Mexalictus (Mexalictus) hansoni Dumesh, 2013

DUMESH, SHEILA, 2013, <p> <strong> Revision of the rare Mesoamerican bee genus <em> Mexalictus </ em> (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) with the description of </ strong> <br /> <strong> 21 new species </ strong> </ p>, Zootaxa 3708 (1), pp. 1-80 : 33-34

Mexalictus (Mexalictus) hansoni Dumesh , new species

( Figs. 114–119 )

Holotype. Female. COSTA RICA, San Jose, Zurqui de Moravia , 1600m, Sep – Oct 93, P. Hanson [ USUIC]; collection code BBSL 183910 .

Diagnosis. Both sexes of this species can be distinguished by the following combination: head and mesosoma metallic purple, sculpture on head and mesosoma strongly granular; clypeal punctation uniform in size and spacing; basal striation of metapostnotum irregularly wrinkled, striae shorter laterally; hair white on all trochantera and femora, but legs otherwise dark pubescent. This species is similar to M. hondurensis , M. guatemalensis , and M. mandibularis , but can be differentiated by its purple colour (blue-green to green).

Description. Female (Holotype): Body length 8.0– 8.2mm, forewing length 6.0– 6.2mm, head width 1.76– 1.80mm, ITW 1.31–1.34mm. Head and mesosoma metallic purple, pubescence pale whitish. Head: round, L:W = 1.04–1.09:1. (1) Labrum and mandible: with subrectangular basal area, medial length equal to half of width, flattened basal elevation, elevated apicomedial area, narrow triangular distal process. (2) Clypeus: dull and granular, metallic blue basally becoming dark brown in apical half where surface is slightly shiny; length 0.85X length of supraclypeal area, 0.80 of length below lower compound eye; weakly convex in lateral view, slightly protuberant, mandible with distinct subapical tooth; punctures separated by 1–2pd, becoming deeper apically; hairs dark and erect, unbranched, subapical row of dark bristles. (3) Supraclypeal area dull, convex, protuberance greater than that of clypeus, largest width slightly smaller than length from upper clypeal margin to lower margin of antennal sockets; basal and lateral areas with punctures separated by 1–2pd, punctation more sparse apicomedially. (4) Lower paraocular area: punctation larger and more sparse below upper margin of antennal sockets than above, separated by 1–2pd, smaller around inner margin of compound eye, becoming smaller and more finely punctate between lower ocular tangentand paraocular lobe; paraocular lobe impunctate. (5) Frontal area: frontal line carinate between antennae, starting 1ASD to 2ASD above antennal socket and terminating 1MOD below median ocellus; punctation dense above antennae, separated by <0.5pd. (6) Vertexal area: shiny with weak transverse depression; IOD = 1.7MOD, OOD = 1.8MOD, OVD = 1.4MOD; punctures separated by <2pd, becoming slightly more obscured posteriorly. (7) Genal and hypostomal areas: genal area as wide as compound eye in lateral view, dull with punctures separated by 1–2pd, hypostomal area with punctate extrememly sparse. (8) Antenna: scape reaching posterior median ocellus, subequal in length to F1–F5 (half flagellar length) pedicel slightly longer than wide, F2 and F3 subequal in size, both wider than long and shorter than F1, flagellomeres slightly increasing in length from F2–F10, F10 longer than wide. Mesosoma: (9) Pronotum: shiny and impunctate, becoming slightly dulled ventrolaterally; posterodorsal margin of pronotum with complete band of hairs, including pronotal lobe which is densely outlined. (10) Mesoscutum: entirely dull and granular; punctures separated by 1–3pd. (11) Mesoscutellum: punctures similar to those of mesoscutum, but slightly more sparse laterally, medial longitudinal area densely punctate especially apically. (12) Metanotum: punctures dense and extremely minute, giving the surface a dull appearance. (13) Mesopleuron: shiny and closely punctate, punctures shallow and somewhat obscure especially towards ventral surface, separated by <2pd; pre-episternum densely and coarsely punctate, weakly granular anteriorly; hypoepimeral area and central episternum nearly impunctate and smooth, if granular, punctures light or nearly absent. (14) Metapleuron: transversely striate basally, somewhat shiny and entirely impunctate. (15) Metapostnotum and propodeum: metapostnotum half as long as basal width, posteriorly angulate, dorsally bare, basally shiny becoming weakly granular baso-medially, basal striation irregularly wrinkled, very short laterally, weakened centrally, covering over 1/2 dorsal surface, creating a slightly depressed triangle; propodeum posteriorly somewhat shiny, smooth and impunctate;. (16) Wings: clear, veins and stigma dark brown, stigma slightly longer than 1/2 length of marginal cell, membrane slightly infuscate; first recurrent vein meeting at or up to 2 vein widths basad of second tranverse cubital vein. (17) Tegula: punctate anteriorly, with few long branched hairs distally, posteriorly transparent, with hyaline, dull anterior margin. (18) Foreleg: hairs pale golden on tarsi, metafemoral brush and anterior tibia; coxa, trochanter, and femur with branching erect hairs; pubescence on tibia and basitarsus dense, hairs long, not branched. (19) Middle leg: as foreleg, hairs brownish on outer surfaces of tibia and basitarsus as well as basitibial plate; tibia with lateral patch of pale, long and dense pubescence on apical 2/3. (20) Hind leg: as middle leg, coxa and trochanter with long, branching, pale pubescence; femoral scopa well formed basally with long branching white hairs; tibia densely pubescent, hairs long and erect; basitarsus with several branched hairs, pubescence less dense than on tibia; femur 3X as long as greatest width; tibia 4X as long as greatest width; basitarsus 3.5X as long as greatest width; tibial spurs dark brown; inner hind tibial spur microserrate, with over 15 short, close teeth. Metasoma: (21) Terga: entirely shiny, nearly uniform in colour; metallic reflections absent; T1 entirely shiny and polished, nearly impunctate, T2–T4 with punctures separated by 2–3pd basally, becoming deeper and more sparse apically (>5pd), apical margins nearly impunctate, T5 with sparse and deeper punctures, separated by 4–6pd; pubescence pale on T1–T3 with short and thin hairs sparsely distributed throughout tergum and few dark hairs scattered laterally, pubescence dark and long on T4–T5, more dense than on T1–T3. (22) Sterna: long pubescence on S1 near margin with mesosoma; hairs long, plumose and pale, brownish on anterior surface of S5–S6.

