Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) orphne Engel, 2021

Engel, Michael S., 2021, A key to the species of Nanoplebeia, with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of Melittology 2021 (106), pp. 1-14 : 8-11

Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) orphne Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:82B2D71A-BC30-45A0-A310-0CA6A8F0973B

( Figs. 2 , 6 , 13 )

DIAGNOSIS: The new species is most similar to P. (N.) minima but has the punctures of the upper face, particularly mesially, coarser and denser (cf. Figs. 6 vs. 7), the mesosomal maculation white to pale yellow ( Fig. 13 ), mesosomal punctures more distinct ( Fig. 13 ), and longer setae on the mesoscutum ( Fig. 13 ).

DESCRIPTION: ⚲: As described for P. (N.) pleres (vide supra) except as follows: Total body length approximately 2.88–3.18 mm, forewing length (including tegula) 2.71–3.08 mm. Head wider than long, width 1.27–1.33 mm, length 1.05–1.09 mm; compound eye length 0.85–0.86 mm; upper interorbital distance 0.81–0.83 mm, lower interorbital distance 0.69–0.71 mm. Scape length 0.42–0.44 mm. Preoccipital ridge absent. Metabasitarsus apical margin diagonal, superior distal angle broadly rounded, extending to about 0.33× length of metatarsomere II.

Mandible yellow except base dark brown and mandibular apex reddish brown; clypeus yellow with brown patches on either side of midline, yellow midline hourglass shaped, triangular apicolateral corners yellow; supraclypeal area yellow with narrow area of brown above at tangent of upper margin of antennal toruli; scape yellow except brown to dark brown dorsally, pedicel and flagellum brown; lower paraocular area with strong yellow maculation, with black mesially near antenna and clypeal base from anterior tentorial pit to torulus, yellow tapering and transition to tawny or light brown just before arch in ocular margin, then continuing as thin faint brown line to and sometimes through arch in ocular margin. Pronotum and propleura brown, with pale yellow to white on pronotal lobe and transverse paralateral patches of pale yellow to white on either side of midline on dorsal collar bordering mesoscutum; mesoscutum black with thin stripes of pale yellow to nearly white along lateral borders; axilla pale yellow to white with black lateral margin; mesoscutellum black with pale yellow or white maculation medioapically along rounded posterior margin, frequently patch medially divided forming paralateral patches on either side of midline, maculation separated from axillae by about axillar length; legs largely brown to light brown except trochanters and tarsi yellow, although meso- and metabasitarsus brown to dark brown, yellow proximally on tibiae near articulation with femora although more extensively on protibia, sometimes extending for three quarters of length, yellow sometimes present on mesobasitarsus apically and metabasitarsus inferiorly apically and along superior margin; metatibia sometimes with patch of light brown to yellowish brown on prolateral surface; wing membranes hyaline clear, veins brown to light brown; metasoma brown to dark brown, sometimes lighter on discs and disc of dorsalfacing surface of metasomal tergum I and on more proximal sterna.

Integument typically smooth and shining between minute punctures except as noted; clypeus with coarser, shallow, ill-defined, contiguous, setiferous punctures giving a faintly roughened appearance; supraclypeal area as on clypeus; lower and upper face with minute, well-defined, setiferous punctures separated by 1–3× a puncture width, punctures of upper face, particularly mesially, somewhat coarser than those of lower face, punctures becoming less distinct and a more spaced in ocellocular area; vertex and upper gena with shallow, coarse, ill-defined, contiguous to nearly contiguous punctures; punctures become a bit more defined and smaller on gena, separated by a puncture width or less, but remain shallow and giving a somewhat reticulate appearance, punctures blending to impunctate integument on postgena. Mesoscutum smooth, shining, with minute, setiferous punctures separated by 2–6× a puncture width; punctures of mesoscutellum as on mesoscutum except sparser anteriorly, blending to more faintly reticulate integument with exceedingly sparse, minute punctures posteriorly; basal area of propodeum faintly reticulate, glabrous.

Pubescence generally white; clypeus with numerous, short, nearly decumbent, plumose setae, not obscuring integument, intermixed with sparse, erect, simple to minutely branched setae, such simple setae more numerous and suberect on supraclypeal area; lower and upper face with similar setation as on clypeus except somewhat denser, but not obscuring integument, such setae becoming sparser in ocellocular area, upper face with sparse, erect, short, simple setae intermixed; vertex with erect, largely simple setae, sometimes with minute branches, more numerous and longer; gena with abundant minute, decumbent, minutely plumose setae, blending to simple setae posteriorly and ventrally, setae becoming sparse by postgena; postgena with sparsely scatered, long, erect, simple setae. Penicillum, inferior parapenicillum, and rastellum golden yellow; bristles of tarsi golden.

♀: Latet.

♂: Latet.

HOLOTYPE: ⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 13–23.III.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC).

PARATYPES: 2⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 22.II–4.III.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 2⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 14–24.III.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 5⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 12–22.III.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 13–23.III.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 4⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 4–14. III.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 3–13.IV.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 3⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 3.IV–4. V.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 3⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 13–23. VI.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 13–25. VI.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 23. VI –3.VII.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 2⚲⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 3–13.VII.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 1⚲, Ecuador: Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge , 0.5°S, 76.5°W [-0.4721, -76.4590], 270 m, 30.IX–10.X.1994, Hibbs, ex: malaise ( SEMC) ; 2⚲⚲, Peru: Dept. Loreto, 1.5 km N Teniente Lopez, 2°35.66’S, 76°06.92’W [-2.5943, -76.1153: note that the coordinates on the labels indicate a position much further north in Loreto than the location of Teniente Lopez, S-SE of Yurimaguas. Interestingly, if one considers the degrees to be 5° rather than 2°, then the resulting position is only about 8 km N-NW of Teniente Lopez. Perhaps there was a transcription error when labels were made or there is an independent and seemingly untraceable “Teniente Lopez” in northwestern Loreto near the border with Ecuador], 18 July 1993, 210– 240 m, Richard Leschen, ex: flight intercept trap ( SEMC) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is taken from the Ancient Greek adjective orphnós [ὀρφνός, meaning, “dusky”, feminine orphnḗ (ὀρφνή); in Greek mythology Orphne (Ὀρφνή) was a nymph living with Hades], and refers dark brown of the coxae.

Figures

Figures 1–3. Lateral habitus of select species of Nanoplebeia Engel, workers. 1. Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) margaritae Moure. 2. P. (N.) orphne, new species. 3. P. (N.) pleres, new species.

Figures 4–7. Faces of select species of Nanoplebeia Engel, workers. 4. Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) margaritae Moure. 5. P. (N.) franki (Friese). 6. P. (N.) orphne, new species. 7. P. (N.) minima (Gribodo).

Figures 11–14. Mesoscuta and mesoscutella of select species of Nanoplebeia Engel, workers. 11. Plebeia (Nanoplebeia) margaritae Moure. 12. P. (N.) franki (Friese). 13. P. (N.) orphne, new spe- cies. 14. P. (N.) minima (Gribodo).