Augochlora (Augochlora) nausicaa ( Schrottky, 1909 )

Lepeco, Anderson & Gonçalves, Rodrigo Barbosa, 2020, A revision of the bee genus Augochlora Smith (Hymenoptera; Apoidea) in Southern South America, Zootaxa 4897 (1), pp. 1-97 : 62-63

Augochlora (Augochlora) nausicaa ( Schrottky, 1909)

( Figures 1D, I ; 3F ; 32 A–D; 33A–D; 51F)

Odontochlora nausicaa Schrottky, 1909: 144 , syntypes, ♀ (whereabouts unknown) from Argentina, Buenos Aires.

Halictus plutax Vachal, 1911: 22 , holotype, ♀ (MNHP) from Brazil. Examined. New synonym.

Diagnosis. A. nausicaa females have the metapostnotum apex rugulose, without carinae; mandible distal part of adductor ridge strongly swollen (as in Fig. 1B ); and mid femur not flattened, about 4x longer than maximum width. Males can be diagnosed by the sublateral surface of T2 marginal area with a punctate portion shorter than apical dark band and the mesoscutum densely punctate on disc (I <PD), smooth in between, usually without copper reflections. In addition, the labrum, flagellum ventral surface, tibiae and tarsi are black in the males. Dalmazzo & Roig-Alsina (2011) also pointed out the F1 of males, which is dark and can be used to distinguish this species from A. phoemonoe .

Comments. Although the type locality is not specific ( Brazil), the holotype of Halictus plutax corresponds to a typical A. nausicaa as delimited by Dalmazzo & Roig-Alsina (2011) and by us, and no other species with the diagnostic characteristics of this species occurs in Brazil. For species description and comments see Dalmazzo & Roig-Alsina (2011). Interactions with flowers of the orchid Cyclopogon elatus were studied by Benitez-Vieyra et al. (2006) in central Argentina.

Distribution. This species is found in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and S„o Paulo. There are also records in the Argentinian provinces of Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Entre Rios, Misiones, Salta, and Tucumán and in Paraguay.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–C) Female mandible, anterior view. A) Augochlora aurinasis (Vachal); B) Augochlora daphnis Smith; C) Augochlora genalis sp. nov. Scale bar: 0.2 mm. D–G) Female mid trochanter, anterior view. D) Augochlora nausicaa (Schrottky); E) Augochlora francisca (Schrottky); F) Augochlora phoemonoe (Schrottky); G) Augochlora mulleri Cockerell. H–L) Female metasoma, anterior portion (T1 and S1), lateral view. H) Augochlora thusnelda (Schrottky); I) Augochlora nausicaa (Schrottky); J) Augochlora braziliensis (Vachal); K) Augochlora francisca Schrottky; L) Augochlora phoemonoe (Schrottky). D–L not in scale.

FIGURE 3. A–C) Female pronotum, dorsal view. A) Augochlora phoemonoe (Schrottky); B) Augochlora australis sp. nov.; C) Augochlora genalis sp. nov. D–E) Male T1, dorsal view. D) Augochlora morrae Strand; E) Augochlora caerulior Cockerell. F–G) Female T2, dorsal view. F) Augochlora nausicaa (Schrottky); G) Augochlora mulleri Cockerell. A–C and F–G at same scale. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 32. Female of Augochlora nausicaa (Schrottky). A) habitus, B) frontal view of head, C) dorsal view of mesosoma, D) dorsal view of metasoma. Scale bar: 1.0 mm, all at same scale.