Lophopedia nigrispinis (Vachal, 1909) Tapinotaspidini

Alvarez, Leopoldo Jesús, Silva, Wagner Pereira, Lucia, Mariano & Aguiar, Antonio J. C., 2019, The first cases of gynandromorphism in oil-collecting bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae: Centridini, Tapinotaspidini), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 59, pp. 1-5 : 2

Lophopedia nigrispinis – gynandromorphy

Description: Body length7.5,head length 1.9,head width 2.5, mesosoma width 2.8, metasoma width 2.6. Head: mixed. Partial bilateral gynandromoph, right side mostly male and left side female; integument mostly black except mandible pale yellow with apex and posterior basal angle black; right side of labrum pale yellow like male and left side black as female; clypeus with lower margin yellow on right side and black on left side; left half of supraclypeal area without lower margin surpassing the upper margin of clypeus as female; paraocular area with a narrow yellow stripe occupying less than the lower part. Both antennae have 11 flagellomeres as is typical for male. Pubescence on mandibles, labrum, clypeus, frons, paraocular area and gena, mostly white and not distinct between sides, vertex with sparse erect simple setae light brown; left half of labrum with long light brown setae as female, distinct longer than male right side ( Fig. 1B ). Mesosoma: general appearance male-like, except for the legs with a mix of male and female features. Integument black and pubescence brown to black; mesoscutum and scutellum with sparse punctures and lamella of pronotal collar with lateral portions high, characteristic of males. Legs with mixed secondary sex characteristics, with integumental color black and most distitarsi yellow as in normal male. Forelegs male-like modified to collect oil, however basitarsi narrow- er than female basitarsi ( Fig.1C, D ). Middle legs female-like with ventral surface of tibiae with spatulate setae, except for left distitarsi yellow as male and the right mixed with yellow and brown coloration ( Fig. 1E, H ). Hind right leg male-like; the left hind scopa blackish composed of dense plumose pubescence with integument mostly black except the distal part of tibia, basitarsus and mediotarsus light brown, distitarsus yellow; tibial spurs light brown; pubescence mostly black except by pale yellow on tibial postero distal margin and basitarsus ( Fig. 1G ). Right hind leg female-like,with plumose pubescence not so dense as left scopa, with numerous simple setae; mediotarsus and distitarsus brown; tibial spurs dark brown ( Fig. 1H ). Wing membrane dark brown infumated. Metasoma: symmetric female-like, with six exposed terga and sterna. Genital structure developed as a normal sting ( Fig. 1A ).

Material Examined: One gynandromorph, Argentina, Misiones, Parque Nacional Iguazú, 28-IX-2016, Coll. L. Alvarez-M. Lucia-P. Ramello.

Figures

Figure1.GynandromorphofLophopedianigrispinis (Vachal):(A)Habitusinlateralview.(B)Headinfrontalview.(C)Foreleg rightbasitarsusininnerview.(D)Foreleg left basitarsusin innerview.(E) Left middle leg ininner view.(F) Right hind leg inexternal view.(G) Left hind leg in external view.(H) Right middle leg in innerview. Scale bars:(A) 2 mm.(B) 1 mm.(C) 0.25 mm. (D-H) 0.5 mm.