Arhysosage melanothricha Moure, 1999

Ramos, Kelli S., 2013, The bee genus Arhysosage Brèthes (Apidae: Andreninae: Calliopsini): new species, taxonomic notes and new distribution records from Brazil, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 47 (43 - 44), pp. 2735-2747 : 2745-2746

Arhysosage melanothricha Moure, 1999

( Figure 6A–F )

Arhysosage melanothricha Moure, 1999: 245 . Holotype male, Argentina: Salta, Cachi (DZUP, examined).

Diagnosis and comments

Morphological examination of the holotype of A. cactorum ( Figure 4B, D–F ) and A. melanothricha ( Figures 6A–F ) supports the status of A. melanothricha as a valid species, as initially proposed by Moure (1999) and subsequently by Moure et al. (2007). In the description of A. melanothricha , the legends of figures are switched. The correct association of Moure’s (1999) figures is: fig. 1 illustrates A. melanothricha , whereas fig. 2 illustrates A. cactorum .

Arhysosage melanothricha is known from a single male holotype. As described by Moure (1999), A. melanothricha can be readily distinguished by its long dark pilosity on the head and mesoscutum, which contrasts with the yellow body ( Figure 6A–C ). Arhysosage melanothricha is morphologically similar to A. atronulata , A. bifasciata and A. ochracea due to the presence of yellow bands on the metasomal terga ( Figure 6E ), and the distal margin of male clypeus is slightly convex between the lateral corners ( Figure 1A ). In Engel’s key ( Engel 2000), this species runs to couplet 6 with A. ochraceae and A. bifasciata due to the following: presence of a predominantly yellow face, with black marks restricted to facial foveae ( Figure 6A ), yellow scape, clypeus with coarse and rounded punctures, clypeus with dense pubescence at apicolateral margins, and pygidial plate apex weakly emarginate ( Figure 6F ). However, in couplet 4 of the same key, the correct sentence would be “dense pubescence at apicolateral margins of clypeus and clypeus with coarse round punctures”.

Type material examined

Holotype male ( DZUP), “ SALTA, CACHI \ Argentina 16.1.1994 \leg. C. Schlindwein \\ 8359 H:328\F:65 11- 1230 ” “HOLOPTYPUS\ Arhysosage \

melanothricha\ Pe J. S. Moure 1994” (printed red label). The pinned specimen is in good condition, and lacks the right antennae.

Figures

Figure 1. Arhysosage biguttulata sp. nov. (A) Female holotype, head in frontal view; (B) male paratype, head in frontal view; (C) female holotype, lateral habitus; (D) male paratype, lateral habitus; (E) female, mesosoma in dorsal view; (F) male, mesosoma in dorsal view; (G) male hind tibia, basitibial plate in detail; (H) female metasoma, pygidial plate in detail. Scale bar 0.5 mm.

Figure 4. Arhysosage cactorum Moure. (A) Female, head in frontal view; (B) holotype male, head in frontal view; (C) female, lateral habitus; (D) male holotype, lateral habitus; (E) male holotype, dorsal view; (F) male holotype, mesosoma in dorsal view. Scale bar 1 mm.

Figure 6. Arhysosage melanothricha Moure, male holotype. (A) Head in frontal view; (B) lateral habitus; (C) mesosoma in dorsal view; (D) hind tibia, detail of basitibial plate; (E) metasoma in dorsal view; (F) pygidial plate. Scale bar 1 mm.