Chilicola (Heteroediscelis) deserticola Toro & Moldenke, 1979

Monckton, Spencer K., 2016, A revision of Chilicola (Heteroediscelis), a subgenus of xeromelissine bees (Hymenoptera, Colletidae) endemic to Chile: taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography, with descriptions of eight new species, ZooKeys 591, pp. 1-144 : 41-48

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Colletidae

Chilicola (Heteroediscelis) deserticola Toro & Moldenke, 1979 Figs 11 E–F; 15F; 16 A–C; 17B; 29 C–D; 31 D–F; 35 A–J; 49

Chilicola deserticola Toro & Moldenke, 1979: 121-122 (male holotype, AMNH [examined]). Packer 2008: 77. Montalva and Ruz 2010: 28 (checklist). Moure et al. 2012 (catalogue). Ascher and Pickering 2015 (checklist).

Diagnosis.

Males are diagnosable by the combination of malar space short (<0.5 × clypeal lateral), mesobasitarsus mostly yellow, and metatibia with the combination of ventral carina extending full length of longitudinal concavity and toothed, posterior carina absent basally and originating in apical half of ventral carina, and apical lamina reduced (~0.5OD in length). Females are diagnosable by the combination of the malar space short (~0.4 × clypeal lateral), frontal area without longitudinal depressions which partially accommodate the scape, and clypeus evenly and moderately densely punctate throughout (i=1-2d). Among consubgeners, Chilicola mantagua is most similar, but can be differentiated in both sexes by the longer malar space (≥0.5 × clypeal lateral) and by the characters given in the key.

Description.

Male. Length 4.3-5.5mm, forewing length 2.7-3.3mm, head width 1.0-1.2mm, thorax width 1.0-1.3mm, median ocellar diameter (OD) 0.10-0.12mm.

Colouration: Black-brown, following parts yellow: labrum; clypeus except narrowly dark along epistomal suture near anterior tentorial pit and apex usually brown laterad; lower paraocular area extending ~OD above transverse portion of epistomal suture medially, further laterally and nearly reaching lower tangent of antennal socket; apicoventral surface of scape; apical one-third of profemur on anterior surface, apical quarter on posterior surface; protibia except dark medioventrally; protarsus; broad apical ring on mesofemur, wider anteriorly; broad basal and apical rings on mesotibia, expanded to basal and apical one-third or continuous on dorsal margin; mesobasitarsus ventrally to entirely; wide apical ring on metafemur; basal quarter and apical quarter of metatibia, apical colouration extending to summit of ventral convexity; metabasitarsus ventrally and at least basal one-third dorsally; anterior spot on tegula. Following parts yellow-brown: apicoventral surface of pedicel; ventral surface of antenna from F1 to terminal flagellomere, narrowing basally on F1; protrochanter apical rim posteriorly; apical one-third of mesodistitarsus. Apicoventral rim of metacoxa and metatrochanter brown. Ventral metatibial carina black. Metasoma dark brown, T1-T7 marginal zones yellow-brown to translucent yellow at margins.

Pubescence: White, hairs generally short (0.5OD) and sparse, not especially plumose; on lower paraocular area and around antennal base moderately long and moderately dense (1OD); genal beard long and dense (0.5-2OD) longest at midlength; discs of mesoscutum, scutellum, and metanotum mostly bare, few short hairs (0.5OD), longer and denser toward lateral margin as follows: mesoscutum (0.5-1OD), scutellum (1-1.5OD) also on posterior margin, longest posteromedially, metanotum (≤2OD); propodeal hairs moderately long and dense dorsolaterally (0.5-1.5OD); T1-T3 apicolateral patches of tomentum (0.5-1OD); S2 hairs long and dense (1.5OD basolaterad, 0.5OD distilaterad, shorter mesad).

