Neocorynura gaucha, Smith-Pardo, Allan H., 2010

Smith-Pardo, Allan H., 2010, Taxonomic review of the species of Neocorynura (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Augochlorini) inhabiting Argentina and Paraguay, Zootaxa 2507, pp. 44-68 : 51-54

Neocorynura gaucha sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 , 8 )

Diagnosis. Females of Neocorynura gaucha can be easily recognized from most species by the mostly dark integumental coloration and the infuscated wings; in addition to their overall body size (smaller than the other species from Argentina and Paraguay) and the infuscate costal margin restricted to the area adjacent to the costal vein (not covering the submarginal cells) of their forewings (infuscation for more broadly distributed and including the submarginal cells on N. tangophyla ). This species can also be distinguished from N. codion by the clypeus uniformly imbricate (imbricated only along the margins in N. codion ), with metallic coppery reflections (metallic green in N. codion ); the base of propodeum sulcate only in its anterior margin (completely sulcate in N. codion ); the width of basal bands of setae on T2 and T3 and the lack of metallic integument on T4 (basal metallic band present in N. codion ).

Female (Holotype). Body length 9.1 mm; forewing length 7.5 mm. Head width 2.1 mm, length 2.2 mm. scape as long as combined length of F1 to F6; F10 longer than preceding fragments; F1 as long as F2. Clypeus wider than long; paraocular lobe obtuse (≈140°). Mesoscutum slightly wider than long; metanotum more than half length of mesoscutellum. Mesotibial spur serrate and more than half length of mesobasitarsus; inner metatibial spur pectinate with 6 teeth, the last two slightly fused. Marginal cell semi-truncate; 1m-cu almost confluent with 1rs-m; 2m-cu basad 2rs-m by approximately 5 times vein width; first submarginal cell longer than combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells; second submarginal rectangular; anterior border of second submarginal cell slightly longer than anterior border of third submarginal cell; pterostigma large, margin in marginal cell convex; hamuli spaced 3-1-1-2 along anterior margin of hind wing. Basal area of propodeum striate along cranial half and imbricate caudally. Metasoma semi-petiolate (slightly longer than wide).

Labrum slightly striate, with small, more or less narrow central process. Clypeus uniformly imbricate, with very coarse punctures separated by 1–3 PD; supraclypeal area imbricate with punctures smaller; subantennal and lower ocular areas imbricate and densely punctate; frons and remainder of face with smaller and more numerous punctures, integument between punctures strongly imbricate; vertex sculptured as frons; gena and postgena smooth with small, faint punctures and striate. Scape imbricate, with minute punctures separately by about 1 PD. Pronotum mostly smooth or faintly imbricate; propleura striate and imbricate. Mesoscutum densely punctate, punctures coarse and separated by less than 1 PD, integument between punctures strongly imbricate; mesoscutellum smooth and punctate, punctures of different diameter. Metanotum slightly imbricate, densely punctate, punctures small. Pleura strongly punctate with a rugose appearance, integument between punctures strongly imbricate. Tegula faintly imbricate. Basal area of propodeum striate on anterior half, strongly imbricate on posterior half.

Mandible dark brown, tip hyaline. Labrum and clypeus dark brown, the last with some metallic green reflections; remainder of head dark brown with metallic purple to orange reflections. Mesosoma black except pronotum metallic green; metanotum, margins of mesoscutum, mesoscutellum and base of propodeum metallic green. Forewings with costal margin and marginal cell infuscate. Legs mostly dark. Metasoma dark brown, except T1, with a basal area metallic green; base of T2–T4 with narrow, metallic green, basal bands.

Mandible with brown, unbranched setae, 0.5–1.5 OD in length, scattered. Labrum mostly bare with a row of coarse, brown, unbranched setae along anterior margin. Clypeus with light brown and unbranched setae, minute—0.5 OD in length, sparsely distributed over surface some minute branched setae present on lateral margins and close to compound eyes, and a row of long (0.5–1.5 OD in length), unbranched setae along anterior margin. Supraclypeal area with light brown, unbranched setae sparsely distributed, frons with white, minute branched setae more or less densely distributed and with some sparse light brown, poorly branched setae 0.5–1.0 OD in length among the white ones. Scape mostly with minute dark brown, sparsely distributed setae, few longer and lighter setae (0.5 OD) close to scape base. Vertex as on frons, except for some coarse, brown setae sparsely distributed; gena with minute, white setae densely distributed; postgena with translucid setae, 0.5–2.0 OD in length scattered. Pronotum densely covered with minute, light brown setae with some coarse, dark brown and branched setae among them. Mesoscutum with minute, light brown setae more or less densely distributed. Mesoscutellum as mesoscutum, except for some coarse, dark brown, poorly branched setae, 0.5–1.5 OD in length sparsely distributed between the white setae. Metanotum more densely covered with minute, light brown setae and with darker, longer (1–1.5 OD), branched setae, mostly along sides. Base of propodeum mostly bare, rest of surface with minute, white setae, densely distributed on posterior sides, longer setae (1.0 OD) close to spiracles. Preepisternum and mesepisternum with coarse, light to dark brown setae, 1.0 OD in length, scattered among minute, whitish setae; metepisternum densely covered with minute, whitish setae. Procoxa with coarse, dark brown setae, poorly branched, and 1.0–1.5 OD in length scattered among minute, light brown ones; protrochanter mostly bare but with some coarse, light brown, unbranched setae, 1.0–2.0 OD in length along posterior margin mixed with some minute, light brown setae; profemur with outer side mostly covered with light brown, poorly branched setae, sparsely distributed and 0.5–1.5 OD in length (longer ones close to trochanter), inner surface more densely covered with minute, whitish setae; protibia with outer side mostly covered with minute light brown setae, densely distributed, inner surface more densely covered with longer setae (minute—1.0 OD); tarsi as in protibia; mesocoxa covered with minute, whitish setae, with few coarse, light brown, unbranched setae, 1–1.5 OD in length close to articulation with mesotrochanter; mesotrochanter with light to dark brown, unbranched setae, 0.5–1.5 OD in length mixed with some minute, light brown setae; mesofemur inner side with coarse, light brown setae, 0.5 OD in length and densely distributed in anterior angle and forming a patch, rest of surface with coarse, dark brown, poorly branched setae, minute—2.0 OD in length, sparsely distributed; mesotibia densely covered with unbranched setae, minute—0.5 OD in length, those on posterior margin dark brown on base and white on tip; mesotarsi as protarsi; metacoxae as procoxae, except setae more abundant and dark brown, 0.5–1.5 OD in length; metatrochanter more or less densely covered with coarse, translucid, branched setae, 0.5–1.0 OD in length; metafemur with coarse, dark to light brown setae, long (some as long as 3.0 OD) somehow bending and forming scopae; metatibia sparsely covered with coarse, dark brown setae, those in anterior margin 1.0–1.5 OD in length, sparsely distributed, and with 3–4 branches mostly on tip, rest of surface with coarse, dark brown or white, unbranched setae, more or less densely distributed. T1 with coarse, white, branched setae, 0.5–1.0 OD in length and sparsely distributed; T2 and T3 densely covered with minute, light brown setae, with some coarse, translucid, unbranched setae sparsely distributed and with a basal band of minute, light brown setae occupying one third of tergites; T4 as T2 and T3 except without basal band of setae and with darker setae more abundant and almost 1.0 OD in length; T5 densely covered with coarse, brown setae, minute—1.5 OD in length, some branched and sparsely distributed among unbranched ones, lateral region with longer ones (1.5–2.0 OD).

