Epicharis (Epicharitides) Moure, 1945

Villamizar, Germán & Vivallo, Felipe, 2024, Taxonomic revision of the oil-collecting bee subgenus Epicharis (Epicharitides) Moure, 1945 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with the description of two new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 928 (1), pp. 1-61 : 43-44

Key to the species of Epicharis (Epicharitides) Moure, 1945

Females

1. Mesoscutellum with well-defined yellow maculae ........................................................................... 2

– Mesoscutellum dark brown to black, without yellow maculae ........................................................ 6

2. Yellow macula covering entirely the disc of mesoscutellum or most of disc as two elliptical spots; yellow maculae poorly developed or only present on few areas of face (only on lower paraocular area and labrum) ............................................................................................................................... 3

– Yellow macula on posterior margin of mesoscutellum as a longitudinal irregular spot; distinct yellow maculae on many areas of face (mandible, clypeus and paraocular, malar, and supraclypeal areas) ........................................................................................................................................................... 4

3. Metasoma with testaceous to orange pubescence; T2–T5 with yellow maculae as wide spots throughout the discs, narrower on medial area; pubescence of mesepisternum entirely black ( Fig. 6 ) ........................................................................................ Epicharis mesoamericana sp. nov.

– Metasoma with dark brown to black pubescence; T3 and T4 with yellow maculae as irregular spots on lateral sides; pubescence of mesepisternum mostly black with whitish hairs on ventral surface ( Fig. 8A–B ) ....................................................................................... Epicharis obscura Friese, 1899

4. Metasoma with testaceous to ferruginous pubescence as irregular stripes, without yellow maculae ( Fig. 9A–B ) ................................................................... Epicharis rufescens Moure & Seabra, 1959

– Metasoma with pubescence predominantly dark brown to black; yellow maculae on T1–T5 ......... 5

5. Lateral sides of T2 with sub-rectangular yellow maculae extending finely towards the disc; maculae on T3–T5 as irregular stripes throughout disc; tegulae reddish and translucent; wing veins reddish brown; pubescence of mesepisternum predominantly whitish ( Fig. 2A–B ) ...................................... ............................................................................................................. Epicharis duckei Friese, 1901

– Irregular yellow maculae on T2–T5 increasing in size laterally; tegulae and wing veins dark brown; pubescence of metepisternum mostly dark brown to black with whitish hairs on ventral surface ( Fig. 4A–B ) ....................................................................................................... Epicharis lia sp. nov.

6. Metasoma with mostly yellowish pubescence, without yellow maculae; tegulae and wing veins dark brown; mesoscutellum bilobed in posterior view ............................................................................. 7

– Metasoma with predominantly dark brown to black pubescence, with yellow maculae on lateral sides of T2–T5; tegulae and wing veins reddish brown; mesoscutellum rounded in lateral view ... 8

7. Punctation on paraocular area, frons and vertex fine and scattered, with large impunctated areas; clypeal carinae inconspicuous; supraclypeal area without carina; metasoma dark brown to black with short, sparse and yellowish hairs on T2–T5, denser on lateral sides and towards the distal terga ( Fig. 7A–B ) .................................................................................... Epicharis minima ( Friese, 1904)

– Punctation dense and coarse on paraocular area and vertex, denser on frons; clypeal carinae and supraclypeal area conspicuous; integument of T2–T5 mostly yellow with dense yellow pubescence, except on medial basal margin and medial sides of discs as two deep emarginations ( Fig. 5A–B ) ... ..................................................................................... Epicharis luteocincta Moure & Seabra, 1959

8. Pubescence of head and mesosoma whitish; malar area sub-rectangular; hind elaiospathe with hook-shaped hairs located posteriorly to primary anterior comb; yellow maculae on face well-developed ( Fig. 1A–B ) .................................................................................... Epicharis cockerelli Friese, 1900

– Pubescence of head and mesosoma mostly dark brown to black except on propodeum; malar area reduced; hind elaiospathe without hook-shaped hairs; yellow maculae on face less developed ( Fig. 3A–B ) ....................................................................................... Epicharis iheringi Friese, 1899

Males

* The males of Epicharis lia sp. nov. and E. mesoamericana sp. nov. are unknown.