Surface sculpture: Microsculpture imbricate, integument generally dull; punctures generally small and deep. Clypeus and supraclypeal area moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d) except supraclypeal area more densely punctate toward lateral margin (i≤d); lower paraocular area densely punctate (i=d); frontal area very densely punctate (i≤0.5d), densely punctate around ocelli (i≤d); ocellocular space moderately densely punctate adjacent to compound eye (i=1-2d) becoming impunctate adjacent to lateral ocellus; vertexal area densely punctate (i≤d); scape shallowly and moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d) densely punctate apicoventrally (i≤d); genal area microstriate and moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); hypostomal area weakly imbricate and densely punctate (i=d); pronotum densely punctate (i=0.5-1d) lateral surface coarsely imbricate; mesoscutum and scutellum moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d) punctures crowded around median (i≤d); mesepisternum irregularly punctate, sparse below scrobe and anterior of episternal groove (i=1-3d), irregularly spaced in hypoepimeral area (i≤3d); metanotum densely punctate (i=0.5-1d) punctures crowded around median and anteriorly (i≤0.5d); metepisternum densely punctate (i≤d) distinctly longitudinally striate anterodorsally; metapostnotum rugose, minutely so and weakly microsculptured posteriorly; propodeum coarsely imbricate, moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); T1-T5 coarsely imbricate; T1-T3 moderately densely punctate (i≤2d); T4 moderately densely punctate (i=1-3d); T5 sparsely punctate (i≥2d); T6 sparsely punctate (i≥2d), coarsely imbricate posteriorly; T7 moderately sparsely punctate (i≥2d); marginal zones of terga weakly imbricate and shiny, minutely punctate.

Structure: Labrum 3 × wider than long (21:7); malar space ~0.3 × as long as clypeal lateral (2:7); LOT below anterior tentorial pits; length of clypeus subequal to maximum width in frontal view (29:28) extending for approximately one third of its length beyond LOT; clypeus lacking median longitudinal groove; subantennal sutures ~1.15 × as long as the shortest distance between them (14:12); IAD 1.6 × AOD (12:7.5); scape ~2.5 × as long as maximum width (22:9); pedicel shorter than wide (7:8); F1 shorter than wide (6.5:8.5); F2 ~1.4 × as long as F1 and subequal in length to F3 (F2:F3 - 9:9.5); UOD ~1.5 × LOD, IOD ~1.1 × UOD (UOD:IOD:LOD - 48:52:33); frontal line carinate in lower half, flat above; MOC shorter than width of head (79:84); OOC ~0.67 × IOC (12:18); genal area ~0.67 × as wide as compound eye in lateral view (18:28); ratio of lengths of mesoscutum: scutellum: metanotum: metapostnotum - 56:20:11:14; probasitarsus 4 × as long as maximum depth (20:5); prodistitarsus 0.8 × as long as preceding three tarsomeres combined (from II to V - 6:5:4:12); metafemur ~1.75 × as long as maximum depth (60:34); summit of metatibial ventral convexity at approximately two-thirds of its length; metatibia ~2.2 × as long as maximum depth (54:25); in apical view apical lamina of metatibia reduced, length ~0.5 × OD (4:9), short and thick; ventral metatibial carina angled ventrad, somewhat laminate, rounded inflection near midpoint, posterior carina absent basally and originating in apical half of ventral carina; metabasitarsus 3.4 × as long as maximum depth (34:10); S1 process apical surface longitudinally concave, in lateral view anterior and posterior margins convergent apically. S7 apodemal arm sclerotized margin terminating laterally at arm midlength; ventral lobe narrow, almost linear; dorsal lobe strap-like, subparallel-sided and somewhat anteriorly curved, with basal tuft of long setae and short apical row, midlength bare. S8 lateral process ~0.9 × as wide as long, anteromedial sclerotized margin following marginal contour. Gonobase apicoventral truncate process biconvex and distinctly notched by ~2 × width of one convexity.

Female. Length 4.5-5.0mm, forewing length 2.4-3.0mm, head width 0.9-1.0mm, thorax width 1.0-1.2mm, median ocellar diameter (OD) 0.09-0.11mm.

Colouration: Black to black-brown except as follows: mandible with yellow basal spot, otherwise translucent yellow to yellow except apex translucent brown. Following parts brown: apicoventral margin of pedicel and F1; posterior apical rim of metatibia (yellow-brown on some specimens). Following parts yellow: apicoventral surface of F2; ventral surface of antenna from F3 to terminal flagellomere, suffused with yellow-brown basally; dorsal surface of protibia, narrow basal and apical rings; probasitarsus; apical two-thirds of prodistitarsus; wide basal ring and narrow apical ring on mesotibia; mesobasitarsus ventrally; ventral half of metabasitarsus; apical half of metadistitarsus brown; anterior spot on tegula. Following parts yellow-brown: narrow apical ring on metafemur; wide basal ring on metatibia (yellow on some specimens). Metasoma black, T1-T5 marginal zones yellow-brown to translucent yellow at margins.

Pubescence: As in male except as follows: clypeal hairs short and sparse (0.5OD); genal beard sparse (0.5-2OD); discs of mesoscutum, scutellum, and metanotum with sparse short hairs (≤0.5OD), longer and denser toward lateral margin of mesoscutum (0.5OD), and toward lateral and posterior margins of scutellum (1-1.5OD) longest posteromedially; scopae on metafemur and metatibia (1-1.5OD); T1-T3 apicolateral patches of tomentum (0.5-1OD); S1 hairs long and moderately dense (≤2.5OD); S2 scopal hairs (1-3OD).

