Plebeia (Plebeia) amydra Engel, 2022

Engel, Michael S., 2022, New species of the stingless bee genus Plebeia (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of Melittology 2022 (114), pp. 1-28 : 12-16

Plebeia (Plebeia) amydra Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7CB352E1-5CAC-49C4-BCB2-884A2CA51433

( Figs. 16–26 )

DIAGNOSIS: This species is superficially similar to other dark Plebeia , such as P. melanica Ayala and P. fulvopilosa Ayala , but can be distinguished by the combination of noticeably lighter brown on the venter of the scape and mesally on the clypeus ( Fig. 18 ), along with pale brown to pale yellow markings on the mesoscutum, axillae, and apical margin of the mesoscutellum ( Fig. 17 ). In the former species these markings are either absent or are bright yellow, and the facial paterns are completely different. The male terminalia, although showing some similarity to that of P. frontalis (Friese) , are quite distinctive, particularly the sterna ( Figs. 22–26 ).

DESCRIPTION: As described for P. deceptrix (vide supra), with the following modifications: ⚲: Total body length approximately 4.25–5.00 mm, forewing length (to base of humeral sclerite) 4.42–4.67 mm. Head wider than long, width 1.83–1.90 mm, length 1.50–1.57 mm; compound eye length 1.23–1.26 mm; upper interorbital distance 1.13– 1.20 mm, lower interorbital distance 0.97–1.07 mm. Scape length 0.63–0.67 mm. Malar area 0.3× flagellar diameter; clypeus width 2× length. Preoccipital ridge carinate. Intertegular distance 1.27–1.33 mm. Hind wing with 5–6 distal hamuli.

Integument of head and mesosoma dark brown to black; labiomaxillary complex dark brown to yellow; mandible and labrum yellow except mandible pale reddish brown apically; clypeus dark brown with mesal spot of yellowish brown to pale brown; supraclypeal area brown; scape dark brown, sometimes with yellow brown on proximal half ventrally, pedicel and flagellum brown to dark brown, typically slightly lighter ventrally; paraocular borders faintly pale brown, extending to point one antennal torular diameter below concavity in ocular margin. Mesosoma dark brown to black except as noted: pronotal lobe yellow to yellow brown; mesoscutum with exceptionally thin stripes of pale yellow to pale brown along lateral borders; axilla pale yellow to pale brown; tegula translucent brown to light brown; mesoscutellum with pale yellow to pale brown apical margin; legs largely brown to dark brown; wing membranes hyaline and faintly infumate, veins brown to dark brown; metasoma dark brown except lighter on proximal terga and sterna.

Clypeus with coarse, shallow, contiguous to nearly contiguous punctures; supraclypeal area sculptured as on clypeus; lower and upper face with minute punctures separated by 1–2.5× a puncture width below, blending to 2–3.5× a puncture width above, integument between punctures smooth and shining; vertex and posterior of head with punctures similar to those of clypeus; gena as on upper face; postgena smooth to faintly imbricate. Mesoscutum smooth, shining, with minute punctures separated by 1–2.5× a puncture width, punctures more spaced posteriorly and dens- er anteriorly; punctures of mesoscutellum similar but sparser and somewhat coars- er, integument otherwise smooth and shining between punctures; mesepisternum smooth, shining, with minute punctures, punctures coarser anteriorly and separated by a puncture width or less, blending posteriorly and ventrally to smaller punctures separated by 4–6× a puncture width, punctures on hypoepimeral area as on anterior portion of mesepisternum; metepisternum smooth with minute punctures separated by a puncture width above, sparser ventrally; basal area of propodeum faintly microreticulate-imbricate, shining, glabrous; lateral surface of propodeum with punctures as on metepisternum, posterior surface of propodeum smooth and nearly glabrous. Metasoma impunctate and shining, tergum I smooth, remaining terga smooth on discs and blending to faintly and finely imbricate integument in broad marginal zones, terga III onward with scatered shallow punctures also in marginal zones and apicalmost portion of discs bordering marginal zones; sterna faintly and finely imbricate.

