Liotrigona kinzelbachi, Koch, 2010

Koch, Hauke, 2010, Combining morphology and DNA barcoding resolves the taxonomy of Western Malagasy Liotrigona Moure, 1961 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini), African Invertebrates 51 (2), pp. 413-413 : 416-418

Liotrigona kinzelbachi sp. n.

Figs 3C , 4

Etymology: The species is dedicated to Prof. em. Dr Ragnar Kinzelbach, whom the author wishes to thank for his support and inspiration during his zoological studies in Rostock.

Description:

Worker.

Total body length ranging from 2.15 mm to 2.58 mm. Forewing length 1.96– 1.78 mm; pterostigma length 0.35–0.39 mm; head width 0.95–1.01 mm ( Fig. 3 ); scutal width 0.69–0.87 mm. Colour: Head black except brown clypeus; labrum and mandibles amber, often with reddish tinge; scape amber to brown and flagellum brown; thorax black to dark brown; abdomen variable from dark brown to amber, dorsal site darker than ventral site; legs with brown coxa, amber trochanter, dark brown femur, amber tibia (hind tibia brown) and amber tarsus.

Queen and male. Unknown.

Comparison:Very similar to L. bitika and L. madecassa , but intermediate in size between the two. Distinguishable from both species by a combination of forewing length, pterostigma length, head width and scutal width (see Table 1). Also distinguishable from other species of Malagasy Liotrigona by its COI sequence (GenBank accession numbers HQ012826 - HQ012834 ).

Holotype ( Fig. 4 ): MADAGASCAR: ca 60 km northeast of Morondava city in Menabe region [20°03'S: 44°39'E] (ARC-PPRI).

Paratypes (2 workers): MADAGASCAR : same data as holotype (ARC-PPRI) .

Distribution: Dry deciduous forest of Kirindy, Menabe region, Western Madagascar.

Figures

Fig. 3. Frontal view of the heads of all four Western Malagasy Liotrigona species to the same scale (unit = 0.1 mm): (A) L. mahafalya, (B) L. madecassa, (C) L. kinzelbachi, (D) L. bitika.

Fig. 4. Holotype worker of Liotrigona kinzelbachi sp. n., lateral view. Scale unit = 0.1 mm.