1. Mesoscutellum with a well-defined yellow macula .......................................................................... 2

– Mesoscutellum dark brown to black, without maculae .................................................................... 4

2. Yellow macula covering completely the disc of mesoscutellum; middle trochanter flattened with a small triangular projection; head and mesosoma with whitish and black hairs intermixed giving a grayish appearance ( Fig. 8C–D ) ....................................................... Epicharis obscura Friese, 1899

– Yellow macula on posterior margin of mesoscutellum as a longitudinal stripe; middle trochanter conical, without projection; pubescence of head and dorsum of mesosoma mostly yellowish ....... 3

3. Metasoma with testaceous to ferruginous pubescence mainly on distal areas as irregular stripes, without yellow maculae ( Fig. 9C–D ) ........................... Epicharis rufescens Moure & Seabra, 1959

– Metasoma with yellowish to whitish pubescence and yellow maculae on T2–T6 as wide stripes throughout disc, narrower medially ( Fig. 2C–D ) ............................... Epicharis duckei Friese, 1901

4. T2–T6 with yellow pubescence and without yellow maculae; tegulae and wing veins dark brown; dorsal surface of hind tibia and basitarsus with yellow pubescence and yellow maculae at the apex ........................................................................................................................................................... 5

– Terga with whitish or black pubescence and yellow maculae as wide stripes on discs of T3–T6; tegulae and wing veins reddish brown; dorsal surface of hind tibia and basitarsus with whitish pubescence, without yellow maculae ............................................................................................... 6

5. Metasoma dark brown to black with short, sparse and yellowish hairs on T2–T6, denser on lateral sides and on distal terga; middle tibial spur leaf-shaped (elongated medially and narrowed at base and apex) ( Fig. 7C–D ) ................................................................... Epicharis minima ( Friese, 1904)

– Integument of T2–T5 mostly yellow with dense yellow pubescence, except on medial basal margin and medial sides of discs as two deep emarginations; spur of middle tibia linear ( Fig. 5C–D ) ......... ..................................................................................... Epicharis luteocincta Moure & Seabra, 1959

6. Yellow maculae on T1 and T2 as wide stripes throughout the discs, narrower on medial area; lateral distal margins of S2–S4 with short, dense and simple hairs, scattered almost absent towards medial area; hind femur robust; anterior and posterior margins of hind basitarsus curved ( Fig. 1C–D ) ....... ........................................................................................................ Epicharis cockerelli Friese, 1900

– Yellow maculae on lateral sides of T1 as short stripes; T2 with yellow sub-rectangular spots; distal half of S2–S4 with long, dense and simple hairs curved towards medial area of disc; hind femur slender; anterior and posterior margin of hind basitarsus subparallel ( Fig. 3C–D ) ............................ ........................................................................................................... Epicharis iheringi Friese, 1899

Figures

Fig. 6. Epicharis (Epicharitides) mesoamericana sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (Mama Noots, Stann Creek, Belize; AMNH). A. Head, frontal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: A = 1 mm; B = 5 mm.

Fig. 8. Epicharis (Epicharitides) obscura Friese, 1899. A–B. Female (Brazil: Mogi das Cruzes; CEPANN). A. Head, frontal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C–D. Male (Brazil: Santa Teresa; HNHM). C. Head, frontal view. D. Habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: A, C = 1 mm; B, D = 5 mm.

Fig. 9. Epicharis (Epicharitides) rufescens Moure & Seabra, 1959. A–B. Paratype, ♀ (Brazil: Óbidos; MNRJ). A. Head, frontal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C–D. Paratype, ♂ (Brazil: Óbidos; MNRJ). C. Head, frontal view. D. Habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: A, C = 1 mm; B, D = 5 mm.

Fig. 2. Epicharis (Epicharitides) duckei Friese, 1901. A–B. Female (Brazil: Nova Mutum; INPA). A. Head, frontal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C–D. Male (Brazil: Belém; MPEG). C. Head, frontal view. D. Habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: A, C = 1 mm; B, D = 5 mm.

Fig. 4. Epicharis (Epicharitides) lia sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (Peru: Pilcopata; MNRJ). A. Head, frontal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: A = 1 mm; B = 5 mm.

Fig. 7. Epicharis (Epicharitides) minima (Friese, 1904). A–B. Female (Brazil: Vilhena; MNRJ). A. Head, frontal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C–D. Male (Brazil: Cajuru; RPSP). C. Head, frontal view. D. Habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: A, C = 1 mm; B, D = 5 mm.

Fig. 5. Epicharis (Epicharitides) luteocincta Moure & Seabra, 1959. A–B. Female (Brazil: Itirapina; CEPANN). A. Head, frontal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C–D. Male (Brazil: São Paulo; CEPANN). C. Head, frontal view. D. Habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: A, C = 1 mm; B, D = 5 mm.

Fig. 1. Epicharis (Epicharitides) cockerelli Friese, 1900. A–B. Female (Brazil: Passos; DZMG). A. Head, frontal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C–D. Male (Brazil: Passos; DZMG). C. Head, frontal view. D. Habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: A, C = 1 mm; B, D = 5 mm.

Fig. 3. Epicharis (Epicharitides) iheringi Friese, 1899. A–B. Female (Brazil: Cássia dos Coqueiros; RPSP). A. Head, frontal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C–D. Male (Brazil: Varginha; MNRJ). C. Head, frontal view. D. Habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: A, C = 1 mm; B, D = 5 mm.