Ancyloscelis halictoides (Holmberg)

Schaller, A. & Roig-Alsina, A., 2021, A revision of the bee genus Ancyloscelis (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Argentina, Zootaxa 4980 (3), pp. 521-540 : 524-525

Ancyloscelis halictoides (Holmberg)

( Figs. 1B , 2B , 3B , 10B , 12C , 13B )

Leptergatis halictoides Holmberg, 1903: 424 (Holotype female, Argentina, Chaco [region], Formosa, III-1885, E. L. Holmberg, MACN, examined). Brèthes, 1909: 222. Schrottky, 1913: 255. Sandhouse, 1943: 563.

Ancyloscelis halictoides: Schrottky, 1920: 168 . Michener & Moure, 1957: 440. Roig-Alsina, 1999: 19. Gumbert & Kunze 1999: 472. Moure & Melo, 2007: 145.

Ancyloscelis gigas Friese, 1904: 21 , 24 (Types male and female, Brazil, Pará am Rio Aragallo, Ducke col., and Jundiahy [São Paulo], December, ZMB, not examined). Michener & Moure, 1957: 440. Roig-Alsina, 1999: 19: 145. Barret 1977: 231– 238. Alves-dos-Santos & Wittmann 1999, 277–278 Figs: 1–3, 4–6. Alves-dos-Santos& Wittmann 2000:127–137; Figs 2 , B, C-D, E; 4 A-B. Alves-dos-Santos, 2000: 179–184. Alves-dos-Santos, 2003: 258. Schlindwein & Madeiros 2006: 179, 186. Moure & Melo, 2007. Téllez et al. 2008: 46. Leme da Cunha et al, 2014: 1638, 1647. Coetzee 2017: 310. (Synonymized by Ducke, 1912).

Dipedia gigas: Friese, 1906: 92 . Ducke, 1908: 33. Friese, 1908: 53, 55. Strand, 1909: 232–233.

Leptergatis romeroi: Strand, 1910: 459 (misidentification).

Melitoma halictoides: Ducke, 1912: 96 .

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by the protuberant clypeus and the extremely long proboscis, which surpasses the posterior coxae in repose ( Figs. 1B , 2B ). The labium of the female bears hooked setae on the first segment of the labial palpus only. The labrum is black in the female and partly yellow with a black basal lateral spot in the male ( Fig. 3B ). The apical band on T2 is usually interrupted in both sexes. The male bears a tuberculiform projection in front of the mid coxa, and the hypostomal carina has a dentiform projection ( Fig. 12C ).

Redescription. Male. Total length 7.00– 9.60 mm. Length of forewing 6.30–8.00 mm. Color. Black, with following parts yellow: labrum in part (with basal lateral black spot), base of mandible, apical band on clypeus; following parts brownish: underside of flagellomeres, tegula, tarsi of second and third legs. Wings weakly infuscate, paler apically; veins and pterostigma blackish. Pilosity. With yellow-golden hairs all over the body, paler on underside of thorax. Scutum with two strata of hairs, one of dense, very short hairs (0.39–0.57x MOD) and another one of interspersed, long hairs (0.82–1.07x MOD). Hairs of mesopleuron 1.07–1.36x MOD. T1, T3–T6 with entire apical bands, T2 with band usually interrupted medially. Structure. OOD 0.64x IOD. Interalveolar distance 2.30x AOD. UID 1.0x LID. Width of head 1.17x length of head. Clypeocular distance 0.72–0.96x MOD. Ventral part of mesopleuron with tuberculiform projection in front of mid coxa. Hypostomal carina elevated forming strong dentiform projection. Posterior basitarsus with inner median curved tooth; apex sharply pointed. Sculpture. Disc of clypeus with close, fine punctures (0.04–0.06 mm); disc of scutum with similar, close punctures (0.04–0.05 mm). Mesopleuron with punctures 0.04–0.05 mm separated by irregular polished interspaces 0.4–0.6 PD.

