Leurotrigona crispula, Pedro, Silvia R. M. & Camargo, João M. F., 2009

Pedro, Silvia R. M. & Camargo, João M. F., 2009, Neotropical Meliponini: the genus Leurotrigona Moure — two new species (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Apinae), Zootaxa 1983, pp. 23-44 : 26-29

Leurotrigona crispula sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–3 , 6–10 , 26 , Tab. I)

Diagnosis. Worker ( Figs. 1, 2 ; Tab. I). Head width 0,84–0,86 mm; pubescence of clypeus and lower parocular area simple, relatively dense and long; in discal area of clypeus, piligerous points separated by distance shorter than hair length, some long branched hairs on juxtaclypeal area ( Fig. 1 ); malar space short, 1x diameter of fl.3 ( Fig. 1 ); clypeus short, about 1/3 of its maximum width and 1/5 of clypeocellar distance; integument of upper gena with fine tessellation; posterior margin of tibia III sinuous, posterior parapenicillum markedly sinuous, S-shaped ( Fig. 2 ); keirotrichiate area on inner surface of tibia III with a glabrous area medially.

Male ( Figs. 3 , 6–10 ; Tab. I). SVI with broad hairy medial area deeply concave ( Fig. 6 ); median projection of SVII slender and Y-shaped ( Fig. 7 ); genitalia with gonocoxite wider than long, recurved on distal margin and projecting laterally on the gonostylus articulation ( Figs. 9, 10 ).

Holotype, worker (Tab. I).

Dimensions. Total length, 1.98 mm; forewing length, from apex of costal sclerite to wing tip, 1.88 mm (including tegula, 2.10 mm); maximum head width, 0.84 mm; abdomen width (TIII), 0.76 mm.

Integument color. Typical of the genus (genus diagnosis, items c, d)

Vestiture. Clypeus and lower parocular area up to upper margin of antennal alveolus with dense semiappressed, relatively long (0.04 mm) simple hairs (in discal area of clypeus, distance between piligerous points about half as long as hair length), not shining; some long branched hairs on juxtaclypeal area ( Fig. 1 ); above antennal alveolus, dense but shorter, finer and erect; on frons, sparser, erect and longer (0.06 mm); on vertex, between lateral ocelli, denser and longer than on frons. On mesoscutum, few hairs, very sparse and erect, on discal area ca. 0.04 mm long, longer (0.07 mm) and slightly curved on anterior corners; on lateral borders of scutellum some long (0.14 mm) erect hairs. On propodeum, in addition to plumose pubescence around propodeal spiracles, short simple hairs, semi-appressed, from spiracle to posterior border next to base of coxa III; some longer sparse hairs on vertical surface of propodeum. Tergum II practically glabrous, only some microscopic hairs on anterior concave surface and some long hairs on anterior corners; TIII–TVI with some hairs on sides and anterior margin, very short on TIII and progressively longer to TVI; on TVII long erect hairs scattered on surface. Lateral margins of tibia III with pale-whitish translucent hairs, 0.22 mm long; on postero-distal corner, the posterior parapenicillum composed of a tuft of plumose hairs and 3–4 setae very long, simple and strongly sinuous to the apex (as in Fig. 2 ).

Integument sculpture. Typical of the genus (item b), except for the upper third of gena, behind the eye, with very fine tessellation. The concave region of anterior vertical surface of TII marked with a fine and relatively dense punctuation.

Form and proportions (measurements in Table I). Head slightly wider than long. Eye 2.4x longer than wide; upper interorbital distance as long as eye length; inner orbits convergent below (as in Fig.1 ). Clypeus very short, about 1/3 of its maximum width and 1/5 of clypeocellar distance; inner corners separate from orbits by 1.4x malar space length; malar space as long as the diameter of fl.3 (as in Fig. 1 ). Interalveolar distance 1x alveolus diameter. Interocellar distance little longer than 2x median ocellus diameter and ocellorbital distance ca. 1.6x. Supraclypeal area swollen between alveoli, gently sloping down to median sulcus; frons medially depressed-sulcate. Antennal scape as long as 4.8x its diameter, and 0.6x alveolocellar distance; flagellum + pedicel as long as 2x scape length. Mandible length 1/ 2x clypeocellar distance. Tibia III triangular, 2.6x longer than wide; posterior border sinuous and postero-distal angle projecting, acute (as in Fig. 2 ).

