Colletes neoqueenensis Friese, 1910

Ferrari, Rafael R., 2019, On the identity of Colletes neoqueenensis (Colletidae: Colletinae) from southern South America, Journal of Melittology 2019 (83), pp. 1-8 : 2-6

Colletes neoqueenensis Friese, 1910

( Figs. 1–4 )

Colletes neoqueenensis Friese, 1910: 649 . Lectotype ♀ (examined), designated by Moure & Urban (2002: 15) and deposited at ZMB.

Colletes neuqueenensis [sic]; Moure & Urban, 2002: 15; Montalva & Ruz, 2010: 22.

LITERATURE: Friese (1910: 649): comparative note ( C. araucariae Friese, 1910 ); Friese (1912: 367): key (female); Toro (1986: 123): distribution (southern Chile); Toro (1999: 26, 30): key (female), note on type specimen (depository), distribution (Region XI, Chile); Moure & Urban (2002: 15): lectotype designation (as C. neuqueenensis ); Montalva & Ruz (2010: 22): distribution (Regions IV–IX, Chile and Mendoza and Neuquén, Argentina) (as C. neuqueenensis ); Ascher & Pickering (2018): distribution (Region XI, Chile and Neuquén, Argentina); Ferrari (2017: 126): key (female).

DIAGNOSIS: The female of C. neoqueenensis (the male remains unknown) can be diagnosed through the combination of the following features: clypeal mid-longitudinal area flat and not depressed; mesoscutum with pale-yellow and fuscous hairs intermixed; mesepisternum with imbricate interspaces; and metasomal terga black, covered with pale-yellow, dense tomentum. Colletes neoqueenensis is most similar to C. longiceps Friese, 1910 , but the clypeal mid-longitudinal area is densely punctate (I=0.5–1D) in the former [sparsely punctate (I=1.5–2D) in the later]. In addition, the paraocular area is covered with mixed pale-yellow black hairs in C. neoqueenensis (paraocular area with only pale-yellow hairs in C. longiceps ). Colletes neoqueenensis is also very similar to C. toroi Ferrari, 2017 , but they can be differentiated by mesoscutum with pale-yellow and fuscous hairs intermixed in the former (mesoscutum with only pale-yellow hairs in the later); and by mesepisternum with imbricate interspaces in C. neoqueenensis (interspaces smooth in C. toroi ).

REDESCRIPTION: ♀: Approximate body length 9.7 mm, head width 3.3 mm, head length 2.5 mm, intertegular distance 2.8 mm, forewing length 7.7 mm.

Coloration: Black except dark-brown on ventral surface of flagellum (except proximal 1/3 of F1 black), tegula, vein R of forewing, posterior margin of pterostigma, anteroventral surfaces of front and mid tibiae, dorsal surfaces of basitarsi and tarsomeres 2–3, ventrally reflexed areas of T 1– T 2, S2 laterally, S6 mid-longitudinally. Pale-brown on wing veins (except vein R of forewing dark-brown), distal halves of pretarsal claws, dorsal surfaces of tarsomeres 3 and distitarsi, marginal zones of T 1– T 5. Reddish-brown on distal 1/3 of mandible. Tibial spurs and marginal zones of S1–S5 pale-yellow.

Structure: Labrum medially concave; concavity margined by lateral ridges. Clypeal mid-longitudinal area slightly concave. Malar area ~1.1× as long as basal depth of mandible (58:52). F1 1.5× as long as its apical width (27:18). Ratio between upper and lower interocular distances ~1.1 (67:60). Genal area concave behind upper summit of compound eyes in lateral view. Anterolateral angle of pronotum rounded. Horizontal surface of metapostnotum about half as long as metanotum (26:50). Posteromedial surface of front coxa without spine. Posterior hind tibial spur pectinate. Hind basitarsus ~2.6× longer than broad (45:17). Outer rami of hind pretarsal claws 1.5× as long as inner rami (12:8). Posterolateral area of S6 flat; marginal zone depressed.

