Thygater palliventris ( Friese 1908 )

Freitas, Felipe V. & Silveira, Fernando A., 2017, Synopsis of the bee genus Thygater Holmberg 1884 (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, with the description of a new species and a key to all Brazilian species, Zootaxa 4238 (1), pp. 1-29 : 19-21

Thygater palliventris ( Friese 1908)

( Figs. 3 .D; 12)

Tetralonia palliventris Friese 1908 ;

Thygater (Thygater) palliventris Moure & Michener 1955 ; Urban 1967; Urban, Moure & Melo 2012 Thygater (Thygater) armandoi Urban 1999 ; Urban, Moure & Melo 2012 New synonymy. Holotype (female): “No. 153/1/9” “Local Viçosa—MG; Data 22/12/85; Col. L. Campos” “holótipo” “ Thygater ; armandoi ; Urban, 99” [DZUP]—examined.

Diagnosis. Female T. palliventris may be confused with T. analis and T. anae , from which they can distinguished by the completely yellowish or brownish pilosity agreed to a shiny mid-longitudinal band on clypeus, and by a yellow apical transverse band on clypeus ( Fig. 12 .A)(sometimes incomplete or absent). Male T. palliventris have almost entirely black integument, and the pilosity predominantly white on mesosoma and predominantly black on metasoma, as in some males of T. analis and in T. anae and T. minarum , from which they can be distinguished as follows: from T. anae by the lack of a marginal fringe on S4 (present in T. anae — Fig. 1 .A); from T. minarum by the triangular lobes of T7 (rounded in T. minarum — Fig. 1 ) and by the thick setae restricted to the proximal lobe of S7 ( Fig. 3 .D), (extremely thick along both lobes in T. minarum — Fig. 3 .C). Thygater palliventris can be distinguished from T. analis by the fringe of thick setae restricted to the posterior margin of the proximal lobe of the median plate of S7 ( Fig. 3 .D) (present also along the anterior margin of distal lobe in T. analis — Fig. 3 .A), and wide proximal lobe of S7, with a bulging anterior margin meeting the lateral margin in a wide angle ( Fig. 3 .D) (narrow, without bulging anterior margin and anterior and lateral margins meeting in an acute angle in T. analis — Fig. 3 .A).

Description. ♀: Integument black, except: yellow on of clypeus; on some specimens, yellowish stains on scutellum and metanotum; yellow to dark brown on metassoma. Clypeus entirely reticulate and strongly punctate, except for; on rest of head, reticulate, shallow and dense punctate and; on mesosoma densely reticulate and densely punctate, except on disc of mesoscutum, smooth and sparsely punctate; on terga lineolate, finely and very sparsely punctate (> 3 dp); on sterna lineolate and sparsely punctate; translucent-amber areas on apex of marginal zones of T1 – T4 long, about as long as F1; translucent-amber areas on apex of marginal zones of sterna long, longer than F2. Pilosity on head yellowish, fuscous on vertex and paraocular areas; on mesosoma whitish-yellow, on metasoma between whitish yellow and brown, with whitish tomentum on T2 – T5; on S5 very dense; on remaining sterna looser, with apical fringe, that of S5 denser; on S6 simple and dense on disc, absent on mid-longitudinal carina. Structure —malar area about as long as basal mandibular width; clypeus slightly convex, its disc slightly elevated, its basal depression reaching 1/3 of clypeal length; S6 with mid-longitudinal elevation not forming a carina.

♂: Integument black, except: whitish-yellow on labrum. On head entirely reticulate, except around ocelli and on a longitudinal band along almost entire length of clypeus, smooth, almost as wide as length of F1; on mesosoma reticulate and densely punctate (= 1 dp), except on mesoscutum that is lightly reticulate and shinier; on metasoma strongly reticulate, especially on terga, on sterna weakly reticulate, shinier; terga finely and sparsely punctate (= 1 dp), except smooth and lineolate on translucent-amber apical areas of terga; on sterna still finer and sparser; apical translucent-amber areas of marginal zones of terga lineolate, shorter than pedicel. Pilosity white on head, except dark grey on lower paraocular area, front and vertex; on mesosoma predominantly dark-grey, but white on pronotum, axilla, distal margin of mesoscutum, metanotum, metapostnotum, propodeum and all venter, including front leg; on mid and hind legs light haired on basal joints, dark on apical ones; on metasoma, white basally on T1, black on rest of T1 and on T2 – T4; on T5 – T7 a mixture of black and white, with white hairs more abundant on disc; on sterna white, with apical fringes medially-interrupted on S2 – S4, on S5 restricted to small lateral tufts, on S6 simple and short forming an hourglass-like patch on disc. Structure —malar area 2/3 as long as basal mandibular width; clypeus lightly convex on disc, with basal depression reaching 1/3 of clypeal length; T7 deeply emarginate, forming two flat triangular lobes; S5 without marginal projections; S6 without high lateral carinae and midlongitudinal carina.

Holotype (female): Brazil, Minas Gerais (ZMB)—not examined (see taxonomic note below).