Female. Total length 9.20–10.90 mm; length of forewing 6.25–7.30 mm. Color. Black; some specimens with brownish apex of mandible, tegula and tarsi. Structure. OOD 0.79 x IOD. IAD 2.0x AOD. UID 1.00x LID. Width of head 1.30x length of head. Clypeocular distance 0.96–1.07x ocellar diameter. Lengths of first plus second labial palp segments 2.30x length of prementum. Labial palpus with modified setae only on first segment. Pilosity. With whitish hairs all over the body, paler on underside of thorax, but apical bands wite to yellowish; tibial scopa with yellow hairs dorsally and white hairs ventrally. Scutum with two strata of hairs, one of dense, very short hairs (0.27–0.38x MOD) and another one of interspersed, long hairs (0.72–0.97x MOD). Hairs of mesopleuron 1.07–1.17x MOD. T1, T3–T5 with entire apical bands, T2 with band usually interrupted medially. Sculpture. Disc of clypeus with close, fine punctures (0.04–0.05 mm); disc of scutum with smaller, close punctures (0.03–0.04 mm) separated by polished interspaces 0.5–0.8 PD. Mesopleuron with punctures 0.04–0.05 mm separated by polished interspaces 0.2–0.5 PD.

Comments. The female holotype is preserved at MACN. It bears the following labels: “ Formosa / E L H/ III- 85,” “halictoides/ Holmberg,” “ Leptergatis / Holmberg,” “Col. Holmb.,” “ Holotypus,” the first three in Holmberg’s handwritting. The specimen lacks the left antenna, and the metasoma beyond the second segment. Friese’s description of A. gigas (1904) entirely agrees with A. halictoides . We have examined material from the state of Pará, in northern Brazil, which coincides in all morphological characters with specimens from Argentina. The synonymy proposed by Ducke (1912) is confirmed here.

Distribution. Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Argentina: provinces of Formosa, Chaco, Entre Ríos, Santa Fe, and Buenos Aires. Brazil, states of Pará, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo. Paraguay, department of Cordillera.

Material studied. Argentina. Formosa: 1 ♀, Formosa, III-1885, E. L. Holmberg, holotype of Leptergatis halictoides (MACN) ; 1 ♂, Laguna La Oca , I-2009, G. Galvani ( MACN) ; 1 ♂, Capital, 2011, G. Galvani ( MACN) . Chaco: 7 ♀, 3 ♂, Barranqueras , 17/ 24-IV-2016, A. Schaller ( MACN) ; 4 ♂, Colonia Elisa 15-XI-2017, A. Schaller ( MACN) . Entre Ríos: 3 ♀, Rincón de Nogoya , 27-II-1982, A. Roig-Alsina ( MACN) . Santa Fe: 5 ♂, 4 ♀, Villa Ocampo , 26-III-1941 ( MLP) . Buenos Aires: 1 ♂, Tigre: Delta, río Carapachay , 27-I-2002, A. Roig-Alsina ( MACN) , 1 ♂, Tigre: Río Lujan Club ACA, 7-I-2002, A. Roig-Alsina ( MACN) . Brazil . Pará: 1 ♀, Santarem , April 1919, S. M. Klages ( MACN) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Females, A. ursinus species group, lateral view. A, A. bonariensis Brèthes. B, A. halictoides (Holmberg). C, A. holmbergi sp. n. D, A. mesopotamica (Holmberg). Scale lines = 0.1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Males, A. ursinus species group, lateral view. A, A. bonariensis Brèthes. B, A. halictoides (Holmberg). C, A. holmbergi sp. n. D, A. mesopotamica (Holmberg). Scale line= A, C and D, 0.1 mm; B, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Males, A. ursinus species group, head, frontal view. A, A. bonariensis Brèthes. B, A. halictoides (Holmberg). C, A. holmbergi sp. n. D, A. mesopotamica (Holmberg). Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 10. Males, A. ursinus species group, posterior basitarsus, ventral view. A, A. bonariensis Brèthes. B, A. halictoides (Holmberg). C, A. holmbergi sp. n. D, A. mesopotamica (Holmberg). Scale lines = 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 12. A–B, dorsal view of female pronotal lobe (p, pronotal lobe). A, A. bonariensis Brèthes. B, A. mesopotamica (Holmberg). C–D, lateral view of male head showing hypostomal carina (h). C, A. halictoides (Holmberg). D, A. bonariensis Brèthes. Scale lines = A–D, 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 13. A–H, distribution map of Ancyloscelis species in Argentina.A, A. bonariensis. B, A. halictoides. C, A. holmbergi. D, A. mesopotamica. E, A. apiformis. F, A. nigricornis. G, A. romeroi. H, A. saltensis. Black dots, records from literature; red dots, new records.