Lasioglossum (Dialictus) puteulanum Gibbs

Gibbs, Jason, 2009, Integrative taxonomy identifies new (and old) species in the Lasioglossum (Dialictus) tegulare (Robertson) species group (Hymenoptera, Halictidae), Zootaxa 2032, pp. 1-38 : 25-28

Lasioglossum (Dialictus) puteulanum Gibbs , sp. n.

( Figures 10 A–D)

Diagnosis. Females of L. puteulanum are unique among these species in having the head and mesosoma distinctly blue, whereas other species are typically pale or golden green to at most faintly bluish-green. The head is on average slightly longer (often longer than wide) (ratio = 0.95: 1.10) and the clypeus protrudes giving the face a more triangular appearance than other species. In contrast, females of other species often have the head wider than long (ratio = 0.85: 1.0) with a much rounder appearance of the face.

The males of L. puteulanum can be recognized by the following combination of characters: head and mesosoma blue, ventral surface of flagellum pale, appressed hairs of face mostly limited to paraocular areas and only partially obscuring clypeus, and T2–T3 punctures uniformly dense on disc basal to the premarginal line. Males of L. ellisiae have the ventral surface of the flagellum dark to ferruginous and T2–T3 punctures dense on basal half but sparse approaching premarginal line. Males of L. lepidii have the ventral surface of the flagellum bright yellow and appressed hairs of the face dense, obscuring the majority of the clypeus and frons. The subappressed hairs of the face of L. tegulare are usually limited to the lower paraocular area but are more evenly distributed across the face in L. puteulanum .

Description. Female. Length: 5.2 (4.3–5.5) mm, fore wing length: 3.6 (2.9–3.6) mm, head length: 1.4 (1.2–1.4) mm, head width: 1.4 (1.2–1.4) mm, n=10

Colouration. Head and mesosoma dull metallic blue except the following: mandible base brown, apex red: clypeus brown brown-piceous below; lower paraocular area below piceous-brown; antennae brownpiceous, flagellum ventral surface paler, F8–F10 orange-yellow ventrally; mesoscutum pale blue; tegula piceous, central area ferruginous; legs brown-piceous, medio- and distitarsi ruddy brown; wing venation and pterostigma testaceous-brown; wings very faintly dusky; metasoma brown-piceous.

Pubescence. Head and mesosoma with sparse, erect, plumose hairs (1–1.5OD), longer on metanotum and ventral pleura (2OD); mid to lower paraocular area with appressed tomentum; posterolateral margin of pronotum and pronotal lobe with dense, appressed tomentum; dense scopa on hind femur; lateral surface of propodeum with long branched hairs (2OD); acarinarial appressed fan complete; terga with sparse, erect hairs (1–2OD), more abundant on ventrolaterally reflexed portions; T3–T5 ventrolaterally reflexed areas with few erect hairs (2.5–3OD); T2–T3 basolateral portions and T4 dorsal surface with sparse appressed, plumose hairs; sterna with long, posteriorly oriented hairs emerging from apical half of disc (2–3OD); S1–S4 hairs with long branches.

Surface sculpture. Clypeus glabrate below, upper margin imbricate, punctures moderately coarse below (i=1–2d), fine above (i=d); supraclypeal area imbricate, punctures fine, well spaced but not sparse (i=1–2d); lower paraocular imbricate, glabrate below, area punctures moderately coarse and deep (i<d); upper paraocular area and frons punctures fine and reticulate; gena lineolate with obscure punctures; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum tessellate; mesoscutum punctures fine, well spaced but not sparse in anteromedial and submedial areas (i=1–1.5d), dense on remainder of disc (i<d); mesoscutellum punctures fine and dense, sublateral region punctures sparser (i=1.5d); pre-episternum rugulose; mesepisternum scabriculous with moderately coarse and deep punctures, punctures finer and more obscure below (i<d), hypoepimeral area reticulate; tegula very finely and deeply punctate (i=1–2d), central area punctures less dense; metapostnotum submedial surface with incomplete anastomozing rugae, medial line complete, lateral striations more coarse and regular extending onto anterior half of lateral slope, posterior surface of lateral slope imbricate; posterior surface of propodeum terga imbricate-tessellate with sparse punctures (i=2d); metasoma faintly coriarious; terga with very fine, obscure punctures, more widely spaced on apical half of T1–T4 (i=1.5–2d); anteriorly directed surface of T1 and dorsolateral portions anterior to premarginal line impunctate.

