Lasioglossum (Dialictus) lepidii (Graenicher) Graenicher, 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 : 22-25

Lasioglossum (Dialictus) lepidii (Graenicher) , comb. n.

( Figures 9 A–D)

Halictus (Chloralictus) lepidii Graenicher, 1927: 204 . Ƥ 3.

Lasioglossum (Chloralictus) lepidii: Michener, 1951: 1114 (catalogue). Dialictus tegularis Mitchell, 1960: 423 (synonymy).

Diagnosis. Females of L. lepidii can be distinguished by the following combination of characters: head and mesosoma pale to golden green, paraocular area partially obscured by appressed hairs along inner eye margin, distinct microsculpture between punctures of mesoscutum and mesepisternum, and three teeth on the inner hind tibial spur (not including apex of rachis). Females of L. puteulanum have the head and mesosoma deep blue. Females of L. tegulare have sparse subappressed hairs on the paraocular area which do not obscure the surface. Females of L. ellisiae have the integument of the mesoscutum (particularly adjacent to parapsidal lines) and mesepisternum smooth, with at most faint microsculpture which gives these areas a shiny appearance. Females of L. carlinvillense have only two teeth on the inner hind tibial spur.

Males of L. lepidii are unique among these species in having dense, appressed hairs that obscure large areas of the face including the paraocular area, clypeus and frons. Males of other species have more limited tomentum on the face often only obscuring the paraocular area and never obscuring the frons.

Redescription. Female. Length: 4.3 (4.3–4.9) mm, fore wing length: 3 (3.0–3.2) mm, head length: 1.3 mm, head width: 1.3 (1.3–1.4) mm, n=2

Colouration. Head and metasoma dull metallic blue-green; mandible base brown, apex red: clypeus brown below, golden-green above; supraclypeal area golden-green; lower paraocular area brown-piceous below; antennae brown, apical flagellomeres orange-yellow ventrally; mesoscutum green with hints of gold; tegula brown-piceous, central area ferruginous; legs brown-piceous, fore medio- and distitarsi testaceous, mid and hind medio- and distitarsi ruddy brown; wing venation and pterostigma testaceous-brown; wings faintly dusky; dorsal surface of propodeum blue; metasoma brown-piceous.

Pubescence. Head and mesosoma with sparse, erect, plumose hairs (1–1.5OD), longer on metanotum and ventral pleura (2OD); mid to lower paraocular area with appressed tomentum; 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 portions; T3–T5 ventrolaterally reflexed areas with hairs longer (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–S4 hairs with long branches.

Surface sculpture. Clypeus glabrate below, upper margin imbricate, punctures moderately coarse below (i=1–2d), fine above (i=d);; supraclypeal area smooth, margins imbricate, punctures fine, irregularly spaced (i=1–1.5d); lower paraocular area imbricate, glabrate below, punctures moderately fine (i<d); upper paraocular area and frons punctures fine and reticulate; gena lineolate with obscure punctures; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum tessellate; mesoscutum punctures fine, well spaced but not sparse in anteromedial and submedial area (i=1–1.5d), dense on remainder of disc (i<d); mesoscutellum finely and densely punctate with small impunctate sublateral region; pre-episternum rugulose; mesepisternum finely scabriculous with moderately coarse and deep punctures, punctures finer and more obscure below (i<d), posterior mesepisternum without evident punctures; hypoepimeral area reticulate; tegula very finely punctate (i=1–2d); metapostnotum medial area with anastomozing rugae; median line not evident; lateral striations more regular, partially extending onto anterior half of lateral slopes; posterior half of lateral smooth and shining; posterior surface of propodeum terga imbricate-tessellate with sparse punctures (i=2d); metasoma coriarious; terga with very fine obscure punctures, more widely spaced on apical half of T1–T4 (i=1.5–2.5d); anteriorly directed surface of T1 and dorsolateral portions anterior to premarginal line impunctate.

Structure. Face slightly broader than long; eyes convergent below (UOD:LOD = 7:5.5); clypeus protruding about one half below lower ocular tangent; distance from antennal sockets to clypeus, less than length of clypeus; distance between antennal sockets almost half distance of socket to inner eye margin; frontal line carinate ending 2–2.5OD from median ocellus; OOC less than IOC (1.5:2.0); eye wider than gena from lateral view; hypostomal carinae parallel; mesoscutum length to width (6.9:8.0); median line of mesoscutum relatively deep anteriorly; ratio of lengths of mesoscutellum: metanotum: dorsal surface of propodeum (2.5:1.5:1.9); tegula elongate with posterior margin projecting posteromedially; oblique propodeal carina weakly evident, not contiguous with lateral carina.

Male. Length: 4.0– 4.3 mm, fore wing length: 2.7–3.1 mm, head length: 1.1–1.3 mm, head width: 1.1–1.3 mm, n=2

Colouration. Head and mesosoma dull metallic green except supraclypeal area with bluish tint; preepisternum and hypoepimeral area golden-green; mesepisternum and propodeum blue; the following parts dark brown-piceous: labrum; mandible except apical half yellow to red; lower clypeus; antenna except F1–F11 bright testaceous-yellow ventrally; tegula except central area ferruginous; legs except medio- and distitarsi of legs testaceous, hind mediotarsi strongly infused with brown; metasoma; wing venation and pterostigma brown; wing subhyaline.

