Austronomia socotrana Pauly & Straka, 2017

Straka, Jakub, Batelka, Jan & Pauly, Alain, 2017, Bees of the Socotra Archipelago (Hymenoptera: Anthophila), their biogeography and association with parasites, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 57, pp. 183-219 : 193-195

Austronomia socotrana Pauly & Straka sp. nov.

( Figs 34–43 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♀, ‘ YEMEN, Socotra isl. , / Wadi Zirik, 12.vi.2010, / N 12°29,584’, E 053°59,475’ / V. Hula & J. Niedobova lgt.’ ( NMPC).

Description. Female. Species of medium size: total body length 8.0 mm, forewing length 6.0 mm, intertegular distance 2.25 mm. Body black, apical margin of terga distinctly discoloured and transparent, hind legs brown orange ( Figs 34, 35 ).

Head wider than long (Length / width = 0.85) ( Fig. 36 ). Measurements (mm): length of clypeus 0.63; clypeus apical width 1.00; lower interocular distance 1.33; upper interocular distance 1.50; clypeo-antennal distance 0.38; length of eye 1.75; interantennal distance 0.58; interocellar distance 0.50; ocellocular distance 0.40; antennocellar distance 0.70; antennocular distance 0.40. Mandibles bidentate, light brown, black at base and apex. Labrum light brown. Clypeus with large punctures less than half to one and half diameter apart, slightly denser apically than basally, interspaces between punctures shiny and smooth. Supraclypeal area dull, microsculptured, with thin punctures, punctures smaller than on clypeus, interspaces between punctures equivalent to diameter of punctures. Front and paraocular area with indistinct or ill-defined small punctures, medially more distinct than laterally, interspaces slightly shiny, frons sparsely covered with white plumose setae, setae about one third of scape length. Vertex narrow, strongly reduced. Ocelli relatively large ( Fig. 36 ). Gena narrow, shiny and superficially punctured. Malar space missing. Scape black, flagellum black dorsally, brown ventrally, flagellomere I and II short, shorter than flagellomere III, or any other subsequent flagellomere.

Mesosoma . Pronotum narrow, without carina. Punctation of scutum medium-sized, dense, punctures well developed, less than one diameter apart, interspaces between punctures well developed, shiny ( Fig. 37 ). Scutellum slightly convex, sculpture similar to scutum, but punctures larger. Pubescence of scutum and scutellum formed of short erect plumose setae, not covering punctation. Metanotum convex, slightly declining toward propodeum, with dense pubescence covering sculptures medially. Pleurae and hypoepimeral area coriaceous, dull. Horizontal area of propodeum in form of horizontal gutter with longitudinal ridges ( Fig. 38 ). Vertical part of propodeum with punctation similar to that of scutum except dorsomedial impunctate area.

Legs. Fore and middle legs brown black, posterior legs brown orange, scopa light orange ( Fig. 39 ). Metabasitarsus about three times as long as wide. Basimetatibial plate completely carinate, broad and rounded ( Fig. 40 ). Inner metatibial spur minutely serrate ( Fig. 41 ).

Wings relatively short, not exceeding end of metasoma. Membranes hyaline. Veins, stigma and tegulae testaceous.

Metasoma broad, oval ( Fig. 42 ). Tergum I with dense regular punctation medially, top of sloping base and apical margin, punctures about one diameter apart, interspaces shiny ( Fig. 43 ). Terga II–IV with a similar punctation, but slightly sparsely punctate medially. Postero- -lateral parts of terga I–III with narrow fringe of pubescence, tergum IV with light felted but nearly complete white band. Posterior half of apical margin of terga transparent, showing below white pubescent fringe of base of subsequent tergum: this gives impression that species has apical bands on apical part of terga. Apical margins of terga I–III strongly depressed, with carina at base. Tergum I with pubescence similar to frons, other terga with short setae. Sterna brown, deeply punctate, apical part with dense short erect setae of pale orange colour.

Male unknown.

Differential diagnosis. This species belongs to the group of African and Oriental Austronomia Michener, 1965 , characterized by complete basitibial plate of the female, lack of a continuous carina across the pronotum, small tegula, metanotum without projections, terga without enamel-like apical bands, and minutely serrate inner metatibial spur. It differs from described sub-Saharan species in its larger size, polished metasoma, and translucent apical margins of the terga. It differs from the Oriental species in the combination of three characters: propodeal area longer, with horizontal part surrounded by a carina, tergum I smooth between punctures, and metatibia orange. The genus Austronomia sensu lato includes about 20 sub-Saharan species ( PAULY 1990), only half of them described, and 18 described Oriental species ( PAULY 2009).

Etymology. Latin adjective socotranus (- a, - um) derived from Socotra Island.

Remarks. The species resembles the Afrotropical species more than the Oriental ones, thus we suspect Ethiopian origin of the species.

Distribution. Endemic to Socotra.

Figures

Figs 34–43. Austronomia socotrana Pauly & Straka sp. nov., female. 34 – dorsal view; 35 – lateral view; 36 – head, frontal view; 37 – scutum and scutellum; 38 – propodeum; 39 – hind leg; 40 – basimetatibial plate; 41 – inner metatibial spur; 42 – metasoma, dorsal view; 43 – tergum I.