Structure. Face as broad as long; eyes convergent below (UOD:LOD = 7.2:6.0); clypeus protruding much more than one half below lower ocular tangent; distance from antennal sockets to clypeus, less than length of clypeus; distance between antennal sockets half distance of socket to inner eye margin; frontal line carinate ending less than 2OD from median ocellus; OOC less than IOC (1.6:2.1); eye wider than gena from lateral view; hypostomal carinae parallel; mesoscutum length to width (7.7:9.0); ratio of lengths of mesoscutellum: metanotum: dorsal surface of propodeum (2.5:1.6:2.1); tegula elongate with posterior margin angled posteriomedially; hind tibial spur pectinate with 4 subapical teeth, smallest tooth often difficult to see; oblique propodeal carina weakly evident, not contiguous with lateral carina.

Male. Length: 4.0– 4.6 mm, forewing length: 2.9–3.1 mm, head width: 1.1–1.3 mm, head length: 1.1–1.3 mm, n=4

Colouration. Head and mesosoma deep metallic blue except metepisternum and propodeum with purplish tints; the following parts dark brown-piceous: labrum; mandible except apex red; lower clypeus; antenna except flagellomeres testaceous ventrally; tegula; legs except tarsi light brown; tegula; wing venation and pterostigma brown; wings subhyaline; metasoma brown.

Pubescence. Face with short, appressed hairs below level of eye emargination, dense only on lower paraocular area; head and mesosoma with sparse, erect hairs, longest on gena and metanotum (1–2OD); terga ventrolaterally oriented portions with sparse, erect hairs (1–1.5OD); T1–T4 with laterally oriented setae; sterna with erect hairs, densest on S4–S5.

Surface sculpture. Face weakly imbricate; clypeus punctation fine and deep (i<d); supraclypeal area punctation shallower (i=1–1.5d); paraocular area punctation coarser; frons reticulate; gena shining, imbricatelineolate with obscure punctures; mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesepisternum glabrate and shining, mesoscutum imbricate anteromedially; mesoscutum punctures moderately fine and deep, shallower anteromedially (i<d), submedially well spaced but not sparse (i=1d), close laterally (i<d) and anterolaterally (i<d); mesoscutellum well spaced on medial line (i=1.5d) with bare submedial area; pre-episternum rugulose; mesepisternal punctures moderately coarse and deep (i<d); dorsal surface of propodeum with rugae not reaching margin; posterior surface of propodeum shiny-imbricate with fine, sparse punctures (i=2–4d); terga smooth, very faintly coriarious; terga finely punctate (i=1.5–2d) except apically impressed areas impunctate; anteriorly directed surface of T1 largely impunctate.

Structure. Face longer than broad; eyes convergent below (UOD:LOD = 6.3:4.5); clypeus protruding slightly more than one half below lower ocular tangent; antennal sockets slightly nearer to each other than to inner eye margin; carina of frontal line ending more than 2OD from median ocellus; OOC slightly less than IOC (1.5:2.0); eye wider than gena from lateral view; hypostomal carinae parallel; pedicel subequal in length to F1; F2–F10 length 1.5 times breadth, F11 longer; ratio of lengths of mesoscutellum: metanotum: dorsal surface of propodeum (2:1:1.1:1.8); tegula enlarged, posterior margin strongly angled; propodeal carina not evident between dorsal and posterior surfaces; metasoma narrow relative to female. Terminalia . As in L. tegulare see Fig. 7 A–C.

