Pseudaugochlora Michener

Almeida, Eduardo A. B., 2008, Revision of the Brazilian Species of Pseudaugochlora Michener 1954 (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Augochlorini), Zootaxa 1679, pp. 1-38 : 5-6

Genus Pseudaugochlora Michener

Augochlora (Pseudaugochloropsis) Schrottky 1909:482 .

Pseudaugochloropsis Moure 1940:50 –51, Eickwort 1969:429 –432; Moure and Hurd 1987:229 –232; Michener, McGinley and Danforth 1994:135.

Caenaugochlora (Pseudaugochlora) Michener 1954:77 –79, 1994:376, 1997:50.

Pseudaugochlora Engel 2000:49 , Michener 2000:394.

Type species: Halictus nigromarginatus Spinola = Megilla graminea Fabricius , original designation by Michener (1954). [Note: As already pointed by Engel (2000), Michener (1954) designated Halictus nigromarginatus Spinola 1841 as type species for Caenaugochlora (Pseudaugochlora) . However some studies (e.g. Eickwort 1969, Michener 1994, Michener 1997) indicated erroneously H. nigromarginatus Spinola 1851 as type species of Pseudaugochlora . The species described by Spinola in 1851 is clearly a junior homonym, renamed afterwards as Caenohalictus oblitus by Moure and Hurd (1987).]

Diagnosis. Characters used by Eickwort (1969) and Engel (2000) for diagnosis and delimitation of Pseudaugochlora are presented. Character state descriptions differing from or complementary to previous studies on Augochlorini are printed in italics; cases in which present descriptions differ from previous ones are contrasted with those given by Eickwort (1969) or Engel (2000); characters marked with an asterisk were not studied in all seven species due to lack of specimens for dissection.

Female: (1) mandible with strong subapical tooth, narrower than apical tooth; (2) labral distal process narrowly triangular, basal elevation orbicular, lateral teeth weak; (3) galea well sclerotized, apex acute, galeal comb absent, galeal base extending to stipital base; (4*) relative length of maxillary palpus: extended length of the palpus divided by the total length of galea plus stipes = 0.22 to 0.32 [varying from 0.29 to 0.31 in Eickwort (1969)]; (5*) cross­section of prementum approximately rectangular with carinae marking the four corners, posterior surface with two carinae delimiting internal membranous area, anterior surface with weak longitudinal median carina [“the anterior surface is flattened” – Eickwort (1969)], premental thickenings absent, prementum not greatly elongate: relative lengths of prementum: length of prementum divided by the width of head = 0.61 to 0.72 [varying from 0.64 to 0.72 in Eickwort (1969)], width of prementum divided by length of prementum = 0.11 to 0.13 [0.11 in Eickwort (1969)]; (6) salivary plate well sclererotized, U­shaped [“V­shaped brace not apparent” – Eickwort (1969)]; (7) glossa very long, relative lengths of glossa: length of glossa fully extended divided by length of prementum = 0.68 to 0.92 [varying from 0.68 to 0.75 in Eickwort (1969)], length of glossa divided by width of the head = 0.46 to 0.63 [varying from 0.46 to 0.50 in Eickwort (1969)]; (8) labial palpomeres flattened, first longer than second and third combined; (9) hypostomal ridge carinate, anterior angle rounded (narrower in P. graminea compared to the other species); (10) posterior flange of hypostomal carina projecting beyond occiput; (11) length of malar space less than basal mandibular width; (12) epistomal sulcus approximately orthogonal or forming small and acute paraocular lobe protruding onto clypeus; (13) ocelli not greatly enlarged, ocellar furrow absent; (14) strong postocellar ridge present; (15) preoccipital ridge rounded, not carinate; (16) pronotal angle obtuse and not produced, dorsal ridge carinate, lateral ridge rounded; (17) mesoscutal anterior border rounded, mesoscutal lip rounded; (18) tegula oval; (19) anterior basitibial brush well defined; (20) velum of strigilis (antenna cleaner) well developed, length of non­dentate portion of malus approximately 1.5 times longer than the portion that is dentate on both margins; (21) basitibial plate bordered on all sides; (22) inner hind tibial spur pectinate; (23) apex of marginal cell narrowly truncate; (24) distal hamuli spaced unevenly; (25) basal area of propodeum irregularly reticulate; (26) propodeal pit narrow.

