Epicharis (Epicharitides) luteocincta Moure & Seabra, 1959

Villamizar, Germán & Vivallo, Felipe, 2024, Taxonomic revision of the oil-collecting bee subgenus Epicharis (Epicharitides) Moure, 1945 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with the description of two new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 928 (1), pp. 1-61 : 25-28

Epicharis (Epicharitides) luteocincta Moure & Seabra, 1959

Figs 5 , 11

Epicharis (Epicharitides) luteocincta Moure & Seabra, 1959: 125 (original description).

Epicharis (Epicharitides) luteocincta – Gaglianone 2001: 187 (distribution); 2003: 281 (cited). — Silveira et al. 2002: 102 (list, distribution). — Moure et al. 2007: 139 (catalogue, distribution). — Gaglianone et al. 2011: 659 (list, distribution). — Martins et al. 2014: 89–92 (terminal taxon in molecular phylogenetic analysis, biogeographical analysis). — Martins & Melo 2015: 25, 27 (terminal taxon in molecular phylogenetic analysis). — Lima & Silvestre 2016: 9 (list).

Diagnoses

Females

Pubescence of mesosoma with black and whitish hairs intermixed; face without yellow maculae or with poorly developed maculae on lower paraocular area and labrum; malar area reduced; T2–T5 with dense, yellow pubescence on large yellow areas except on medial sides of discs as two emarginations; tegula and wing veins dark brown; mesoscutellum bilobed in dorsal view.

Males

Black and whitish hairs intermixed giving a grayish appearance on vertex and mesosoma, whither on gena and on ventral surface of mesosoma; yellow maculae well-developed on most of face, dorsal surface of hind basitarsus and part of hind tibia; malar area reduced; spur of middle tibia linear; hind femur slender; pubescence of hind tibia and basitarsus scopa-like; metasoma with dense yellow hairs on large yellow areas as in the female.

Type material

Holotype male ( DZUP, not studied).

Material examined (n = 8 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂)

BRAZIL – Goiás • 1 ♂; “ Alto Paraíso de Goiás GO BRASIL; 14/11/2006; A.A. Azevedo \ Abelhas Altimontanas; Par Na Chapada dos Veadeiros ; 11256–33378”; DZMG. – Mato Grosso • 4 ♀♀; “ BRASIL, Mato Grosso. Tangará da Serra. Faz Aparecida da Serra ; 14º18’36.64”S 57º44’47.00”W; Cerrado; Malaise; - X-2017, M.L.S Almeida \ C4, G4, P 300; Cerrado; Nº 474; C5 G5 P300; Cerrado; Nº 839; C4, G4, P 150; Cerrado; Nº471; C5 G5 P300; Cerrado; Nº 838”; INPA. – Minas Gerais • 1 ♀; “ Brasilândia MG BRASIL; 22/10/1996; A.G. Damasceno \ Projeto Abelhas de Brasilândia ; P. emarginatus ; 09:00– 10:00\ Epicharis (Epicharitides) luteocincta Moure & Seabra ♀ F.A. Silveira, det. 1997”; INPA • 1 ♂; “Brasilândia MG BRASIL; 18/10/1996; A.G. Damasceno \ Projeto Abelhas do Cerrado ; P. emarginatus ; 08:00–09:00\ Epicharis (Epicharitides) luteocincta Moure & Seabra ♂ F.A. Silveira, det. 1997”; INPA • 1 ♀; “ Brasilândia de Minas MG BRASIL; 30/11/1999; V. Silva \ Abelhas- Cerrado Mannesmann Faz. Brejão; 5868–16144”; DZMG. – São Paulo • 1 ♀; “ Rio Claro S. P. BRASIL; XII–62; J. Pisani \ Epicharis luteocincta Moure & Seabra Pe J.S. Moure 1969 \ AMNH_ENT AMNH_BEE 00014517 ”; AMNH • 1 ♀; “ IBUSP , São Paulo, SP Brasil; 15 12 1983; Col: Knoll, F.R.N Pirassununga, Sp BR\ Epicharis (E.) luteocincta ( Moure & Seabra, 1959) F. Vivallo det. 2008\ CEPANN N° 9326 ”; CEPANN .

Morphology

Female ( Fig. 5A–B )

MEASUREMENTS. Approximate body length: 14.3 (14.1–14.5). Head width: 4.4 (4.2–4.4). Mesosoma width: 5.0 (4.8–5.1). Metasoma width: 4.8 (4.8–5). Forewing length: 10.0 (9.9–10.2).

