Epeolus chamaesarachae, Onuferko, Thomas M., 2018

Onuferko, Thomas M., 2018, A revision of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Epeolus Latreille for Nearctic species, north of Mexico (Hymenoptera, Apidae), ZooKeys 755, pp. 1-185 : 54-57

16. Epeolus chamaesarachae sp. n. Figs 1, 34, 35, 91C, 92I

Epeolus lobus Brumley, 1965. M.S. thesis, Utah State University, Logan 51 (♀) [nomen nudum].

Diagnosis.

Epeolus chamaesarachae does not closely resemble any other species of Epeolus except E. diadematus . Unique in the genus to both species are each of the following morphological features: the vertexal area has two pairs of shiny (usually impunctate) protrusions, the mesoscutum is distinctly ornamented with mostly separate patches of (but some intermixed) pale and ferruginous tomentum, and the T2 fascia has two pairs of anterolateral extensions of tomentum. The difference is that in E. chamaesarachae the mesopleuron has sparser punctures ventrolaterally (most i>1d) whereas in E. diadematus the mesopleuron has denser (most i≤1d) and more numerous punctures ventrolaterally.

Description.

FEMALE: Length 7.0 mm; head length 2.0 mm; head width 2.6 mm; fore wing length 5.7 mm.

Integument coloration. Mostly black; notable exceptions as follows: partially to entirely ferruginous on mandible, antenna, pronotal collar, pronotal lobe, tegula, axilla, mesoscutellum, and legs. Mandible with apex darker than all but extreme base; preapical tooth lighter than mandibular apex (difficult to see in holotype; described from paratypes). Antenna dark brown except scape, pedicel, and F1 brownish orange in part. Pronotal lobe and tegula pale ferruginous to amber. Wing membrane subhyaline, apically dusky. Legs more extensively reddish orange than brown or black.

Pubescence. Face with tomentum densest around antennal socket. Vertexal area with tomentum mostly ferruginous. Dorsum of mesosoma with bands of off-white and ferruginous short appressed setae. Dorsum of metasoma with bands of off-white to pale yellow short appressed setae. Pronotal lobe entirely obscured by pale tomentum. Pronotal collar with tomentum black medially, pale and ferruginous laterally. Mesoscutum with paramedian band of pale tomentum; ferruginous and pale tomentum encircling black spots medially and laterally, respectively, on anterior margin; and ferruginous tomentum along medial mesoscutal line and parapsidal line. Mesopleuron with upper half densely hairy, although scrobe visible; ventrolateral half nearly bare. Metanotum with tomentum uninterrupted, off white laterally and black medially. T1 with median diamond-shaped black discal patch enclosed by pale tomentum, except for medial separation at apex. T1 with apical fascia with black spot posterolaterally. T2-T4 with fasciae interrupted medially, T2 with fascia with paired anterolateral extensions of tomentum. T3 and T4 with fasciae interrupted laterally, with medial portion on apical margin and lateral portion encircling black tomentum on apical margin. T5 with two large patches of pale tomentum lateral to and separate from pseudopygidial area. T5 with pseudopygidial area lunate, its apex more than twice as wide as medial length, indicated by silvery setae on disc of apicomedial region elevated from rest of tergum. S5 with apical fimbria of coppery to silvery hairs extending beyond apex of sternum by ~1/3 MOD.

Surface sculpture. Punctures dense, but those of head and mesosoma sparser in some areas, larger, deep, and distinct. Labrum with larger and sparser punctures (i=1-2d) than clypeus (i≤1d). Upper paraocular area and vertexal area with few punctures, the interspaces shining. Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, and axilla coarsely and densely to sparsely punctate; the interspaces shining. Tegula densely punctate mesally (i≤1d), less so laterally (i=1-2d). Mesopleuron with denser (i≤1d) punctures in upper half than ventrolateral half, and ventrolateral half with most interspaces large (i>1d); the interspaces shining. Metasomal terga with punctures very fine, dense (i≈1d), evenly distributed on disc.

Structure. Labral apex with pair of small denticles (preceded by submedial pair of small denticles) separated by shallow concavity and between second pair of apical lobes. Frontal keel strongly raised. Vertexal area with two pairs of impunctate shiny protrusions. Scape with greatest length 1.6 × greatest width. F2 as long as wide (L/W ratio = 1.0). Preoccipital ridge not joining hypostomal carina, from which it is separated by about 1.5 MOD at its terminal. Mesoscutellum strongly bigibbous. Axilla intermediate in size, its lateral margin (L) nearly half as long as mesoscutellar width (W) (L/W ratio = 0.4-0.5) and tip not extending beyond midlength of mesoscutellum; axilla with tip conspicuously diverging from side of mesoscutellum, distinctly hooked, but unattached to mesoscutellum for less than 1/3 the medial length of axilla; axilla with lateral margin relatively straight and without carina. Fore wing with three submarginal cells. Pygidial plate apically truncate.

