Lasioglossum (Dialictus) ellisiae (Sandhouse) Sandhouse, 2009

Gibbs, Jason, 2009, Integrative taxonomy identifies new (and old) species in the Lasioglossum (Dialictus) tegulare (Robertson) species group (Hymenoptera, Halictidae), Zootaxa 2032, pp. 1-38 : 18-22

Lasioglossum (Dialictus) ellisiae (Sandhouse) , comb. n.

(Figures 8A–D)

Halictus (Chloralictus) ellisiae Sandhouse, 1924: 11 . Ƥ.

Lasioglossum (Chloralictus) ellisiae: Michener, 1951: 1113 (catalogue). Dialictus tegularis Mitchell, 1960: 423 (synonymy).

Diagnosis. Females of L. ellisiae are unique in having the integument of the mesoscutum (especially adjacent to the parapsidal lines) and mesepisternum smoother and more reflective than those of other species of the tegulare group in eastern North America. The remaining four species each have the integument in these areas roughened and dulled due to microsculpture. Females of L. ellisiae can be further distinguished by the following characters: head and mesosoma primarily bluish-green, paraocular area with sparse subappressed hairs, and inner hind tibial spur with 3 or 4 teeth (not including apex of rachis). Females of L. puteulanum are deep blue in colour. Females of L. lepidii have dense subappressed hairs on the paraocular area which obscure the surface adjacent to the inner eye margin and lower paraocular area. Females of L. carlinvillense have only 2 teeth on the inner hind tibial spur.

Males of L. ellisiae can be distinguished from the other species by the sparsely punctate zones of T2 and T3 anterior of the premarginal line. The males of L. tegulare , L. lepidii , and L. puteulanum all have uniformly dense punctation basal to the premarginal lines of T2 and T3.

Redescription. Female. Length: 5.25 (4.6–5.5) mm, fore wing length: 3.5 (3.1–3.7) mm, head length: 1.3 (1.1–1.4) mm, head width: 1.4 (1.2–1.4) mm, n=9

Colouration. Head and mesosoma dull metallic bluish-green except the following: mandible base brownpiceous, apex red; clypeus brown-piceous below, golden above; supraclypeal area green below, gold above; antenna brown-piceous, ventral surface brown, F8–F10 ruddy brown to testaceous; mesoscutum green with gold reflections; tegula brown-piceous, central area ferruginous; legs brown-piceous, fore, medio- and distitarsi reddish, mid and hind distitarsi ruddy brown; wing venation and pterostigma testaceous-brown; wings very faintly dusky; propodeum bluer than mesoscutum; metasoma brown-piceous.

Pubescence. Head and mesosoma with sparse, erect, plumose hairs (1–1.5OD), longer on metanotum and ventral pleura (2OD); posterolateral margin of pronotum and pronotal lobe with dense, appressed tomentum; dense scopa on hind femur; lateral surface of propodeum with long branched hairs (2OD); acarinarial appressed fan complete; terga with sparse, erect hairs (1–2OD), more abundant on ventrolaterally reflexed areas; T3–T5 ventrolaterally reflexed areas with few, erect hairs (2.5–3OD); T2–T3 basolateral portions and T4 dorsal surface with sparse appressed, plumose hairs; sterna with long, posteriorly oriented hairs emerging from apical half of disc (2–3OD); S1–T4 hairs with long branches.

Surface sculpture. Clypeus glabrate except upper margin imbricate, punctures moderately coarse below (i=1–1.5d), fine above (i=d); supraclypeal area smooth and shining, margins imbricate, punctures fine, irregularly spaced (i=1–4d); lower paraocular area imbricate, smooth and shining below, punctures moderately coarse and deep (i<d); upper paraocular area and frons punctures fine, reticulate; gena lineolate, punctures fine and obscure; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum tessellate, shiny between tegula and parapsidal line and posteriorly; mesoscutum punctures fine, well spaced but not sparse in medial/submedial area (i=1–1.5d), dense on remainder of disc and along median line (i<d); mesoscutellum densely punctate with small impunctate submedial area; pre-episternum scabriculous; mesepisternum punctures coarse above, finer below (i<d), interspaces imbricate and shiny; hypoepimeral area reticulate; tegula finely punctate (i=1–2d), central area more sparsely punctate; metapostnotum medial area with anastomozing rugae, median striae incomplete, lateral striations more regular extending onto lateral slope; posterior surface of propodeum imbricate, with sparse, obscure punctures (i=2d); metasoma coriarious; terga with very fine punctures, more widely spaced and obscure on apical half of T1–T4 (i=1.5–2.5d); anteriorly directed surface of T1 and dorsolateral portions basal to premarginal line impunctate.

