Xylocopa (Nanoxylocopa) bella, MELO, 2016

MELO, GABRIEL A. R., 2016, A NEW SPECIES OF XYLOCOPA (NANOXYLOCOPA) FROM BRAZIL (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 56 (9), pp. 103-107 : 104-107

Xylocopa (Nanoxylocopa) bella sp. nov.

( Figs. 1-6 )

Diagnosis and Comments

In addition to the slightly smaller body size, females of X. bella sp. nov. can be distinguished from those of X. ciliata by the possession of pale hairs intermixed with the black pubescence on the head and metasoma, by the more abundant pubescence on mesoscutum, the much denser tergal pilosity, the mostly plumose pilosity on the dorsal portion of T1, gena with less coarse punctures, the less coarse and denser punctation on the mesoscutum, tergal punctation fin- er than that on vertex, apex of hind tibia with a single spine, and by the straight posterior margin of the S2 to S5. The males differ from those of X. ciliata by the lighter wing membrane, which is light-brown infumat- ed and lacks metallic reflexes, the entirely dark scape, the paler pilosity on the head and mesosoma, the patch of finely plumose pubescence on the anterior corners of the mesoscutum, the decumbent short pilosity on the discs of the T3 and T4, the finer punctation of the gena, the narrower face, the shorter distance between the lateral ocellus and the eye, the much narrower head behind the eyes, the slanted metanotum and the less protruding basal portion of the propodeum.

Distribution

The known records indicate a distribution from the Serra do Espinhaço, in central Minas Gerais to the Chapada Diamantina, in central Bahia.

Description

Holotype female: Approximate body length, 14 mm; forewing, including tegula, 12.5 mm. Body integument mostly black, except for dark reddish brown low- er surface of F2-F10, apical tarsomeres and basal half of claws. Wing membrane black infumated, with dark steel-blue and bronze hues. Pubescence chiefly black; face and vertex with intermingled pale hairs; lateral portions of T4 and T5 with some simple and plumose pale yellow hairs among the dark pubescence; a few pale hairs also laterally on marginal fringe of T3; pubescence on T1 very dense and mostly plumose. Vertex and gena densely punctate throughout, density on upper portion of gena similar to that on vertex; punctures on anterior portion of mesoscutum, and along its lateral margins, much finer than those on frons and vertex; tergal punctation relatively fine, with puncture diameter smaller than those on vertex, and very dense, punctures almost contiguous on lateral thirds of T2 and T3, becoming slightly sparser medially (laterally adjacent punctures placed apart by less than 1 pd on T2 and about 1-2 pd on T3). Structure and proportions (measurements in mm): Head about 1.3× wider than long (5.2:4.0); eyes equally distant between both upper and lower orbits (2.6:2.6); maximum interorbital distance shorter than eye length (3.1:3.4); clypeus about 1.8× wider than long (2.4:1.35), its length subequal to clypeocellar distance (1.35:1.4); length of subantennal suture about 1.2× inner diameter of antennal alveolus (0.35:0.30); interalveolar distance slightly longer than alveolorbital distance (0.94:0.83); distance between posterior ocelli 1.7× diameter of mid ocellus and about 0.9× ocellocullar distance (0.62:0.36:0.68); upper head margin, in frontal view, about 1.8× more distant from lateral ocellus than to upper orbit (0.47:0.26); malar space much shorter than maximum diameter of F1 (0.12:0.22); length of F1 longer than summed length of F2-F3 and shorter than length of F2-F4 (0.57:0.42:0.67).