Male (specimen 910053, from the same nest of the holotype; Figs. 3 , 6–10 ; Tab. I).

Dimensions. Total length, 2.22 mm; forewing length, from apex of costal sclerite to wing tip, 1.82 mm (including tegula, 2.06 mm); maximum head width, 0.82 mm; abdomen width (TIII), 0.64 mm.

Integument color, vestiture, integument sculpture. As in worker, only some areas of face slightly rugose: between ocelli and just above the alveoli. Pilosity of inner margin of mandible and sides of TVI and TVII much longer than in worker. The hairs of pre-genital sterna and gonostylus as in Figs. 6–10 .

Form and proportions (measurements in Table I). Head slightly wider than long. Eye 2x longer than wide, strongly convergent below (as in Fig. 3 ); upper interorbital distance 0.8x eye length. Clypeus longer than in worker, 0.53x longer than wide and 1/ 4x clypeocellar distance; malar space practically null (as in Fig. 3 ). Interalveolar distance a little shorter than median ocellus diameter, slightly longer than alveolorbital distance and about 1/ 5x alveolocellar distance. Interocellar distance ca. 2x median ocellus diameter and ocellorbital distance less than 1x. Upper half of frons as in worker, but lower portion, just above antennal alveoli, more strongly depressed medially, with a convex surface flanking the depressed area. Scape shorter, 3.8x longer than its diameter and a little shorter than half the alveolocellar distance. Flagellum + pedicel 0.86 mm long, ca. 3.7x longer than scape. Mandible toothless, a little shorter than half the clypeocellar distance. Tibia III and basitarsus III swollen. Pre-genital sterna and genitalia as in Figs. 6–10 .

Type material. Holotype, worker, from “Antioquia, Colombia, Porto Triunfo, V.1990, J. Rincón leg.”, deposited in RPSP, no. 910068. Paratypes, from the same locality, probably collected from the same nest, 11 males (nos. 910050, 910051, 910053, 910055, 910057–910059, 910061, 910063, 910065, 910066) and 9 workers (910051, 910054, 910056, 910060, 910062, 910064, 910067, 910069), also deposited in RPSP.

Etymology. From the Latin, crispus, relating to the sinuous, curly hairs of the posterior parapenicillum.

Geographical distribution. Known only from the Magdalena River valley in Antioquia, Colombia ( Fig. 26 ).

Nest. Unknown.

Discussion. Leurotrigona crispula sp. nov. is very similar to L. pusilla , whose workers share the very small size, the general shape of the head and all other characters listed in Diagnosis, except the vestiture of the clypeus and lower parocular area, which is longer and more abundant than in L. pusilla . Also, the males present remarkable differences in the shape of pre-genital sterna and genitalia that can be seen comparing the figures 6–10 ( L. crispula sp. nov.) and 11–15 ( L. pusilla ).

Figures

FIGURE 26. Leurotrigona, geographic records. The arrow indicates L. crispula sp. nov.

FIGURES 1 – 5. Leurotrigona crispula sp. nov., Puerto Triunfo, Antioquia, Colombia: 1, head and detail of the clypeus vestiture, worker; 2, tibia III, worker; 3, head, male. Leurotrigona pusilla Moure & Camargo, paratype, Manaus, AM, Brazil: 4, head and detail of the clypeus vestiture, worker; 5, tibia III, worker. Scales = 0.02 mm.

FIGURES 6 – 10. Leurotrigona crispula sp. nov., male, Puerto Triunfo, Antioquia, Colombia: 6, sternum VI; 7, sternum VII; 8, sternum VIII; 9, genitalia, dorsal view; 10, genitalia, ventral view. Scale = 0.2 mm.