Pseudaugochlora pandora (Smith)

Almeida, Eduardo A. B., 2008, Revision of the Brazilian Species of Pseudaugochlora Michener 1954 (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Augochlorini), Zootaxa 1679, pp. 1-38 : 29-32

Pseudaugochlora pandora (Smith)

Augochlora pandora Smith 1853: 74 . Type depository: BMNH (examined). Pseudaugochloropsis pandora — Moure and Hurd 1987: 231.

Pseudaugochlora pandora — Engel 2000: 89; Silveira et al. 2002: 181.

Description. FEMALE (Holotype)

Color: metallic green with yellowish and bluish highlights, except: mandible blackish brown with small bluish basal area; labrum and apex of clypeus blackish brown; transverse line near clypeus (dark) apical margin with yellowish and reddish highlights; scape blackish brown with apex lighter; ventral surface of flagellum brown, dorsally dark brown; tegula mostly light brown, except for a greenish anterior spot; wings hyaline; wing veins light brown (R darker); internal face of fore and mid tibiae and femora, hind tibia and hind femur, and tarsi brown with greenish highlights; tibial spurs and strigilis light yellow; apical margin of T1–T4 light brown; transverse submarginal band of T2 brown with bluish highlights; yellow highlights of T2–T4 lighter than on other parts of body, without bluish highlights; metasomal sterna bluish green in the middle, dark brown on apical and lateral margins.

Pubescence: predominantly white; on vertex light brown; on mesoscutum and scutellum light brown with some darker hairs intermixed; on T2–T5 except pseudopygidial area yellowish to ferruginous (long hairs), short hairs of T2–T4 light yellow to cream, on pseudopygidial area blackish. On condylar groove and interspace of mandible long, simple and erect, shorter apicad, on outer surface shorter and semidecumbent; on labrum apparently absent (although apical margin hidden by mandibles); on disc of clypeus moderately long, plumose and semidecumbent, on apical margin long, simple and erect; on paraocular and supraclypeal areas moderately long (shorter on supraclypeal area), densely plumose and semierect to erect; on frons moderately long, plumose and semierect; on postocellar fringe densely plumose and erect; on gena moderately long, simple and semierect to semidecumbent, short and plumose near eye margin; on scape short, simple and semidecumbent, moderately long and moderately plumose and semierect near base; on pedicel minute and semidecumbent, with a median ring of long apically directed setae; on flagellum minute and semidecumbent; on dorsal surface of pronotum short, moderately plumose and erect, on pronotal dorsal carina longer; on mesoscutum short, plumose and erect; on scutellum, metanotum and posterior surface of propodeum moderately long, plumose and erect (more densely plumose on metanotum, shorter on propodeum); on metapostnotum absent; on mesepisternum moderately long, plumose and semierect; on wings denser apically; on disc of T1 short, moderately plumose and semierect, on marginal area of T1 and T2–T4 short, simple and decumbent, intermixed with long, simple and decumbent hairs; on T5 moderately long, moderately plumose and decumbent; on metasomal sterna moderately long and semidecumbent, shorter distad to apical margin. Scopa, except on tibia, constituted by long hairs, branched at approximately their distal half and forming a tangle; on hind tibia hairs are less dense and branched approximately at distal third.

Sculpture: integument smooth (as in Fig.5 b) except: outer interspace of mandible longitudinally microrugulose; on narrow stripes close to margins rough; anterior face of supraclypeal area microrugulose; paraocular area rough; scape microreticulate; dorsal ridge of pronotum irregularly microrugulose; mesoscutum near anterior margin rough; metanotum irregularly reticulate; metapostnotum coarsely reticulate, posteriorly microreticulate inside reticulations; upper corner of posterior surface of propodeum weakly microreticulate.

