Chlerogella xuthopleura Engel, 2010

Engel, Michael, 2010, Revision of the Bee Genus Chlerogella (Hymenoptera, Halictidae), Part II: South American Species and Generic Diagnosis, ZooKeys 47 (47), pp. 1-100 : 89-92

Chlerogella xuthopleura Engel , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B5A4CCA5-B856-437A-83A7-4660B2C70781

Figs 150–153, 156–157, Map 5

Holotype. ♁, VENEZUELA: Aragua, Rancho Grande N.P., 18.viii–3.ix.1992 [18 Au-gust–3 September 1992], L. Masner, maxinet, cloud forest, 1000 m ( CNC).

Paratype. VENEZUELA: 1♁, Aragua, Rancho Grande N.P., 18.viii–3.ix.1992 [18 August–3 September 1992], L. Masner, maxinet, cloud forest, 1000 m ( CNC).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to its compatriot C. oresbios but can be quickly recognized by the extensive yellow markings (Fig. 150, 153) and structure of the terminalia (Figs 156–157).

Description. Male: Total body length 7.92–8.42 mm; forewing length 5.80–6.13 mm. Head length 2.32–2.42 mm, width 1.59–1.64 mm. Clypeus beginning just below lower tangent of compound eyes. Malar space 31.2–32.2% compound eye length (malar length 0.44–0.47 mm; compound eye length 1.41–1.46 mm) (Figs 151–152). Upper interorbital distance 0.70–0.73 mm; lower interorbital distance 0.39–0.42 mm. First flagellomere about as long as pedicel, about as long as wide; second flagellomere three times length of first flagellomere; ventral surfaces of second through eleventh flagellomeres densely covered in placoid sensilla, placoid fields not disrupted. Upper portion of pronotum medially depressed, not elongate, medially less than 0.25 times ocellar diameter in length; ventral portion of preëpisternal sulcus not broad, similar to scrobal sulcus and upper portion of preëpisternal sulcus; intertegular distance 1.15– 1.22 mm; mesoscutellum strongly bigibbous (Fig. 153). Basal vein distad cu-a by three times vein width; 1rs-m distad 1m-cu by twice vein width; 2rs-m distad 2m-cu by six times vein width, 2rs-m straight; first submarginal cell longer than combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells; second submarginal cell not narrowed anteriorly, anterior border of second submarginal cell along Rs about as long as that of third submarginal cell; posterior border of third submarginal cell nearly 1.75 times longer than anterior border. Distal hamuli arranged 2-1-2. Inner metatibial spur serrate. Apical margin of SIII entire; apical margin of SIV medioapically produced, with narrow concave emargination between setose lobes, with narrow shallow medio-longitudinal furrow in apical half of disc, not bordered by carinae; apical margin of SV weakly concave; apical margin of SVI emarginate; terminalia as depicted in figures 156 and 157.

Clypeus and supraclypeal area imbricate with weak punctures separated by 1–3 times a puncture width; face with small, contiguous punctures, more widely spaced in malar space; punctures of face blending to colliculate or coarsely imbricate integument in ocellocular area and vertex, with minute punctures separated by 2–5 times a puncture width; gena smooth with small punctures separated by 1–3 times a puncture width; postgena imbricate and impunctate. Pronotum imbricate with minute punc-

Figures Ι50–Ι53. Male of Chlerogella xuthopleura sp. n. Ι50 Lateral habitus Ι5Ι Facial aspect Ι52 Lateral aspect of head Ι53 Dorsum of mesosoma.

tures separated by 1–3 times a puncture width; mesoscutum coarsely imbricate with small punctures separated by 1–2 times a puncture width on lateral thirds and along posterior border, medially punctures separated by 1–3.5 times a puncture width, medi-

Figures Ι54–Ι57. Male terminalia of Venezuelan Chlerogella species. Ι54 Chlerogella oresbios sp. n., hidden and fused sterna VII and VIII Ι55 C. oresbios sp. n., genital capsule (left is dorsal aspect, right is ventral aspect) Ι56 C. xuthopleura sp. n., hidden and fused sterna VII and VIII Ι57 C. xuthopleura sp. n., genital capsule (left is dorsal aspect, right is ventral aspect). All scale bars = 1.0 mm.

oanteriorly punctures becoming exceedingly faint to absent; mesoscutellum imbricate with small punctures separated by 0.5–1.5 times a puncture width; metanotum imbricate with small punctures separated by 1–2 times a puncture width. Preëpisternum smooth to faintly imbricate with small punctures separated by 1.5–4 times a puncture width; mesepisternum imbricate with small punctures separated by 2–5 times a puncture width, punctures weak; metepisternum faintly imbricate. Propodeum strongly imbricate. Metasoma weakly imbricate.

Mandible, labrum, and clypeal apex white, remainder of clypeus and head dark metallic blue (Figs 151–152), with yellowish brown patches at clypeal base and just apical of anterior tentorial pits in clypeus and malar space. Antenna brown except scape and pedicel yellow. Mesosoma dark metallic blue, with slight purplish tinge, except pronotum yellow but brown anteriorly, propodeum yellow (Fig. 150, 153), upper half mesepisternum yellow, and metepisternum yellow with brown area in upper half; tegula translucent yellowish brown, darker along posterior border. Wing membranes faintly yellowed or infumate; veins dark brown except pterostigma slightly lighter. Legs largely yellow, marked with brown on tibiae and tarsi brown to dark brown (Fig. 150). Metasoma brown except TI and TII yellow with apical margins brown and with apicomedial spot of brown connecting to brown marginal zone; sterna brown except SI and SII yellow with apical margins brown.

Typical gender pilosity except postgena with numerous elongate, sinuate setae, such setae with short apical branches; inner surfaces of trochanters, mesofemur, and metacoxa with elongate, apically-plumose setae, similar setae on inner surfaces of metatrochanter, metafemur, and metatibia except largely simple and somewhat sinuate, those of metatibia particularly elongate and sinuous at apices. Apical margin of SIII with moderately dense fringe of moderate-length off-white to golden setae; SIV with medioapical pads of short golden fuscous setae bordering medial emargination; SV laterally with diffuse areas of elongate, inwardly-curved setae.

Female: Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a combination of the Greek words xouthos, meaning “yellowish”, and pleuron, meaning “side”.