Chilicola (Oroediscelis) abrebotellas Packer and Dumesh, 2019

Packer, Laurence & Dumesh, Sheila, 2019, Fifteen new species of Chilicola (Oroediscelis) (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Xeromelissinae) with illustrated keys to the males and females of the subgenus, Zootaxa 4559 (1), pp. 1-56 : 9-11

Chilicola (Oroediscelis) abrebotellas Packer and Dumesh , new species

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( Figs. 17–23 , 83 , 167 , 169 )

Diagnosis. The enormous apically upcurved processes on S4 (reminiscent of a hockey stick) and presence of elongate processes on S5 are readily diagnostic for the male of C. abrebotellas : no other species of Chilicola (indeed, no other species of bee we are aware of) has such similar upturned processes on S4. Only C. goloboffi also has acute processes on S5 but its process on S4 is weakly sinuate. The female can be differentiated by the following combination: malar space about 1/3 as long as wide; frontal area densely punctate to weakly rugose; mesoscutum anteriorly, between notaulices, with punctures of similar moderate size. Other species with such a short malar space are smaller (5.0 mm– 6.5 mm in length), except C. brooksi Michener and C. quitensis Benoist which both have numerous minute punctures with few large ones anteriorly on the mesoscutum, between the notaulices, whereas C. abrebotellas has all the punctures of similar size.

Description. Male: Length 7.9 mm; forewing length 5.7 mm, head width 1.95 mm. Head: almost as long as wide, 99:94. Apex of clypeus with transverse yellow mark; paraocular area yellow almost to dorsal margin of clypeus; mandible with small yellowish basal mark. Clypeus and supraclypeal area irregularly punctate, i=0.1–3 d; longitudinal medial depression of clypeus strong; lower paraocular area punctures i=1–2 d. Frontal area coarsely punctate medially, punctures crowded, sharp-edged; deeply alveolate laterally. Malar space half as long as wide (7:14); lower ocular tangent at middle of clypeus. Longest hairs of face lateral to antennal socket, 2 MOD; genal beard hairs <3.5 MOD. F1 shorter than F2 on anterior surface (12:14), length equal on posterior surface (15:15); F2 and F3 each with two long robust setae, longest attaining apex of succeeding flagellomere.

Mesosoma: pronotum densely, finely punctate; mesoscutum distinctly punctate, i~d; mesoscutellum more sparsely punctate, i=1–2 d; metanotum irregularly punctate, i=0.5–3 d; mesepisternum i=1–2 d; metepisternum with scattered obscure punctures below. Metepisternum rugulose-striate above, coarsely imbricate below; metapostnotum shorter than mesoscutellum (20:25), finely striate, striae uninterrupted, sometimes branched; lateral surface of propodeum coarsely imbricate, punctures weak, longitudinally effaced. Longest hairs of mesosoma , 2.5 MOD, on metanotum laterally and dorsolateral area of propodeum; 2 MOD on mesepisternum and lateral area of propodeum; longest hairs on mesoscutum ~2 MOD. Stigma shorter than marginal cell on wing margin (44:54); distal stigmal perpendicular apical to first submarginal crossvein. Profemur unmodified; mesofemur weakly concave on anterior surface basoventrally. Metafemur with posteroventral margin sharp. Metatibia more than 3 X as long as greatest width, 71:23, which is at apex of tooth on inner crest; subapical brush incomplete; long hairs absent basally; inner crest sinuate, medial crest comparatively basally positioned. Metabasitarsus shorter than remaining tarsomeres combined (52:68); ventral process at basal 1/4, anterior process at midlength, anterior process ending in acute to right angular tooth in ventral view.

Metasoma: somewhat shiny, submarginal areas very shiny. Punctures somewhat increasing in size on successive terga, i=1–2 d, somewhat sparser on apical impressed areas, extreme apex impunctate; T1–T2 with apicolateral patches of plumose hairs. S1 hairs longest anteriorly, 4 MOD; S2 hairs longest anteriorly, 3 MOD; S3 sparsely pubescent, longest hairs <2 MOD apicolaterally; S4 hairs <3.5 MOD; S5 erect hairs <4 MOD, apical row of robust setae absent; S6 hair tuft 2 MOD. S2 and S3 with weak sublateral bosses; S4 with enormous apically upturned process, 4 MOD in length, apex of process concave in lateral view and on outer surface; S5 with strong process, shorter (posterior) surface 1 MOD; S6 apicolateral fovea poorly defined basally and apically, oval, twice as long as wide, inner margin raised making surface of sternum concave, apical impressed area membranous, distinct, 1.3 MOD, subapical setal row erect, robust, <2 MOD. S5 and S6 strongly upturned, almost at right angle to S1–S4.