Punctures: on outer interspace of mandible moderately coarse and moderately sparse; on basal area of labrum absent; on clypeus coarse and dense, finer near lateral and posterior margins; on anterior face of supraclypeal area moderately fine and sparse, on the remainder beveled, moderately fine and moderately sparse; between supraclypeal and frontal areas very fine and sparse; on frons moderately fine and very dense, except on frontal line which is impunctate; on paraocular area beveled, moderately fine and irregularly spaced; on vertex behind ocelli (anterior face of postocellar ridge) protuberant and fine, sparser near eye margin; on gena fine and sparse, denser near eye margin; on scape beveled fine and very sparse; on F1 beveled and very fine, on F2 beveled, moderately fine and sparse, on F3–F10 beveled fine and dense; on dorsal surface of pronotum minute and sparse; on dorsal carina of pronotum protuberant, very fine and sparse; on mesoscutal lips absent; on disc of mesoscutum moderately fine and dense, intermixed with coarser punctures, denser near margins; on scutellum dense with three sizes of punctures intermixed (moderately coarse, fine and minute); on anterior metanotum coarse and irregularly spaced, intermixed with very fine punctures; on metapostnotum absent; on posterior surface of propodeum very fine and sparse, intermixed with beveled, coarse and moderately dense punctures, denser laterally; on mesepisternum moderately coarse and very dense; on anterior vertical surface of T1 fine and sparse (more than three diameters apart), on disc of T1 fine and moderately sparse, sparser toward anterior and posterior margins; on T2–T4 very fine and sparse.

Structure: disc of clypeus almost flat; epistomal sulcus forming small and acute paraocular lobe protruding onto clypeus; frontal carina weakly marked; angle of the frontal line between supraclypeal and frontal areas gently declivous (approximately 140, as in Fig.6 a); six unevenly spaced hamuli on hind wing; inner hind tibial spur with 6 teeth; basitibial plate almost flat, basal area approximately flat.

Measurements (mm). Approximate length of body = 8.6, anterior wing = 7.5. Length and width of head = 2.12, 2.73. Maximum, inferior and superior distances between eyes = 1.94, 1.30, 1.41. IOC, OOC = 0.29, 0.40; MOD, LOD = 0.19, 0.18. Length and diameter of scape = 0.98, 0.15. Length of pedicel, F1, F2, F3 and F10 = 0.14, 0.14, 0.15, 0.18, 0.31. Diameter of F5 = 0.17. Length and width of mesoscutum = 1.70, 2.06. Length and width of prestigma = 0.25, 0.20. Length and width of pterostigma = 0.80, 0.24. Length and width of marginal cell = 1.56, 0.48.

MALE (“Ilhéus, BA, BRASIL; 29/V/1977 ” — UFV)

Differs from female as follows:

Color: mandible, labrum and apical margin of clypeus yellow with brown edges; paraocular areas and area near apical margin of clypeus with orange and bronze highlights; scape and flagellum (until half of F10) ventrally light brown, pedicel and flagellum dorsally brown; scape dorsally dark brown; tarsi (except mid and hid basitarsi) brown, femora and tibiae brown with greenish highlights; mid and hind basitarsi, tibial spurs and strigilis light yellow; coxae trochanters dark brown with greenish highlights; apical margin of T1–T5 and S2– S3 (S1 not visible) semi­translucent becoming thus greenish (terga and sterna bellow them green); S4–S6 dark brown; post­anal filaments pale light yellow.

Pubescence: predominantly light yellow, lighter ventrally (white on some regions); on S4–S6 dark brown. On basal area of clypeus very short and erect (between and anterior to the two basal elevations); on scape with moderately long and moderately plumose hairs; on frons, supraclypeal area and terga longer than on female; S4 and S5 with hair patches forming tufts ( Fig.2 d): S4 with two lateral tufts composed of long hairs and a median one composed of sparser and shorter hairs, S5 with dense hairs forming a V­shaped patch; on S6 moderately long, forming an apical fringe.

Sculpture: integument smooth and shiny except: outer interspace of mandible weakly microrugulose, almost smooth; metanotum rough, anterior margin smooth; propodeum reticulate, but without posterior microreticulate area; upper corner of posterior surface of propodeum rugulose.

