Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) andica Enderlein, 1913

Lucia, Mariano & Gonzalez, Victor H., 2017, New species and designation of primary types in Neotropical carpenter bees of the genus Xylocopa Latreille (Hymenoptera, Apidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 61, pp. 31-48 : 33

Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) andica Enderlein, 1913 Fig. 1

Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) andica Enderlein, 1913: 160 (Lectotype: USNM; ♀, Peru, Chanchamayo) (new lectotype designation).

Diagnosis.

This species can be distinguished by the combination of the following features: large body size (body length ~23 mm); pubescence black; integument dark brown to black throughout, basal three terga with weak, dark brown bands; wings dark brown with green highlights apically, violet basally; labrum basally with three longitudinally elongated tubercles; gena and supraocular areas sparsely punctate; mesoscutellum with subhorizontal dorsal surface smooth and shiny, declivitous posterior surface weakly imbricate, dull, not separated by a border or carina; T2 and T3 sparsely punctate on discs, punctures separated by at least 2-3 times a puncture width; apical terga with denser punctures laterally; discs of T2 and T3 medially with very short, black, simple setae, each seta barely exiting puncture, increasing in length laterally and on apical terga.

Comments.

The female lectotype of Xylocopa andica is morphologically similar to the female of X. nigrocincta Smith, a species that occurs in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. It differs from X. nigrocincta in the coloration of the terga and wings. In X. nigrocincta , all terga are basally reddish brown, except T6, and the wings are dark brown with strong violet highlights. In X. andica , the basal three terga have weak, dark brown bands, and the wings are dark brown with green highlights apically, violet basally. Because integumental coloration of the metasomal terga and wings are variable in other species of Xylocopa , it is possible that both species are conspecifics. For example, specimens of X. frontalis (Olivier) from Central America and northern South America have terga uniformly black and wings with strong green highlights. In contrast, specimens from southern South America (Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay) have light reddish brown bands on the basal terga and wings with strong violet highlights ( Hurd 1978: 80-81). Furthermore, we examined two female specimens from the same locality and collector in Argentina (Virginia, nr. La Ramada, Dpto. Burruyacu, III-27-1967 / Cucurbita maxima / USNM) in which the coloration of the wings is similar to that of X. andica in one of them, and to X. nigrocincta in the other.

Another species that might be conspecific with X. nigrocincta is X. suspecta Moure and Camargo, a species recorded from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay ( Moure 2007). Male and female specimens from Bolivia (El Beni) standing in SEMC under X. suspecta are undistinguishable from X. nigrocincta , including in the male genitalia. Doubtless, future studies are necessary to assess the species limits of these species.

Xylocopa andica was described from five specimens (two females and three males) and no holotype was designated. According to T. Hufleit (MIZ), these syntypes were borrowed by the late J.S. Moure in 1959 and were never returned. These specimens could not be located at the Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil (G. Melo, pers. comm.). However, we found a female specimen of this type series in the general bee collection of the USNM, which we here designate as the lectotype to stabilize the name. The label data for this specimen are as follows: Peru Chanchamayo [Wilhelm] Hoffmanns [green label] / Co = Typus [yellow label] / Xylocopa andica Enderl. ♀ Type Dr. Enderlein det.1913 [handwritten] / Lectotype, Xylocopa andica Enderlein des. M. Lucia & V.H. Gonzalez. This specimen is currently in USNM.

Distribution.

Peru (Chanchamayo).

Figures

Figure 1. Dorsal habitus of the female lectotype of Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) andica Enderlein.