Austrostelis saltensis Parizotto and Urban, 2017

Parizotto, Daniele R., Urban, Danúncia & Melo, Gabriel A. R., 2017, Revision of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Austrostelis Michener and Griswold (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Megachilinae), Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 52 (1 - 2), pp. 53-71 : 68-69

Austrostelis saltensis Parizotto and Urban sp. nov.

( Figures 1 (d), 2(g), 4(d), 5(d), 6(d))

Comments and diagnosis

This species is most similar to A. iheringi in general colour pattern. However, Austrostelis saltensis is known only from Argentina and can be distinguished from A. iheringi by having punctures dense, but never coalescent on head and mesoscutum, punctures separated by almost half puncture diameter; T1 with a large yellow band; terga with shallow punctures, which are obsolete on the disc of T3.

Description. Holotype male. Approximate body length: 8.95 mm; forewing length: 6.86 mm; maximum head width: 2.42 mm. Colour. Predominantly black. Head with the following yellow areas: clypeus with a large median macula, sinuous medially; paraocular bands almost extending to angle of the median ocelli, irregularly narrowing above antennal sockets; interalveolar maculae tinged by yellowish basally and with slender extension almost reaching the median ocelli. A complete yellowish band from postocellar region to lower gena. Antenna with scape, pedicel and two basal flagellomeres yellowish amber, remaining blackened. Mandible black. Mesosoma black with a yellowish spot on the pronotal lobe and with the following yellow areas: mesoscutum with an inverted L-shaped band on each side; axilla on the disc; scutellum with apical band, interrupted medially. Tegulae yellowish amber; wing membrane mostly black infumated, darker at the base and at costal margin. Mesepisternum and metepisternum with an irregular yellowish spot; legs with coxae, trochanters and base of the femora darkish brown, little darker in the mid and hind legs. Hind coxa with apical half pale yellow, remaining yellowish amber. Terga black; T1 with large yellow band, narrower at middle and translucent amber margin; T2 with yellow lateroventral maculae, T3–T4 with yellow band, wider dorsally; T5 with discal yellow maculae and lateroventral yellow spots; T6–T7 black. Second sternum with large pale yellow band, narrower medially; S3 with translucent yellowish amber apical margin.

Pilosity. Mostly white and sparse.

Punctures. Head and mesosoma densely punctate; punctures contiguous and slightly larger on mesosoma. Metasoma with punctures sparser and shallower than on mesoscutum; punctures sparser and shallower on disc of T3–T4; T5–T7 with denser and deeper punctures.

Female. Paratype female from El Maray. Differs from male in the following features: Approximate body length: 6.08 mm; forewing length: 5.07 mm; head width: 1.87 mm; eye length: 1.37 mm. Colour: supraclypeal area with elongated macula almost reaching the median ocellus, wider and tinged by ferruginous between the juxtantennal carina; mandible with apical ferruginous maculae. Hind coxae black. Basal tergum with large yellow band; T2 with thin yellow spots dorsally and tinged by ferruginous posteriorly; S2–S5 with thin apical yellow band.

Variation. Females: Some specimens can have the mandible black and the postocellar band incomplete, not reaching the base of the mandibles. The spot on the pronotal lobe

can be yellow; T2 with yellow spots laterally and black dorsally; S2–S5 can have their apical margin translucent.

Males: The supraclypeal area can be black, with a little yellow spot or with a transversal irregular macula contiguous with the interalveolar maculae. The gena can be entirely yellowish ferruginous. The spot of the pronotal lobe can be yellow and the mesepisternum can have a large yellow spot. The T6 can have a little yellow spot medially; S2 can be almost entirely yellow.

Type material. Holotype male. Argentina, Salta. ‘Arg. Salta / El Maray /2200 mts./Fritz – XII.95.’ ( AMNH) . Paratypes: one female: ‘Arg. Salta / El Maray / Fritz – I .94’; one male and one female ‘Arg. Salta / El Alisal / Fritz I .90’; one male ‘Arg. Salta / Sumalao, Fritz , 12.90’; one female ‘ Arg . Salta /Sumalao, Fritz, I .94’; one female ‘Arg. Salta / Cuesta Obispo /2 . 85/2.500 mts.’; two males ‘Arg. Salta / Rosario Lerma /xi .92’.

Distribution. ARGENTINA: Salta.

Etymology. The name refers to the place where the new species was collected.

Figures

Figure 1. Head (female), frontal view: (a) Austrostelis catamarcensis; (b) A. iheringi; (c) A. appendiculata; (d) A. saltensis sp. nov.; (e) A. santaterezae; (f) A. zebrata. Scale = 1.0 mm.