Eufriesea micheneri, Ayala & Engel, 2008

Ayala, Ricardo & Engel, Michael S., 2008, A new species of Eufriesea from Jalisco, México, with a key to Mexican species of the genus (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 58 (2), pp. 227-237 : 228-233

Eufriesea micheneri , sp. n. ( Figs 1-9 )

Diagnosis:

The new species is similar in appearance and coloration to E. caerulescens , but males are separable by the dark blue integument with strong purple iridescence on the vertex, mesosoma, legs, and metasoma; the generally dark fuscous pubescence and wings ( Figs 1-2 ); the typically green integument of the facial area ( Fig. 1 ), contrasting with the dark blue and purple on the remainder of the integument; the metatibiae with a subapical projection on near the inner margin of the anterior surface which delimits the upper border of a slightly depressed area ( Fig. 3 ); and in structure of the male terminalia ( Figs 4-9 ).

Description:

: Total body length 17.8 mm; forewing length 16.30 mm, width 5.30 mm. Head. Head wider than long, length 5.50 mm, width 6.30 mm. Glossa extending to second metasomal sternum. Labrum with two longitudinal, sublateral carinae that converge apically, with an elevated medial carina. Clypeus and facial area strongly and coarsely punctured, integument between punctures shining and polished, not granulose or imbricate; with weak sublateral and medial ridges on slightly elevated. Compound eye length 2.07 mm, width 1.49 mm; upper interorbital distance 2.60 mm, lower interorbital distance 3.20 mm, interorbital distance at tangent of upper third of compound eye length 3.57 mm; ocellocular distance 0.60 mm; posterior distance between lateral ocelli 0.64 mm, distance between medial and lateral ocelli 0.29 mm, width of medial ocellus 0.39 mm, distance between medial ocellus and posterior tangent of ocellar triangle 0.44 mm; interocellar furrow present (sensu ENGEL, 1999). Scape length 1.96 mm, width 0.35 mm; length of flagellum 4.60 mm, width 0.40 mm; distance between antennal torulus and compound eye 0.69 mm; distance between antennal toruli 1.08 mm.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutal width 5.54 mm, length 4.60 mm; mesoscutum with dense, coarse punctures, space between punctures very small. Tegula with dense, shallow punctures, impunctate and shining on posterior and lateral margins. Mesoscutellar width 4.50 mm, length 2.30 mm; mesoscutellum with dense punctured, distance between punctures always smaller as the diameter of the punctures; upper surface of mesoscutellum rounded in lateral view, with two sublateral elevations defined by mediolongitudinal sulcus; posterior-lateral angle of mesoscutellum rounded. Metanotal integument smooth. Jugal comb present at base of hind wing, setae of jugal comb longer than width of jugal lobe. Metatibia with depression on distal part of anterior surface near apical angle, depression proximally delimited by subapical projection ( Fig. 3 ); metabasitarsus with strong elevation on inner surface near base.

Metasoma. Terga imbricate and with small, homogeneous punctures; dorsal-facing surface of T1 slightly longer medially than maximal width of forewing marginal marginal cell, with anteriorfacing and lateral surfaces smooth and shining. Apicalmost margins of T2–4 impunctate. Apical margin T6 slightly projected, with acute apex. Apical margin T7 medially depressed. Sterna imbricate. Hidden sterna and genitalia as depicted in figures 4-9.

Coloration. Mandible black with some metallic green, blue, and purple iridescence on basal third. Facial area and clypeus metallic green or bluish green, remainder of head dark metallic blue. Part of labrum, vertex, gena, mesoscutellum, metanotum, propodeum, and mesosomal pleura dark metallic blue with purple iridescence. Pronotum dark metallic blue. Majority of mesoscutum metallic blue and greenish blue except posterior fourth dark blue with purple iridescence. Antenna and tarsi black. Wing membranes darkly infuscate ( Fig. 1 ), with some faint opalescence; veins black. Metasoma dark metallic blue with faint purple iridescence.

Pubescence. Clypeus and facial area with off white or grey pubescence. Vertex, gena, pronotum, mesepisternum, mesoscutellum, and metasomal terga with dark fuscous nearly black setae. Mesoscutum with brown setae predominant on anterior half of surface, anteriormost margin and remainder of surface with black setae. Legs with fuscous nearly black setae except outer surface of mesotibia with dense white setae. Metasomal S3–5 with abundant white or off white setae, apices of such setae curled.

