Neocorynura sophia, Smith-Pardo, Allan H., 2010

Smith-Pardo, Allan H., 2010, Taxonomic review of the species of Neocorynura (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Augochlorini) inhabiting Argentina and Paraguay, Zootaxa 2507, pp. 44-68 : 59-61

Neocorynura sophia sp. nov.

( Figs. 6 , 8 )

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from N. guarani by integument of the base of propodeum: sulci obliquely oriented (almost straight in N. guarani ); the lack of metallic reflections on the meso- and metafemora, and the absence of a punctate band on the posterior margin of T1 (densely punctate in N. guarani ).

Description: Female (Holotype). Body length 6.8 mm; forewing length 5.9 mm. Head width 1.8 mm, length 1.7 mm. Scape longer than combined lengths of F1 to F6; F10 longer than preceding flagellomeres; F1 of similar length as F2. Clypeus wider than long; paraocular lobe obtuse (≈120°). Mesoscutum slightly wider than long; metanotum half length of mesoscutellum. Mesotibial spur serrate and half length of mesobasitarsus; inner metatibial spur pectinate with 5 teeth, the last two slightly fused. Marginal cell semitruncate; 1m-cu basad by two times vein width of 1rs-m; 2m-cu basad 2rs-m by approximately 3 times vein width; first submarginal cell longer than combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells; second submarginal rectangular; anterior border of second submarginal cell as long as anterior border of third submarginal cell; pterostigma large, margin in marginal cell convex; hamuli spaced 2-1-1-2 along anterior margin of hind wing. Basal area of propodeum sulcate (sulci oblique) and longer than mesoscutellum. Metasoma semi-petiolate (slightly longer than wide).

Labrum smooth, with small, more or less narrow central process. Clypeus imbricate medially and basally, smooth elsewhere, with very coarse punctures separated by 1-1.5 PD; supraclypeal area imbricate with punctures smaller and widely distributed; subantennal and lower ocular areas strongly imbricate; frons and remainder of face with coarser and more numerous punctures, integument between punctures strongly imbricate; vertex sculptured as frons; gena and postgena striate and with faint punctures. Scape imbricate, with minute punctures separately by about 2 PD. Pronotum and propleura mostly smooth or faintly imbricate. Mesoscutum densely punctate, punctures coarse and separated by less than 1 PD, integument between punctures strongly imbricate; mesoscutellum smooth and punctate, punctures of at least two different diameters. Metanotum smooth, densely punctate, punctures smaller than those on mesoscutellum. Pleura densely punctate with a rugose appearance, integument between punctures imbricate. Tegula slightly imbricate. Basal area of propodeum sulcate. Metasoma mostly slightly imbricate and without punctures.

Mandible dark brown, tip hyaline. Labrum dark brown; clypeus mostly dark brown medially, with some metallic green and yellow reflections; remainder of head metallic green with paraocular areas metallic yellow to orange. Mesosoma metallic green except pronotum, meso and metasomal axillae yellowish. Legs mostly dark brown except coxae and mesotrochanter with metallic green reflections. Metasoma mostly metallic green, except T1 mostly dark brown with metallic green reflections on the base; posterior margins of T2–T5 dark brown.

