narrow and parallel-sided, pointed at apex; outer lateral expansion with extremity not differentiated; ventral surface with prong narrow and parallel-sided, slightly pointed at apex, extending past volsella posteriorly. Volsella. Inner apical corner rounded; medio-apical margin convex; micro-convexity on margin between inner apical corner and medio-apical margin. Sculpture. Upper paraocular area and frons densely punctuate, with very fine, contiguous punctures and scattered coarser setal bases intermixed; lower paraocular area with coarse oblique punctures separated by 1–2 puncture widths, surface between punctures microreticulate; supraclypeal area with punctures finer than those of lower paraocular area and irregular in spacing in lower half, surface between punctures strongly microreticulate; clypeus with coarse punctures separated by 1–3 puncture widths, surface between punctures strongly microreticulate; mesoscutum densely punctuate, with fine punctures similar to those of frons and several scattered coarser setal bases intermixed; mesoscutellum with fine punctures separated by 2–3 puncture widths, becoming more densely punctured near posterior margin, surface between punctures smooth and shiny; metanotum with close punctures, surface between punctures smooth and shiny; mesepisternum and metepisternum densely punctate with scattered coarser setal bases intermixed; dorsal surface of metapostnotum microareolate, punctures smaller in central area than elsewhere, usually with a few fine rugae in anterior margin, sometimes anastomosed fine rugae in mid-region; propodeal lateral and posterior surfaces with fine, contiguous punctures and scattered coarser setal bases intermixed, surfaces dominated by microstriae; dorsal surfaces of T1–T4 densely punctuate, punctures contiguous, and becoming finer in its half posterior, posterior margin with microreticulation. Color. Bright green, except: setae of compound eyes brown; mandible brown with reddish apex; about distal half of clypeus with yellow transverse band, sometimes small triangular area medially in its upper margin; labral basal process yellow; labral distal process light brown; antenna dark brown, flagellum slightly lighter below than above; legs brown to light brown, coxae and femora with metallic green highlights, inner surface of protibia yellowish, protarsus brown-yellowish; sterna brown, sometimes S1 with faint green highlights; metasomal terga green or blue-green, with discs of metasomal terga brown; pygidial plate brown. Pubescence. Dorsal surface with very short, fine, plumose whitish setae; long, simple or branched, white or light brown setae on nearly all body parts, predominantly yellowish on inner surfaces of tarsi. Compound eyes with long setae, as long as ocellar diameter; strip of short, plumose white setae along inner margin of compound eye, denser in lower paraocular area; triangular area of metaposnotum without setae; apical margin of S4 with a central patch of setae; dorsal surfaces of metasomal terga with few, simple, median setae, slightly denser laterally.

Distribution. The species is found presently only in Jujuy, Argentina.

Material examined. Holotype, male, ARGENTINA: Jujuy: San Salvador de Jujuy, i.1951 (A. F. Prosen) (DZUP). Paratypes, ARGENTINA: Jujuy: 1 male, San Salvador de Jujuy, i.1951 (A. F. Prosen) ( SEMC); 1 male, San Salvador de Jujuy, i.1951 (A. F. Prosen) ( MPEG); 1 male, Los Peroles, xii.1950 (A. F. Prosen) ( MPEG); 2 males, xii.1950 (A. F. Prosen) ( DZUP) .

Comments. Ruizantheda kallos superficially resembles Caenohalictus , differing most notably by the inner ocular orbits strongly emarginate and the setae of the compound eyes shorter than that observed in the majority of the species of Caenohalictus . It also differs from those Caenohalictus with short setae on the compound eyes by its larger body size. These differences are difficult to appreciate unless specimens of both are available and placed side to side.

Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the Greek word kallos , meaning,“beauty”.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Genital capsule of the male of R. kallos n. sp., ventral view.

FIGURES 10 – 13. Male. 10 – 12, habit of males, lateral view; 13, labrum, frontal view. 10, Ruizantheda kallos n. sp.; 11, R. aerugineus n. sp.; 12 – 13, R. inca n. sp.