Scaptotrigona kuperi Engel, 2022

Engel, Michael S., 2022, Notes on South American stingless bees of the genus Scaptotrigona (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Part II: Subgroup A of the postica species group, Journal of Melittology 2022 (110), pp. 1-51 : 15-17

Scaptotrigona kuperi Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B0B9A59F-557D-4FE7-B00B-2B68A04ADA4C

( Figs. 18–20 )

DIAGNOSIS: This species is superficially similar to S. ederi , which also occurs west of the Cordillera Occidental but more northerly in Colombia (versus in north-central Ecuador in S. kuperi ). It can most easily can be distinguished from S. ederi by the presence of a distinct genal tooth.

DESCRIPTION: As described for S. ederi (vide supra), with the following modifications: ⚲: Total body length approximately 6.1–6.3 mm, forewing length (to base of humeral sclerite) 6.0– 6.1 mm. Head wider than long, width 2.45–2.48 mm, length 1.91–2.00 mm; compound eye length 1.36–1.39 mm; upper interorbital distance 1.58–1.64 mm, lower interorbital distance 1.52–1.56 mm. Scape length 0.88–0.91 mm, about as long as torulocellar distance, torulocellar distance 0.88–0.91 mm. Clypeus approximately 1.8× as wide as long, length 1.12–1.15 mm, width 0.61–0.63 mm. Malar area approximately 1.6–1.8× flagellar diameter or 0.73–0.81× basal mandibular width. Preoccipital ridge carinate, weakly lamellate dorsally, with bordering medial indentation as deep as lateral indentations, laterally concavity interrupting carina distinct and deep, lower margin of concavity with carina forming short, upward-projecting, acute, lamellate tooth.

Integument of labiomaxillary complex yellow orange; labrum yellow orange; mandible yellow orange; clypeus yellow orange to orange except apical margin often stained with brown, epistomal sulcus well delineated by brown to black; supraclypeal area yellow orange to orange; malar space yellow orange to orange; face largely yellow orange to orange except upper half of frons, vertex, posterior of head, and sometimes uppermost portion of gena dark brown to black; remainder of gena and postgena yellow orange to orange; scape yellow orange to orange, sometimes with stain of brown dorsoapically; pedicel and flagellum typically brown, with narrow underside of flagellum orange to light brown. Mesosoma largely yellow orange to orange except mesoscutum black, metanotum black, V-shaped incision in mesoscutellum dark reddish brown to black, mesepisternum either black on ventral half or anterior half; propodeum black to dark reddish brown; tegula wholly yellow orange and semi-translucent; legs typically yellow orange to orange except sometimes with brown to dark brown on prolateral surfaces of tibiae, metafemur apically, and centrally on prolateral surface of metabasitarsus. Metasoma generally dark brown to black except anterior-facing surface of tergum I typically light brown to yellow brown, dorsal-facing disc of tergum I often medially lighter yellow brown with exceptionally narrow apical marginal zone of yellow; tergum II with broad medial area of light orange blending to yellow brown on disc and narrow apical marginal zone of yellow; terga III – IV with apical marginal zones of yellow, typically obscured by tomentum; sterna dark reddish brown to dark brown.

As for S. ederi except areas of short, plumose setae yellow to pale yellow instead of white. Bristles of vertex erect, simple, yellow to fulvous, with those short bristles near upper orbit often fuscous and sometimes a few longer fuscous bristles intermixed posteriorly on vertex medially; pronotal dorsolateral margin near and anterior to pronotal lobe with long, arched, yellow bristles; mesoscutum anterior and lateral borders with erect bristles, those on lateral border short, anterior margin with mix of yellow and dark fulvous to black bristles, such bristles intermixed along entire margin; tegula with short, suberect, yellow bristles anteriorly; mesoscutellum with abundant, elongate, erect bristles posteriorly, such bristles minutely pectinate apically, discal bristles shorter, mesoscutellar bristles yellow; mesepisternal bristles as in S. ederi except yellow. Legs with abundant bristles, bristles typically yellow except noticeably intermixed with black bristles on prolateral surface of protibia apically, prolateral surface of probasitarsus, prolateral and marginal surface of mesotibia, prolateral surface of mesobasitarsus, metafemur apically, metatibia, and metabasitarsus marginal bristles; prolateral surface of metabasitarsus with scatered fine, simple, black setae (noticeably thinner than marginal bristles) intermixed with similar yellow setae and bristles. Metasoma with numerous, prominent, subdecumbent, yellow bristles on terga III – V arising from tomentum.

♀: Latet.

♂: Latet.

HOLOTYPE: ⚲, Ecuador: Pichincha, Pedro Vicente Maldonado , 3.5 km N, 530 m, 0°6’44’’N, 79°3’21’’W, 29 Mar 1999, R. Brooks ( SEMC).

PARATYPE: ⚲, Ecuador: Pichincha, Pedro Vicente Maldonado , 3.5 km N, 530 m, 0°6’44’’N, 79°3’21’’W, 29 Mar 1999, R. Brooks ( SEMC) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet honors Peter Kuper, acclaimed illustrator, thought-provoking visual artist, inspiring author, devoted and life-long entomologist, and friend.

Figures

Figures 18–20. Worker of Scaptotrigona kuperi, new species. 18. Lateral habitus. 19. Dorsal habi- tus. 20. Facial view.