Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) elpidia Engel, 2014

Engel, Michael S., 2014, The bee genus Caenaugochlora in Venezuela (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), Journal of Melittology 33, pp. 1-10 : 2-5

Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) elpidia Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E10617A6-E2D0-4D42-B344-60D62FFDD5CB

( Figs. 1 , 3–5 )

DIAGNOSIS: The new species can be recognized by the combination of its discolorous body coloration, with a deeply dark metallic purple-blue head and mesosoma contrasting with a metallic greenish golden metasoma ( Figs. 3, 4 ); a weakly carinate preoccipital ridge; a strongly imbricate basal area of the propodeum with weak, short, basal rugae ( Fig. 5 ); and a strongly imbricate mesoscutum with small, contiguous punctures over most of its surface.

DESCRIPTION: ♀: Total body length 7.6 mm (7.1 mm); forewing length 5.8 mm (5.6 mm). Head slightly wider than long, length 2.08 mm (1.97 mm), width 2.21 mm (2.13 mm). Mandible with weak subapical tooth. Labrum with low orbicular elevation, basally blending into remainder of surface. Malar space linear. Upper interorbital distance 1.15 mm (1.09 mm); lower interorbital distance 0.93 mm (0.88 mm). Compound eyes with fine, white ocular setae, individual setae much longer than an individual ommatidial diameter. Preoccipital ridge weakly carinate. Pronotal lateral angle slightly obtuse, dorsal ridge carinate, lateral ridge angled, not carinate. Mesoscutum with anterior border broadly rounded, with well-defined, narrow, anterior-facing surface but not projecting over pronotum; intertegular distance 1.68 mm (1.60 mm). Inner metatibial spur pectinate, with five long branches, not including apical portion of rachis. Forewing with basal vein distad 1cu-a by two times vein width; first submarginal cell slightly longer than combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells; second submarginal cell slightly narrowed anteriorly, anterior border along Rs about as a long as anterior border of third submarginal cell along same vein; 1rs-m confluent with 1m-cu; 2rs-m distinctly arched, distad 2m-cu by six times vein width. Metasoma broadly rounded, ovoid; terga not depressed; sterna unmodified.

Clypeus with coarse, shallow punctures separated by less than a puncture width except slightly more widely spaced basally, integument between punctures imbricate; supraclypeal area with small punctures separated by less than a puncture width along borders, more widely spaced centrally, integument between punctures imbricate; face with small, contiguous punctures, such punctures becoming weaker by ocellocular area such that surface appears strongly imbricate and roughened, similar integument on vertex and upper gena; gena with small punctures separated less than a puncture width, integument between finely imbricate, ventrally along border with postgena becoming longitudinally striate; postgena impunctate and longitudinally striate along outer portions blending to strongly imbricate integument toward inner border with hypostomal fossa. Pronotum imbricate. Mesoscutum imbricate with small contiguous punctures, such punctures becoming more spaced and shallower medially around median line; mesoscutellum imbricate with small contiguous punctures; metanotum imbricate with scattered small punctures; pleura with coarse, irregular, contiguous punctures giving surface a strongly roughened appearance; lateral and posterior surfaces of propodeum imbricate with scattered punctures, basal area of propodeum strongly imbricate, appearing almost granular, with weak, irregular, basal rugae. Metasomal terga imbricate with minute punctures, more finely imbricate on first tergum and apical margins; sterna finely imbricate with scattered course punctures in apical halves.

Mandible dark brown; labiomaxillary complex black, with yellow brown palpi; labrum black; clypeal apex dark brown, remainder of clypeus and head dark metallic blue-purple with blue and purple highlights; scape dark brown, nearly black; flagellum dark brown except lighter on venter, particularly on apicalmost flagellomeres where coloration is nearly yellowish brown. Mesosoma dark metallic purple-blue with bluish and purple highlights; tegula semi-translucent brown; wing membranes hyaline clear, venation brown; legs dark brown with metallic purple and blue highlights except tarsi without such highlights and pro- and metacoxae metallic entirely purple. Metasoma dark brown with strong metallic greenish-golden coloration; first tergum with noticeable metallic blue highlights, particularly laterally; succeeding terga without such blue highlights except along lateral extremities; sterna dark brown without metallic highlights.

Pubescence overall not obscuring integumental surfaces, color golden to white except more darkly golden to fuscous on dorsum of mesosoma and tarsi, tarsi also with distinctly black setae, particularly on outer surfaces; metasomal setae generally golden.

♂: Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: ♀, Venezuela: Aragua, Rancho Grande Biol. Stn., Portachuelo Pass, 10°21’0’’N, 67°41’0’’W, 1100 m, 4 Jun [June] 1998, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Hanley; ex: insects moving thru [through] pass against wind-migration; deposited in the Division of Entomology, University of Kansas Natural History Museum , Lawrence, Kansas.

PARATYPE: ♀, same data and repository as holotype .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is derived from the Greek term, elpidos, meaning, “hope”.

Figures

Figures 1–2. Facial views of Caenaugochlora from Venezuela. 1. Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) elpidia, new species. 2. C. (C.) pantochlora, new species.

Figures 3–5. Female of Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) elpidia, new species. 3. Lateral habitus. 4. Dorsal habitus. 5. Detail of propodeum.