Chlerogella oresbios 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 : 84-89

Chlerogella oresbios Engel , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EE411EA0-2FF0-4EA8-9F49-5FC333898A46

Figs 141–149, 154–155, Map 5

Holotype. ♀, Venezuela: Aragua, Rancho Grande Biol. Stn., 10°21'N, 67°41'W, 1370 m, 1–8 March 1995, R.W. Brooks, ex: flight intercept trap ( SEMC).

Paratypes. VENEZUELA: 1♀, Aragua, Parque Nac. H. Pittier, Rancho Grande , La Toma , 9.x.1992 [9 October 1992], 1100 m, sweep [net], J.L. Garcia, L. Chacón ( CNC) ; 2♁♁, Aragua, Parque Nac. H. Pittier, Portachuello Pass , 13.iv.1994, 1000 m, L. Masner ( CNC) ; 5♁♁, Aragua, Rancho Grande N.P., 18.viii–3.ix.1992 [18 Au-gust–3 September 1992], L. Masner, maxinet, cloud forest, 1000 m ( CNC) ; 1♁, Aragua, Rancho Grande N.P., 18.viii–3.ix.1992 [18 August–3 September 1992], L. Masner, maxinet, cloud forest, 1000 m ( SEMC) ; 1♀, Aragua, Rancho Grande Bio. Sta., H. Pittier N.P., 30 November 1982, N. Ramirez, #AS-42, ex flowers “ Corupelis ” ( CUIC) ; 3♀♀, 1♁, Pico Periquito, 16 Aug [August] 1967, R.W. Poole ( USNM) ; 1♀, 1♁, Pico Periquito, 16 Aug [August] 1967, R.W. Poole ( SEMC) ; 1♀, Aragua, Rancho Grande Biol. Stn., Portachuelo Pass , 10°21'0"N, 67°41'0"W, 1100 m, 4 June 1998, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Hanley, ex: insects moving through pass against wind migration ( SEMC) ; 1♁, Aragua, Rancho Grande , 4.vii.1988 [4 July 1988], L. Stange, C. Porter ( SEMC) ; 1♁, Aragua, Rancho Grande , 25 March–22 April 1960, F.H. Test ( UMMZ) ; 1♀, Aragua, P.N.H. Pittier, Rancho Grande , 1100 m, 17.ix.1993 [17 September 1993], F. Vasquez ( MIZA) ; 1♁, Aragua, P.N.H. Pittier, Cymino, La Cumbre , 1100–1500 m, 3.ix.1992 [3 September 1992], Barrido, J.L. Garcia ( MIZA) ; 1♁, Aragua, P.N.H. Pittier, La Toma , 1100 m, 2.ix.1992 [2 September 1992], J.L. Garcia (Barrido) ( MIZA) ; 1♁, Aragua, P.N.H. Pittier, Rancho Grande, La Toma , 1100 m, 21.viii.1994 [21 August 1994], J.L. Garcia (Barrido) ( MIZA) .

Diagnosis. Chlerogella oresbios is most similar to C. cochabambensis from Bolivia (vide supra). The former can be distinguished by the more distinctive caerulean blue coloration, the more sparsely punctured mesoscutum, the relatively straight 2rs-m in the forewing, the structure of the SIV and terminalia in males (Figs 149, 154–155), and the slightly smaller body size.

Description. Female: Total body length 8.17–8.76 mm; forewing length 6.07– 6.13 mm. Head length 2.35–2.37 mm, width 1.56–1.64 mm. Clypeus beginning at or minutely above lower tangent of compound eyes. Malar space 26.3–28.4% compound eye length (malar length 0.39–0.42 mm; compound eye length 1.48 mm) (Figs 142–143). Upper interorbital distance 0.82–0.84 mm; lower interorbital distance 0.56–0.60 mm. Upper portion of pronotum medially depressed, not elongate, medially less than 0.25 times ocellar diameter in length; ventral portion of preëpisternal sulcus distinctly broad dorsally at junction of scrobal sulcus and upper portion

Figures Ι4Ι–Ι43. Female of Chlerogella oresbios sp. n. Ι4Ι Lateral habitus Ι42 Facial aspect Ι43 Lateral aspect of head.

of preëpisternal sulcus; intertegular distance 1.30–1.31 mm; mesoscutellum weakly convex, not bigibbous. 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 slightly longer than that of third submarginal cell; posterior border of third submarginal cell nearly two times longer than anterior border. Distal hamuli arranged 2-1-2. Inner metatibial spur with 6–7 branches (not including apical portion of rachis).

Figures Ι44–Ι49. Male of Chlerogella oresbios sp. n. Ι44 Lateral habitus Ι45 Facial aspect Ι46 Lateral aspect of head Ι47 Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum, dorsal aspect Ι48 Posterior view of mesosoma Ι49 Apical metasomal sterna.

Map 5. Collection localities for Venezuelan Chlerogella .

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 punctures 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, medioanteriorly 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 dark brown except reddish at apex; labrum dark brown; clypeal apex dark brown, remainder of clypeus and head dark metallic blue. Antenna dark brown except ventral surfaces of flagellum slightly lighter. Mesosoma dark metallic blue (Fig. 141); tegula brown to dark brown. Wing membranes faintly yellowed or infumate; veins dark brown except pterostigma slightly lighter. Legs dark brown except apical tarsomeres slightly lighter. Metasoma dark brown, with apical margins of terga translucent light brown to brown.

Pubescence white to slightly golden except intermingled with fuscous setae on mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, metanotum, outer surfaces of protibia and protarsus, outer surfaces of mesotibia and mesotarsus, inner surface of metatibia, TIII–VI, and SIV–VI; black on inner surfaces of tarsi and tibiae.

Male: As described for the female except as follows: Total body length 8.96–9.79 mm; forewing length 6.17–6.20 mm. Head length 2.50–2.53 mm, width 1.64–1.66 mm. Clypeus beginning below lower tangent of compound eyes. Malar space 28.6– 29.1% compound eye length (malar length 0.44 mm; compound eye length 1.51–1.54 mm) (Figs 145–146). Upper interorbital distance 0.76–0.78 mm; lower interorbital distance 0.42–0.44 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. Intertegular distance 1.25–1.33 mm; mesoscutellum bigibbous (Figs 147–148). 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 (Fig. 149); apical margin of SV weakly concave; apical margin of SVI emarginate; terminalia as depicted in figures 154 and 155.

Mandible, labrum, and clypeal apex white to off-white. Ventral surface and base of scape pale yellow to light brown. Inner surface of protibia, profemur, and inner apex of mesofemur yellow-brown to 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 fringe of moderate-length off-white to golden setae, such setae more dense medially to form small, narrow patch; SIV with medioapical pads of short golden to offwhite setae bordering medial emargination; SV laterally with diffuse areas of elongate, inwardly-curved setae.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a combination of the Greek terms oreos, meaning “mountain”, and bios, meaning “life”.

Comments. A single female was labeled as being collected at flowers of “Corupelis”. I have been unable to determine to what plant this name corresponds.