MALE: Description as for female except for usual secondary sexual characters and as follows: F2 shorter, nearly as long as wide (L/W ratio = 0.8); S4 and S5 with much longer coppery to silvery subapical hairs; pygidial plate apically rounded, with large deep punctures closely clustered apically and sparser basally, with the interspaces shining.

Etymology.

The name is in reference to the genus of flowers ( Chamaesaracha ) on which the holotype was collected.

Distribution.

Northwestern Mexico and southwestern United States (Fig. 35).

Ecology.

HOST RECORDS: The female PCYU paratype collected by H.T. Ngo (see Material studied) is labelled with the same collection information as three Colletes specimens (2♀, 1♂) of the presumed host species, which were barcoded and all share the same BIN (BOLD:AAJ7578). Using Stephen’s (1954) key, the two females were identified as C. scopiventer (a species known only from females) whereas the male was identified (based in part on examination of the terminalia, which were excised) as C. wickhami (a species known only from males).

FLORAL RECORDS: Labels of examined voucher specimens indicate floral associations with Baccharis L. ( Compositae ), Chamaesaracha , Kallstroemia grandiflora Torr. ex A. Gray ( Zygophyllaceae ), Margaranthus solanaceous Schltdl. ( Solanaceae ), Sphaeralcea angustifolia (Cav.) G. Don, and Tidestromia lanuginosa (Nutt.) Standl. ( Amaranthaceae ).

Discussion.

This species and the very similar E. diadematus are unusual among Epeolus in that the vertexal area has two pairs of shiny (usually impunctate) protrusions, and dorsally the mesosoma and metasoma have unique patterns of ferruginous (mesosoma only) and off-white to pale yellow short appressed setae. Epeolus chamaesarachae occurs in the Southwestern United States, and its flight season, based on material examined, is late summer.

Material studied.

Type material. Primary: USA: Arizona: Douglas Model Plane Airport (31.3433°N; 109.4980°W) (Cochise County), 24.viii.2010, T.L. Griswold (holotype ♀ [CCDB-28239 F07], BBSL).

Secondary: Mexico: Durango: Durango, 14.viii.1947, D. Rockefeller Exp. Michener (paratype ♂, AMNH); San Juan del Río, 30.vii.1947, D. Rockefeller Exp. Michener (paratype ♀, AMNH).

USA: Arizona: 1 mi E Douglas (Cochise County), 16.viii.1962, M. Statham (paratype ♂, AMNH), 27.viii.2007, H.T. Ngo (paratype ♀ [CCDB-22013 G05], PCYU); 1 mi E Douglas (31.3356°N; 109.4950°W) (Cochise County), 23.viii.2003, J.G. Rozen (paratype ♀, AMNH); 12 mi NW Douglas (Cochise County), 30.viii.1989, J.G. and B.L. Rozen and R. Foster (paratype ♀, AMNH); 14 mi SW Apache (Cochise County), 04.viii.1961, J.G. Rozen (paratype ♀, AMNH), 21.viii.2008, J.S. Ascher, J.G. Rozen, and M.A. Rozen (paratype ♂ [CCDB-22791 A09], AMNH); 25 mi SE Sanders (Apache County), 14.viii.1972, J.G. Rozen and R. McGinley (paratype ♂, AMNH); 8 mi NE Portal (Cochise County), 14.viii.1990, J.G. Rozen and J. Krieger (paratype ♀, AMNH); Douglas Model Plane Airport (31.3433°N; 109.4980°W) (Cochise County), 24.viii.2010, T.L. Griswold (allotype ♂ [CCDB-28239 F09], BBSL), 24.viii.2010, T.L. Griswold (paratype ♂, BBSL); Geronimo Trail at Sycamore Creek (31.4432°N; 109.1390°W) (Cochise County), 28.viii.2016, L. Packer (paratype ♀, PCYU); Tombstone (Cochise County), 17.viii.1975, J.G. Rozen (paratype ♀, AMNH); New Mexico: 16 mi S Animas (31.7211°N; 108.8224°W) (Hidalgo County), 03.ix.2011, J.G. Rozen and E.S. Wyman (paratype ♀ [CCDB-22791 A07], AMNH); 2.6 mi E Animas (31.9542°N; 108.7630°W) (NM Hwy 9, 2.6 mi E NM Hwy 338), 11.viii.1972, T.J. Zavortink (paratypes 1♀, 2♂, UCBME); 5.5 mi E Animas (31.9558°N; 108.7142°W) (Hidalgo County), 18-25.viii.2002, E. Elle (paratype ♂, AMNH).

DNA barcoded material with BIN-compliant sequences.

Available. BOLD:ACP9403. See Type material for specimens examined and sequenced (indicated by unique CCDB-plate and well number).