Variation and taxonomic notes: The clypeus of T. palliventris normally has an apical yellow transversal stripe. However, this stripe is incomplete or absent in some specimens (specimens lacking such stripe were described by Urban 1999 as T. armandoi ). The pilosity color may be completely yellowish or completely fuscous, although never black. The male of T. palliventris has been confused with those of T. analis , and is described here for the first time, based on results of morphological and molecular analyzes made by Freitas et al. (unpublished).

The holotype of T. palliventris was not examined. However, Friese clearly described the smooth midline of the clypeus, which, taken together with the pale terga, is diagnostic for the species. Another undescribed species also has a smooth clypeal midline, but it never reaches the apical margin of clypeus.

Additional material examined (45 specimens 25 ♀ ♀ and 20 ♂ ♂). ARGENTINA —MISSIONES: Porto Iguazu — Parque Nacional Iguazu 17/07/2009, N. Veiga 2♀♀ 1♂ [ PCYU] . BRAZIL — BAHIA: Igrapiúna — 29/11/ 2009, A. Nemésio 1♀ [UFMG]. ESPIRITO SANTO: Sooretama — 16/12/2015, J.E. Santos-Junior & J.C.Oliveira 2♀ ♀ [UFMG]. MINAS GERAIS: Alto Capara – 03/12/2015, J.E.Santos-Junior & J.C.Oliveira 1♂ [UFMG]; Belo Horizonte — 30/07/1996, R.M. Carmo 1♀ [UFMG]; 14/08/2000, M. Pompeu 1♀ [UFMG]; 17/01/2001, E.A.B. Almeida 1♀ [UFMG]. Caldas — Pedreira Juparana 10/11/2014, B.C. Figueiredo 10♂♂ [ UFMG] . Itamonte — 20/ 10/2006, M.F. Goulart 1♂ [UFMG]. Morro do Pilar — 08/10/2014, E.L.N. Siqueira 1♀ [ UFMG] . Muzambinho — 19/04/2012, M.A.R. Farias 1♀ [UFMG]. Nova lima — 12/05/2015, A.R. Lima 1♂ [UFMG]; 26/04/2015, A.R. Lima 1♂ [UFMG]. Sabar — 14/01/1996, F.A. Silveira 1♀ [UFMG]; 24/11/1996, F.A. Silveira 1♂ [UFMG]; 28/11/ 1999, F.A. Silveira 1♀ [UFMG]. Santa Maria do Salto — 13/02/2009, A. Nemésio 13/02/2009 1♂ [UFMG]; 14/ 02/2009, A. Nemésio 1♂ [UFMG]. Uberlândia — 01/11/2005, P.K.M. Mendonça 1♀ [UFMG]. Viçosa — 30/08/ 1990, F.A. Silveira 1♀ [UFMG]; 31/03/1988, G.S. Bastos 1♀ [UFV]; 27/08/1990, F.A. Silveira 1♀ [UFV]. PARAN: 14 km SW from Morretes — 06/07/2004, P. Moreira 1♀. 9 km SW from Morretes — 13/05/2004 Löwemberg- Neto 2♀ ♀ [ DZUP]. RIO GRANDE DO SUL: Estrela — 13/04/2011, B. Blochtein 1♂ [PUC–RS]. SANTA CATARINA: São Bento do Sul — CEPA Rugendas 22/11/2015, F.V. Freitas 2♀♀ [ UFMG] ; São Francisco do Sul —Bairro Vila da Glória 20/12/2011, F.A. Silveira 2♂♂ [UFMG]. SÃO PAULO: Bauru —UNESP, 01/07/1994, F. Knoll 1♂ [UFMG].

Distribution in Minas Gerais: Thygater palliventris is widely distributed in Minas Gerais. Besides the localities where the examined specimens were collected, the species is also known to occur in the municipality of Varginha ( Urban 1967).

Flower records: Apocynaceae — Allamanda schottii , São Paulo [RPSP]. Passifloraceae — Passiflora sp., São Bento do Sul—SC [UFMG]. Melastomataceae — Miconia sp., Sabar—MG [UFMG]. Rubiaceae — Faramea cyanea, Uberlândia. Solanaceae — Solanum seaforthianum Andrews , Sabar—MG [UFMG].

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ventral view of metasoma of males. A — Thygater anae, B — T. analis (the arrows indicate the alternative states of the marginal fringe of S 4, mentioned in couplet 4 of the key to males).

FIGURE 3. Ventral view of S 7 of males of: A — T. analis, B — T. anae, C — T. minarum, D — T. palliventris, E — T. paranaensis and F — T. danunciae. adl: anterior margin of distal lobe; apl: anterior margin of proximal lobe; dl: distal lobe; lpl: lateral margin of proximal lobe.

FIGURE 12. T. palliventris— ♀: A — frontal view, B — lateral view, C — dorsal view (UFMG 19324); ♂: D — frontal view, E — lateral view, F — dorsal view (UFMG 1602166). Scale bar = 1 mm.