Augochlora (Oxystoglossella) meloi, Lepeco & Gonçalves, 2023

Lepeco, Anderson & Gonçalves, Rodrigo Barbosa, 2023, A review of Augochlora (Oxystoglossella) bees from South America: unexpected Amazonian diversity and assessment of vulnerable species, Journal of Natural History (Oxford, England) 57 (9 - 12), pp. 608-664 : 635-637

Augochlora (Oxystoglossella) meloi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7A72C117-2E83-4106-8814-F2A25A3D6A41

( Figures 7A–C , 13A )

Diagnosis

Females of this species have the basal elevation of the labrum orbicular and the portion of mesepisternum anterior to mesepisternal groove punctate ( A. aurinasis subgroup). The species is similar to A. rightmyerae by the apical dark band of clypeus more than 2 OD long, disc sometimes almost entirely darkened and clypeus and supraclypeal area with purple reflections. Augochlora meloi sp. nov. can be differentiated from A. rightmyerae by the purplish reflections on mesoscutum and scutellum, metapostnotum not carinate and apex of setae on sublateral surfaces of T3 surpassing apex of sclerite. Males are not known.

Description

Female. Measurements. Distance between eye notches: 1.3; head length: 1.8; clypeus width: 0.5; clypeus length: 0.4; clypeoantennal distance: 0.3; clypeus ocellar distance: 1; intertegular distance: 1.1; T1 width: 1.5; T2 width: 2; body length: 7. Head. Labrum basal surface dark brown; basal elevation well defined, orbicular. Mandible mostly dark brown, medially brown; distance between base and apical tooth about 4× mandibular basal width. Clypeus disc mostly green with golden reflection, apical dark band as long as 2 OD; with shallow punctures (I <PD); lateral teeth prominent. Supraclypeal area golden with purple reflection; upper portion contiguously punctate, becoming sparser (I <PD) near epistomal suture. Lower paraocular area green with golden reflection; contiguously punctate near antennal socket; sparse setae with about 2 OD, tomentose setae in between. Frons green with golden reflection; crowded punctures medially. Preoccipital carina as thick as 0.3 OD laterally. Gena green with golden reflection. Post-gena mostly punctate, with weak striations, becoming microreticulate near hypostomal carina; with sparse setae <3 OD. Hypostomal carina very low, <0.3 OD, anteriorly with a slight rounded prominence. Mesosoma. Dorsolateral angle of pronotum obtuse in dorsal view. Fore leg coxa to femur black, tibia and tarsus light brown. Mesoscutum disc entirely purple, edges green with golden reflections; anterior portion contiguously punctate, becoming sparser (I = 0.5 PD) on disc, smooth among punctures. Scutellum green with golden and copper reflections; sublateral surfaces with I <PD, smooth among punctures. Mesepisternum green with golden reflection; contiguously punctate anterior to mesepisternal groove, the remainder of lateral surface with I <PD, smooth among punctures, with well-defined punctures at mid height right after mesepisternal groove. Mid leg coxa to femur black, tibia and tarsus brown. Metanotum green with golden reflection. Metepisternum green with golden reflection; with I <PD. Hind leg coxa to femur black, tibia and tarsus brown. Metapostnotum as long as two-thirds of scutellum length; mostly with radiating carinae, medially smooth, poorly covered by carinae. Propodeum green with golden reflection; densely to contiguously punctate near metepisternum; posterior surface about 1.5× as high as width between lateral carinae. Metasoma. T1 mostly green with golden reflection, dorsally dull, apical dark band with 1.5 OD; weakly punctate on disc, lateral surfaces with tiny punctures (I <2 PD); anterior surface with dense tomentose setae among long setae. T2–4 mostly green with golden reflections; with weak and dense punctation. T5 black. S1 without median elevation. S1–6 black, becoming lighter apically; S4 and S5 with long setae (> 3 OD) on posterior half.

Distribution

Brazil (Amazonas).

Type material

Holotype female, DZUP ′ DZUP \568754̍ ′ Brasil , Amazonas ,\ Rio Negro , Camanaus \0° 081 S, 66° 56̍ W,\ 28.vi.1999, GAR Melo ̍. Paratypes. Female, RPSP, ′ Camanaus , rio Negro, AM \ BRASIL 28–29.VI.1999\ 66°56 ʹ W, 00°08 ʹ S \ Camargo, Pedro, Mazucato ̍, one female, RPSP, ′F. do R. Daraá R. Negro \AM. Brasil-2,4- VIII-1980 \SA-20,64°47 ʹ W, 0°25 ʹ S\ Camargo, Mazucato leg̍, one female, RPSP, ′ Tapurucuara – Mirim , rio\ Negro, AM 01–04.VII.1999 \ Brasil 66°24 ʹ W, 00°25 ʹ S \ Camargo, pedro, Mazucato ̍.

Etymology

The species is named in honour of Dr Gabriel A.R. Melo, who has provided much useful information during our study of Augochlora bees, in addition to being the collector of the holotype female of A. meloi sp. nov.

Figures

Figure 7. The holotype female of Augochlora meloi sp. nov.: (A) frontal view of head; (B) dorsal view of mesosoma; (C) dorsal view of metasoma. Scale bar: 1.0 mm, all at same scale.

Figure 13. Map of distribution records for Oxystoglossella of the A. aurinasis and A. modica species groups: (A) A. almeidai, A. aurinasis and A. meloi sp. nov.; (B) A. eucnemis, A. lamellata sp. nov., A. mineira sp. nov. and A. rightmyerae; (C) A. mendax and A. modica; (D) A. simplex sp. nov. and A. tenax.