Osmia (Diceratosmia) aliciae Ayala & Griswold, 2005

Rightmyer, Molly G., 2017, A revision of the subgenus Osmia (Diceratosmia), with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), Zootaxa 4337 (1), pp. 1-37 : 5

Osmia (Diceratosmia) aliciae Ayala & Griswold

( Figs 2B , 8B , 10B )

Osmia (Diceratosmia) aliciae Ayala & Griswold 2005: 141 –145 [Holotype female: San Patricio].

Diagnosis. Females of O. aliciae are distinguished from all known North American Osmia except O. gonzalezi by the numerous, prominent cork-screw shaped hairs on the clypeus, frons, and vertex, and very strongly granulose, dull integument beneath these modified hairs ( Fig. 2B ).

Males are similarly known by the dull, strongly granulose integument of the frons between the close-set punctures (only otherwise found in O. gonzalezi and potentially O. spinulifera ) rather than shiny and smooth in other species. This character, in combination with a straight rather than invaginated apical margin of S3 and blue/ green integument will separate O. aliciae from all other known Diceratosmia .

Distribution. Endemic to Mexico, primarily in the Transverse Volcanic Belt of central Mexico; known from Durango to Guerrero and Tlaxcala ( Fig. 13 ).

Material Examined. Mexico . Chiapas: Villa Las Rosas , 8 mi N, 21 Oct 1972 . Durango: El Salto , 5 mi S, meadow, 11 Aug 1986, Faulkner . Guerrero: Taxco, 5 km E, 29 Oct 1991, T Griswold; Taxco , 7 km E, 29 Oct 1991, T Griswold . Jalisco: Ciudad Guzman , 16 km SW, 18 Jul 1989, T Griswold . Mexico: Ixtapan de la Sal, 30 Oct 1991, T Griswold; Milpa Alta , 13 km SW, 28 Oct 1991, T Griswold; Milpa Alta , 13 km SW, 12 Nov 1991, T Griswold . Morelos: Chichinautzin , 8 Oct 1983, O Morales; Derrame del Chichinautzin, km 86.6, 16 Aug 1997, O Yáñez; Derrame del Chichinautzin, km 86.6, 26 Oct 1996, O Yáñez; Tepoztlan, 30 Oct 1983, O Morales . Tlaxcala: Tenancingo , 6 km E, 30 Oct 1991, T Griswold.

Floral Associations. Asteraceae : Heterotheca inuloides ; Lamiaceae : Salvia leptostachys , S. polystachia .

Comments. When O. aliciae was described the female of the closely related O. gonzalezi was not known and some of the Cuernavaca records included in Ayala and Griswold (2005) belong to O. gonzalezi . If the male of O. spinulifera follows the pattern of dull, granulose frons in both sexes as found in O. aliciae and O. gonzalezi , it might well be confused with these two species. Male specimens from northern Mexico running to either of these in the key should be investigated.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Female faces: A) O. marilaunidii (DRO 4915), B) O. aliciae (BBSL 204540), C) O. gonzalezi (BBSL 204546), D) O. conjuncta (BBSL 695035). Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 8. Male T 6, T 7: A) O. subfasciata (BBSL 96965), B) O. aliciae (BBSL 204527), C) O. conjuncta (BBSL 839526). Scale bar = 0.25 mm.

FIGURE 10. Female habitus lateral view: A) O. gonzalezi (BBSL 204546), B) O. aliciae (BBSL 204549). Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 13. Known distribution of O. aliciae (yellow circles) with expected distribution based on maxent modeling (rose coloring). Scale bar = 200 km.