Colletes quelu Rojas & Toro, 1993

Ferrari, Rafael R., 2017, Taxonomic revision of the species of Colletes Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Colletinae) found in Chile, Zootaxa 4364 (1), pp. 1-137 : 101-103

Colletes quelu Rojas & Toro, 1993

( Figs. 53A–C )

Colletes quelu Rojas & Toro, 1993: 85 ; Toro 1999: 30; Moure et al. 2007: 686; Montalva & Ruz 2010: 22; Ascher & Pickering 2017.

Holotype ♀ (examined). {AMNH}.

Diagnosis. Colletes quelu can be diagnosed through the following combination of characters: clypeal midlongitudinal area carinate, mesoscutal pubescence pale-yellow, hind tibia pale-orange, and metasomal terga metallic blue.

Colletes quelu is most similar to C. guanta , however, the females of these species can be distinguished by the comparatively shorter malar area, ~1.5x as long as basal depth of mandible, in C. quelu (malar area 1.8x as long as basal depth of mandible in C. guanta ); comparatively longer F1, ~1.4x as long as its apical width, in C. quelu (F1 ~1.2x as long as its apical width in C. guanta ); and hind tibia pale-orange in C. quelu (hind tibia dark-brown in C. guanta ).

Redescription. FEMALE ( Figs. 53A, 53C, 53E ): Dimensions (mm): Approximate body length 7.5–7.8; head width 3.1–3.2; head length 2.2–2.3; intertegular distance 2.2–2.3; forewing length 6.0–6.2.

Colouration: Black except metallic greenish-blue on discs of T1–T5 (except marginal zones metallic purplish). Metallic dark-blue on mesoscutum, metasomal sterna (except marginal zones pale-brown). Pale-orange on front and mid tarsomeres 2–5, distal ring of hind femur, hind tibia and tarsus, proximal half of tarsal claws. Dark-brown on tegula, wing veins (except vein R of forewing), anterior surface of front tibia. Reddish-brown on distal 1/2 of tarsal claws; marked on distal 1/3 of mandible.

Structure: Labrum medially concave; concavity margined by lateral ridges. Clypeal mid-longitudinal area with a strong, complete carina; adjacent area declivous. Malar area ~1.5x as long as basal depth of mandible (36:25). F1 ~1.4x as long as its apical width (36:26). UID:LID (65:66). Genal area flat behind upper summit of compound eyes in lateral view. Dorsolateral angle of pronotum triangular acute. Horizontal surface of metapostnotum ~0.4x as long as metanotum (22:54); metapostnotal pits poorly-delimited; posterior transverse carina absent. Posteromedial surface of front coxa bearing very short spine (0.2x MOD). Posterior hind tibial spur ciliate. Hind basitarsus ~3.7x longer than broad (55:15). Outer rami of hind tarsal claws ~ 4x as long as inner rami (23:6); inner rami extremely reduced. Posterolateral area of S6 flat and lacking carina; marginal zone not depressed.

Pubescence: Pale-yellow, plumose, erect, moderately long on lateral slopes of clypeus and supraclypeal area, interantennal, frontal and genal areas, mesoscutum, scutellum, metepisternum, posteroventral surface of front trochanter and femur, ventral surface of mid trochanter, ventral margin of mid femur, S1; such hairs long on vertexal area, metanotum, mesepisternum, ventral surface of hind coxa, T1; very long on upper margin of lateral surface of propodeum. Paraocular area with pale-yellow and black hairs intermingled. Pale-yellow, erect, moderately short setae on posterior surface of front basitarsus, dorsal surface of mid basitarsus and hind basitarsus and tibia; such hairs very long on posterior margin of hind basitarsus. Front and mid tibiae with pale-yellow, suberect, short setae on dorsal surface; such hairs thick on ventral surface of mid and hind tarsi (thickest towards distal margin). Pale-yellow, suberect, very long hairs, which are branched only apically on anterior surface of hind femur and tibia. T2 with pale-yellow, plumose, erect, moderately short hairs. T3–T5 and S3–S6 covered with paleyellow, erect, moderately short setae. S2 with pale-yellow, erect, moderately short hairs, which are branched only apically.

Surface sculpture: Clypeus longitudinally striate near mid-longitudinal carina and lower margin; declivous area smooth and shiny. Malar area with moderately coarse punctures intermingled with minute ones; interspaces smooth. Supraclypeal area somewhat rugulose. Paraocular area moderately finely punctate; punctures crowded below; densely punctate above. Frontal area densely and moderately coarsely punctate; interspaces rugulose. Vertexal area finely and moderately sparsely punctate; interspaces smooth (except rugose near ocellus and occipital margin). Mesoscutum moderately finely and moderately densely punctate (except sparsely punctate on midposterior area); interspaces smooth and shiny. Scutellum densely and moderately coarsely punctate; interspaces smooth on anterior 1/3; rugulose on posterior 2/3. Metanotum densely and moderately finely punctate; interspaces somewhat rugulose. Mesepisternum densely and moderately coarsely punctate; interspaces imbricate. Metepisternum rugose above; obliquely striate medially; rugulose below. Lateral surface of propodeum with fine punctures difficult to discern from the rugulose interspaces. Upper area of vertical surface of metapostnotum rugose medially. Metasomal terga finely and densely punctate (except moderately densely punctate on T1); interspaces imbricate (except rugulose on T2–T3 anteriorly). Metasomal sterna finely and moderately densely punctate; interspaces imbricate.

MALE: Unknown.

Material studied. Primary type specimen: Holotype ♀ —“HOLO; TIPO”. “ CHILE, II Reg; Talabre XII-; 1959, H. Toro ”. “ Colletes ; quelu ; Toro & Rojas 93”. “ AMNH_IZC 00324330 ”. { AMNH}.

Secondary type specimen: Paratype ♀— CHILE — Region II: Talabre , xii/1959, [H.Toro], 1♀, { AMNH}.

Additional specimens: CHILE —Region II: Parque Nacional Llullaillaco, (-24.962, -69.096), 3767m, 8/iv/ 2010, [Ugarte], 2♀♀, { PCYU}. Talabre, (-23.323, -67.838), 3554m, 6/xii/1992, [E.Chiappa], 1♀, { AMNH}.

Range. Chile (Region II). See also Fig. 46B .

Biogeographic distribution. South American transition zone: Atacama province. Northern Chilean species distributed in the summer rainfall area at altitudes of 3500–3800m a.s.l.

DNA barcode. Available. BOLD: ACK8809 (2♀♀). Distance from the nearest neighbour ( C. fulvipes ): 3.25– 3.41%.

Floral hosts. Unknown.

Comments. Extremely rare species found only at very high elevations (3500m a.s.l. or higher) in Region II. Although a series of bee surveys have been carried out at the type locality (Talabre, Region II) and nearby areas by a series of melittologists (e.g. H. Toro, E. Chiappa, L. Packer, S. Monckton), the male C. quelu has not been collected.

Figures

FIGURE 53. Colletes quelu Rojas & Toro, 1993. Female: (A) habitus, lateral view; (B) face, frontal view; (C) habitus, dorsal view.Scale bars = 2mm.

FIGURE46.Geographic distribution by Colletes species.(A) C.nigropilosus n. sp. and C.musculus; (B) C.ventricarinatusn. sp., C. quelu and C. nigritulus; (C) C.simulatus n. sp., C. sulcatus and C. toroi n. sp. Scale bars approximately 300 km.