Eufriesea micheneri Ayala & Engel, 2008

Gonzalez, Victor H., Griswold, Terry & Simoes, Marianna, 2017, On the identity of the adventive species of Eufriesea Cockerell in the USA: systematics and potential distribution of the coerulescens species group (Hymenoptera, Apidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 55, pp. 55-102 : 67-69

Eufriesea micheneri Ayala & Engel, 2008

Male, Figs 6 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 112-117 , 118-123 ; Female, Figs 30 , 32 , 66 , 124-127

Eufriesea micheneri Ayala & Engel, 2008: 228 (Holotype: UNAM; ♂, Mexico: Jalisco, Mascota)

Diagnosis.

Superficially this species resembles E. simillima in that both sexes are primarily blue with purple hues. In addition to their geographical separation ( E. simillima occurs in the Sierra Madre de Occidental whereas E. micheneri occupies western parts of the Transverse Volcanic Belt), it can be separated by the length of the tongue (reaching S2 in E. micheneri and only the metatrochanter in E. simillima ), the subapical projection of the anterior margin of the male metatibia (formed by the upper portion of the ridge that borders the depressed area in E. micheneri and by the medial portion of the ridge, and thus located above the inner spur, in E. simillima ), and by the dorsal lobe of gonostylus (apically about as broad as its base and largely bare on its outer surface in E. simillima and apically broad and setose on outer surface in E. micheneri ). From E. barthelli and E. engeli it can be separated by T2 with sparser punctures on disc (contiguous or separated by at most a puncture width in E. barthelli and E. engeli ), metabasitarsus with posterodistal margin angled (broadly rounded in E. barthelli and E. engeli ) and pubescence of mesotibia, between the medial margin of posterior felty patch and anterior margin of tibia (presence on basal half in E. micheneri and basal two-thirds in E. barthelli and E. engeli ).

Morphology.

♂, As described for E. engeli except as follows: Head width 6.3 mm; body length 17.8 mm; forewing length 16.3 mm. Metabasitarsus with inner surface near base strongly protuberant in frontal view, posterodistal margin angled. Hidden sterna and genitalia as in Figs 118-123 .

Mandible black with green, blue, and purple hues on basal third as on labrum; face green with golden and blue hues; vertex and gena blue with purple hues. Meso- and metasoma blue with green hues on anterior two-thirds of mesoscutum and disc of tegula, weak purple hues on remainder areas of mesosoma and marginal zones of terga and sterna.

Face with off-white setae, vertex and gena with gray to black setae. Mesosoma with gray to black setae except on outer surfaces of mesobasitarsi and distitarsi. Mesotibia with area between medial margin of posterior patch and anterior margin of tibia bare on distal half; posterior patch subapically about as broad as distance between its medial margin and anterior margin of tibia. Metasoma with gray setae on terga, white or off-white on S3-S5.

Disc of T2 with finer and sparser punctures than on E. barthelli , punctures separated by at least a puncture width.

♀: Head width 6.0 mm; body length 17.5 mm; forewing length 14.7 mm. Coloration as in the female of E. barthelli but with stronger purple hues. Pubescence black, with whitish on sides of T4 and T5 and discs of S3 and S5 in some specimens. Mesoscutellum with poorly defined row of dense pubescence on median longitudinal groove. T2 with finer, sparser punctures than on E. barthelli .

Distribution.

(Fig. 128 ) Mexico: Durango, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit. This species appears to be restricted to mid elevation oak and pine forests in the western parts of the Transverse Volcanic Belt.

Material examined.

In addition to the paratypes deposited in SEMC (five males and one female from Mascota, Jaslico , and one male from Santa Tereresa , Nayarit), we also examined the following two females deposited in ECOSUR: 1♀, ECO-TAP-E-118160, Méx., Dgo. [Durango], San Dimas , 1760 m, 24,53210N, 105,81339W, 2/10/2013, 10:00, Col. Liliana Tlapaya ; 1♀, ECO-TAP-E-102831, Mex., Mich. [ Michoacán], Morelia, J. del Monte , 2172 m, 19,63395N, 101,14644W, 4/7/2013, 10:05, Col. Oscar Martínez López.

