Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) chondra Engel, 2021

Engel, Michael S., 2021, A key to the species of Nanoplebeia, with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of Melittology 2021 (106), pp. 1-14 : 12-13

Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) chondra Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3C232A2A-FD9D-4FB5-B06B-D5BED6921337

( Figs. 10 , 17 )

DIAGNOSIS: The new species is most similar to P. (N.) orphne but has the metabasitarsal superior distal angle acutely rounded and a slightly broader metatibia (refer to Key, infra).

DESCRIPTION: ⚲: As described for P. (N.) pleres (vide supra) except as follows: Total body length approximately 2.75 mm, forewing length (including tegula) 2.67 mm. Head wider than long, width 1.21 mm, length 1.01 mm; compound eye length 0.81 mm; upper interorbital distance 0.83 mm, lower interorbital distance 0.65 mm. Scape length 0.39 mm. Preoccipital ridge absent. Metabasitarsus apical margin concave, superior distal angle acutely rounded, extending to about 0.33× length of metatarsomere II.

Mandible yellow except base dark brown, blending to tawny in apical half, apex reddish brown; clypeus brown except black along epistomal sulcus, with broad mediolongitudinal band of yellow and apicolateral corners of mixed yellow to brown; supraclypeal area largely yellow except becoming brown apically at upper tangent of antennal toruli; scape largely yellow except light brown dorsally in apical half; pedicel and flagellum brown except light yellow brown on ventral surfaces of more apical flagellomeres and lighter brown ventrally on first flagellomere; lower paraocular area largely yellow except black mesially near antenna and clypeal base from anterior tentorial pit to torulus, yellowish marking broader at border at tangent of tentorial pits and below, then narrower than black area and extending along ocular margin until level of about compound eye midlength or about 1.3× torular diameters above upper margin of antennal torulus; gena black except slightly lighter near postgena; postgena dark brown. Pronotum dark brown except pronotal lobe yellow and with transverse paralateral patches of yellow on either side of midline on posterior dorsal collar bordering mesoscutum; propleura brown; mesoscutum black with thin stripes of pale yellow along lateral borders, extending nearly to axillae; axilla pale yellow; mesoscutellum dark brown, contrasting against black of mesoscutum, with yellow medially along rounded posterior margin, yellow maculation broadly separated from axillae by nearly length of axillae; legs light brown yellow except coxae and trochanters yellow, tarsi yellow except metabasitarsus light brown, retrolateral surface of metatibia yellow except mediolongitudinal brown patch, and yellow at tibial bases near articulation with femora; metasoma dark brown to brown except yellowish brown along apical margin and base of anterior-facing surface of tergum I and proximal sterna largely yellowish brown.

Integument typically smooth and shining between minute punctures except as noted; clypeus with coarser, shallow, nearly contiguous, setiferous punctures with a somewhat microgranulose appearance; supraclypeal area as on clypeus; lower face with minute, setiferous punctures separated by 1–3× a puncture width, such punctures becoming sparser and more indistinct on upper face except mesially punctures coarser, shallow, and separated by less than a puncture width; ocellocular space with punctures as on lateral part of upper face, i.e., minute, indistinct, and sparse; vertex and upper gena with coarse, shallow, nearly contiguous punctures; gena with minute, indistinct punctures separated by 1–3× a puncture width. Punctures of mesoscutellum much sparser and more indistinct throughout than on mesoscutum; basal area of propodeum faintly reticulate, shining, glabrous.

Clypeus with numerous, short, nearly decumbent, plumose setae, not obscuring integument and not intermixed with simple setae; lower face similar setation as on clypeus except somewhat denser, but not obscuring integument, such setae becoming sparser on upper face except mesially, before becoming more numerous again, albeit not as dense on lower face, on uppermost face bordering ocelli, ocellocular area, and compound eye, upper face also with sparse, erect, short, simple setae intermixed; vertex with erect simple setae more numerous and longer and plumose setae disappearing; gena with abundant minute, decumbent, plumose setae on anterior half toward compound eye, blending to simple setae in posterior half, plumose setae denser than simple setae, but not entirely obscuring integument, such setae becoming sparse by postgena; postgena with sparsely scatered, long, erect, simple setae. Penicillum, inferior parapenicillum, and rastellum more golden yellow; bristles of retrolateral surface of metabasitarsus golden.

♀: Latet.

♂: Latet.

HOLOTYPE: ⚲, Ecuador: Napo [today in Orellana Province], Yuturi Lodge, Rio Napo, 270 m, - 0°32’54’’S, 76°2’18’’W [0.5483, -76.0383], 20 March 1999, R. Brooks, ex: Xylariaceae (SEMC) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is taken from the Ancient Greek adjective khondrós [Χονδρός, meaning, “coarse”, feminine khondrā́ (Χονδρᾱ́)], and refers to the coarser punctures of the frons.

Figures

Figures 8–10. Faces of select species of Nanoplebeia Engel, workers. 8. Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) asthenes, new species. 9. P. (N.) pleres, new species. 10. P. (N.) chondra, new species.

Figures 15–17. Mesoscuta and mesoscutella of select species of Nanoplebeia Engel, workers. 15. Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) asthenes, new species. 16. P. (N.) pleres, new species. 17. P. (N.) chondra, new species.