Paratype male: Approximate body length, 14 mm; forewing, including tegula, 13.3 mm. Body integument mostly black to dark brown, except for reddish brown on lower surface of F2-F10, fore coxal and trochanteral spines, apical portion of fore femur, anterior and inner surfaces of fore tibia and most of foretarsus; mid- and hindtarsus mostly dark reddish-brown. With the following pale yellow maculae: a small, rounded spot at the mandible base; labrum entirely, except narrow dark stripe along its lower margin; clypeus entirely; lower paraocular area up to midsection of antennal alveolus; supraclipeal area up to tangent across lower third of antennal alveolus. Wing membrane light brown infumated, without metallic reflexes. Pubescence on head chiefly pale yellow to white, with conspicuous black setae intermingled, particularly on upper frons, vertex and upper gena; mesoscutum with about equal amounts of dark and pale hairs, its anterior corners with a conspicuous dense patch of short finely plumose pale yellow pubescence intermingled among the longer hairs; scutellum mostly pale pubescent, with a few dark hairs; mesepisternum, including its ventral portion, with an anterior band of pale pubescence, hairs ventrally on central portion of band mostly reddish yellow, upper lateral portion with mostly pale hairs, remainder of sclerite with dark pu- bescence; metanotum, metepisternum and propodeum mostly dark pubescent; fore leg mostly with pale pubescence; mid and hind legs with coxa, trochanter, femur and inner surface of tibia and tarsus mostly dark pubescent, outer surface of mid tibia and of mid and hind tarsi mostly pale pubescent, outer surface of hind tibia dark pubescent on anterior two-thirds, a stripe of reddish yellow setae basal to the basitibial plate and a stripe of pale hairs along entire posterior border; anterior surface of T1 and dorsal surface of T2-T7 mostly dark pubescent; dorsal surface of T1 and lateral portions of T1-T5 mostly pale pubescent; setae on disc of T3-T4 mostly very short and decumbent, length of setae becoming longer toward posterior margin of sclerites. Punctation on gena less coarse and shallower than that on vertex immediately behind ocelli; tergal punctation coaser than that on gena. Structure and proportions (measurements in mm): Head about 1.4× wider than long (4.6:3.2); eyes much closer to one another along upper than lower orbits (1.35:1.9); maximum interorbital distance much shorter than eye length (1.9:3.3); clypeus about 1.3× wider than long (1.9:1.45), its length about 1.5× the clypeoocellar distance (1.45:0.94); length of subantennal suture shorter than inner diameter of antennal alveolus (0.20:0.27); interalveolar distance 1.8× longer than alveolocular distance (0.57:0.31); distance between posterior ocelli about 1.2× as long as the diameter of mid ocellus and about 3.2× ocellocular distance (0.42:0.36:0.13); vertex not projecting above eyes in frontal view; malar space very narrow, linear; F1 about 2.8× longer than its maximum width (0.57:0.20), its length longer than summed length of F2-F3 and shorter than length of F2-F4 (0.57:0.45:0.70). Inner tubercle on apex of hind tibia projecting as a blunt spine, about as long as spine on apex of outer surface.

Variation

The female from Minas Gerais has slightly more light pubescence on the terga, with a few pale yellow plumose hairs on the lateral margins of T2 and T3, distinct short lateral fasciae on T4 and T5, and a few long simple pale yellow setae on the lateral portions of T6. Also, the setae bordering the pygidial plate are reddish brown in this specimen.

Type Material

Holotype female ( DZUP), “ DZUP \ 028457” “PICO DAS ALMAS\ BAHIA BRASIL \ 26.03.1980 \ F.P. Benton ” [underside: “Mun. de\ Agua Quente\ on Ericaceae ”] . Paratypes: 1 male ( DZUP), “ DZUP \

028458” “ 28-I-2005 PICO DAS ALMAS\ RIO DE CONTAS, BAHIA,\ 1400-1600 m, MIELKE\ & CASAGRANDE LEG.”; 1 female ( DZMG), “ Serra do Cipó \ 2232-7044” “ Santana do Riacho MG\ BRASIL 16/04/1998 \ R.M. Carmo ” “Nanoxylocopa\ bella n. sp. ♀ \ Det. Moure, 1998” ; 1 female ( MZUSP), “ BRASIL: BA: MUCUGÊ\ CAMPO RUPESTRE: 9-\ XII 1990 \ S.T.P. AMARANTE COL” .

Etymology

The species is named after bellus, pretty or lovely in Latin. The name has been given many years ago by the late Father Moure, but remained unpublished.

Figures

FIGURES 1‑6: Xylocopa bella sp. nov. (1-3) Holotype female. (1) Head, frontal view; (2) Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; (3) Apex of metasoma, dorsal view. (4-6) Paratype male. (4) Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; (5) Head, frontal view; (6) Detail of head and mesosoma, frontolateral view.