Chlerogella vachali Engel, 2010

Engel, Michael, 2010, Revision of the Bee Genus Chlerogella (Hymenoptera, Halictidae), Part II: South American Species and Generic Diagnosis, ZooKeys 47 (47), pp. 1-100 : 22-24

Chlerogella vachali Engel , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4534952C-2A8C-4B33-AA58-2A134BF86A19

Figs 24–26, Map 2

Holotype. ♀, PERÚ: Dept. Madre de Dios, Amazonas Lodge, N. Atalaya, 12º52.2'S, 71º22.6'W, 480 m, 10–13-XI-2007 [10–13 November 2007], D. Brzoska, ex: flight intercept trap ( MUSM).

Figures 24–26. Holotype female of Chlerogella vachali sp. n. 24 Lateral habitus 25 Facial aspect 26 Lateral aspect of head.

Diagnosis. Among short-headed species of Chlerogella , C. vachali can be recognized by the combination of the generally dark brown metasoma with an amber spot centrally on the first metasomal tergum, the brilliant metallic blue coloration of the head and mesosoma (Figs 24–26), the more widely spaced punctures of the mesoscutum, and its small body size.

Description. Female: Total body length 6.38 mm; forewing length 4.40 mm. Head length 1.64 mm, width 1.30 mm. Clypeus beginning above lower tangent of compound eyes. Malar space 7.2% compound eye length (malar length 0.078 mm; compound eye length 1.09 mm) (Figs 25–26). Upper interorbital distance 0.73 mm; lower interorbital distance 0.52 mm. Upper portion of pronotum medially depressed, not elongate, medially less than 0.25 times ocellar diameter in length; ventral portion of preëpisternal sulcus not broad, similar to scrobal sulcus and upper portion of preëpisternal sulcus; intertegular distance 0.99 mm; mesoscutellum weakly convex, not bigibbous. Basal vein distad cu-a by 3.5 times vein width; 1rs-m distad 1m-cu by two times vein width; 2rs-m distad 2m-cu by five times vein width, 2rs-m relatively straight; first submarginal cell longer than combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells; second submarginal cell narrowed anteriorly, anterior border of second submarginal cell along Rs about one-half as long as that of third submarginal cell; posterior border of third submarginal cell about two times longer than anterior border. Distal hamuli arranged 2-1-2. Inner metatibial spur with four branches (not including apical portion of rachis).

Clypeus and supraclypeal area finely imbricate with weak punctures separated by a puncture width or less; face with small, contiguous punctures, more widely spaced in malar space; punctures of face blending to smooth integument in ocellocular area and vertex, with punctures separated by 0.5–2 times a puncture width; gena smooth with small punctures separated by 1–2 times a puncture width; postgena imbricate and impunctate. Pronotum faintly imbricate with minute punctures separated by 1–3 times a puncture width; mesoscutum smooth with small punctures separated by 1–2 times a puncture width, anteromedially punctures becoming faint to absent and finely imbricate; mesoscutellum smooth with minute punctures separated by 1.5–3.5 times a puncture width; metanotum smooth with scattered minute punctures. Preëpisternum smooth with small punctures separated by 1–3 times a puncture width; mesepisternum smooth with small punctures separated by 2–6 times a puncture width, punctures weak; metepisternum faintly imbricate. Propodeum strongly imbricate. Metasoma finely imbricate.

Mandible dark brown except reddish at apex; labrum dark brown; clypeal apex dark brown, remainder of clypeus and head brilliant metallic azurite blue. Antenna dark brown except basal half of scape yellow brown. Mesosoma brilliant metallic azurite blue except pronotal lobe brown (Fig. 24); tegula dark brown. Wing membranes hyaline; veins dark brown. Legs dark brown except procoxa brilliant metallic azurite blue. Metasoma dark brown, with apical margins of terga translucent light brown and medial anterior-facing surface of TI amber brown.

Pubescence white to slightly golden except intermingled with fuscous setae at apex of metasoma.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Joseph Vachal (1838– 1911), an early pioneer in the systematics of Halictidae , particularly the South American fauna, and who likely described the first species of Chlerogella from an individual in Perú ( C. buyssoni , vide supra).