Triepeolus cecilyae Packer, 2016

Packer, Laurence, 2016, Two new species of Epeolini from northern Chile, with the first record of Triepeolus for the country and a key to Chilean species of Doeringiella (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of Melittology 2016 (64), pp. 1-11 : 2-4

Triepeolus cecilyae Packer , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:43F77C7E-5782-4192-895B-4859A21F8076

( Figs. 1–6 )

DIAGNOSIS: The mesepisternum with long erect hairs separates this species from all other South American Triepeolus Robertson except Triepeolus atoconganus Moure from Peru, from which it can be most easily distinguished based upon the entirely orange femora and tibiae ( Fig. 1 ) (marked with dark brown in T. atoconganus ), T3 with apical transverse band complete ( Fig. 2 ) (medially interrupted in T. atoconganus ), and S3 uniformly covered in pale hairs ( Fig. 3 ) (with apicolateral patches in T. atoconganus ). The combination of T1 with apical transverse band present, that of T2 narrowly interrupted, and those of T3–T5 complete is also diagnostic among South American Triepeolus .

DESCRIPTION: ♂: Body length 10.6 mm, forewing length 9.0 mm, head width 3.45 mm, intertegular span 2.05 mm.

Coloration. Black except as follows: labrum with laterobasal pale brown spot; bright orange on all trochanters, femora, tibiae, and tarsi; orange-brown apicoventrally on F1 (remainder of flagellum dark brown), pronotal lobe, and tegula; basal 2/3 of mandible dark orange-brown, apex ochraceous.

Pubescence. Mostly brown-black and short <1MOD, longer on sides of thorax ~1.5MOD and between antennal sockets <2MOD. White and erect laterad antennal socket ~2MOD, white and subappressed below antennal socket ~1MOD. Pale brown long <2MOD and erect on mesepisternum posterolaterally and metanotum laterally. Horizontal surface of pronotum with short subappressed pale grey hair band. Mesoscutum with paramedian band pale yellowish, becoming blackish anteriorly, transverse anterior band absent; posterolateral corner of mesoscutum and scutoscutellar sulcus with short white hairs. Posterolateral region of propodeum with erect greyish hairs. Metasternum fringed with greyish hairs posterolaterally. Tergal hair bands pale cream except white on T6. Tergum 1 with apical transverse band narrowly interrupted medially, basal transverse band broadly interrupted medially, lateral longitudinal band complete, discal patch with lateral margins acute. Tergum 2 apical transverse band very narrowly interrupted medially; T3–T5 apical bands complete but indented anteromedially. Short silvery-white appressed hairs apically on S1, covering S2 and S3, laterally on S4 where replaced medially by black-brown hairs; S4 and S5 with apical fringes of medially curved, long hairs <1.5MOD, blackish medially becoming silvery white towards sides; S6 with subappressed brown hairs.

Sculpture. Head and thorax shiny, lacking microsculpture; densely punctate throughout, i<d except for occasional interspaces ~d and punctures behind ocellar area and on metanotum small and crowded. Clypeal midline not distinct. Metapostnotum imbricate medially, punctures crowded laterally; propodeal punctation crowded. Metasomal terga and sterna minutely and shallowly punctate, i~d except punctures deeper and more distinct on more apical terga and sterna; pygidial plate coarsely rugose.

Structure. Labrum with paired parallel submedial ridges on apical half. Scape twice as long as greatest width, approximately as long as F1 and F2 combined; F1 with length and breadth subequal; F2 twice as long as broad. Frontal carina strong on supraclypeal area, weakening dorsad, flat anterior to median ocellus. Compound eyes convergent below UOD:LOD 108:85; occipital carina strong to upper 1/5 th of compound eye, converging towards posterior margin of compound eye above, absent dorsally although junction between vertexal and occipital areas somewhat sharp.

Mesoscutum with medial line strongly raised for anterior one half, weakly impressed posteriorly; scutellum with paired weak swellings. Axilla subtriangular, apex rounded, only briefly separated from lateral margin of scutellum, not extending to posterior downcurved surface of scutellum.

Pygidial plate with sides almost straight, forming an angle of ~30°, apex broadly rounded. Genitalia as in figures 5–6.

♀: Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: ♂, CHILE: Region XV, W. of Zapahuira , Candelabra Cactus Zone, 2400– 2800 m, 24.iv.2001 [24 April 2001], R. E. Owen ( PCYU).

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is in celebration of the 50 th birthday of Cecily Bradshaw, a friend and advocate for, and supporter of, bee research.

COMMENTS: This species is seemingly most similar to T. atoconganus from Lima, Peru. It differs in the features mentioned in the diagnosis and some less obvious ones such as the relative lengths of the posterior margins of the submarginal cells, 60:20:25 (for cells 1 through 3, respectively) in T. atoconganus ( Moure, 1955) and 60:30: 25 in T. cecilyae ( Fig. 4 ). Thus, the new species has the posterior margin of the second submarginal cell greater than that of the third, while the converse is the case for T. atoconganus .

This is the first record of the genus Triepeolus from Chile, although two species of the related Doeringiella are known from central Chile ( Montalva & Ruz, 2010), and a third from the far north is described below. Most species of Triepeolus with known hosts attack members of the Eucerini, although some attack Diphaglossini ( Rightmyer, 2008). Most of the exceptions have Nomiinae as hosts but this subfamily of bees is absent from South America. The only Diphaglossini known from the area around the locality for the new species are those of Caupolicana Spinola , which seem too large to be the host of T. cecilyae . Thus, it seems likely that T. cecilyae has a long-horned bee as a host. The only eucerines known from near the type locality of T. cecilyae are in the genera Alloscirtetica Holmberg ( Vivallo, 2009) and Mirnapis Urban ( Packer & Dumesh, 2012) . Although Melissodes Latreille are common hosts for species of Triepeolus , the only Chilean species — Melissodes ecuadoria Bertoni & Schrottky has not been found near the type locality, rather it is common at lower elevations towards the coast (pers. obs.), and it is very unlikely that M. ecuadoria is a host of T. cecilyae . Alloscirtetica weyrauchi Michener, LaBerge, & Moure and A. gelida Vivallo are also known from the area around the type locality but seem rather small to serve as host for the new species. Thus, I surmise that the host for this new species might be Mirnapis inca Urban which was found at the same locality (albeit two weeks later) as the male of the new species ( Packer & Dumesh, 2012), but which is also a rather rare bee.

Figures

Figures 1–3. Triepeolus cecilyae, new species, holotype male. 1. Lateral habitus. 2. Dorsal view of metasoma to show complete hair band on T3. 3. Metasomal sterna to show pale setae covering S3. Scale bars = 2 mm.

Figures 4–6. Triepeolus cecilyae, new species, holotype male. 4. Forewing to show relative lengths of submarginal cells. 5. Metasomal S7 and S8. 6. Genital capsule. Scale bars = 1 mm.