Ancyloscelis mesopotamica (Holmberg)

Schaller, A. & Roig-Alsina, A., 2021, A revision of the bee genus Ancyloscelis (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Argentina, Zootaxa 4980 (3), pp. 521-540 : 527-529

Ancyloscelis mesopotamica (Holmberg)

( Figs. 1D , 2D , 3D , 10D , 12B , 13D )

Leptergatis mesopotamica Holmberg, 1903: 424 (Lectotype female, Argentina, Buenos Aires, II-15-1879, E. L. Holmberg, MACN, examined, present designation). Brèthes, 1909: 222. Schrottky, 1913: 255.

Ancyloscelis mesopotamica: Schrottky, 1920: 169 . Michener & Moure, 1957: 440 (as mesopotamicus). Roig-Alsina, 1999: 19 (as mesopotamicus). Moure & Melo, 2007: 146.

Ancyloscelis turmalis Vachal, 1904: 18 (Lectotype male, Argentina, Tucumán, 21-II-1900, Girard, MNHN, examined, designated by Moure & Melo, 2007). Friese, 1906: 95. Friese, 1908: 51. Vachal, 1909a: 20. Vachal, 1909b:10. Ducke, 1910: 367 (erroneous synonymy with Ancyloscelis duckei Friese ). Schrottky, 1913: 254. Schrottky, 1920: 170. Michener & Moure, 1957: 440. Roig-Alsina, 1999: 19. Alves-dos-Santos & Wittmann, 1999: 277–287, figs. 7, 9, 10. Alves-dos-Santos 1999a: 38–42, figs. 2D, 3C, D. Alves-dos-Santos 1999b: 194, 205. Alves-dos-Santos & Wittmann 1999, 277–278 Figs: 7–9, 10– 12. Alves-dos-Santos & Wittmann, 2000: 136. Alves-dos-Santos, 2003: 258. Schlindwein, 2004: 232, 233, 235. Moure & Melo, 2007: 146. Sabino et al., 2017: 111. New synonym.

Leptergatis turmalis: Brèthes, 1910: 299 .

Melitoma turmalis: Ducke, 1912: 96 .

Diagnosis. Females of A. mesopotamica are characterized by the strongly elevated, tuberculiform carina of the pronotal lobe ( Fig. 12B ). Males are distinguished by their golden pubescence ( Fig. 2D ), and the strong inner tooth on the basal third of the posterior basitarsus ( Fig. 10D ).

Redescription. Male. Total length 8.20–9.90 mm. Length of forewing 6.70–7.80 mm. Color. Black, with following parts yellow: entire labrum, base of mandible, apical band on clypeus with trilobate basal margin, spot on apical 0.25 of under surface of scape, underside of first flagellomere and tarsi of all legs, except distotarsi brownish; following parts brownish: underside of flagellomeres 2–11, and tegula. Wings weakly infuscate, paler apically; veins and pterostigma blackish. Pilosity. With yellow-golden hairs all over the body, paler on underside of thorax. Scutum with two strata of hairs, one of dense, very short hairs (0.26–0.35x MOD) and another one of interspersed, long hairs (0.97–1.13x MOD). Hairs of mesopleuron 1.13–1.45x MOD. T1–T5 with entire apical bands. Structure. OOD 0.65x IOD. IAD 1.76x AOD. UID 1.12x LID. Width of head 1.55x length of head. Clypeocular distance 0.22–0.28x MOD. Ventral part of mesopleuron with digitiform projection in front of mid coxa. Hypostomal carina forming rounded elevation. Posterior basitarsus with inner curved tooth on basal third; apex pointed. Sculpture. Disc of clypeus with close, fine punctures (0.02–0.03 mm); disc of scutum with similar, nearly coalescent punctures (0.02–0.03 mm). Mesopleuron with punctures 0.03–0.04 mm, separated by polished interspaces 0.5–1.0 PD.

Female. Total length 8.2–8.9 mm; length of forewing 5.2–6.9 mm. Color. Black; some specimens with brownish tegula and tarsi. Pilosity. With whitish hairs all over the body, paler on underside of thorax, but disc of T2–T4 and apical bands wite to yellowish; tibial scopa with yellow hairs dorsally and white hairs ventrally; prepygidial fimbria yellow. Scutum with two strata of hairs, one of dense, very short hairs (0.44–0.72x MOD) and another one of interspersed, long hairs (1.20–1.28x MOD). Hairs of mesopleuron 1.20–1.48x MOD. T1–T5 with entire apical bands. Structure. OOD 0.79x IOD. IAD 2.0x AOD. UID 1.0x LID. Width of head 1.30x length of head. Clypeocular distance 0.42x MOD. Lengths of first plus second labial palp segments 1.32x length of prementum. Labial palpus with modified setae on first and second segments. Carina of pronotal lobe forming strong tuberculiform elevation, concave posteriorly. Sculpture. Disc of clypeus with close, fine punctures (0.04–0.05 mm); disc of scutum with smaller, close punctures (0.02–0.03 mm), separated by polished interspaces 0.2–0.3 PD. Mesopleuron with punctures 0.03–0.04 mm separated by polished interspaces 0.5–1.0 PD.