Structure. Face slightly broader than long; eyes convergent below (UOD:LOD = 1.2:1.0); clypeus protruding about one half below lower ocular tangent; distance from antennal sockets to clypeus less than length of clypeus; distance between antennal sockets half distance of socket to inner eye margin; frontal line carinate ending 2OD from median ocellus; OOC less than IOC (1.0:1.2); eye wider than gena from lateral view; hypostomal carinae parallel; mesoscutum length to width (1.0:1.1); ratio of lengths of mesoscutellum: metanotum: dorsal surface of propodeum (1.7:1.0:1.5); tegula elongate with posterior margin angled posteromedially; oblique propodeal carina weakly evident, not contiguous with lateral carina.

FIGURE 8. Lasioglossum ellisiae A) face of female holotype; B) lateral habitus of female holotype; C) face of male; D) lateral habitus of male.

Male. Length: 4.0– 4.3 mm, fore wing length: 3.1 mm, head length: 1.2 mm, head width: 1.2–1.3 mm, n=2

Colouration. Head and mesosoma dark metallic blue except lower paraocular area and medial areas of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with golden-green reflections; the following dark brown-piceous: labrum; mandible except apex red; lower clypeus; antenna; tegula except central area ferruginous; legs except medio- and distitarsi brown; metasoma; wing venation and pterostigma brown; wings hyaline except apex faintly dusky.

Pubescence. Paraocular area and interantennal area with sparse, subappressed hairs; sparse longer erect hairs on head, mesosoma, anteriorly directed surface of T1 and ventrolaterally reflexed portions of terga (1.5–2OD), longest on metanotum; T1–T4 with short laterally oriented setae; sterna with erect hairs, densest on S4–S5.

Surface sculpture. Head and mesosoma smooth and shining; clypeus (i<d), supraclypeal area (i=1–2d), and lower paraocular area (i=d) punctation moderately fine and deep; upper paraocular area and frons reticulate (i<d); gena shining, imbricate-lineolate, obscurely punctate; mesoscutum imbricate anteromedially; mesoscutal punctures moderately coarse and deep, well spaced on disc between parapsidal lines (i<1.5d), closer laterally (i<d) and anterolaterally (i<0.5d); mesoscutellum punctures close on margins and medial line (i<d), impunctate submedially; pre-episternum reticulate; mesepisternum punctures moderately coarse and deep (i=d); metapostnotum incompletely striate, lateral striations extending onto anterior half of lateral slope; posterior half of lateral slopes and lateral surface of propodeum scabriculous, punctures obscure but deep, moderately fine (i=1–1.5d); posterior surface of propodeum smooth with distinct punctures (i=1–2d); terga smooth, very faintly coriarious; terga with fine but distinct punctures on basal half (i=1–1.5d), apical half sparsely punctate except on premarginal line; anteriorly directed surface of T1 largely impunctate.

Structure. Face length subequal to breadth; eyes convergent below (UOD:LOD = 6.6:4.3); clypeus protruding slightly more than one half below lower ocular tangent; distance between antennal sockets equal to distance to inner eye margin; frontal line carinate ending 1.5OD from median ocellus; OOC less than IOC; eye wider than gena from lateral view; hypostomal carinae parallel; pedicel subequal in length to F1; F2–F10 length 1.5 times breadth, F1 very slightly longer than F2; ratio of lengths of mesoscutellum: metanotum: dorsal surface of propodeum (2.1:1.5:1.6); tegula enlarged, posterior margin not strongly angled; propodeal carina not evident between dorsal and posterior surfaces; metasoma narrow relative to female.

