Lasioglossum (Ctenonomia) dracaenae 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 : 202-204

Lasioglossum (Ctenonomia) dracaenae Pauly & Straka sp. nov.

( Figs 69–77 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀, ‘ YEMEN, SOCOTRA ISLAND / HOMHIL protected area / open woodland with Boswellia & / Dracaena trees; 10.-11.vi.2012 / 12°34.5’N, 54°18.5’E, 360-500 m // SOCOTRA Expedition 2012 / J. Bezděk, J. Hájek, V. Hula, / P. Kment, I. Malenovský, / J. Niedobová & L. Purchart leg.’ ( NMPC). PARATYPES: Socotra: Hadibo, 1 ♀, 21.ii.1953, G. Popov lgt. ( BMNH); Wadi Ayhaft, 200 m, 12°36.5′N, 53°58.9′E, 1 ♀, 7.–8. xi.2010, J. Batelka lgt.; Dixam Plateau, Firmihin, Dracaena forest, 490 m, 12°28.6′N 54°01.1′E, 1♀, 15.–16.xi.2010, J. Batelka lgt. (all in NMPC).

Description. Female. Relatively large species: total body length 8.0 mm, forewing length 6.5 mm, intertegular distance 2.05 mm. Body black, metatibia, meso- and metatarsus orange, terga II and III with white basal bands of tomentum, and base of apical depression of tergum IV with fine transverse tomentum ( Figs 69, 70 ).

Head almost as long as wide (length / width = 0.94) ( Fig. 72 ). Measurements (mm): length of clypeus 0.45; clypeus apical width 0.68; lower interocular distance 1.20; upper interocular distance 1.35; clypeo-antennal distance 0.50; length of eye 1.65; interantennal distance 0.25; interocellar distance 0.48; ocellocular distance 0.35; antennocellar distance 0.78; antennocular distance 0.43. Mandibles black, brown reddish in centre. Labrum black to brown. Clypeus with large punctures half diameter apart basally and half to two diameters apart apically, interspaces between punctures shiny. Supraclypeal area prominent, with large and strong punctures, punctures half to two diameters apart, interspaces between punctures shiny, microsculptured or not. Frons densely punctate, punctures about half diameter apart, interspaces coarsely microsculptured, dull, medial ridge well developed in basal half. Paraocular area imbricately punctate, dull. Vertex narrow ( Fig. 71 ), but gena thicker than eye, longitudinaly ridged ventrally. Ocelli of medium size. Scape black, flagellum black dorsally, ochraceous ventrally.

Mesosoma . Dorsolateral angles of pronotum produced and carinate, with tomentum on dorsal area up to lateral tubercles. Scutum elevated and bilobed anteriorly, anteromedially impressed line, central part of scutum with smooth integument, punctation consisting of larger and finer punctures intermixed, punctures two to less than half diameter apart, interspaces shiny, lateral area of scutum densely punctate, interspaces microsculptured, dull ( Fig. 73 ). Scutellum very sparsely punctate in centre, punctures numerous puncture diameters apart, interspaces glabrous, lateraly densely punctate, punctures posteriorly larger than laterally. Metanotum dull, coriaceous, covered with white tomentum. Mesopleura and hypoepimeral area coarsely rugose. Posterior side of propodeum with hexagonal carina. Dorsal propodeal area plicate or irregularly ridged over its entire surface, interspaces between ridges slightly shiny ( Fig. 74 ).

Legs. Protarsi, inner face of protibias, meso- and metatarsi orange. Inner calcar of metatibia with three long teeth ( Fig. 75 ). Scopa of hind leg pale orange.

Wings relatively short, not exceeding apex of metasoma. Membranes hyaline. Stigma and veins brown. Tegula dark brown.

Metasoma. Whole tergum I densely microsculptured, tessellated, dull, fine punctures developed, but ill-defined and scattered on sides and sloping base, punctures about one to three diameters apart, apical depression slightly impressed, without punctures, but with same microsculpture, dull ( Fig. 76 ). Terga II–III with similar dull sculpture as on tergum I. Tergum IV more coarsely punctured and more finely microsculptured than preceding terga. Apical depressions of terga I–IV developed. Base of terga II–III with narrow and entire white band of tomentum ( Fig. 77 ). Base of apical depression of tergum IV with fine transverse tomentum in fresh specimen (paratype), in others indistinct. Dense setae on terga V and VI light brown to pale orange. Sterna brown, with pale orange plumose and rather long setae.

Male unknown.

Differential diagnosis. This new species belongs to the Palaeotropical subgenus Ctenonomia Cameron, 1903 based on the weakened distal wing venation, the second submarginal crossvein as strong as the first, the pectinate inner hind tibial spur, the posterior surface of propodeum surrounded by hexagonal carina. It belongs to the group of large Ctenonomia such as Lasioglossum nairobicum (Cockerell, 1945) of sub-Saharan Africa and L. albescens (Smith, 1853) of the Oriental Region. From L. nairobicum it differs in the orange coloration of the hind leg, from L. albescens in the angles of propodeum covered with rugose wrinkles (smooth or microsculptured in L. albescens ).

Etymology. Named after one of the most striking plants of Socotra, the dragon’s blood tree ( Dracaena cinnabari ), as this bee was collected in a woodland with Dracaena . ‘Dragon’s blood’, the resin of this tree has been used as dye, since antiquity. Noun in apposition in genitive case.

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 69–77. Lasioglossum dracaenae Pauly & Straka sp. nov., female. 69 – dorsal view; 70 – lateral view; 71 – vertex; 72 – head, frontal view; 73 – scutum and scutellum; 74 – propodeum; 75 – inner metatibial spur; 76 – tergum I; 77 – metasoma, dorsal view.