COLORATION. Integument dark brown to black except yellow on lateral sides of T1 and most of T2– T5 excluding the medial sides of the disc as two emarginations. Light brown integument on apex of mandible and on ventral surface of flagellomeres, except F1 basally. Tegula and wing veins dark brown. Wings brown and translucent,. Tarsus dark reddish brown.

PUBESCENCE. Mostly dark brown to black. Paraocular area, apical half of labrum, gena, hypoepimeral lobe, dorsal surface of fore and middle tibia, metepisternum, metanotum and propodeum with whitish hairs. Width stripes on terga and lateral distal margins of S2–S4 with yellow hairs. Ferruginous hairs on mandible and on ventral surface of hind tibia and basitarsus. Lateral sides of clypeus, basal half of labrum and mandible with distinct, long, coarse and simple hairs (2–5× OD). Short plumose hairs barely noticeable on basal area of mandible. Scattered simple hairs on paraocular area, frons, vertex and gena (0.5–1× OD), longer on lower gena. Paraocular area above to alveolus level, occipital area and upper gena with dense, long and plumose hairs (0.5–2× OD). Long and sparse plumose hairs on dorsum of mesosoma (1× OD), longer and denser on hypoepimeral lobe, metepisternum, metanotum and propodeum (1–3 × OD), and shorter and nearly absent on lateral sides of pronotum. Ventral area with long, coarse and simple hairs, mainly on coxa. Anterior surface and lateral sides of T1 with plumose hairs as those on propodeum, nearly absent on disc. Yellowish integument of T2–T5 covered with appressed pubescence (0.5–1xOD), longer progressively towards the distal segments. T5 with long, decumbent and simple hairs on lateral sides, tomentose hairs on distal margin, almost absent on preapical area. Lateral distal margins of S2–S4 with long, dense and plumose hairs (0.5–2× OD) and large glabrous areas medially.

SCULPTURE SURFACE. Clypeal disc and basal half of labrum with inconspicuous punctation, nearly smooth. Areolate punctation on lateral sides of clypeus and on apex of labrum. Coarse and uniform punctation on paraocular areas and vertex (1–2× puncture width), coarser and denser towards frons and occipital area near to the carina, sparser and finer on gena. Dorsum of mesosoma with coarse and uniform punctation (1–2× puncture width), denser on metepisternum and scattered nearly absent on lateral sides of pronotum. Terga weakly imbricate. Distal area of T5 smooth. Sterna with coarse and dense punctures (0.5–1 × puncture width), with large impunctated areas on medial area.

STRUCTURES. Head broader than long (1.2–1.1: 1). Ratio of upper and lower interocular distances: 0.95– 1: 1. Maximum interocular distance shorter than length of compound eye (0.7–0.8: 1). Clypeus broader than long (1.6–1.5: 1) with length almost equal to clypeocellar distance (1.1–1: 1). Labrum slightly longer than broad (1.2–1.1: 1). Interalveolar distance longer than alveolorbital distance (2.5–2.3: 1). Interalveolar distance shorter than alveolocellar distance (0.8–0.7: 1). Lateral ocelli slightly above the upper supraorbital tangent. Interocellar distance longer than ocellocular distance (1.2–1.1: 1). Frontal carina inconspicuous, extending from tip of supraclypeal carina to near median ocellus (1.9–2.2× OD). Length of F1 longer than the length of F2 and F3 together, slightly shorter than length of F2–F4 (0.7–0.8: 0.5–0.6: 1). Vertex at the same level of the upper supraorbital tangent. Clypeus with epistomal suture and carinae poorly defined. Mesoscutellum bilobed in dorsal view.

VARIATION. Although the females are recognized by the absence of maculae all over the body, a faint spot on the lower paraocular area was observed in some specimens from the Brazilian State of Mato Grosso.

Male ( Fig. 5C–D )

As the female, except as follows:

MEASUREMENTS. Approximate body length: 14.0 (13.9–14.3). Head width: 4.2 (4–4.3). Mesosoma width: 5.0 (4.9–5.2). Metasoma width: 5.1 (4.9–5.1). Forewing length: 10.0 (9.8–10).