Male (Allotype): Body length 7.0– 7.3mm, wing length 5.3–5.5mm, head width 1.58–1.60mm, ITW 1.06– 1.09mm. As for female except as follows: Head and mesosoma dark green. Head: round, L:W = 1.05:1. (1) Labrum and mandible: basally, about 2.6X as wide as long; rounded, smooth elevation extending length and width, medially flattened, may appear slightly indented; distal process extending beyond basal area for up to 0.5X length of labrum. (2) Clypeus: lower third of dark purple-brown subapical row of dark bristles absent. (5) Frontal area: frontal line not carinate above antennal sockets. (6) Vertexal area: IOD = 1.6MOD, OOD = 2.0MOD, OVD = 1.2MOD. (7) Genal and hypostomal areas: genal area slightly narrower than compound eye in lateral view. (8) Antenna: reaching basal mesoscutellum; scape reaching median anterior ocellus; pedicel about as long as wide; F1 slightly longer than pedicel, about as long as wide, longer than F2, subequal in size to F3–F10. Metasoma (21) Terga: metallic reflections absent; pygidial plate broadly rounded with elevated rim, depressed centrally, shiny and smooth, or with irregular rough areas. (22) Sterna: S4–S6 with graduli distant from antecostae, at about a right angle; S4 with long plumose hairs medially directed on concave apico-median area; S5 broadly concave centrally, medial plumose hairs longest apically, projecting ventrally as apical tuft; S6 not emarginate apically, bare basomedially, with plumose hairs medially directed. (23) Terminalia: see Figs. 118, 119 .

Material examined. COSTA RICA, San Jose, Zurqui de Moravia , 1600m, Sep – Oct 93, P. Hanson (holotype female, allotype male, paratype female: BBSL 183910 , BBSL 183902 , BBSL 183911 , respectively [ USUIC]) ; VIII–IX 1989, Paul Hanson (2 paratype females: BBSL 183909 , no. 000 023 080 [ USUIC]) ; 1003’03N 8400’22W, 1600m, Malaise trap, Mar 1992, P. Hanson (2 female paratypes: PCYU-CR-PH30, PCYU-CR-PH36 [ PCYU]) ; PANAMA, Chiriqui, 6.0km NE Boquete, 1650m, 848’0’’N 8226’0’’W, 14 June 1996, J. Ashe & R. Brooks, PAN1AB96 180B, flight intercept trap (2 female paratypes: KUNHM-ENT SM0016747 , SM0016748 [ KUM]) ; Hartman’s Finca , 28.vi–3.vii.1981 (1 paratype female [ USUIC]) .

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Paul Hanson, who collected most of the known specimens of this species and who has been extremely helpful to the author, especially with field work in Costa Rica.

Figures

FIGURES 114–119. Mexalictus hansoni Dumesh, n. sp., 114. Female lateral habitus, 115. Female head, 116. Male lateral habitus, 117. Male head, 118. Male genital capsule, dorsal view, 119. Male genital capsule, ventral view. Scale bars = 1mm.