Mexalictus (Mexalictus) hondurensis Dumesh, 2013

DUMESH, SHEILA, 2013, <p> <strong> Revision of the rare Mesoamerican bee genus <em> Mexalictus </ em> (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) with the description of </ strong> <br /> <strong> 21 new species </ strong> </ p>, Zootaxa 3708 (1), pp. 1-80 : 36-37

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3708.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:186A7DC0-600D-49AC-AC17-F081BBB57863

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/332B87CE-2810-9666-FF43-A4E3FDAAFCBD

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Mexalictus (Mexalictus) hondurensis Dumesh
status

sp. nov.

Mexalictus (Mexalictus) hondurensis Dumesh , new species

( Figs. 120–121 View FIGURES 120–121 )

Holotype. Female. HONDURAS, Departmento Francisco , Morazán Monte Uyuca ca. Zamorano, 1800m, 1-VIII- 92, Cloudforest, C. Porter, L. Stange [ FSCA].

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from others by the following combination: head and mesosoma metallic blue-green, sculpture on head and mesosoma strongly granular; clypeal punctation uniform in size and spacing; basal striation of metapostnotum strong and deep; hair white on all trochantera and femora, but legs otherwise dark pubescent. This species is similar to M. hansoni , M. guatemalensis , and M. mandibularis , but can be differentiated bythe strong and even striation on the dorsal metapostnotum (weak, wrinkled medially).

