Mexalictus (Georgealictus) nicaraguense 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 : 68-70

Mexalictus (Georgealictus) nicaraguense Dumesh , new species

( Figs. 174–175 )

Holotype. Female. NICARAGUA, 5km E Jinotega, vii-89, F. Reinboldt [ CUIC].

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from others by the following combination: mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, and metanotum shiny (all other species of this subgenus have these areas strongly imbricate, similar to rest of body sculpture), metallic reflections present on head and mesosoma, hypoepimeral area shiny and impunctate, and S6 with lateral gradulus.

Description. Female (Holotype): Body length 9.8mm, wing length 7.4mm, head width 2.2mm, ITW 1.70mm. Head: round, L:W = 0.97:1. (1) Labrum and mandible: with subrectangular basal area, flattened basal elevation, narrow triangular distal process; mandible basally black, becoming brownish-red in apical 1/4. (2) Clypeus: brassy in basal 2/3, becoming shiny brown apically; length>4/5 length of supraclypeal area, 2/3 of length below lower ocular tangent, weakly convex in lateral view; punctures dense basolaterally, separated by <1pd, medially larger and sparser, separated by ~2pd, punctures becoming larger and coarser apically (>2pd). (3) Supraclypeal area: dull, convex, more protuberant than clypeus, length subequal to apical width; punctation dense apicolaterally, separated by <1pd at extreme corners, sparser medially and basally, separated by 2–3pd. (4) Lower paraocular area: mostly dull becoming shiny along inner margin of compound eye and towards paraocular lobe; punctation less crowded below antennae, especially towards supraclypeal area (2pd), very finely punctate above and lateral to paraocular lobe towards inner margin of compound eyes, punctures separated by 1–2pd. (5) Frontal area: punctures dense and crowded, separated by 0.25pd at most; frontal line carinate between antennae, from basal third of supraclypeal area to 2MOD anterior to median ocellus, with a visible line reaching median ocellus. (6) Vertexal area: shiny, with minute imbrication; OOD = 1.8MOD, IOD = 1.6MOD, OVD = 1.3MOD; punctures dense and crowded, separated by 0.25pd at most, coarse and crowded medially. (7) Genal and hypostomal areas: genal area narrower than compound eye in lateral view, shiny and imbricate, with punctures of two sizes, larger punctures separated by 1– 3pd, smaller punctures fine and scattered; hypostomal area shiny and imbricate, nearly impunctate, few punctures separated by>6pd. (8) Antenna: scape reaching past median ocellus, pedicel slightly longer than wide, F2 shorter than F1, flagellomeres slightly increasing in length apically, F2–F5 wider than long, F6–F9 quadrate, F10 longer than wide. Mesosoma: (9) Pronotum: smooth, impunctate, slightly shiny laterally, dorsally dull, mostly bare; pronotal lobe pubescent, bearing pale branched hairs. (10) Mesoscutum: dark brown, shiny and weakly imbricate, imbrication stronger anteriorly and along median line; pubescence pale; punctures of two sizes, larger punctures separated by 2–5pd, smaller punctures denser, separated by ~1pd on disc becoming sparser anteriorly (2–3pd). (11) Mesoscutellum: entirely shiny, without medial line, posterior 1/3 imbricate; punctures fine and dense on anterior 1/ 5, posterior 1/3, and medially (longitudinally) (1pd), otherwise punctures separated by 2–3pd. (12) Metanotum: shiny with minute punctures, separated by>2pd; pubescence dense basally and laterally. (13) Mesopleuron: dull becoming slightly shiny below, evenly punctate, punctures somewhat obscured by imbrication, separated by 2– 4pd, pre-episternum shiny with coarser and sparser punctures (4–6pd); hypoepimeral area and central episternum shiny with very fine and sparse (>5pd) punctures on upper 1/3. (14) Metapleuron: transversely striate on basal 1/2, otherwise weakly imbricate, punctures fine, separated by 1–2pd. (15) Metapostnotum and propodeum: metapostnotum dorsally bare, strongly imbricate, subequal to length of mesoscutellum, striation similar throughout, extending to apical 2/5. (16) Wings: marginal cell tinted dark brown, venation brown on marginal and basal veins; 1 st recurrent vein meeting 1–2 vein widths basad of 2 nd transcubital vein. (17) Tegula: brown, anteriorly darker and dull becoming shiny posteriorly, anterior 1/3 with long pubescence and deep punctures (1–2pd), punctures finer and sparser posteriorly (>4pd). (18) Foreleg: tarsi with hairs pale whitish, basitarsus parallel sided, about 4X as long as width, hairs dark and 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 erect hairs on inner surface, becoming longer apically, apical most ones as long as tibial spur, hairs pale brown on outer surface; femur about 3X as long as greatest width, with sparse thin hairs ventrally, interior surface nearly bare; trochanter slender, about 2X as long as distal width, with hairs dark and erect; coxa subtriangular, slightly depressed laterally, with branched pale brown hairs. (19) Middle leg: as foreleg, except as follows: basitarsus without lateral patch of short hairs distally; tibia with apicoventral patch of dark, long and dense pubescence on apical 2/3; femur with a lateral patch of dense short dark brown 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-black, long and erect; femur 4X as long as greatest width, scopa well developed, with long dark branching hairs, somewhat sparser ventrally; trochanter and coxa with long, branching, dark brown pubescence; trochanter much shorter, nearly as long as wide; coxa similar to that of foreleg; tibial spurs translucent yellow, apically darkened; inner hind tibial spur microserrate, with over 15 short, close teeth; outer hind tibial spur weakly curved at apical 1/3. Metasoma: (21) Terga: T1 shiny brown with a medial yellow band apical margin hyaline, minutely punctate; T2–T5 dull and brown without metallic reflections; pubescence pale, long and branched on basal and lateral T1, short on T2–T4, dark on disc with short fascia of pale whitish plumose hairs along apical margin; pubescence long and dark on T5, sparse long hairs about 3X as long as short erect hairs. (22) Sterna: S1 with white long pubescence basally, S2–S5 with hairs long and black, shorter pale hairs along apical margin, S6 with few short, plumose black hairs on apex, otherwise bare, with fine and dense punctures on apical and lateral gradulus.

Male: unknown.

Material examined. NICARAGUA, 5km E Jinotega, vii-89, F. Reinboldt (holotype female [ CUIC]). This specimen has another label “ Mass coll. Nicaragua and another determination label by GC Eickwort as “n.s. nr. Neocorynura .

Etymology. This species is named after the type locality, as it is the only species currently known from the country of Nicaragua.

Figures

FIGURES 174–175. Mexalictus nicaraguense Dumesh, n. sp., 174. Female lateral habitus, 175. Female head. Scale bars = 1mm.