Range. Coastal plain of North Carolina to Florida

Specimens examined. USA, FLORIDA, HOLOTYPE Ƥ, Palm Beach Co., N26.34889 W80.2756, 25.i.2005, (SW Droege) [Barcoded]; 1 Ƥ, collected with holotype [Barcoded]; 1 Ƥ, Miami, Westchester, 31.viii.2006, (JA Genaro) [Barcoded]; 1 Ƥ, Hendry Co., N26.3121 W81.2354, 27.i.2005, (SW Droege) [Barcoded]; 1 3, Broward Co., N26.30345 W80.20219, 25.i.2005, S.W. Droege [Barcoded]; 3 Ƥ & 2 3, Broward Co., N26.107 W80.264, 27.i.2005, (SW Droege) [Barcoded]; 13 Ƥ, Martin Co., N27.083 W80.1442, 4.vi.2007, (SW Droege); 8 Ƥ, Martin Co., N27.1008 W80.152, 4.vi.2007, (SW Droege); 2 3, Martin Co., N27.081 W80.1416, 4.vi.2007, (SW Droege); (PCYU); 1 Ƥ, Inverness, (C Robertson) (INHS); 3 3, Gainesville, 6.v.1955, (HE & MA Evans); 1 3, Brighton, 19.iv.1937, (JC Bradley); 1 3, Crescent City, 1–3.v.1955, (HE & MA Evans); 4 3, Wakulla Co., 2mi N of Mack’s Landing, Apalachicola Nat. For. 21.v.1981, (GC Eickwort et al.); 1 Ƥ, Wakulla Co., Ochlockones River S.P. 21.v.1981, (GC Eickwort et al.); 1 3 & 1 Ƥ, Collier Co., Seminole S.P. 25–26.v.1978, NF&JB Johnson; 1 Ƥ, Archbold Biol. Stat., Lk. Placid, Highlands Co., 2.iv.1984, (B Alexander); 3 3, Monroe Co., Key Largo (city), 22.iii.1987, (Eickwort & Spielholz); 1 Ƥ, Monroe Co., Key Largo, Pennekamp S.P., 22.iii.1987, (Eickwort & Spielholz); 1 3, Monroe Co., Big Pine Key, Key Deer NW Ref., 25.iii.1987, (Eickwort & Spielholz); 1 3 & 4 Ƥ, Broward Co., Broward Beach S.P., Fort Lauderdale, 9.xii.1985, (GC Eickwort); 15 Ƥ, Broward Co., Hallandale Beach, 10.xii.1985, (GC Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Leon Co., Tall Timbers Res. Stat. 3mi W Iamonia, 30.iii.1986, (B Alexander); 1 Ƥ, Dade Co., Matherson Hammock Co. Pk. 20–21.iii.1987, (Eickwort & Spielholz) (CUIC); 3 3 & 1 Ƥ, Highlands Co., Hghlds., Hammock S.P., 14.iv.1964, (GC Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Liberty Co., Torreya S.P., 6.iv.1964, (GC Eickwort); 2 Ƥ, Franklin Co., coast 10mi S of Panacea, 7.iv.1964, (GC Eickwort); 7 Ƥ, Broward Co., Hollywood, 13.xii.1985, (CD Michener); 1 3, Collins, Seminole S.P., 13.iv.1986, (GC Eickwort) (SEMC); GEORGIA, 1 3, Bainbridge, vii.1909; 2 Ƥ, Coquitt Co., Reed Bingham S.P., 22.v.1981, (GC Eickwort et al.); 1 Ƥ, Colquitt Co., Reed Bingham S.P., 23.v.1981, (GC Eickwort et al.); 1 Ƥ, Colquitt Co., Murphy, 5.iv.1981, (LL Pechuman) (CUIC); SOUTH CAROLINA, 1 Ƥ, C. Sandhills NWR, N34.547 W80.177, 6–7.ix.2005, (SW Droege) [Barcoded]; 1 3, C. Sandhills NWR, N34.56 W80.256, 6.ix.2006, (SW Droege); 2 Ƥ, Chesterfield Co., N34.623 W80.19, 18–19.v.2006, (SW Droege); 1 Ƥ, Chesterfield Co., N34.637 W80.176, (SW Droege) [Barcoded] (PCYU); NORTH CAROLINA, 1 Ƥ, Moore Co., N35.284 W79.314, 19.v.2006, (SW Droege) [Barcoded] (PCYU); 1 3, Raleigh, 16.vii.1948, (MW Wing); 1 3, Wake Co., 10.vii.1949, (MW Wing) (CUIC); 1 3, TENNESSEE, 4.vi.1918 (CUIC).

Type depository. PCYU

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the blue colouration of the head and mesosoma.

Comments. This species may be extremely difficult to differentiate from L. tegulare in areas where their ranges overlap. The blue colouration characteristic of this species should be sufficient to identify most individuals; however, colouration is sometimes variable in Dialictus and can be affected by preservation methods. Species identification of questionable specimens is possible using DNA barcodes.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Lasioglossum tegulare terminal structures of male. Diagram of genitalia with ventral and dorsal sides pictured on left and right, respectively (above), diagram of S 7 (middle) and diagram of S 8 (below).

FIGURE 10. Lasioglossum puteulanum A) face of female holotype; B) lateral habitus of female holotype; C) face of male; D) lateral habitus of male.