Mandible with brown, unbranched setae, 0.5–2.0 OD in length, scattered. Labrum mostly bare with a row of coarse, light brown, unbranched setae along anterior margin. Clypeus with light brown and branched setae, with a row of unbranched setae along anterior margin. Supraclypeal area as on clypeus except without light brown setae; subantennal area and frons with hyaline, branched and 0.5–1.0 OD in length setae, more or less densely distributed along surface. Scape mostly with minute brown, unbranched setae sparsely distributed, and with few longer (0.5 OD) and branched setae close to scape base. Vertex as on frons; gena and postgena with hyaline, branched 0.5–2.5 OD in length scattered, but with some unbranched setae in between. Pronotum densely covered with minute, whitish setae and with some coarse, hyaline and branched setae among them. Mesoscutum with minute, brown setae more or less densely distributed. Mesoscutellum as mesoscutum, except for some coarse, dark brown, poorly branched setae, 2.0–2.5 OD in length sparsely distributed between the minute setae. Metanotum more densely covered with minute, light brown setae and with longer (0.5–1.5 OD), branched setae, mostly along sides. Base of propodeum mostly bare, rest of surface with minute, light brown setae, densely distributed on posterior sides, longer setae (1.0–2.5 OD) along sides. Preepisternum densely covered with minute, branched setae; mesepisternum with coarse, light brown setae, 1.0–2.0 OD in length, scattered among minute, hyaline setae; metepisternum densely covered with minute, branched setae. Procoxa with coarse, dark brown setae, poorly branched, and 1.0–1.5 OD in length scattered among minute, light brown ones; protrochanter mostly bare but with some coarse, light brown, unbranched setae, 1.0–3.0 OD in length along posterior margin mixed with some minute, light brown setae; profemur with outer side mostly covered with light brown, branched setae, sparsely distributed and 1.0–1.5 OD in length and with branched setae along inner surface; protibia densely covered with minute, unbranched, and light brown setae, minute to 1.5 OD in length; tarsi as in protibia, except setae more scattered; mesocoxa covered with minute, hyaline setae, with few coarse, light brown, unbranched setae, 1.0–2.0 OD in length close to articulation with mesotrochanter; mesotrochanter with light to dark brown, unbranched setae, 0.5–2.0 OD in length mixed with some minute, light brown setae; mesofemur inner side with a row of coarse, unbranched, and light brown setae, 0.5 OD in length and minutely branched, hyaline setae; mesotibia as protibia, except setae branched and darker; mesotarsi as protarsi; metacoxae as procoxae, except setae more abundant and darker brown, 1.0–2.0 OD in length; metatrochanter more or less densely covered with coarse, brown, branched setae, 0.5–1.0 OD in length; metafemur with coarse, light brown setae, long (some as long as 1.5–3.5 OD) somehow bending and forming scopae; metatibia as mesotibia, except for the coarser, unbranched setae among the branched ones. T1 with coarse, hyaline, branched setae, 0.5–1.5 OD in length and sparsely distributed; T2 and T3 densely covered with minute, light to dark brown setae, with some coarse, dark brown, unbranched setae sparsely distributed; T4 as T2 and T3 except, longer setae more abundant and almost 2.0 OD in length; T5 densely covered with coarse, dark brown setae, minute—2.5 OD in length, branched and with lighter and sparsely distributed setae among them.

Male. As described for the female except as follows: Body length 6.1 mm; forewing length 3.6 mm. Head width 1.5 mm, length 1.4 mm. F2 twice as long as F1. Mandible slender and pointed and without preapical teeth. Labral surface smooth. Paraocular lobe more angular. Mesoscutum slightly wider than long. Basitibial plate absent; inner metatibial spur one fourth the length of metabasitarsus, rather slender and serrated. Hamuli with a spacing pattern 2-1-1-2. Basal area of propodeum broadly sulcate. Metasoma with a slightly more elongate appearance; S6, S7, S8, and genital capsule as in Fig. 6 .

Mandible without grooves on outer surface, slightly carinate along posterior margin, anterior margin continuous. Subantennal and lower ocular areas slightly imbricate and with punctures separated by 1.0–2.0 OD; rest of frons and paraocular area slightly imbricate. Mesoscutellum with punctures of irregular size and shape, more broadly distributed than on mesoscutum. Posterior side of propodeum with coarse punctures.

Anterior margin of clypeus dark brown; scape light brown with metallic yellow reflections. Tegula slightly more translucent. Legs uniformly light brown and with yellow reflections. T2– T5 with basal third metallic blue.

Mandible with some coarse, light brown, branched setae, 0.5 OD in length. Labrum mostly bare. Postgena with some long setae (0.5–1.5 OD in length). Metanotum in general with darker, and longer setae (0.5–2.0 OD) sparsely distributed. Legs (especially hind one) in general less pubescent; protrochanter with some light brown, unbranched setae minute—1.0 OD in length scattered on posterior margin; profemur with white setae, 0.5–1.0 OD in length on posterior margin; protibia less densely covered; mesofemur with most of the inner side bare; metatrochanter poorly covered with setae, most of them unbranched; metafemur with some white setae, minute—1.5 OD in length, sparsely distributed on anterior margin. Metasomal pubescence as in the female except setae white and densely distributed; sterna with less pubescence, setae more scattered on S1– S3.

Type material. Holotype. Ƥ, ARGENTINA: Salta, 10 Km N. Vespucio. 13 Jul-1976. C. Porter & L. Stage Colls. ( SEMC).

Paratypes. ARGENTINA: Salta, Pocitos. Nov. 1956. Fritz Coll. (4 33 SEMC, 1 3 AMNH, 1 3 CAS). Tucumán. M. Arnau Coll. (1 3 SEMC).

Etymology. The specific epithet is a dedication to my niece Sofia Dempsey-Smith whom I adore deeply.

Variation. There is some slight variation in the size of males but not more of 2 mm above or below the average in the description. In addition, the integument of metasoma can vary from dark brown to lighter brown (specimen from Tucumán).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Neocorynura sophia sp. nov.: lateral habitus of the female (top left), lateral habitus of male (bottom left); male terminalia: a: genital capsule: ventral (right half) and dorsal (left half), b: lateral view of genital capsule, c: fused S 7 + S 8. Scale = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 8. Geographic distribution of the species of Neocorynura inhabiting Argentina and Paraguay.