Nannotrigona occidentalis Jaramillo, Ospina & Gonzalez, 2019

Jaramillo, Joanna, Ospina, Rodulfo & Gonzalez, Victor H., 2019, Stingless bees of the genus Nannotrigona Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Apidae Meliponini) in Colombia, Zootaxa 4706 (2), pp. 349-365 : 358-360

Nannotrigona occidentalis Jaramillo, Ospina & Gonzalez , n. sp.

Figures 6 , 7

Diagnosis. This species shares with N. mellaria and N. tristella a mesoscutellum with a deep, semicircular emargination on its posterior margin, which is much wider than the axilla, and an antennal scape with long setae (≥ 1.2× width of scape). It can be separated from those species by the wider emargination (1.8–2.0× vs. 1.5–1.6× width of axilla) and the absence of a yellow band on the lateral margin of mesoscutum. In addition, this species occurs in western Colombia and the Province of Darién, Panamá, whereas the other two occur in the Andean and Caribbean regions.

Description. Worker (paratypes in parentheses): Total body length 4.7 mm (5.3 mm); head width 2.1 mm (2.1 mm); intertegular distance 1.4 mm (1.4 mm); forewing length 4.7 mm (4.7 mm). Head 1.2× wider than long; malar area about as wide as the wide of F3; clypeus about 1.6× broader than long; intertorular distance same as torular diameter; torulorbital distance 1.4× torular diameter; interocellar distance 2.1× OD, 1.1× longer than ocellocular distance; ocelloccipital distance 1.4× OD; scape 4.1× longer than wide; pedicel about as long as broad, slightly shorter than first flagellomere; remaining flagellomeres as broad as long, except apicalmost flagellomere longer than broad. Mesoscutellum 1.5× broader than long, basal fovea v-shaped, about as long as broad, posterior margin with median emargination deep, about 2.4× broader than long, lateral tooth of the emargination acute.

Color dark reddish brown to black, except as follows: mandible, labrum, antenna, and tegula light reddish brown; medial half of axilla, apical tooth of mesoscutellum, and outer surfaces of tibiae basally with pale yellow. Wing membrane brownish, veins and pterostigma brown.

Pubescence mainly yellow, except for appressed whitish setae on pronotal lobe and metepisternun. Scape with simple, curved, abundant and long setae (1.2× width of scape), along its inner margin. Mesoscutum with shorter setae than those on vertex (0.7× OD); apical tooth of mesoscutellum with setae about 1.7–2.0× OD; pro– and mesotibiae with minute setae (about 0.3× OD).

Clypeus and supraclypeal area with minute, sparse punctures; frons and ocellocular area with contiguous, coarse punctures. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum foveate (0.5–0.8× OD).

Holotype. COLOMBIA: Prov. Valle [Valle del Cauca]: 1♀, Rio Anchicaya , 400m, 10 Feb. 1977, M.D. Breed & C.D. Michener / SEMC1382068 . Deposited in SEMC.

Paratypes. (n = 2♀), One worker with the same data as the holotype and also deposited in SEMC , but with the following barcode label: SEMC1382062 ( SEMC); 1♀, Valle del Cauca, PNN Farallones de Cali, Anchicaya , 650m, 3°26’N, 76°48’W, 30.I.13. I.2001 /IAVH–E–27789 ( IAVH) .

Material examined (not designated as type material) (n = 25♀) COLOMBIA: Antioquia : 1♀, Porce. Ant. Ca- landria R. a. Pescado. 03/06/1997; Allan Smith P. / MEFLG38459 ( MEFLG) ; 1♀, ut supra, 22 / 08 / 1997 / ME- FLG38486 ( MEFLG) ; 1♀, ut supra, jama / MEFLG38520 ( MEFLG) ; 2♀, ut supra, 23 / 09 / 1997 / MEFLG38472 , 87 ( MEFLG) ; 1♀, ut supra, Cancana R. B, jama, 02/07/1997 / MEFLG38476 ( MEFLG) ; 1♀, ut supra, La Picardia P., jama, 09/07/1997 / MEFLG38471 ( MEFLG) ; 1♀, ut supra, 14/08/1997 / MEFLG38513 ( MEFLG) ; 1♀, ut supra, Pescado , 21/08/1997 / MEFLG38475 ( MEFLG) ; 1♀, ut supra, 01/10/1997 / MEFLG38502 ( MEFLG) ; 2♀, ut supra, jama, 02/10/1997 / MEFLG38470 , 83 ( MEFLG) ; 1♀, ut supra, Normandia R.b. jama, 07/06/1997 / MEFLG38535 ( MEFLG) ; 5♀, ut supra, MEFLG38466 , 68 , 89 , 95 , 98 ( MEFLG) ; 2♀, ut supra, 17/09/1997 / MEFLG38463 , 527 ( MEFLG) ; 2♀, ut supra, 19/09/1997 / MEFLG38505 , 09 ( MEFLG) ; 2♀, ut supra, 08/10/1997 / MEFLG38531 , 36 ( MEFLG) . PANAMA: Darién: 1♀, Cana Biological Station , 500–550 m, 7°45’18”, N, 77°41’6”W, 03 Jun 1996; J. Ashe, R.Brooks, PAN1AB96 015, ex: Ludwigia / SM0034620 ( SEMC) ; 1♀, ut supra, 04 Jun 1996; PAN1AB96 017, ex: Clibadium surinamensis ( SEMC) .

Distribution. This species occurs in the western and central Andes of Colombia ( Fig. 7 ) and the Province of Darién, Panamá.

Comments. The specimens from Darién, Panamá, agree with the holotype and paratype from Valle, Colombia, in their body size, pubescence, and punctuation. However, the yellow maculation of these specimens are fainted, almost undetectable, and their mesoscutellum slightly more elongate.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Female paratype of Nannotrigona occidentalis Jaramillo, Ospina & Gonzalez, n. sp. a = Dorsal habitus. b = Lateral habitus. c = Facial view (IAVH-E-27789).

FIGURE 7. Collection localities of Nannotrigona Cockerell in Colombia.