Surface sculpture: As in male except as follows: lower paraocular area moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); frontal area densely punctate (i≤d), moderately densely punctate around ocelli (i=1-2d); vertexal area moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); scape shallowly and moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); genal area weakly imbricate and moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); hypostomal area weakly imbricate to glossy apically, shallowly and sparsely punctate (i≥2d); mesoscutum and scutellum densely punctate (i=0.5-1d); mesepisternum irregularly punctate, sparse below scrobe (i=2-3d), sparser anterior of episternal groove (i≥3d), irregularly spaced on hypoepimeral area (i≤2d); metanotum moderately densely punctate (i=0.5-2d); metapostnotum rugose or striate-rugose anteriorly, weakly microsculptured posteriorly; propodeum moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); T1-T3 moderately puncticulate; T4-T5 punctures small and sparse (i≥2d); T6 moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d).

Structure: Labrum ~2.5 × wider than long (19.5:7.5); malar space ~0.4 × as long as clypeal lateral (3:7); LOT below anterior tentorial pits; clypeus subequal in length to maximum width in frontal view (24:26) extending for less than half of its length beyond LOT; median longitudinal groove weak on clypeus; subantennal sutures subequal in length to the shortest distance between them (11.5:11); IAD ~1.6 × AOD (11.5:7); scape ~3.33 × as long as maximum width (20:6); pedicel longer than wide (8:6.5); F1 subequal in length and width (5.5:5); F2 ~0.67 × as long as F1 (3.5) and shorter than F3 (4.5); UOD 1.4 × LOD, IOD ~1.05 × as long as UOD (UOD:IOD:LOD - 42:45:30); frontal line carinate in lower half, flat above; MOC subequal to width of head (72:69); OOC 0.8 × IOC (10:12.5); genal area ~0.6 × as wide as eye in lateral view (14:23); ratio of lengths of mesoscutum: scutellum: metanotum: metapostnotum - 48:18:9:12; probasitarsus ~3.5 × as long as maximum depth (19:5.5); length of prodistitarsus ~0.9 × that of preceding three tarsomeres combined (from II to V - 5:4.5:4:11.5); metafemur ~2.8 × as long as maximum depth (39:14); metatibia ~4.5 × as long as maximum depth (52:11.5); metabasitarsus ~4.4 × as long as maximum depth (31:7).