Terminalia . As in L. tegulare see Fig. 7 A–C.

Range. From the southern Appalachian Mountains north to Ontario and Massachusetts and west to Minnesota.

Specimens examined. USA, MASSACHUSETTS: HOLOTYPE Ƥ, Forest Hills, 5.viii.1901, (WM Wheeler) (NMNH); 1 3, Franklin Co., 0.86mi SSW of W. Hawley, 19.vii.2006, (MF Veit) [Barcoded]; 1 Ƥ, Middlesex Co., 0.2mi S of Townsend Gravel Pit, 27.v.2006, (MF Veit); 2 Ƥ, Middlesex Co., 0.1mi E of Airport, 29.iv.2006, (MF Veit) (PCYU); NEW YORK: 1 3, Tompkins Co., Cornell U. campus, Ithaca, 22.vii.1971, (G & K Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Cornell U. campus, Ithaca, 9.vii.1987; (GC Eickwort); 2 3, Tompkins Co., Ithaca vicinity, inlet, 5.viii.1976, (G & K Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Tompkins Co., Ithaca vicinity, inlet, 04.vi.1976, (G & K Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Tompkins Co., Ithaca vicinity, inlet, 14.vi.1976, (G & K Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Tompkins Co., Ithaca vicinity, inlet, 21.v.1984, (G & K Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Tompkins Co., Ithaca vicinity, 21.v.1984, (G & K Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Otsego Co., East Worchester, 22.vi.1971, (G & K Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Van Natta’s Dam, Ithaca, 23.v.1937, Babiy; 2 3, Van Natta’s Dam, Ithaca, 14.viii.1931, (PP Babiy); 1 3, Ithaca 10.viii.1916; 1 Ƥ, Ithaca, 22.vi.1936; 1 Ƥ, Ithaca, 2.v.1915; 1 Ƥ, Ithaca, 6.vii.1947, (C Robinson); 1 3, Ithaca, 22.vi.1936; 1 Ƥ, Ithaca, v.1913; 1 3, Ithaca, 20.vi.1962; 1 3, Otsego Co., East Worchester, 13.viii.1968, (G & K Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Tompkins Co., Ithaca, Monkey Run, 26.iv.1986, (GC Eickwort); 2 Ƥ, Tompkins Co., Monkey Run, 1.vi.1984, (B Alexander); 1 3, Tompkins Co., Michigan Hollow gravel pit, 5mi S of Danby, 7.ix.1968, (G & K Eickwort); 4 3, Tompkins Co., Buttermilk Falls S.P., Ithaca, 7.x.1967, (G & K Eickwort); 1 3, Tompkins Co., Taughannock Falls S.P., Ithaca, 7.x.1967, (G & K Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Tompkins Co., Taughannock Falls S.P., Ithaca, 5.vi.1976, (G & K Eickwort); 1 3, Tompkins Co., 1mi S McLean, 23.vi.1975, (MJ & CA Tauber); 4 Ƥ, Ontario Co., Selkirk Shores S.P., 12.vi.1976, (GC Eickwort); 1 3, Tompkins Co., Dryden, 18.viii.1968, (G & K Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Tompkins Co., Robert H. Treman S.P., Ithaca, 14.viii.1971, (G & K Eickwort); 4 3, Nassau Co., Hempstead Lake S.P., 4–6.vii.1974, (GC Eickwort); 1 3, Albany Co., 2mi NW Westerlo, 6.vii.1969, (GC Eickwort); 2 3, Schuyler Co., ear Reynoldsville, 17.vii.1976, (GC Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Greene Co., Stony Clove Creek, 42 8’00, 74 15’ 10, 412m, 28.vi.1978, (TL McCabe); 2 Ƥ, Cayuga Co., Fair Haven Beach S.P., 27.v.1984, (GC Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Seneca Co., Junius Ponds, 6mi NW Waterloo, 24.vi.1986, (GC Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Seneca