Nasutopedia micheneri, Aguiar & Melo, 2011

Aguiar, Antonio J. C. & Melo, Gabriel A. R., 2011, Revision and phylogeny of the bee genus Paratetrapedia Moure, with description of a new genus from the Andean Cordillera (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Tapinotaspidini), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 162 (2), pp. 351-442 : 433-436

NASUTOPEDIA MICHENERI SP. NOV. ( FIGS 213–219 )

Comments and diagnosis: Nasutopedia micheneri is distinguished by its orange yellow metasoma and yellow infumate wing membrane. Males have thin pale yellow stripes on lateral margins of clypeus and lower paraocular area, and are distinguished from the other two species of the genus by surface of S2–S3 mostly smooth, with few sparse hairs. The female terga have numerous fine punctures, similar to N. nigripes .

Distribution: Merida Andes of Venezuela ( Fig. 219).

Description

Holotype male: Body length: 7.2; wing length (with tegula): 8.16; head: width, 2.36, length, 2.12; clypeus: length, 0.68, width, 1.02; lower interocular distance: 1.06; upper interocular distance: 1.33; scape: length, 0.53, width, 0.17; F1–F3, length: 0.17, 0.09, 0.19; F2 diameter: 0.19. Colour. Head, mesosoma, and legs mostly black; metasoma orange yellow; labrum pale yellow, almost white; clypeus with thin pale yellow stripes on lateral margins; paraocular area with thin yellow stripes; genal area with thin pale yellow stripe on lower third; anterior surface of antennal flagellomeres pale orange. Wing membrane and veins pale brown infumate; microtrichia mostly pale brown; fore wing membrane with blackish microtrichia on apical margin. Integument sculpture. Disc of clypeus and supraclypeal area mostly with dense coarse punctures (<0.5–1 pd); lateral portions of clypeus with sparse minute punctures (> 2 pd). Antennal scrobe and frons mostly with fine punctures (c. 1 pd); disc of frons with sparse coarse punctures (<0.5–2 pd); paraocular area with minute punctures (> 2 pd); mesoscutum and scutellum with dense minute punctures (1–3 pd); mesepisternum laterally with sparse fine punctures (> 3 pd). Metapostnotum with numerous minute punctures (> 3 pd), and a narrow smooth area along the mid line. Terga mostly smooth, with few sparse punctures laterally (> 4 pd). Pubescence. Mostly brown; except for genal area, and lower portion of mesepisternum, and pronotal lobe with whitish hairs. Hind tibia with pale brown plumose hairs on distal portion. Mandible with simple setae on margin; setae on proximal portion longer than mandible width. Labrum mostly glabrous, with few short simple hairs on lower and lateral margins; clypeus with thin short decumbent hairs on lateral portions; paraocular area with sparse thin decumbent hairs; upper paraocular area with short simple erect setae, length c. 0.5 ¥ F2 diameter; genal area with short plumose hairs intermingled amongst longer simple hairs. Mesoscutum and scutellum with sparse short plumose pale brown hairs; mesoscutum with few sparse erect simple setae on disc; posterolateral portions of scutellum with erect simple and plumose hairs intermingled, c. 0.15– 0.27 mm in length; mesepisternum laterally with stout dark brown setae, c. 0.23 mm in length. Metapostnotum with numerous short simple pale brown hairs; marginal bands of plumose hairs on terga mostly dark brown, except T1 with pale yellow hairs; T2–T4 with marginal hair band occupying less than one third of margin laterally; T5 with marginal band almost complete; T6 with marginal band almost complete. Surface of sterna mostly smooth, with sparse simple setae; S2–S3 with row of simple pale yellow setae on margin, on S2 lightly longer on mid portion. S4 with dense band of long decumbent plumose hairs; lateral portions with long convergent fringes; S5 mostly smooth, with few coarse plumose setae on lateral portions; S6 with two pre-apical bands of stout setae and numerous simple short setae on apical portion. Structure. Clypeus strongly convex; postocellar carina short, not extending until the postocular portion of vertex; lamella of pronotal collar very thin acute, with lateral portions curved and closed, as a closed gutter; mid portion of pronotal lamella almost contacting the mesoscutum; notauli weakly sulcate; scutellum weakly convex; pygidial process thin acute.