: As described for the male except as follows: Total body length 17.50 mm; forewing length 14.67 mm, width 4.96 mm. Head. Head wider than long, width 5.99 mm, length 5.03 mm. Glossa extending to first metasomal sternum. Mandible with distal half of inferior margin rounded (but not strongly rounded as in E. caerulescens ); inferior tooth (apical) largest, projecting beyond medial tooth, forming an orthogonal (i.e., 90°) notch between teeth. Labrum with medial line elevated, larger than sublateral carinae. Clypeus rounded, with strong, coarse punctures, integument between punctures smooth and shining, not granulose or imbricate as in E. concava (FRIESE) or E. mexicana (MOCSÁRY) . Supraclypeal area and frontal line slightly elevated between interantennal area and basal margin of clypeus. Compound eye length 4.23 mm, width 1.71 mm; upper interorbital distance 2.86 mm, lower interorbital distance 3.20 mm, interorbital distance at tangent of upper third of compound eye length 3.63 mm; ocellocular distance 0.74 mm, ocellocular space slightly depressed; posterior distance between lateral ocelli 0.73 mm, distance between medial and lateral ocelli 0.31 mm, width of medial ocellus 0.31 mm, distance between medial ocellus and posterior tangent of ocellar triangle 0.49 mm; vertex posterior to interocellar furrow elevated. Scape length 1.94 mm, width 0.29 mm; length of flagellum 3.88 mm, width 0.34 mm; distance between antennal torulus and compound eye 0.80 mm; distance between antennal toruli 1.11 mm.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutal width 5.37 mm, length 4.23 mm; mesoscutellar width 4.26 mm, length 1.83 mm. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with dense, coarse punctures. Tegula uniformly punctuate, with narrow lateral margin interrupted in anterior third. Mesoscutellum slightly rounded in lateral view, with weak medial depression along; posterolateral angles rounded. Metatibia length 5.70 mm, width 1.83 mm.

Coloration. Integument of head, mesosoma, legs, and metasoma dark metallic blue and purple, with strong purple iridescence ( Fig. 2 ). Green of facial area weaker than in male. Mandible black, with dark blue restricted to basal third. Mesoscutum with dense black pubescence, partially obscuring integument. Lateral surface of mesosoma with black pubescence.

Pubescence. Generally dark fuscous, nearly black; particularly dense on mesoscutum, partially obscuring integument. Metasomal T5 with white setae laterally; sterna with black pubescence.

Type material:

Holotype , labeled, “ México, Jalisco, Mascota, 17-VII-1989 [17 July 1989], col. R. Ayala, ex: Salvia sp. ”. The holotype is deposited in the Instituto de Biología ( UNAM) . Paratypes: 6 , 2 , with same data as holotype; 4 , labeled, “ México. Jalisco, Talpa , 18-VII-1989 [18 July 1989], col. R. Ayala, ex: Salvia sp. ”. 2 , labeled, “ Mexico, Jalisco, Mascota, 17-VII-1989 [17 July 1989], J. Quezada ”. 1 , labeled, “ Mexico, Nayarit, km 11 La Nesa, Sta. Teresa, 21-X-1989 [21 October 1989], A. Cadena ” . Paratypes are distributed among IBUNAM, KSEM , and EMUS.

Additional material:

16 , labeled, “ Jalisco, Mascota, km 107, Ameca-Mascota, BEP 20°27"N, 104°45"W, 1430 m, 14-VII-2004 [14 July 2004], J. Cortés-Aguilar” (in CEGM). 1 , labeled, “ Jalisco, Tequila, Volcán de Tequila, BE-BMM, 1800 m, 19-VII-1995 [19 July 1995], H. Fierros” (in CEGM). 1 , labeled, “ Jalisco, Ameca, Cerrote Ameca, BTC, 1520 m, 9-VIII-1994 [9 August 1994], H. Fierros” (in CEGM). 1 , labeled, “ Jalisco, Cocula, Microondas Quililla, B. Encinos, 22-VI-1994 [22 June 1994], 1900 m, H. Fierros” (in CEGM). 5 , labeled, “ Jalisco, Mascota, Camino a San Sebastián del Oeste, BEP, 1628 m, 14-VII-2004 [14 July 2004], J. Cortes-Aguilar” (in CEGM). 1 , labeled, “Canyon N. Ajijic, Jal. [Jalisco], Mex. [ Mexico], 5400 ft., 22 July 1964, W.L. Nutting & sons, Scrub forest” (in KSEM). 1 , labeled, “ Mexico: km 12, Autopista México-Cuautla, Tepoztlán, Morelos, 30/06/1996 [30 June 1996], I. Hinojosa (HD-755), 14:20h, 1650 m, 18°58'24"N, 99°4'57"W, cultivo de temporal [crop field], s/ Podranea ricasoliana [ex: Podranea ricasoliana ] – 02290” (in MZFC). 1 , labeled, “ Mexico: km 12, Autopista México- Cuautla, Tepoztlán, Morelos, 13/07/1996 [13 July 1996], O. Yáñez (OY-752), 13:30h, 1650 m, 18°58'24"N, 99°4'57"W, cultivo de temporal [crop field], s/ Podranea ricasoliana [ex: Podranea ricasoliana ] – 02310” (in MZFC).

Etymology:

The specific epithet is a patronymic honoring our friend and colleague Charles D. MICHENER, in recognition of his contributions to melittology and in celebration of his 90 th year (as of 22 September 2008).

Distribution and phenology:

The overall morphology of the new species is similar to that of E. caerulescens (sensu KIMSEY, 1982) which is also occurs in the same geographical region but is known only from the lowlands, near to the coast of the Pacific Ocean and in areas with dry tropical forest, as well as in the Central Depression of México (Balsas River Depression). In contrast, E. micheneri sp. n. is restricted to the mountains of Jalisco and in pine and oak forests at an elevation over 700 m, in western parts of the Transverse Volcanic Belt ( Fig. 10 ). Naturally, the distribution of E. micheneri sp. n. is perhaps a bit broader than what is presently known. Future collecting should focus in Michoacán State, were the species likely occurs, along of the southern slopes of the Transverse Volcanic Belt. The available collecting times for the species suggest that it is most active from late June through early August, during the early part of the rainy season. Eufriesea micheneri sp. n. is apparently an efficient buzz pollinator of Senna sp. ( Caesalpiniaceae = Leguminosae), abundant at the type locality.

Comments:

The species E. simillima (MOURE & MICHENER) (in MOURE, 1965) from the western slopes of the Cordillera of Chihuahua was considered a synonym of E. caerulescens by KIMSEY (1982). She believed that the former form merely represented a color variant of the latter. Indeed, the morphology of the distal anterior angle of the male metatibia is the same in both taxa, further suggesting that E. simillima is simply a form of color variation in a more widespread species. An extreme variation in color occurs in specimens collected on Islas Marias of Nayarit State, located 112 km from the coast. In this population all individuals exhibit a strikingly dark blue integument that appears almost black (only female specimens are presently known). We generally agree with this interpretation of E. simillima and E. caerulescens , noting that a similar pattern occurs in E. micheneri sp. n., with variation in coloration even along the limited distribution presently known for this species. Specimens from the Sierra del Tuito, a mountainous area on the western extreme of the Transverse Volcanic Belt in México, are all similarly dark blue in overall color. In some males found in localities more toward the center of México, however, they lack the metallic green integument and highlights of the face, while the metatibial ( Fig. 3 ) and terminalic morphology remains identical across the populations.

Figures

Figs 1-3: Eufriesea micheneri sp. n. – 1 lateral aspect of male. – 2 lateral aspect of female. – 3 inner view of male metatibia (note the subapical projection near the inner border of the anterior surface).

Figs 4-9: Maleterminalia of Eufrieseamicheneri sp. n. – 4 seventh metasomal sternum.– 5 eighth metasomal sternum, dorsal aspect. – 6 eighth metasomal sternum, lateral aspect. – 7 genital capsule, ventral aspect. – 8 genital capsule, dorsal aspect. – 9 genital capsule, lateral aspect.

Fig. 10: Map of México and Jalisco State, with the current collection localities for Eufriesea micheneri sp. n. indicated by black circles.