Pubescence generally white to translucent, sometimes slightly tinged pale yellowish; clypeus with abundant, minute, subdecumbent, simple to minutely feathery setae, such setae present across supraclypeal area and lower face although slightly longer, such setae present on remainder of face although slightly sparser than on clypeus, intermixed with short to long, erect simple, bristles on vertex; scape with minute, appressed, simple setae intermixed with erect, simple bristles typically about as long as diameter of scape; gena with setae similar to those of face; postgena with sparsely scatered, long, erect, simple setae. Mesoscutum with abundant, fine, subdecumbent to suberect, laterally directed, simple setae, such setae with a few minute branches and more erect along borders, anteriorly numerous elongate, erect bristles, typically with minute branches; mesoscutellum with scatered, fine, suberect to erect, short, simple setae, posteriorly with abundant elongate, erect bristles with minute branches; mesepisternum with short, decumbent to suberect, plumose setae, such setae dense anteriorly and becoming sparser ventrally and posteriorly, intermixed with short to long, suberect to erect, largely simple bristles, such bristles longer ventrally and along anterior margin; hypoepimeral area with plumose setae numerous on upper three quarters; metepisternum with dense, short, decumbent, plumose setae; basal area of propodeum glabrous, posterior surface largely glabrous except sparse, erect, simple setae, lateral surface as on metepisternum except intermixed with elongate, erect, simple bristles. Setae and bristles of legs largely simple and white except tawny on retrolateral surfaces of meso- and metatarsi and on penicillum, inferior parapenicillum, and rastellum. Metasomal tergum I largely glabrous; discs of terga II–V nearly glabrous, with minute, decumbent to suberect, simple setae laterally and apically, such setae progressively longer and more numerous on terga II–VI; sternal discs with some long, erect, simple setae, otherwise with scatered, simple, short, subappressed setae.

♂: As described for worker except for typical caste and gender differences and as follows: Total body length approximately 5.3 mm, forewing length (to base of humeral sclerite) 4.5 mm. Head wider than long, width 1.87 mm, length 1.50 mm; compound eye length 1.23 mm; upper interorbital distance 1.10 mm, lower interorbital distance 0.77 mm. Scape length 0.53 mm. Clypeus width 1.4× length. Malar area linear. Terminalia in figures 22–26.

Clypeus pale yellow except sometimes with brownish patches near anterior tentorial pits; supraclypeal area pale yellow; face below tangent of antennal toruli pale yellow in lateral half, yellow paraocular area tapering above to botom of concavity in ocular margin; scape largely yellow ventrally, otherwise dark brown to black dorsally; pedicel and flagellum dark brown, lighter ventrally on pedicel and flagellomere I. Legs brown to dark brown except protibia, protarsus, apex of profemur, anterior of mesotibia, and mesotarsus pale yellow to yellow brown.

Setation generally as described for worker except more numerous, prominent, and slightly longer on face, mesoscutum, and pleura.

♀: Latet.

HOLOTYPE: ⚲, Venezuela: Aragua, Rancho Grande Biol. Stn., Portochuelo Pass , 10°21’0’’N, 67°41’0’’W, 1100 m, 4 June 1998, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Hanley, ex: insects moving thru pass against wind-migration ( SEMC).

PARATYPES (18⚲⚲, 2♂♂): 18⚲⚲, 2♂♂, Venezuela: Aragua, Rancho Grande Biol. Stn., Portochuelo Pass , 10°21’0’’N, 67°41’0’’W, 1100 m, 4 June 1998, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Hanley, ex: insects moving thru pass against wind-migration ( SEMC) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is taken from the Ancient Greek adjective amudrós (ἀμῠδρός, meaning, “indistinct”, “dim”, or “vague”), and refers to the poorly developed maculation.

Figures

Figures 16–18. Worker of Plebeia (Plebeia) amydra, new species. 16. Lateral habitus. 17. Dorsal habitus. 18. Facial view.

Figures 19–21. Drone of Plebeia (Plebeia) amydra, new species. 19. Lateral habitus. 20. Dorsal view of head and mesosoma. 21. Facial view.

Figures 22–26. Male terminalia of Plebeia (Plebeia) amydra, new species. 22. Metasomal sternum V. 23. Sternum VI. 24. Sternum VII. 25. Sternum VIII. 26. Genital capsule, ventral view.