Material studied

(58 males & 110 females). Holotype (male). Region IV, Pueblo Hundido, S 30.063°, W 70.491°, 1031m, x.1972, L. Ruz, on Heliotropium stenophyllum (AMNH) - see comments; Region IV: one paratype male, same data as holotype (AMNH); one female, same locality and date as holotype, V. Cabezas (AMNH); one female, Hwy 41, 2-4 km S of Vicuña, S 30.067°, W 70.726°, 755m, 9.x.2001, L. Packer (PCYU); one female, Elqui Prov., 6 km S of Vicuña, S 30.085°, W 70.725°, 889m, 16.x.1991, J.G. Rozen & L. Peña (AMNH); six females, Elqui Prov., 7 km S Pisco Elqui, S 30.177°, W 70.486°, 1449m, 8.x.1994, Rozen, Quinter, Ascher (AMNH); one male and one female, Elqui Prov., 26 km S of Vicuña, S 30.19°, W 70.661°, 1691m, 5.x.1994, Rozen, Quinter, Ascher (AMNH); one female, Elqui, 4-5 km south Pisco, S 30.383°, W 70.347°, 1340m, 27.x.1992, A. Sharkov (AMNH); one male, Pr. Coquimbo, Carretera Pan-Am al norte de La Serena, 1970-72, A.R. Moldenke, on Calandrinia grandiflora , INT BIOL PROGRAM (AMNH); one male, Pr. Coquimbo, Carretera Pan-Am al norte de La Serena, 21.xi.1970, A.R. Moldenke, INT BIOL PROGRAM #47128 (AMNH); five females, Choros Bajos, S 29.291°, W 71.309°, 57m, 12.x.1977, H. Flores (AMNH); one female, same data, PUCV-ENTO 19930 (PUCV); one male, same data, PUCV-ENTO 19926 (PUCV); one female, same locality, 16.x.2000, L. Packer (PCYU); one female, Los Choros, S 29.291°, W 71.309°, 57m, 25.x.2002, J. Grixti, A. Zayed, white pan (PCYU); one male and one female, Dunes, Los Choros, S 29.3130°, W 71.2937°, 145m, 13.ix.2010, L. Packer, B09857-A09 Bees of Chile293, B09857-B01 (PCYU); one male, Q. Los Choros, S 29.343°, W 71.155°, 232m, 11.x.1977, V. Cabezas (AMNH); one female, same locality and collector, 12.x.1977 (AMNH); one male, Prov. Coquimbo, Río Los Chorros, S 29.343°, W 71.155°, 232m, 6.xi.1956, Wagenknecht (PUCV); one female, Carretera Pan-Am al norte de La Serena, S 29.805°, W 71.287°, 30m, 15.x.1971, A.R. Moldenke, on Calandrinia , INT BIOL PROGRAM 41979 (AMNH); one male and one female, Elqui Prov., 8 km N of La Serena, S 29.837°, W 71.261°, 16m, 7.xi.2000, J.G. Rozen (AMNH); one male, La Serena, S 29.906°, W 71.25°, 20m, 28.xii.1988, L. Ruz E. (PUCV); one female, Quebrada, El Arrayan, 15 km S La Villa, S 30.071°, W 71.0007°, 400m, 20.xi.2003, F.D. Parker & M.E. Irwin, malaise trap, CH-56 FDP 109843 (BBSL); one male, Elqui Prov., 17 km S Coquimbo, S 30.088°, W 71.362°, 35m, 4.x.1994, Rozen, Quinter, Ascher (AMNH); one male, Guanaqueros, S 30.198°, W 71.422°, 22m, 7.x.1982, H. Toro (PUCV); one female, same locality and date, E. Chiappa (PUCV); one male, W of Barrancas, S 30.215°, W 71.329°, 337m, 10.x.2000, L. Packer (PCYU); one female, Tongoy, S 30.252°, W 71.5°, 54m, 5.x.2002, J. Grixti & A. Zayed (PCYU); one female and one male, same locality and collectors, 14.xi.2002, pan traps (PCYU); one male, Tongoy Avda Costanera, S 30.253°, W 71.494°, 9m, 25.x.2001, L. Packer & G.S. Fraser (PCYU); one female, same locality and collectors, 26.x.2001 (PCYU); four males and one fe male, Bahía Tongoy, S of Tongoy, S 30.272°, W 71.483°, 25m, 8.x.2001, L. Packer & G.S. Fraser (PCYU); one male, same data, CCDB-22789 D05 (PCYU); four males and six females, Puerto Aldea nr. Tongoy, S 30.301°, W 71.606°, 9m, 26.x.2001, Packer & Fraser (PCYU); one male, same locality, 8.xi.2001, L. Packer (PCYU); one wo females, Quebrada Los Litres, SW of Tongoy, inland rd., S 30.323°, W 71.526°, 16m, 26.x.2001, L. Packer & G.S. Fraser (PCYU); one male, Las Breas, S 30.369°, W 70.613°, 1622m, 11-19.ix.2010, L. Packer (PCYU); one male, P.N. Fray Jorge Entrance, S 30.627°, W 71.663°, 282m, 7.x.2001, L. Packer (PCYU); one male, Coquimbo Prov., 4km S of Socos, S 30.745°, W 71.528°, 201m, 22.ix.1966, M.E. Irwin (BBSL); one male, Limarí Prov., Talinay Parq Nal., S 30.867°, W 71.601°, 282m, 10.x.2001, J.G. Rozen & A. Ugarte, on Nolana (AMNH); one male and one female, Choapa: Los Vilos, S 31.912°, W 71.511°, 54m, 18.xi.1991, Rozen, Pena, Ugarte, on Cristaria (AMNH); one male, Los Vilos, Caleta Los Lobos, S 31.949°, W 71.526°, 11m, 26.x.2001, Packer & Fraser (PCYU); one female, Los Vilos, S 31.9312°, W 71.5133°, 12m, 13.xii.2006, L. Packer (PCYU); one female, Bahía Tongoy, S of Tongoy, S 30.272°, W 71.483°, 25m, 8.x.2001, Packer & Fraser (PCYU); Region III: one male and eleven females, Huasco Prov., Chañar de Aceituno, S 28.9534°, W 71.3472°, 279m, 18.ix.2003, A. Ugarte (PCYU); one female, same data, B10037-H11 Bees of Chile759 (PCYU); one female, 15km W of Domeyko (C-500), S 28.9668°, W 71.0365°, 587m, 15.x.2014, J. Postlethwaite (PCYU); one male and one female, E of Carrizalillo, C-500, km 53.3, S 28.9982°, W 71.3787°, 208m, 8.xi-13.xii.2013, S. Monckton & J. Postlethwaite (PCYU); eight males and seventeen females, Huasco Prov., Chañar de Aceituno, S 29.0279°, W 71.4036°, 279m, 20.ix.2003, A. Ugarte (PCYU); one female, Caleta Chañaral de Aceituna, S 29.09°, W 71.467°, 8m, 18.ix.2003, L. Packer (PCYU); one female, Caleta Chañaral de Aceituna, S 29.0804°, W 71.4672°, 10m, 5.x.2010, L. Packer, G.S. Fraser (PCYU); one male and eleven females, same data, PCYU 0004655, PCYU 0004646, PCYU 0004643, PCYU 0004649, PCYU 0004664, PCYU 0004663, PCYU 0004661, PCYU 0004660, PCYU 0004657, PCYU 0004654, PCYU 0004652, PCYU 0004672 (PCYU); one male and five females, Huasco Prov., Carrizalillo, S 29.0991°, W 71.3912°, 179m, 20.ix.2003, A. Ugarte (PCYU); one male, same data, B10037-H8 Bees of Chile756 (PCYU); five females, Caleta Carrizalillo, S 29.1098°, W 71.4613°, 11m, 8.xi.2013, S. Monckton (PCYU); one female, same data, CCDB-19989 C05 // PCYU 0021691 (PCYU); one female, same locality, 13.x-08.xi.2013, J. Postlethwaite & S. Monckton (PCYU); one male and two females, Caleta Apolillada, S 29.1826°, W 71.4882°, 18m, 8.xi.2013, S. Monckton (PCYU); one female, same locality, 8.xi-13.xii.2013, S. Monckton & J. Postlethwaite (PCYU); four females, 11 km WNW Choros Bajos, S 29.265°, W 71.411°, 10m, 14.x.2001, L. Packer (PCYU); four males and two females, Los Choros, S 29.291°, W 71.309°, 57m, 25.x.2002, J. Grixti, A. Zayed, yellow pan (PCYU); seven males and two females, SE of Los Choros, near dunes, S 29.3052°, W 71.2836°, 280m, 13.ix.2010, L. Packer (PCYU); one male and one female, same data (CTMI); Region V: one female, Aconcagua Prov. Papudo/Zapallar, 5.xi.1971, A.R. Moldenke, on Chorizanthe vaginata , INT BIOL PROGRAM 45388 (AMNH).

