Lasioglossum meruraptor Pauly, 2019

Pauly, B Alain, Lasway, Julius Vincent, Mijai, Ismail, Mshana, Idd & Njovu, Henry Kenneth, 2019, Collecting bees on Mount Meru in Tanzania and the discovery of a new cleptoparasitic species of Lasioglossum (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 84, pp. 1-18 : 10-16

Lasioglossum meruraptor Pauly sp. nov. ( Figs. 9-11 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6A36DFC8-2AAE-4C9B-BAF2-1D8B2B0586EE

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype ♀: TANZANIA, Mount Meru , Miriakamba hut, 3°14'S 36°48'E, 2560 m asl, 11.X.2018 ( RBINS). Paratypes: idem, 7.X.2018, 1♀, 10.X.2018, 1♀, 14.X.2018, 1♀ (RBINS, CAWM) .

DIAGNOSIS. Differs from L. synavei by the blue colour of the head and mesosoma and the red colour of the metasoma ( Fig. 9 ). Differs from L. ereptor by the long mandibles similar to those of L. synavei ( Figs 10a , 11a , 12a), the larger clypeus (Fig. 13a), the more punctuated scutellum (Fig. 14a) and the longer antennae (Fig. 15a).

DESCRIPTION. Body 5 mm length. Head and mesosoma with blue metallic reflections, metasoma red ( Fig. 9 ). Head. Length/width = 0,81 ( Fig. 10a ); clypeus and supraclypeal area shiny, anterior margin of the clypeus very large (Fig. 13a), length/width of clypeus = 5,14; antennae long, flagellomeres longer than broad (Fig. 15a), length/width of flagellomere 2 = 1,14, of flagellomere 7 = 1,16; vertex well developed, striate and partly coriaceous behind the ocelli ( Fig. 10b ); mandibles very long, nearly as long as the length of the head, and with a subapical tooth ( Figs 9b , 10a , 11c ); labrum flattened, without apical keel ( Fig. 11b ); front finely and densely punctuated ( Fig. 10a ). Mesosoma. Dorso-lateral angles of pronotum obtuse ( Fig. 10c ); scutum finely tessellated with a very sparse punctuation ( Fig. 10c ); scutellum punctuated along the median longitudinal depression (Fig. 14a); propodeal area long, finely tessellate, with few folds only on basolateral parts ( Fig. 10d ).

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Metasoma. Terga shiny, with very superficial striations and punctures, almost glabrous ( Fig. 10e, f ); specialized median area of tergum 5 reduced relative to non-parasitic species ( Fig. 11d ); tergum 6 with a small medio-basal protuberance ( Fig. 11d ). Legs black. Hind legs without scopa ( Fig. 11c ); penicillus of hind metabasitarsus lacking ( Fig. 11 e ) [compared with penicillus of Lasioglossum (Afrodialictus) meruense ( Fig. 11f )]; hind basitibial plate weakly carinate ( Fig. 11g ) [compared with penicillus of Lasioglossum (Afrodialictus) meruense ( Fig. 11h )]; mid femoral and tibial combs present but shorter and reduced.

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b Fig. 12. Heads showing the mandibles; a, Lasioglossum meruraptor ; b, Lasioglossum ereptor from Mount Meru.

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Fig. 13. Clypeus and supraclypeal area; a, Lasioglossum meruraptor (clypeus L/W = 5,14); b, Lasioglossum ereptor from Mount Meru (clypeus L/W = 2,55).

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Fig. 14. Scutellum and metanotum; a, Lasioglossum meruraptor ; b, Lasioglossum ereptor from Mount Meru.

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Fig. 15. Antennae, comparison of the length of flagellomeres; a, Lasioglossum meruraptor (L/W of F2 = 1,14; L/W of F7 = 1,16); b, Lasioglossum ereptor from Mount Meru (L/W of F2 = 0,65; L/W of F7 = 0,84).

Figures

Fig. 9. Lasioglossum meruraptor, from Mount Meru (11.X.2018).

Fig. 10. Lasioglossum meruraptor, female, holotype and paratype; a, head; b, vertex; c, scutum; d, propodeum; e, first tergum; f, metasoma.

Fig. 11. Lasioglossum meruraptor, female, holotype and paratype; a, head in lateral view with open mandibles; b, labrum; c, hind leg without scopa; d, tergum 5 without furrow and tergum 6. - e, f, apex of the hind metabasitarsus without penicillus in Lasioglossum meruraptor and with penicillus in Lasioglossum (Afrodialictus) meruense, females. - g, h, hind basitibial plate weakly carinate in Lasioglossum meruraptor and strongly carinate in Lasioglossum (Afrodialictus) meruense.