Male: (1) mandible simple; (2) labrum with distal process, basal area notched; (3) antenna extending to scutellum; F2/F1 = 1.5 to 2.0 [“F2 approximately equal in length to F1” Engel (2000)]; F11 either not modified ( Fig.1 d), or with a ventral projection ( Fig.1 e), or hooked at apex ( Figs.1 a–c) [“F11 hooked at apex” Engel (2000)]; (4) inner hind tibial spur serrate; (5) metasoma oval; (6) T7 abruptly longitudinally convex apically; (7) anal lip of proctiger with post­anal filaments; (8) apical margin of S4 wholly depressed posterior to strong transverse ridge or gently depressed medially and abruptly depressed laterally (forming two swollen lateral areas), emarginate or not, bearing lateral and/or median tuft(s) of hairs ( Fig.2 ) [“Sternum IV with modified apical margin depressed posterior to strong ridge, bearing distinctive lateral or median tufts of long setae” – Eickwort (1969)]; (9) apical margin of S5 bearing lateral or median tuft(s) of setae ( Fig.2 ), posterior marginal area (strongly or slightly) depressed [“Sternum V with modified apical margin, usually bearing lateral tufts of setae, postgradular area variously ridged and depressed” – Eickwort (1969)]; (10) S6 strongly depressed apically, apical margin emarginate; (11) S7 with postero­lateral corners strongly produced and pointed (less so in P. pandora and much less in P. flammula ), apodemes recurved anteriorly ( Fig.3 ); (12) spiculum of S8 moderately broad (longer than broad); posterior margin bearing long, strong setae ( Fig.3 ); (13) gonobasal bridge narrow or membranous, dorsal lobe strong, ventral lobe slightly produced; (14) ventral gonostylus a caudally directed seta­bearing lobe ( Fig.4 ); (15) parapenial lobe present as a thin transparent flap, basal process of gonostylus absent; (16) ventral surface of penis valve unmodified, with darkly pigmented crest dorsally; (17) volsella emarginate on inner margin, notch near apex, base not narrowed.

Based on the diagnostic characters listed above, some modifications are required in the keys previously published for the genera of Augochlorini (e.g. Eickwort 1969; Engel 2000; Michener 2000; Michener et al. 1994) in order to correctly identify all species belonging to Pseudaugochlora . Special attention should be paid to the characters 12 of female and 3, 8, 9 of male. Despite the inclusion of P. pandora among the species of Pseudaugochlora by Moure and Hurd (1987), differences between this species and P. g r a m i n e a (and those morphologically similar to P. g r a m i n e a) have not been considered previously, particularly the modifications in the epistomal sulcus of the female and last flagellomere of the male and the hair tufts of S5 and S6 of the male.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distal flagellomeres of male antenna: (a) P. graminea (Fabricius 1804); (b) P. callaina Almeida, sp. n.; (c) P. erythrogaster Almeida, sp. n.; (d) P. flammula Almeida, sp. n.; (e) P. pandora (Smith 1853). Scale = 0.3 mm.

FIGURE 2. Ventral view of metasoma of male: (a) P. g r a m i n e a (Fabricius 1804); (b) P. callaina Almeida, sp. n.; (c) P. flammula Almeida, sp. n.; (d) P. pandora (Smith 1853). Pubescence, except tufts on S 4 and S 5, ommited. Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 3. Seventh and eighth metasomal sterna (S 7 and S 8) of male: (a) P. graminea (Fabricius 1804); (b) P. callaina Almeida, sp. n.; (c) P. f l a m m u l a Almeida, sp. n.; (d) P. pandora (Smith 1853). Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Genital capsule of male: (a) P. graminea (Fabricius 1804); (b) P. flammula Almeida, sp. n.; (c) P. pandora (Smith 1853). Scale = 0.2 mm.