Microsphecodes fernandoi Graham & Packer, 2024

Graham, Liam & Packer, Laurence, 2024, Three New Species of Microsphecodes s. str. (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) with an updated key to species of the subgenus, Zootaxa 5404 (1), pp. 189-205 : 195-197

Microsphecodes fernandoi Graham & Packer

Figs. 11 , 13–18 , 29, 32 & 36 .

Diagnosis: The colour pattern of this species is unique: the head is black except the clypeus is dark yellowish brown ( Fig. 11 ), the mesosoma is brown, T1 and the base of T2 are somewhat paler than the remaining terga (except for the somewhat paler translucent apical impressed areas) which are dark brown ( Figures 14 & 17 ). This is the only species with the entire mesosoma somewhat paler than the discs of T2–T6 ( Figs. 14–17 ).

Description: Holotype female:

Dimensions: Total body length 4.6 mm; forewing length 3.76 mm. Head broader than long, width 1.42 mm, length 1.22 mm. Intertegular distance not measurable due to distortion caused by pin.

Colouration: Light brown except as follows: Mandible brown, apical 1/4 red-brown; labrum and clypeus orange-brown; supraclypeal area dark brown; torulus, scape and pedicel orange-brown; flagellum brown; rest of head black; tegula yellow, wing veins dark brown, wing membrane translucent. All legs orange-brown. T1 orange-brown, with a dark brown apical impressed area; T2 orange-brown basally, dark brown elsewhere; T3 dark brown, apical appressed area paler; T4–T5 and pygidial plate dark brown; S1 orange-brown; S2 orange-brown basally, dark brown apically; remaining sterna dark brown; apical impressed areas translucent yellow.

Pubescence: pale yellowish, relatively sparse fine simple sub-erect to erect except when stated otherwise; clypeus hairs short, branched, with longer simple hairs intermixed; lower paraocular area hairs denser with many branches, hairs marginally longer than on rest of face; sparser on vertexal area than face, shorter than longest hairs of clypeus; anterior surface of flagellum hairs sparse and long, underlying placodea dark, obscure against dark background. Pronotal collar with short, dense white hair laterally, dorsally less dense; side of mesosoma with dense somewhat plumose short white subappressed hairs with sparse erect long white hairs intermixed; hypoepimeral area almost entirely glabrous; mesoscutum hairs short sparse (surface of mesoscutum obstructed by pin posteromedially); scutellum hairs long white sparse; metanotum with dense white long hairs; posterior surface of propodeum with short, dense white hairs with some longer hairs intermixed; metatibia hairs simple suberect longest apically, shorter than or equal to apical width of tibia; dorsal surface of metatibia with pale bristles bearing few short branches on dorsal side of rachis. T1 glabrous except laterally hairs of medium length, sparsely branched; T2 as for T1, but with short appressed hairs basally; T3–T5 hairs moderately dense and short on disc, with sparse long hairs intermixed laterally and apically, subappressed medium length and white anterolaterally. S1 hairs long sparse along midline, absent elsewhere; S2–S5 hairs scattered long suberect, D-shaped glabrous area apicomedially; S6 hairs short subappressed.

Surface Sculpture: Integument shiny lacking microsculpture unless stated otherwise. Face densely punctate i<d, with the exception being more sparse towards apex of supraclypeal area; vertexal area punctures sparser i=1–4d; impunctate around ocelli; genal area punctures small sparse i=1–3d;hypostomal area weakly imbricate except on disc, sparsely punctate. Mesoscutum very weakly imbricate, punctures distinct, varying in size, irregularly spaced i=0.5– 2.5d, densest laterally, sparsest on disc (obscured by pin posteriorly); mesoscutellum faintly imbricate, punctures scattered on disc, denser around margins i~1d; metanotum punctures dense i~1d. Metapostnotum dorsal surface margined by strong carina, indented posteromedially; areolate, median pair of areolae on either side of apically complete median carina take up most of the dorsal surface, margined by smaller elongate areolae. Preepisternum and hypoepimeral areas weakly rugose; mesepisternum punctate posteriorly punctures small, i<d; [metepisternum obscured by pubescence]; propodeum coarsely areolate, areolae on posterior surface large. Tegula impunctate weakly imbricate. T1–T2 very weakly imbricate laterally, impunctate; T3 punctures small dense i=0.5–3d; T4–T5 weakly imbricate, punctures small. S1 weakly imbricate, impunctate; S2–S5 imbricate, punctures shallow; S6 imbricate, more densely punctate than other sterna.

Structure: Mandible shorter than compound eye (0.6 mm: 0.82 mm). Clypeus 3.5X broader than long (0.84 mm: 0.24 mm). Supraclypeal area convex, somewhat protuberant in profile. Frontal line carinate from just below lower tangent of antennal socket to ~1MOD below median ocellus (MOD = 0.12 mm). Inner margin of compound eyes somewhat convergent below: UOD:LOD 0.92 mm: 0.82 mm; ASD 0.1 mm, IAD 0.2 mm; supraclypeal area as long as wide (apical width 0.28 mm, length 0.28 mm); IOD:OOD 0.24 mm: 0.28 mm; vertex strongly convex in frontal view, upper tangent of compound eyes 0.25 MOD below lower tangent of median ocellus; genal area narrower than compound eye in profile (0.32 mm: 0.42 mm); F1 shorter than F2 (0.08mm: 0.12 mm). [Mesoscutum length to width ratio not measurable—surface distorted by pin.] Stigma large, 0.62 mm long, 0.18mm wide (~3.5:1); margin in marginal cell convex, marginal cell 1.04 mm long, 0.28mm wide, free portion slightly less than 3X that subtended by submarginal cells (0.82 mm: 0.3 mm); 1m-cu meets second submarginal cell near middle; stigmal perpendicular goes through 2r-m near anterior margin; hind wing with five distal hamuli. Pygidial plate apically rounded, surface slightly concave.

Material Studied. Holotype female: FRENCH GUIANA, Les Eaux Claires , 3.5 mi. N[orth of] Saul, N3°38 - 40’ W53°13’ [~3.65 -53.21], 14-21 July 1995, mal[aise]. trap, A. Berkov, AMNH.

Etymology: The species is known from a unique specimen and is named to honour the memory of Fernando Silveira who was also a unique individual, one of the warmest and funniest people the junior author has ever met; his passing is a great loss.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Map showing locations of captures of Microsphecodes (Microsphecodes) species. Note that the black symbol indicates an area where three species have been found.

FIGURES 14–18. Holotype of M. fernandoi Graham and Packer, sp. n. Fig. 14—lateral habitus; Fig. 15—posterior half of mesosoma to show metapostnotal sculpture; Fig. 16.—dorsal view of mesosoma; Fig. 17—dorsal view of metasoma; Fig. 18—forewing.

FIGURES 10–12. Head, frontal view of the three new species of Microsphecodes being described herein. Fig. 10—Holotype of M. peckorum Graham and Packer, sp. n.; Fig. 11—Holotype of M. fernandoi Graham and Packer, sp. n. Fig. 12—Holotype of M. septentrionalis Graham and Packer, sp. n.

FIGURES 29–32. Metasomal dorsum (Figs. 29&30) and metapostnotum (Figs. 31&32) of:Figs.29&39—M.fernandoi Graham and Packer, n. sp. and Figs. 30&32—M. septentrionalis Graham and Packer, n. sp.

FIGURES 35–36. Microsphecodes mesosomal dorsum: Fig. 35. M. peckorum Graham and Packer n. sp.; Fig. 36. M. fernandoi Graham and Packer, n. sp.