Terminalia : refer to Figs. 19–21 .

Female: As in male except for usual secondary sexual characteristics and as follows: Length 7.0 mm, forewing length 5.5 mm, head width 1.8–2.0 mm. Face and mandibles black. Punctures finer and more widely spaced on frontal area; facial fovea shiny, punctures sparse, minute; mesoscutum punctures finer, more evenly spaced on mesoscutellum, i~d; mesepisternum punctation sparser, i=1–3 d; metasomal terga punctures shallow, small, i=1–3 d.. Metepisternum less coarsely sculptured; metapostnotum with striae more finely branched, shorter, most not attaining apex. Apical impressed areas of metasomal terga with microsculpture as strong as on discs of terga.

Material studied. Holotype male: ARGENTINA, Salta, Cuesta Obispo , 3600m, ii.1986, Fritz coll. [ AMNH] . Paratypes as follows all at AMNH unless stated otherwise: ARGENTINA, Salta, El Alisal, iv. 1991, Fritz, one female; same locality and collector, 15.iii.1986, one male; same data except 2500m, ii.1985, one male; same data except no altitude, ii.1994, two males. ARGENTINA, Salta, El Maray, 2200m, ii.1996, Fritz, one female; same data except no altitude, i.1994, one female; ARGENTINA, Salta, El Alisal, iii.1993, one female; same data except xii.93, one male; ARGENTINA, Salta, Alt. Amblayo, 3600m, iii.1996, M. Fritz, one female; ARGENTINA, Salta, Campo Quijano, i.1998, M. Fritz, one female; ARGENTINA, Salta, Cuesta Obispo, Fritz, ii.1994, one male, PCYU: ARGENTINA, Tucumán, Tafi del Valle, 6.xii.1971, C. Porter, one male [ FLAST]. ARGENTINA, Tucumán, Tafi del Valle, Fritz, 2400m, i.1986 [ PCYU] [See Figs. 184–185 for distribution map] .

All material is deposited in the American Museum of Natural History with the exception of one pair of paratypes, male from Obispo and female from El Alisal in MACN, one pair from same localities in PCYU and the single specimen collected by Porter at FLAST .

Etymology. The specific epithet is Spanish for “bottle openers” in reference to the remarkable form of S4 and S5 of the male.

Comments. The apex of the metasoma is remarkably modified in males of this species: the processes of S4 and S5 seemingly forming opposable structures and S5 and S6 are strongly upturned. It would be interesting to see what the bees do with these structures.

Figures

FIGURES 17–23. Chilicola abrebotellas. 17. male lateral habitus (paratype); 18. male face (holotype); 19. male genital capsule, dorsal view (paratype); 20. male S7, dorsal view (paratype); 21. male S8, dorsal view (paratype); 22. female lateral habitus (paratype); 23. female face (paratype).

FIGURES 83–84. Lateral view of metasomal apex to show process of S4 and S5. 83. process of S4 strongly upturned and process of S5 present (red line) (C. abrebotellas paratype); 84. process of S4 straight and narrowing apically and process of S5 absent (C. caPillitas holotype).

FIGURES 167–168. Mesoscutum, dorsal view, to show punctation between notalices. 167. uniform in size, similar to those of adjacent region of mesoscutum (C. abrebotellas paratype); 168. with numerous small punctures and few larger ones, the latter more similar in size to those of adjacent region of mesoscutum (C. transversaria).

FIGURES 169–170. Mesepisternum, lateral view, to show length of hairs. 169. short (C. abrebotellas paratype); 170. long (C. rozeni paratype).

FIGURES 184–185. Distribution maps of newly described Chilicola (Oroediscelis) species. 184. Large scale map of South America showing distribution of new species; 185. Small scale map of northern Argentina to show distribution within the country.