COLORATION. Yellowish integument on most of T1 except on anterior surface and at sides of disc as two emarginations. In T2 and T3 the yellowish integument is more restricted towards distal margins and on lateral sides. Maculation as follows: on paraocular areas, from below the alveolar tangent to lower paraocular area; on ventral surface of scape; a wide triangular-like spot on clypeal disc that extends to corners of the lower lateral sides; at supraclypeal area; on labrum; on most of mandible except apex; an elliptical spot on basal margin of tibia and apical margin of fore tibia; at apex of dorsal surface of hind tibia and on hind basitarsus.

PUBESCENCE. Gena, occipital area, mesosoma, legs except hind tibia and basitarsus, and T1 with whitish hairs. Dorsal surface of fore and middle basitarsi with yellowish hairs. Mesosoma with longer pubescence mainly on propodeum (3–5 × OD). Longer and denser hairs on yellowish areas of terga.

SCULPTURE SURFACE. Lateral sides of clypeus with coarse and dense punctation (0.5–2 × puncture width). Paraocular area and frons with coarser punctation. Large impunctate areas near the ocelli. Coarser punctation on mesosoma, mainly on metepisternum.

STRUCTURES. Head broader than long (1.2–1.1: 1). Ratio of upper and lower interocular distances: 0.8: 1. Maximum interocular distance shorter than length of compound eye (0.7: 1). Clypeus broader than long (1.5: 1), longer than clypeocellar distance (1.1: 1). Labrum slightly longer than broad (1.1: 1). Interalveolar distance longer than alveolorbital distance (2.4: 1). Interalveolar distance shorter than alveolocellar distance (0.7: 1). Lateral ocelli slightly above the upper supraorbital tangent. Interocellar distance longer than ocellocular distance (1.4: 1). Frontal carina extending from tip of supraclypeal carina to median ocellus (2.1× OD). Length of F1 shorter than F2 (0.8: 1), F2 shorter than F3 (0.7: 1) and F3 equal to F4 (1: 1), (0.7: 0.8: 1: 1). Clypeal carinae and epistomal suture poorly defined. Malar area reduced. Length of apical tooth more than twice the length of preapical tooth. Middle trochanter cylindrical. Hind femur and tibia slender. Anterior and posterior margins of hind basitarsus sub-parallel.

Type locality

BRAZIL: Goiás: Aragarças.

Distribution ( Fig. 11 )

BRAZIL: Mato Grosso: Tangará da Serra*, Chapada dos Guimarães ( Gaglianone 2001). Goiás: Aragarças ( Moure & Seabra 1959; Gaglianone 2001),Alto Paraíso de Goiás*. Minas Gerais: Brasilândia de Minas*. São Paulo: Pirassununga ( Gaglianone et al. 2011), Itirapina ( Gaglianone et al. 2011), Rio Claro ( Gaglianone 2001; Gaglianone et al. 2011), São Paulo ( Gaglianone et al. 2011).

Comments

Since it was not possible to examine the holotype male of this species, the identifications were based on material previously identified by Moure, housed at AMNH. In this research we provide for the very first time the morphological description of the female based on a specimen collected near the type locality.

Both sexes of this species are very similar to those of E. minima , but E. luteocincta can be distinguished by the yellow areas covered by dense yellow hairs on the metasoma, while E. minima has scattered yellowish hairs on the apical terga. In addition, unlike the remaining species of the subgenus, the female of this species has no maculae, and the tibial spur of the middle leg of the male is linear.

Although Moure & Seara (1959) doubted about the validity of E. luteocincta as a formal species by its great similarity with E. minima , our results confirm that both species are clearly distinguishable and recognizable from each other. The yellow areas of the metasoma that characterize both sexes of E. luteocincta are not considered as maculae (taking into account the definition provided in the “Material and methods” section) because those areas are largely and densely covered by hairs and the yellow integument is slightly translucent.

This species is distributed throughout south-central Brazil, mainly in the Chacoan and Paraná biogeographic dominions (sensu Morrone 2014). Like E. minima and E. obscura , the males of this species are characterized by their similarity with their respective females.

Figures

Fig. 5. Epicharis (Epicharitides) luteocincta Moure & Seabra, 1959. A–B. Female (Brazil: Itirapina; CEPANN). A. Head, frontal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C–D. Male (Brazil: São Paulo; CEPANN). C. Head, frontal view. D. Habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: A, C = 1 mm; B, D = 5 mm.

Fig. 11. Distribution records for Epicharis luteocincta Moure & Seabra, 1959, E. minima (Friese, 1904) and E. obscura Friese, 1899. Symbols with a cross represent records from literature.