Pubescence. Face below level of eye emargination with dense, white tomentum, less dense on clypeus and lower supraclypeal area; face and gena with sparse, erect hairs (1.5OD); pronotal lobe posteriolateral margin with dense tomentum; remainder of mesosoma with sparse, erect hairs (1–1.5OD), more dense and long on margin of metanotum (2OD); terga ventrolaterally oriented portions with sparse, erect hairs (1.5OD); T1–T4 with 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=1.5d) and lower paraocular area (i=d) punctation fine and deep; upper paraocular area and frons densely reticulate (i<d); gena shining, imbricate-lineolate with obscure punctures; mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and mesepisternum shiny glabrate; mesoscutum imbricate anteromedially; mesoscutum punctures moderately fine and deep, disc between parapsidal lines well spaced (i=1–2d), closer laterally (i<d) and anterolaterally (i<0.5d); mesoscutellum punctation dense on margins (i<0.5d), more widely spaced on disc (i=0.5–2d); pre-episternum densely punctate; hypoepimeral area subreticulate with deep, moderately fine punctures; mesepisternum punctures moderately coarse and deep (i=d); metapostnotum irregularly striate, striations laterad extending onto lateral slope; lateral surface of propodeum scabriculous with obscure but moderately fine and deep and close punctures (i=1–1.5d); posterior surface of propodeum smoother with distinct punctures (i=1–2d); metasoma faintly coriarious; terga with fine but distinct punctures (i=1–1.5d), apical impressed areas impunctate; anteriorly directed surface of T1 largely impunctate.

Structure. Face as long as broad; eyes convergent below (UOD:LOD = 6.5:4.0); carina of frontal line ending less than 2OD from median ocellus; OOC distinctly 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 (2.1:1.2:1.5); tegula enlarged, posterior margin not strongly angled; propodeal carina weak on lateral portions of margin between dorsal and posterior surfaces; metasoma narrow relative to female.

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

Range. Florida.

Specimens examined. USA, FLORIDA, HOLOTYPE Ƥ, South Miami, 20.iv.1927 (NMNH); 1 3, Miami, 4.v.1927, (S Graenicher); 1 Ƥ, Miami, 22.vi. 192?, (S Graenicher); Highlands Co., Highlands Hammock St. Pk., 13.iv.1964, (GC Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Islamorada, 12.iv.1966, G Eickwort; (SEMC); 1 Ƥ and 2 3, Westchester, Miami, 31.viii.2005, (JA Genaro) [Barcoded]; 1 Ƥ, Westchester, Miami, 31.viii.2005, (JA Genaro) (PCYU); 3 Ƥ, Wakulla Co., 2mi N of Mack’s Landing, Aalachicola Nat. For. 21.v.1981, (GC Eickwort et al.); 2 Ƥ, Wakulla Co., Ochlockones River S.P. 21.v.1981, (GC Eickwort et al.); 1 3 & 2 Ƥ, Collier Co., Seminole S.P. 25–26.v.1978, (NF & JB Johnson); 1 Ƥ, Archbold Biol. Stat., Lk. Placid, Highlands Co., 2.iv.1984, (B Alexander); 3 3 & 2 Ƥ, Monroe Co., Key Largo (city), 22.iii.1987, (Eickwort & Spielholz); 4 3 & 3 Ƥ, Monroe Co., Bahia Honda Key, Bahia Honda St. Rec. Area, 25.iii.1987, (Eickwort & Spielholz); 1 3 & 3 Ƥ, Monroe Co., Key Largo, Pennekamp S.P., 22.iii.1987, (Eickwort & Spielholz); 1 3, Monroe Co., Key Largo (east end), 22.iii.1987, (Eickwort & Spielholz); 2 3 & 4 Ƥ, Monroe Co., Long Key, Long Key St. rec. Area, 23.iii.1987, (Eickwort & Spielholz); 1 3, Dade Co., Redlands, 21.iii.1987, (Eickwort & Spielholz); 2 Ƥ, Broward Co., Hallandale Beach, 10.xii.1985, (GC Eickwort); 1 Ƥ, Leon Co., Tall Timbers Res. Stat., 3mi E Iamonia, 30.iii.1986, (B Alexander); 1 Ƥ, Pinellas Co., Ft. Desoto. Co. Pk, 1.vi.1978, (NF & JB Johnson); 1 3, Wakulla Co., Sopchoppy, 1.iv.1981, (LL Pechuman) (CUIC).

Etymology. No explanation for the name is given in the original description but likely refers to the flowers of Lepidium virginicum L. that (among others) the original specimens were collected from.

Type depository. NMNH Cat. No. 41800.

Comments. In some cases, species from Caribbean islands are known to also occur in Florida. Dr. Julio Genaro, the expert on Caribbean Apoidea, is unaware of any species matching the description of this species in the neighbouring islands (J.A. Genaro; personal communication).

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).

FIGURE 9. Lasioglossum lepidii A) face of female; B) lateral habitus of female holotype; C) face of male; D) lateral habitus of male.