Distribution.

Coquimban & Intermediate Desert, distributed coastally from Caleta Chañaral de Aceituna (Region III) south to Los Vilos (Region IV) and inland along the Elqui Valley to Pueblo Hundido & Guanta (Region IV); 8-1691m a.s.l.

Ecology.

Collected on Calandrinia Kunth (1 record), Calandrinia grandiflora Lindl. (1 record), Chorizanthe vaginata (1 record), Cristaria Cav. (2 records), Heliotropium stenophyllum Hook. & Arn. (3 records) and Nolana L. f. (1 record). Recorded September to December.

Comments.

The type series (male holotype & one male paratype) is labeled Atacama, Pueblo Hundido, x.1972, L. Ruz, on Heliotropium stenophyllum . Atacama is the name of Region III, thus the locality is interpreted as Diego de Almagro (formerly called Pueblo Hundido), and was indicated as such on a map of type localities by Toro and Moldenke (1979). However, besides the type series, Chilicola deserticola has not been collected from further north than Carrizal Bajo, Region III, and Heliotropium stenophyllum does not occur north of Totoral, Region III ( Luebert 2013), while Diego de Almagro is located 1.1° latitude further north than Totoral and in a different biogeographic region ( Peña 1966, O’Brien 1971, Artigas 1975). In contrast, Pueblo Hundido is also the name of a village in Region IV (Coquimbo) to the southeast of Vicuña ( COPEC 2012, Sernatur 2012); a road sign marks its location at approximately S 30.0629° W 70.4911° ( Google Earth 2013). This village is within the range of Heliotropium stenophyllum ( Luebert 2013) and is the apparent provenance of a specimen collected on that host plant species, labeled Coquimbo, Pueblo Hundido, x.1972, V. Cabezas. Specimen records show that Ruz, Toro, Neff, and Cabezas traveled together in September/October 1972 (see Supplementary File S2); to collect near Diego de Almagro in October of that year would have been inconsistent with their pace and pattern of travel. Moreover, regional mislabeling for locality names that occur in multiple regions is known for the Toro and PUCV collections (L. Ruz, personal communication) where the type material was originally held. Following these considerations, I believe the type locality to be misattributed, and have adjusted it to the village in Region IV accordingly.