Male. As described for the female except as follows: Body length 8.3 mm; forewing length 5.8 mm. Head width 1.9 mm, length 1.9 mm. F2 longer than F1. Mandible slender and pointed and without preapical teeth. Labral surface smooth. Paraocular lobe more angular. Mesoscutum slightly wider than long. Basitibial plate absent; inner metatibial spur one fourth the length of metabasitarsus, rather slender and serrated. Hamuli with a spacing pattern 3-1-1-2. Metasoma with a slightly more elongate appearance; S6, S7, S8, and genital capsule as in Fig. 3 .

Mandible without grooves on outer surface, slightly carinate along posterior margin, anterior margin continuous. Lower ocular area strongly punctate. Mesoscutellum with punctures of irregular size and shape. Posterior side of propodeum with coarse punctures.

Clypeus, supraclypeal and lower paraocular areas metallic green; rest of the head as in female. Tegula slightly more translucent. Legs mostly dark brown but tarsomers light brown. T1 with basal half metallic green; T2–T4 with basal one-fourth metallic green.

Mandible with some coarse, light brown, branched setae, 0.5 OD in length. Labrum mostly bare. Postgena with some long setae (0.5–1.5 OD in length) more sparsely distributed. Metanotum in general with longer setae (0.5–2.0 OD) sparsely distributed. Legs (especially hind ones) in general less pubescent; protrochanter with some light brown, unbranched setae minute—1.0 OD in length scattered on the posterior margin; profemur with white setae, 0.5–1.0 OD in length on posterior margin; protibia less densely covered; mesofemur with most of the inner side bare; metatrochanter poorly covered with setae, most of them unbranched; metafemur with some white, minute—1.0 OD in length setae, sparsely distributed on anterior margin. Metasomal pubescence as in the female except setae white and densely distributed; sterna with less pubescence, setae more scattered on S1–S3.

Type material. Holotype. Ƥ, ARGENTINA: Salta, La Gotera. 1-1986. Fritz Coll. ( AMNH).

Paratypes. Same label data as in the holotype except: Campo Quijano. 2-1991 (1 Ƥ AMNH); El Alisal. 2- 1992 (1 Ƥ CAS); El Maray. 1-1997 (1 Ƥ AMNH). R. [Rosario] de Lerma. 12-1983 (1 Ƥ AMNH); Idem except 11-1993 1 Ƥ AMNH); Cuesta de Obispo. 2500m. 2-1985 (3 ƤƤ AMNH, 1 3 SEMC); Camino Comisa, Selva húmeda. 6-17-1990. C. Porter & T. O’Neill (1 Ƥ FSCA). Tucumán, M. Arnau Coll. (1 Ƥ SEMC); Arroyo Cálao W. of Concepción. 1000m. 1-10-1968 (1 Ƥ AMNH). Jujuy, P.N. [National Park] Calilegua. 1620m, 23°39’34’’S 64°55’51’’W. 24-10-1994. J. M. Carpenter Coll. (1 Ƥ AMNH).

Etymology. The specific epithet honors the Gauchos, a commonly term used to describe some rural residents that herd cows on the Pampas, the Chacoan and Patagonian grasslands in Argentina and other South American countries.

Variation. There is some variation in the overall size of females and males (8.8–9.4 mm in females and 8.0– 8.5 mm in males) and the degree of infuscation of the forewing’s costal margin (in specimens from Tucumán the infuscation is more broad and covers the whole marginal cell, whereas in the other specimens only 70% of its area is infuscated).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Neocorynura gaucha sp. nov.: lateral habitus of the female (top left), lateral habitus of male (bottom left); male terminalia: a: genital capsule: ventral (right half) and dorsal (left half), b: genital capsule lateral view, c: fused S 7 + S 8. Scale = 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 8. Geographic distribution of the species of Neocorynura inhabiting Argentina and Paraguay.