Co., Junius Ponds, 6mi NW Waterloo, 12.viii.1986, (GC Eickwort) (CUIC); 1 Ƥ, NY, Tompkins Co. 6-mile creek, SE. Ithaca Reservoir, 25.v.1968, (G & K Eickwort) (CUIC); PENNSYLVANIA: 1 Ƥ, Stroud Co., Stroudsburg, 14.vii.1976, (RJ Pollack); 1 3, Lehigh Gap River, 19.vii.1903, (JC Bradley); 1 3, Roberts, viii.1905, (JC Bradley) (CUIC); NORTH CAROLINA: 1 3, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Cataloochee overlook, N35.54 W83.06, 6.viii.2006, (J Gibbs) [Barcoded]; 1 Ƥ, S. of Bryson City, Bryson City Rd. & Queen Branch Rd., N35.284 W83.487, 8.viii.06, (J Gibbs) [Barcoded]; MICHIGAN: Washtenau Co., Ann Arbor, ix.1976, (RW Carlson) (SEMC); INDIANA: 1 Ƥ, Jackson Co., N38.88 W86.056, 26.vii.2003, (SW Droege) [Barcoded]; 2(1) Ƥ, Jasper Co., Nipsco, blue pan trap, 16.vii.2003, ( RP Jean) [Barcoded] (PCYU); ILLINOIS: 3 Ƥ, Bureau Co., 3mi NW of LaMoille, 13.v.1970, on Salix, (Laberge & Molina) ; 1 Ƥ, Champaign Co., Brownfield Woods, Urbana, 29–31.iii.1968, (Laberge & Ribble); 1 Ƥ, Whiteside Co., Morrison, 10.vii.1968, (JC Marlin); 1 Ƥ, Mason Co., Bath, 2.vii.1968, (JC Marlin); 1 Ƥ, Mason State Forest, 2.vi.1966, (WJ Knee); 1 Ƥ, McHenry Co., Chain O’ Lakes St. Pk., 22.vi.1967, (Laberge & Ribble); 1 Ƥ, Lake Co., 2 mi NW Volo, 22.vi.1967, (Laberge & Ribble); 1 Ƥ, Long L., “bog, smtwd.” 11.viii.1906; 10 Ƥ, Algonquin, 16.vi.1909, (Nason); 2 Ƥ, Algonquin, 24.vi.1909, (Nason); 1 Ƥ, Woodford Co., 9mi N East Peoria, 7.viii.1968, (JC Marlin); 1 3, Macoupin Co., Plainview, 22.vii.1915 (INHS); 1 Ƥ, Kankakee Co., Hooper Br, 2.vii.2003, ( RP Jean) (PCYU); WISCONSIN: 1 Ƥ, Sauk Co., Spring Green Preserve, N43.19785 W90.05904, 23.vii.2006, (A Wolf) (UWGB); MINNESOTA: 2 Ƥ, Clay Co., 3mi E & 2mi S of Felton, N47.047 W96.438, blue and yellow pan traps, 21.vii.2006, (RL Andres) (PCYU); CANADA, ONTARIO: 1 Ƥ, Norfolk Co., Pterophylla Plant Nursery, N42.384 W80.344, malaise trap, 13–22.viii.2006, (PJ Carson) [Barcoded]; 2 Ƥ, Toronto, York University, N43.775 W79.504, 24.v.2006, (J Gibbs) [Barcoded]; 1 Ƥ, Toronto, Ulster St. parquette, N43.659 W79.413, x.2006, (J Gibbs); 1 Ƥ, Haldimane-Norfolk Co., Nixon W Pr, 11.v.1998, H Douglas; 1 Ƥ, Haldimane-Norfolk Co., Nixon W Pr, 28.v.1998, (H Douglas) (PCYU).

Etymology. This species was named for Marion Durbin Ellis who described a number of Dialictus and other bee species.

Type depository. NMNH Cat. No. 26400.

Comments. Specimens that could be attributed to this species extend its range into the great plains of the United States. Additional western species that could be mistaken for L. ellisiae may co-occur in this area. Further study will be needed to test species boundaries of the western fauna and to determine the western range limits of L. ellisiae .

Figures

FIGURE 7. Lasioglossum tegulare terminal structures of male. Diagram of genitalia with ventral and dorsal sides pictured on left and right, respectively (above), diagram of S 7 (middle) and diagram of S 8 (below).