Paratype female: ( Venezuela, SM0334088 \ KUNHM). Body length: 6.96; wing length (with tegula): 8.16; head: width, 2.52, length, 2.12; clypeus: length, 0.66, width, 1.02; lower interocular distance: 1.08; upper interocular distance: 1.36; scape: length, 0.68, width, 0.19; F1–F3, length: 0.19, 0.09, 0.17; F2 diameter: 0.19. Colour. Similar to male, except for the labrum black, and absence of pale yellow marks on head. Integument sculpture. Pattern of sculpture similar to male but denser than male; clypeus and supraclypeal area mostly with dense coarse punctures (<0.5 pd; almost contiguous); clypeus with few minute punctures on lateral portions; disc of frons with dense coarse punctures (0.5–2 pd) intermingled amongst sparse fine punctures (1 pd); paraocular area, vertex, and antennal scrobe mostly with dense minute punctures (c. 1 pd); mesoscutum and scutellum with minute punctures (c. 1 pd), intermingled amongst few sparse coarser punctures (> 5 pd); metapostnotum completely covered by minute punctures (c. 2 pd). Disc of horizontal surface of T1 and disc of premarginal zone of T2 – T3 with dense minute punctures (3 pd) and sparse coarser punctures laterally (> 3 pd); disc of pre-marginal zone of T4 with sparse minute punctures (> 3 pd). Lateral portions of T4 and T5 completely covered with fine sparse punctures (c. 3 pd). Pubescence. Mostly dark brown; similar to male, except for hind tibial scopa with dense whitish plumose hairs. Mesepisternum with numerous minute plumose hairs intermingled amongst simple long setae. T1 without marginal band; T2 – T4 with short marginal band of dark brown plumose hairs, occupying less than one-quarter of margin laterally; T5 – T6 with marginal band of simple setae on whole margin. Structure. Clypeus, weakly convex; lamella of pronotal collar conspicuously acute on most of its length; posterolateral portions of pronotal lamella curved, closed, forming a closed gutter and slightly acute. Notaulus marked only by a shiny glabrous line; scutellum weakly convex, slightly concave on mid line .

Variation: The colour of the metasoma can vary from orange yellow to dark brown. In addition, the wing membrane can vary from dark brown infumate to pale brown infumate. Most specimens have the pubescence of hind tibia with apical portion composed of white plumose hairs, whereas only a few specimens have the hind tibia pubescence mostly brown. The microsculpture on T1–T3 can be restricted to the pre-marginal zone or occupy the entire tergal surface.

Distribution: Venezuela: Aragua ( Fig. 219).

Etymology: The species name is dedicated to Dr Charles D. Michener.

Type material: Holotype male ( SEMC), ‘VENEZU- ELA: Aragua \ Rancho Grande Biol. Stn., Portachuelo \ Pass , 10°21 ′ 0 ′ N,67°41 ′ 0 ′ W, 1100 m \ 4 JUN 1998; J.Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Harley \ VEN1ABH98 186 ex: insects moving thr.\ pass against wind-migration’ ‘ SM0334068 \ KUNHM-ENT’ . Paratypes: VENEZU- ELA, 1 female ( SEMC), ‘ VENEZUELA: Aragua \ Rancho Grande Biol. Stn. Portachuelo\ Pass ,10°21 ′ 0 ′ N,67°41 ′ 0 ′ W, 1100 m \ 4 JUN 1998; J.Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Hanley \ VEN1ABH98 186 ex: insects moving thru\ pass against wind-migration’ ‘ SM0334088 \ KUNHM-ENT’, 1 male and 2 females ( SEMC), idem except ‘ SM0334053 ’, ‘ SM0334070 ’ and

‘ SM0334088 ’; 2 females ( MZUSP), ‘ Rancho Grande , est\ Aragua, Venezuela \ 10/3/1982, Brandão \ Campos & Sandoval’ .

Figures

Figures 211–213. Head; 211: Nasutopedia nigripes (Friese), female, dorsal view; 212: Nasutopedia nigripes, male (Colombia, Risaralda); 213: Nasutopedia micheneri, male, holotype; scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figures 214–218. Nasutopedia micheneri, male; sterna 6–8 (S6–S8), genital capsule, ventral and dorsal view, scale bars = 0.1 mm.