Description. Female (Holotype): Body length 7.7–7.8mm, forewing length 6.4–6.5mm, head width 1.85– 1.87mm, ITW 1.30mm. Head and mesosoma metallic green; pubescence pale whitish. Head: round, L:W = 1.02:1. (1) Labrum and mandible: labrum dark brown, with a subrectangular basal area raised medioapically with lateral areas shiny and flattened, narrow triangular distal process; basal area of mandible dark brown, mandible red apically. (2) Clypeus: shiny, nearly entire apical half black; length 0.85X length of supraclypeal area, 3/4 length below lower ocular tangent, weakly convex in lateral view, less protuberant than supraclypeal area; punctures separated by 1–2pd basally, slightly denser along basal margin, punctures larger apically, separated by ~2pd. (3) Supraclypeal area: convex, slightly protuberant, greatest width nearly equal to length from upper clypeal margin to mid-level of antennal sockets; punctation even throughout, punctures separated by 1–2pd, dulled area between antennal sockets more evident. (4) Lower paraocular area: shiny along inner margin of compound eye, otherwise dull towards; punctures separated by 1–2pd, becoming slightly sparser laterad to supraclypeal area (2–3pd), punctures fine and well separated towards paraocular lobe; paraocular lobe very sparsely and extremely finely punctate. (5) Frontal area: frontal line carinate between antennae from 1MOD below lower margin of antennal socket to shiny impunctate triangle anterior to medial ocellus; area directly above antenna shiny and impunctate, punctation coarse and crowded above. (6) Vertexal area: shiny, with weak transverse depression, interocellar area raised and roughly sculptured; IOD = 1.6MOD, OOD = 1.5MOD, OVD = 1.0MOD; larger punctures deep and separated by 2–3pd, smaller punctures fine more dense (1–2pd). (7) Genal and hypostomal areas: genal area subequal to compound eye in lateral view, dull with fine punctures separated by>2pd, hypostomal area strongly dull and nearly impunctate. (8) Antenna: scape reaching posterior median ocellus, pedicel slightly longer than wide, F2 shorter than F3, both wider than long and shorter than F1, flagellomeres slightly increasing in length distally, F10 longer than wide. Mesosoma: (9) Pronotum: smooth, impunctate, more shiny dorsally; pronotal lobe pubescent, bearing pale branched hairs. (10) Mesoscutum: entirely dull; punctures sparse anteriorly, separated by>4pd, becoming closer on central disc (2–3pd) and laterally (1–2pd). (11) Mesoscutellum: shiny becoming slightly dulled apically and laterally, with an depressed midline; punctures more sparse than mesoscutum, small punctures finer and separated by 2–3pd becoming sparse in central disc, with few sparse large punctures in central disc, separated by 3–4pd. (12) Metanotum: dull, with sparse punctures separated by>3pd. (13) Mesopleuron: dull to weakly granular, punctures separated by 1–2pd, becoming sparse below (>4pd); pre-episternum with a few deep coarse punctures above, directly below pronotal lobe, punctures similar to mesopleuron anteriorly; hypoepimeral area and central episternum very finely and sparsely punctate (2–3pd). (14) Metapleuron: basal transverse striation faint; becoming slightly shiny below, with extremely fine punctures. (15) Metapostnotum and propodeum: metapostnotum basally shiny, posteriorly imbricate, striation present basally, strong laterally, extending to apical 2/ 3; propodeum somewhat shiny, smooth and impunctate posteriorly, posteriorly rounded, dorsally bare, with sparse long branched hairs posteriorly. (16) Wings: clear, veins and stigma brown, membrane slightly infuscate; first recurrent vein meeting second transcubital vein; second submarginal cell with anterior margin 2/3 length of posterior margin. (17) Tegula: strongly dull anteriorly, slightly shiny in central disc posteriorly; punctures fine and separated by 2–3pd anteriorly becoming deeper posteriorly, separated by 4–5pd; with few long branched hairs laterad. (18) Foreleg: tarsi with hairs pale golden, basitarsus parallel sided, about 4X as long as width, hairs thick, erect and spine-like with a lateral patch of short golden erect hairs distally; tibia distally broadened, about 2.5X as long as greatest width, with dark brown-black erect hairs, longest ventrally; femur about 3X as long as greatest width, with branched dark sparse hairs ventrally, nearly bare dorsally; trochanter slender, about 2X as long as distal width, with hairs erect; coxa slightly depressed laterally with fine hairs. (19) Middle leg: as foreleg, except as follows: basitarsus without lateral patch of short hairs distally; tibia with lateral patch of dark, long and dense pubescence on apical 2/3; femur with a lateral patch of dense short golden hairs proximally, and a patch of black long hairs near proximal margin; trochanter distally broadened, length 1.5X width; coxa somewhat hidden within ventral pleuron. (20) Hind leg: as middle leg, except as follows: basitarsus 3.5X as long as greatest width with several branched hairs, pubescence less dense than on tibia; tibia slender, 4X as long as greatest width, densely pubescent, hairs brown, long and erect; femur 4X as long as greatest width, without lateral patch of hairs, scopa well developed, with long pale whitish branching hairs, somewhat sparse; trochanter and coxa with long, branching, white pubescence; trochanter much shorter, nearly as long as wide; coxa similar to that of foreleg; tibial spurs dark brown; hind tibial spur microserrate, with over 15 short, close teeth. Metasoma: (21) Terga: basally dull and apically shiny, with a dulled horizontal medial area, nearly uniform in colour, metallic reflections absent; T1– T4 with lateral raised areas; punctures separated by 2–4pd basally, becoming fine, shallow and more sparse in apical impressed area (>5pd); T1 entirely shiny and polished; T2–T5 with apical regions shiny and polished, basal regions slightly dulled and rough in appearance; pubescence pale on T1–T3 with short and thin hairs sparsely distributed throughout tergum and few dark hairs scattered laterally, pubescence dark and long on T4–T5, more dense than on T1–T3. (22) Sterna: ventral hairs long, plumose and pale on S1–S3, S4–S6 with hairs dark brown becoming pale in basal half.

Male: unknown.

Material examined. HONDURAS, Dto. Fco. (Departmento Francisco) Morazán Monte Uyuca ca. Zamorano 1800m, 1-VIII-92, Cloudforest, C. Porter, L. Stange (holotype female [ FSCA]) .

Etymology. This species is named after its type locality, Honduras. It is the only species of Mexalictus currently known from this country.

FSCA

Florida State Collection of Arthropods, The Museum of Entomology

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Halictidae

Genus

Mexalictus

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