Comments. Two syntypes of Leptergatis mesopotamica are preserved at MACN, both in poor condition. One specimen lacks most legs (only left middle leg and right hind leg remaining), and the right hind wing; the head is glued on a card. This specimen is selected as the lectotype, and bears the following labels: “C. 15.3.79,” “mesopotamica/ Holmberg” in Holmberg’s handwriting, and “ Leptergatis / mesopotamica H. / LECTOTYPUS / A. Roig-Alsina 2005.” The date on the label reads III, 15, 1879, although the date in the original description reads II, 15, 1879, probably a typographic error. The second specimen is badly damaged, remaining only part of the mesosoma with the wings and the left middle and hind legs. It bears the label “ Leptergatis / mesopota-/ mica/ Holmberg” and is designated as paralectotype.

The male lectotype of A. turmalis was examined by one of us (ARA) and labeled as lectotype. It agrees in all characters with males of A. mesopotamica .

Distribution. Argentina and Brazil. Argentina: provinces of Formosa, Corrientes, Chaco, Tucumán, and Buenos Aires. Brazil, states of Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul.

Material studied. Argentina. Formosa: 2 ♂, Gran Guardia , 20-X-1951 ( MACN) ; 1 ♀, Capital, 2016, G. Galvani ( MACN) . Corrientes: 1 ♂, Ituzaingó , XII-1987, Fritz ( MACN) ; 1 ♀, Santo Tomé , 4-XI-1947, Decarlo-D´Amico ( MACN) . Chaco: 1 ♀, Colonia Benítez , 22-X-2016, A. Schaller ( MACN) ; 2 ♂, Colonia Mixta , 4-I-2017, A. Schaller ( MACN) . Buenos Aires: 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Tigre: Río Lujan Club ACA, 7-I-2002, A.Roig-Alsina ( MACN) ; 1 ♂, Tigre: Delta, río Carapachay , 27-I-2005, A. Roig-Alsina ( MACN) , 2 ♂, 4 Km NW Tigre , 28-II-1985, A. Roig-Alsina ( MACN) ; 2 ♂, 12 km NO Tigre , 12-XII-1994, A. Roig-Alsina ( MACN) , 1 ♀, Tigre , 2-III-1941 ( MACN) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, CABA: Res. Ec. Costanera Sur, 23-XI-2016, Compagnucci, Galvani, González ( MACN) ; 6 ♂, CABA: Res. Ec. Costanera Sur , 4-XII-2016, A. Schaller ( MACN) ; 1 ♂, CABA: Res. Ec. Costanera Sur, 20-XII-2016 Compagnucci, Galvani, González ( MACN) ; 1 ♂, Otamendi , 09-XII-2007, J. P. Torretta ( MACN) ; 1 ♂, Martín García , 26-X-1947, A. Bachman ( MACN) ; 4 ♂, 1 ♀, San Fernando , 5-IX-1952 ( MLP) ; 1 ♀, San Fernando , 24-XII-1951 ( MLP) ; 1 ♂, Dique Lujan, 13-1946 ( MLP) , 2 ♂, Olivos ( MLP) . Brazil. 1 ♂, Curitiba, S. Laroca ( MACN) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Females, A. ursinus species group, lateral view. A, A. bonariensis Brèthes. B, A. halictoides (Holmberg). C, A. holmbergi sp. n. D, A. mesopotamica (Holmberg). Scale lines = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Males, A. ursinus species group, lateral view. A, A. bonariensis Brèthes. B, A. halictoides (Holmberg). C, A. holmbergi sp. n. D, A. mesopotamica (Holmberg). Scale line= A, C and D, 0.1 mm; B, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Males, A. ursinus species group, head, frontal view. A, A. bonariensis Brèthes. B, A. halictoides (Holmberg). C, A. holmbergi sp. n. D, A. mesopotamica (Holmberg). Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 10. Males, A. ursinus species group, posterior basitarsus, ventral view. A, A. bonariensis Brèthes. B, A. halictoides (Holmberg). C, A. holmbergi sp. n. D, A. mesopotamica (Holmberg). Scale lines = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 12. A–B, dorsal view of female pronotal lobe (p, pronotal lobe). A, A. bonariensis Brèthes. B, A. mesopotamica (Holmberg). C–D, lateral view of male head showing hypostomal carina (h). C, A. halictoides (Holmberg). D, A. bonariensis Brèthes. Scale lines = A–D, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 13. A–H, distribution map of Ancyloscelis species in Argentina.A, A. bonariensis. B, A. halictoides. C, A. holmbergi. D, A. mesopotamica. E, A. apiformis. F, A. nigricornis. G, A. romeroi. H, A. saltensis. Black dots, records from literature; red dots, new records.