Plebeia (Plebeia) roubiki Engel, 2022

Engel, Michael S., 2022, New species of the stingless bee genus Plebeia (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of Melittology 2022 (114), pp. 1-28 : 9-11

Plebeia (Plebeia) roubiki Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BA4341FF-51AE-47C0-8F12-DF82CACB046A

( Figs. 11–15 )

DIAGNOSIS: This species is superficially similar to P. deceptrix (vide supra) but differs by the more extensive facial and mesosomal maculation ( Figs. 12, 13 ), the shorter malar space (at most 0.25× flagellar diameter), and the narrower clypeus (width 1.7–1.8× length).

DESCRIPTION: As described for P. deceptrix (vide supra), with the following modifications: ⚲: Total body length approximately 3.83–4.67 mm, forewing length (to base of humeral sclerite) 3.50–4.08 mm. Head wider than long, width 1.53–1.67 mm, length 1.20–1.40 mm; compound eye length 1.03–1.17 mm; upper interorbital distance 0.90– 0.97 mm, lower interorbital distance 0.77–0.87 mm. Scape length 0.53–0.57 mm. Malar area 0.25× flagellar diameter; clypeus broad, width 1.7–1.8× length. Preoccipital ridge carinate. Intertegular distance 0.93–1.03 mm. Hind wing with 5 distal hamuli.

Integument of head and mesosoma largely black to dark reddish brown; clypeus light yellow to yellow except sometimes with basolateral areas of light brown to brown bordering anterior tentorial pits and often light brown along apical margin; supraclypeal area light yellow to yellow; scape yellow to yellowish brown, sometimes with some brown on dorsal apical surface, pedicel brown, flagellomere I brown, sometimes a bit lighter ventrally, remainder of flagellum brown to dark brown; lower paraocular area largely light yellow to yellow except black to reddish brown bordering antennal toruli ventrally to anterior tentorial pit, yellow then tapering in width upward to a point slightly above upper tangent of concavity in ocular border, remainder of face black; vertex and upper gena black, lower half of gena and postgena yellowish brown to orange. Pronotum light yellowish brown to orange and pale yellow on pronotal lobe; propleura yellow; mesoscutum black with stripes of pale yellow along lateral borders; mesoscutellum yellowish brown to orange with pale yellow along apical margin, sometimes narrower or even faintly interrupted medioapically; metanotum black; pleura yellowish brown to orange except blending to brown to dark brown (nearly black in some individuals) ventrally; propodeum yellowish brown to orange laterally and posteriorly, basal area brown to light brown; legs largely yellow except blending toward light brown apically on metatibia and much of prolateral surface of metabasitarsus; wing membranes hyaline and faintly infumate, particularly apically, veins brown to light brown; metasoma yellow to orange.

Lower and upper face with minute punctures separated by 2–5× puncture width, integument between punctures smooth and shining; vertex with punctures somewhat larger, more irregular, and separated by about a puncture width, gena as on upper face except punctures slightly denser. Mesoscutum smooth, shining, with minute setiferous punctures separated by 1–3× a puncture width, punctures somewhat more spaced along anterior and posterior borders; punctures of mesoscutellum larger, shallower, and sparse, integument otherwise smooth and shining. Metasoma impunctate and shining, tergum I smooth, remaining terga smooth except faintly imbricate in apical marginal zones; sterna largely faintly and finely imbricate.

Setae and bristles of legs largely simple and yellow except tawny on retrolateral surface of metabasitarsus; penicillum, inferior parapenicillum, and rastellum yellow. Setae of metasomal terga rather sparse, tergum I glabrous, remaining terga largely glabrous with suberect, simple setae scatered on apical marginal zones, such setae more numerous on more distal terga.

♀: Latet.

♂: Latet.

HOLOTYPE: ⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 3-IV–4-V 1994 [3 April–4 May 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC).

PARATYPES (18⚲⚲): 1⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 4–14-III 1994 [3–14 March 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 14–24-III 1994 [14–24 March 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 24-III–3- VI 1994 [24 March–3 April 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 3-IV–4- V 1994 [3 April–4 May 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 2⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 13–23- VI 1994 [13–23 June 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 4⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 23-IV–3-VII 1994 [23 June–3 July 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 25VII–3VIII 1994 [25 July–3 August 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 3–16-VIII 1994 [3–16 August 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 2⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 27VIII–10XI 1994 [27 August–10 November 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 2⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 10–21-X 1994 [10–21 October 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W, 270 m, 1–31- XII 1994 [1–31 December 1994], Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲, Ecuador: Napo Prov., Puerto Misahualli , 350 m, II-1983, Sharkey ( SEMC) .

NON-TYPE MATERIAL: 2⚲⚲, Brasil: Rio Trairão , PA, 50 km NE Gradaús, SB-22, 51°49’W, 7°21’S, 21, 24-vii-79 [21, 24 July 1979], Mazucato ( SEMC) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet honors David W. Roubik, in recognition of his extensive work on bee ecology, conservation, and evolution, particularly that of Meliponini.

Figures

Figures 11–13. Holotype worker of Plebeia (Plebeia) roubiki, new species. 11. Lateral habitus. 12. Dorsal habitus. 13. Facial view.

Figures 14–15. Worker of Plebeia (Plebeia) roubiki, new species. 14. Detail of head and mesosomal dorsum. 15. Prolateral surfaces of metatibia and metatarsus.