Floral records.

Females have been collected on flowers of Salvia sp. ( Lamiaceae ).

Comments.

Some of the specimens listed under this species by Ayala and Engel (2008) in the section "additional material examined" correspond to E. barthelli . These two species partially overlap in distribution.

Figures

Figure 128. Collection localities for species of Eufriesea of the Eufriesea coerulescens group.

Figures 4 - 6. Male mesotibia. 4 E. barthelli (holotype) 5 E. engeli (paratype, KUNHM-ENT 0504531) 6 E. micheneri (paratype. Mexico: Jalisco, Mascota, KUNHM-ENT 1121713).

Figures 14 - 19. Detail of the subapical projection (indicated by an arrow) above the spurs of the male metatibia in anterior (14, 16, 18) and lateral views (15, 17, 19). 14, 15 E. barthelli (paratype. Mexico: Jalisco, Ajijic, KUNHM-ENT 0504535); 16, 17 E. engeli (paratype, KUNHM-ENT 0504531) 18, 19 E. micheneri (paratype. Mexico: Jalisco, Talpa, KUNHM-ENT 1121712).

Figures 20 - 26. Dorsal views of male mesoscutellum (20, 21) and second metasomal tergum (22, 23), and lateral views of the genital capsule (24) and dorsal (gsd) and ventral lobes (gsv) of the gonostylus (25, 26). Red box in Fig. 24 indicates detailed area in subsequent figures. 20 E. micheneri (paratype. Mexico: Jalisco, Talpa, KUNHM-ENT 1121712) 21, 23 - 25 E. oliveri (paratype. Mexico: Guerrero, EMEC 1069134, - 35) 22 E. coerulescens (lectotype) 26 E. engeli (paratype, KUNHM-ENT 0504531).

Figures 112 - 117. Male paratype of E. micheneri (Mexico: Jalisco, Mascota, KUNHM-ENT 1121713). 112 Facial view 113 Lateral habitus 114 Dorsal habitus; 115 Outer view of hind leg 116 Ventral view of metatrochanter with arrow pointing to distinct projection 117 Second metasomal tergum.

Figures 118 - 123. Male terminalia of E. micheneri (paratype. Mexico: Jalisco, Talpa, KUNHM-ENT 1121712). 118 Seventh metasomal sternum in ventral view 119, 120 Eighth metasomal sternum in ventral and lateral views 121 - 123 Genital capsule in dorsal, ventral, and lateral views.

Figures 27 - 33. Dorsal views of female mesoscutellum (27, 28) and tegula (29, 30), and outer view of hind leg (31 - 33). 27 E. barthelli (paratype. Mexico: Morelos, Tepoztlan, UNAM 01827) 28, 33 E. oliveri (paratype. Mexico: Guerrero, EMEC 1069136) 29, 31 E. coerulescens (Mexico: San Luis Potosi, ECO-TAP-E- 104700; Queretaro, ECO-TAP-E- 104753) 30, 32 E. micheneri (paratype. Mexico: Jalisco, Mascota, KUNHM-ENT 1121708). Arrows in Fig. 27 indicate the distinct medial longitudinal groove with row of dense pubescence.

Figures 63 - 66. Female second metasomal tergum. 63 E. oliveri (paratype. Mexico: Guerrero, EMEC 1069136) 64 E. simillima (paratype. Mexico, Maguarichi, KUNHM-ENT 1091973) 65 E. barthelli (paratype. Mexico: Morelos, Tepoztlan, UNAM 01827) 66 E. micheneri (paratype. Mexico: Jalisco, Mascota, KUNHM-ENT 1121708).

Figures 124 - 127. Female paratype of E. Micheneri (Mexico: Jalisco, Mascota, KUNHM-ENT 1121708). 124 Facial view 125 Lateral habitus 126 Dorsal habitus 127 Dorsal view of mesoscutellum.