Pubescence: Predominantly pale-yellow, except when stated otherwise. Head with plumose, erect, moderately long (L=1.5–2× MOD) hairs; suberect on clypeal lateral slopes and very long (L>3× MOD) on genal (near proboscidial fossa) and vertexal (near occipital area) areas; interantennal and frontal areas with pale-yellow and fuscous hairs intermingled; mandible and clypeal subapical pits with short setae. Mesosoma with plumose, erect, long (L=2.5–3× MOD) hairs; moderately long (L=1.5–2× MOD) on pronotal lobe, very long (L>3× MOD) on mesepisternum and metanotum; mesoscutum with pale-yellow and fuscous hairs intermingled; scutellum with some fuscous tipped hairs; lateral surface of propodeum with suberect, very short (L< MOD) hairs. Legs, scopa excepted, with suberect, short (L=1–1.5× MOD) setae; those setae very long (L>3× MOD) on posterior margin of mid and hind tarsi; posterior margin of front tarsus with fuscous setae; ventral surface of mid and hind basitarsi with pale-brown thick setae (thickest towards distal margin); anterior surface of hind femur and tibia with suberect, long, hairs branched only apically. T 1– T 4 covered with dense, appressed hairs; T 1 with erect, long (L=2.5–3× MOD) hairs among appressed hairs; T 2– T 5 also with erect setae laterally, shortest (L=1–1.5× MOD) on T 2, longest (L=2–2.5× MOD) on T 4– T 5. Disc of T 5 with suberect, short (1–1.5× MOD) setae; discal setae thick on T 6. S1 with erect, plumose, moderately long (L=1.5–2× MOD) hairs. Disc of S2 with erect, very short (L< MOD), hairs branched only apically. Disc of S2–S6 with suberect, very short (L< MOD) setae; marginal zones with plumose hairs (except for S6).

Surface sculpture: Clypeal mid-longitudinal area densely (I=0.5–1D) and moderately finely punctate (interspaces imbricate); adjacent convex area largely inpunctate and smooth. Malar area substrigulate on disc; crowded punctate on lateral slopes. Supraclypeal area imbricate. Paraocular area moderately coarsely punctate; crowded below; only moderately densely (I=1–1.5D) punctate above; interspaces imbricate throughout. Frontal area rugose. Vertexal area with minute and moderately fine punctures intermingled; interspaces rugulose (except rugose near lateral ocellus and occipital area). Mesoscutum and scutellum coarsely and densely (I<D) punctate (except crowded punctate towards posterior half of scutellum); interspaces smooth (except imbricate towards posterior margin of mesoscutum). Metanotum crowded punctate. Mesepisternum densely (I<D) and very coarsely punctate; interspaces imbricate. Metepisternum rugose above and medially; coarsely and densely (I<D) punctate below. Lateral surface of propodeum moderately densely (I=1–1.5D) and moderately finely punctate; interspaces imbricate. Horizontal surface of metapostnotum strigate. Upper area of vertical surface of metapostnotum rugose. T 1 finely and sparsely (I=2–3D) punctate; T 2– T 6 and S2–S5 minutely punctate; interspaces imbricate throughout. S6 sparsely and moderately finely punctate; interspaces imbricate.

♂: Unknown.

LECTOTYPE: ♀, Argentina, Neuquén, 1907, Lendl Adolf coll. Lectotype ( Figs. 1–4 ) designated by Moure & Urban (2002: 649) and deposited at the ZMB .

RANGE: Argentina (Mendoza, Neuquén). Also listed for Chile (Regions IV and XI) , but see “Discussion”, below.

COMMENTS: Colletes neoqueenensis is an uncommon species only known to me by its female lectotype, which is in very good condition. In the original description, Friese compared C. neoqueenensis with C. araucariae Friese, 1910 (= C. sulcatus Vachal, 1909 ), however, the former species is most similar to C. longiceps and C. toroi (see “Diagnosis”, above). From C. sulcatus , C. neoqueenensis can be easily differentiated by mesepisternum with imbricate interspaces (interspaces smooth in C. sulcatus ), and posterior hind tibial spur pectinate (spur ciliate in C. sulcatus ).

Figures

Figures 1–4. Female lectotype of Colletes neoqueenensis Friese. 1. Habitus, dorsal view. 2. Face, frontal view. 3. Habitus, lateral view. 4. Labels. Scale bars = 2mm.