Punctures: on outer interspace of mandible absent; on clypeus deeper than on females; on scutellum moderately coarse and dense; on metanotum fine and sparse; on metanotum fine and sparse; on disc of T1 moderately fine and moderately dense; very fine and sparse near apical margin of the metasomal terga.

Structure: epistomal sulcus forming a slightly acute paraocular lobe (less protruded onto clypeus than in female); F11 with a ventral projection on the apical half ( Fig.1 d); frontal line transformed in a small carina in the supraclypeal area; angle of the frontal line between supraclypeal and frontal areas gently declivous (approximately 140, as in Fig.6 a); six unevenly spaced hamuli on hind wing; S4 not emarginate and with two swollen lateral areas, apical margin projected medially; posterior margin of S5 weakly depressed; S7, S8 as shown in Fig.3 d, and genitalia as in Fig.4 c.

Measurements (mm). Approximate length of body = 7.7, anterior wing = 6.1. Length and width of head = 2.11, 2.34. Maximum, inferior and superior distances between eyes = 1.61, 0.98, 1.22. IOC, OOC = 0.30, 0.30; MOD, LOD = 0.19, 0.19. Length and diameter of scape = 0.60, 0.22. Length of pedicel, F1, F2, F3 and F10 = 0.10, 0.11, 0.21, 0.22, 0.32. Diameter of F5 = 0.17. Length and width of mesoscutum = 1.47, 1.81. Length and width of prestigma = 0.24, 0.17. Length and width of pterostigma = 0.78, 0.20. Length and width of marginal cell = 1.57, 0.41.

Variation: The punctures on the disc of T1 of female can be very fine and moderately dense varying to fine and coarse and denser. The metasomal terga are variable in color: in some specimens it is green with weak yellowish highlights and some have brown areas or bands. The apical margin of the metasomal terga vary from brown to very light brown. One female from Mamanguape (state of Paraíba) is larger than standard: approximately 9.6 mm (generally they are not larger than 7.0 mm.)

Comments – Schrottky (1902), probably misidentifying specimens of Halictidae , pointed that thorax and/ or abdomen of P. pandora may be dark purple. Metasoma of specimens from the state of Rio Grande do Norte had bluish lilac highlights, but none of the specimens examined during this study had either the thorax or the abdomen dark purple.

Distribution in Brazil: central and northern Brazil, north of São Paulo (states of Bahia, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, São Paulo, and Tocantins).

Activity period: every month of the year.

Holotype (female): “ Type H.T.”; “B.M. TYPE HYM. 14.A.1228”; “B.M. TYPE HYM. augochlora (sic) pandora Smith, 1853 ” “ Pandora Type. Sm.”; “ BRAZIL ”. Type depository: BMNH (examined).

Additional specimens examined: approximately 90 specimens were studied and their collecting localities are listed organized by Brazilian state: Bahia: Ilhéus, Oliveira, Santa Rita de Cássia; Espírito Santo: Baixo Guandu, Conceição da Barra, Guarapari; Goiás: Aragarças; Maranhão: São Luiz; Mato Grosso: Cáceres, Cuiabá; Mato Grosso do Sul: Dourados; Minas Gerais: Brasilândia de Minas, Januária, Jaíba, Januária (APA Cavernas de Peruaçu), Riacho dos Machados, São Gonçalo do Rio Preto, Uberlândia; Pará: Belém; Paraíba: Joazeirinho, Soledade (Joazeirinho), Santa Luzia (Serra do Brandão), Mamanguape (Reserva Biológica Guaribas); Pernambuco: Petrolina; Rio de Janeiro: Macaé (Lagomar – Restinga); Rio Grande do Norte: Serra Negra do Norte (Estação Ecológica Seridó); São Paulo; Tocantins: 110km N Dianópolis (46 17’W, 10 56’S).

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.

FIGURE 5. Integument of mesoscutum of female: (a) P. graminea (Fabricius 1804); (b) P. flammula Almeida, sp. n. Scale = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 6. Fronto­lateral view of head of female: (a) P. graminea (Fabricius 1804); (b) P. flammula Almeida, sp. n. a. s. = antennal socket; m. o. = median ocellus. Scale = 1.0 mm.