Augochlora (Augochlora) jugalis (Vachal, 1911)

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 : 53-55

Augochlora (Augochlora) jugalis (Vachal, 1911)

( Figure 27 A–D)

Halictus jugalis Vachal, 1911: 262 , lectotype, ♀ (MNHP) from Argentina, Tucuman. Subsequent designation by Moure & Hurd (1987: 262). Examined through photographs.

Diagnosis. Augochlora jugalis has an inflexed T1 apex, a tuberculate elevation on S1, and the marginal area with a punctate portion as long as apical black band on sublateral surfaces. It can be distinguished from similar species by the mesofemoral brush with dark setae and the body color pattern, head green with golden reflections, mesosoma mostly blue with dark areas and metasomal terga discs darkened. This color pattern resembles Augochlora foxiana and A. perimelas , but these species have coarser punctures on the body and the propodeum lateral carinae ending above the propodeum half.

Comments. Two females were found in Tucumán, Argentina, largely congruent with the description of H. jugalis , whose type series is from the same locality. A photograph of the type series was also examined agreeing with our species circumscription .

Redescription. ♀. Measurements. Maximum interocular distance: 1.67–1.77 (x‾ = 1.72, n = 2); head length: 2.40–2.40 (x‾ = 2.40, n = 2); clypeus width: 0.70–0.72 (x‾ = 0.71, n = 2); clypeus length: 0.56–0.58 (x‾ = 0.57, n = 2); clypeoantennal distance: 0.42–0.46 (x‾ = 0.44, n = 2); clypeus ocellar distance: 1.38–1.40 (x‾ = 1.39, n = 2); inter-tegular distance: 1.64–1.95 (x‾ = 1.80, n = 2); T1 width: 2.44–2.52 (x‾ = 2.48, n = 2); T2 width: 2.60–2.80 (x‾ = 2.70, n = 2); body length: 9.00–9.00 (x‾ = 9.00, n = 2).

Head. Labrum basal surface black; basal elevation transverse. Mandible mostly black, subapical region brown; medial portion not strongly constricted, minimum width between 0.7x and 0.9x basal width; preapical tooth large and sharp, produced near mandible apex; distal part of adductor ridge weakly swollen. Clypeus mostly golden with copper reflection, apical black band <OD; punctate, punctures large and weak, mostly smooth in between, imbricate on basal margin; apex not prolonged over apical border. Epistomal angle acute, strongly protruding over clypeus. Supraclypeal area golden with copper reflection; sparsely punctate, imbricate in between. Lower paraocular area with golden reflection; contiguously punctate; long setae (1–2 OD) intermixed with tiny setae. Antennae: mostly black, flagellum ventrally brown. Frons with golden reflection; contiguously punctate; not protuberant above antennal sockets. Preoccipital area strongly lamellate, lamella expanded near post gena. Gena darkened near preoccipital ridge. Post gena mostly darkened with green reflection; microreticulate, some scattered weak punctures; setae length <3 OD. Hypostomal carina not projected anteriorly.

Mesosoma. Pronotum dorsolateral angle orthogonal. Fore leg: coxa dark brown; trochanter dark brown; femur dark brown; ventral surface strongly rounded; long plumose setae (<3 OD); tibia and tarsus dark brown; brownish to dark setae on both. Mesoscutum mostly dark, lateral margins green; mostly contiguously punctate, sparser posterior to median line, microreticulate in between, anterior border punctate, microreticulate in between; setae length = OD. Scutellum medial furrow inconspicuous; black; densely punctate, I <PD; with dense tiny setae intermixed with longer dark setae (3 OD). Mesepisternum black; preepisternum crowded punctate near pronotal lobe; hypoepimeral area contiguously to crowded punctate; below scrobe punctate, I <0.5 PD, imbricate in between, ventrally crowded punctate; with long setae (2 OD). Mid leg: coxa dark brown; trochanter dark brown; ventral margin not swollen, almost straight; femur dark brown, flattened, mesofemoral brush dark; tibia and tarsus dark brown; brownish to dark setae on both. Tegula brown with anterior green spot. Metanotum with dense tiny setae intermixed with longer dark setae (= 3 OD). Metepisternum black with blue iridescence; contiguously to crowded punctate, rugose above superior metapleural pit. Hind leg: coxa dark brown, anterior and posterior surfaces ventrally separated by a smoothly curved area; trochanter dark brown; setae length = 3 OD; femur dark brown; tibia and tarsus dark brown; outer surfaces without dark setae. Metapostnotum black with blue iridescence; shorter than scutellum; entirely filled with radiating carinae. Propodeum black; with tiny and long (3 OD) setae intermixed; posterior surface rugose; lateral carinae ending below propodeum half; lateral surfaces imbricate among punctures.

Metasoma. T1 anterior surface punctate, smooth in between; mostly golden, base darkened; with dense coverage of tiny decumbent setae among long setae. T1 dorsal surface sparsely punctate on disc, I> 2 PD, smooth in between, coarser and denser punctation on lateral surfaces; mostly black, lateral surfaces green; tiny setae dorsally, long setae (2 OD) on lateral surfaces; apex inflexed, black. T2 mostly green, dorsally darkened; sparsely punctate on disc, punctures weak, denser punctation on lateral surfaces, smooth in between; marginal area with punctate portion as long as apical black band on sublateral surfaces; tiny decumbent setae near base and on lateral surfaces, long setae (2 OD) on lateral surfaces. T3 weakly punctate, imbricate in between; mostly golden with green reflection, apical band black; tiny setae apex not reaching apical margin sublaterally. T4 weakly punctate, imbricate in between; golden with green reflection, apical band black; mostly with tiny decumbent setae, long setae (3 OD) scattered on disc and lateral surfaces. T5 mostly golden with green reflection, apex black; pseudopygidial area not covered by scale-like setae, colliculate integument exposed. Pygidial plate black, apex rounded. S1 with a tuberculate elevation; black; long setae (> 2 OD) medially, margin tiny decumbent setae. S2 mostly black, apical band yellowish; medioapical margin sharp; punctate, microreticulate in between; long setae (> 3 OD). S3–4 as S2. S5 apical margin widely rounded; golden with green reflection; long setae (> 3 OD). S6 dark brown; long dark setae on apex.

Distribution. This species is only known from Tucumán province in Argentina.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Female of Augochlora jugalis (Vachal). 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.