Apiomerus rufipennis (Fallou)

Berniker, Lily, Szerlip, Sigurd, Forero, Dimitri & Weirauch, Christiane, 2011, 2949, Zootaxa 2949, pp. 1-113 : 23-24

Apiomerus rufipennis (Fallou) Figs 1–16, Map 3

Herega rufipennis

Fallou 1889:131 (original description)

Apiomerus rufipennis

Champion 1889: 242 (diagnosis, catalog); Wygodzinsky 1949: 18 (catalog); Maldonado 1990: 8 (catalog).

Type data: Holotype: 1 ♂; Mexique /Muséum Paris – Coll. G. Fallou 295-59 / Type / UCR_ENT 00004316 ( MNHN)

Diagnosis: Recognized by the relatively small size (13.1–15.7 mm), black body, lack of pale margin on the scutellum, dark red legs, red corium ( Fig. 1H), posterior margin of the dorsal phallothecal sclerite rounded in dorsal view, and dorsolateral lobes divided into proximal and distal portions, both portions short and tongue shaped.

Redescription: Male: Small, total length 13.12–14.01 mm. COLORATION: HEAD: Black. THORAX: Pronotum black, sometimes with anterior portion of anterior lobe red or entirely red, posterior lobe sometimes with red band along anterior edge, margin of posterior pronotal lobe pale yellow to white, sometimes indistinct, scutellum black, thoracic pleura black with a red circle on supracoxal lobes, corium and legs red. ABDOMEN: Dark red to black, connexivum pale yellow to black ( Fig. 1H), pygophore dark red. STRUCTURE: HEAD: about 3/4 as long as pronotum, about 4 times width of eye, length of eye in dorsal view about 1/4 of head length. THORAX: pronotum 1.3 times wider than long, anterolateral angle truncate, disc of anterior lobe with paired greatly convex lobes, posterior margin straight. ABDOMEN: pygophore about 1/4 length of abdomen, median pygophore process U-shaped in caudal view, ramus as long as base width ( Figs 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H). GENITALIA: distal portion of tergite 9 with setae on anterior margin, posterior margin of dorsal phallothecal sclerite rounded in dorsal view ( Fig. 6H), apex in dorsal view narrow, less than half the width of dorsal phallothecal sclerite, endosomal struts fused only at base, dorsolateral lobes divided into proximal and distal portion, proximal lobe tongue shaped, distal lobe entire, short, tongue shaped ( Fig. 8C), median basal sclerotization tongue shaped ( Fig. 8A), distal dorsal lobe with two parallel rows of strong denticles ( Figs 6H, 7H).

Female: Total length 13.69–15.65 mm. STRUCTURE: ABDOMEN: syntergite 9/10 with distal margin flat ( Fig. 11 H). GENITALIA: gonapophysis 8 with two distinct sclerotizations ( Fig. 15H), bursa copulatrix with two narrow, transverse sclerotized folds ( Fig. 14H).

Biology: Apiomerus rufipennis has been collected between May and December on flowers of Eysenhardtia polystachya (Fabaceae) and at elevations ranging from 750 to 1829 m.

Distribution: Found in the Sierra Transvolcanica and Sierra Madre del Sur regions of Mexico in the following states: Hidalgo, Mexico, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz (Map 3).

Discussion: Individuals of A. rufipennis differ little in color, the only variation being the amount of red on the pronotum. Apiomerus rufipennis overlaps in its range with A. cooremani , A. wygodzinskyi , A. spissipes and A. montanus . Apiomerus rufipennis is smaller than all of these species, and can be distinguished from A. cooremani , A. spissipes and A. montanus by male genitalia and color. It can be distinguished from A. wygodzinskyi by the lack of a margin on the scutellum and the mostly solid black pronotum and legs.

The type of Apiomerus rufipennis is at the MNHN. Fallou, in his original description of A. rufipennis , did not state whether the description was based upon a single individual or a type series, but a single measurement of 14 mm was given, suggesting a single specimen was examined. The specimen at the MNHN has a label indicating it was collected by Fallou, and bears a red “type” label, supporting this specimen as the holotype of the species. Images of this specimen, including of the pygophore, have been sufficient to determine that A. rufipennis is a member of the crassipes species group (based on the rami of the median process), and sufficient enough to identify the material examined as A. rufipennis .

Material examined: See Appendix; 49 specimens examined.