Chilicola (Heteroediscelis) charizard Monckton

Monckton, Spencer K., 2016, A revision of Chilicola (Heteroediscelis), a subgenus of xeromelissine bees (Hymenoptera, Colletidae) endemic to Chile: taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography, with descriptions of eight new species, ZooKeys 591, pp. 1-144 : 30-36

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Colletidae

Chilicola (Heteroediscelis) charizard Monckton sp. n. Figs 5D; 11 B–C; 12 A–C; 22 C–D; 33 A–J; 49

Diagnosis.

This species is diagnosable by the malar space, which is the longest in the subgenus: in males it is ~2.7 × as long as the clypeal lateral, in females it is ~2.33 × as long as the clypeal lateral.

Description.

Male (Holotype). Length 6.1mm, forewing length 3.6mm, head width 1.2mm, thorax width 1.3mm, median ocellar diameter (OD) 0.13mm.

Colouration: Black-brown, following parts yellow: labrum; clypeus except broadly dark along epistomal suture and apex brown laterad; lower paraocular area, extending further medially than laterally, more than 1OD above transverse portion of epistomal suture, not reaching lower tangent of antennal socket; apicoventral spot on scape; apicoventral surface of pedicel; ventral surface of F1-F5, F5 suffused with brown; apical rim of protrochanter posteriorly; apex of profemur broadly on anterior surface, narrowly on posterior surface; dorsal surface of protibia, including dorsal half of anterior surface; narrow apical ring on mesofemur; narrow basal ring and apicodorsal rim of mesotibia; basal quarter of metatibia, as well as apical quarter in ventral half only; basal quarter of metabasitarsus ventrally; anterior spot on tegula. Ventral surface of F6-F10 yellow-brown. Ventral surface of F11 brown. Apicoventral rim of metacoxa brown. Metasoma black, T1-T6 marginal zones amber to translucent yellow at margins.

Pubescence: White, hairs generally short (0.5OD) and sparse, not especially plumose; on lower paraocular area and around antennal base moderately long and moderately dense (1OD); genal beard long and dense (0.5-3OD) longest at midlength; discs of mesoscutum, scutellum, and metanotum mostly bare, few short hairs (0.5OD), longer and denser toward lateral margin as follows: mesoscutum (0.5-1OD), scutellum (0.5-1OD) also on posterior margin, longest posteromedially, metanotum (≤2.5OD); propodeal hairs moderately long and moderately dense dorsolaterally (0.5-1.5OD); T1-T3 apicolateral patches of tomentum (0.5-1OD); S2 hairs long and dense (1.5OD basolaterad, 1OD distilaterad, shorter mesad).

Surface sculpture: Microsculpture imbricate, integument generally dull; punctures generally small and deep. Clypeus and lower paraocular area moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d) except clypeus sparsely punctate medially (i=2-3d); supraclypeal area irregularly punctate (i=1-3d) except densely punctate toward lateral margin (i≤d); frontal area very densely punctate (i≤0.5d), densely punctate around ocelli (i≤d); ocellocular space moderately densely punctate adjacent to compound eye (i=1-2d) becoming impunctate adjacent to lateral ocellus; vertexal area densely punctate (i≤d); scape shallowly and densely punctate (i=d) more densely punctate apicoventrally (i≤d); genal area microstriate and moderately densely punctate (i≤2d); hypostomal area glossy apically and densely punctate (i=d); pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum densely punctate (i=0.5-1d), scutellar punctures crowded around median (i≤d); lateral surface of pronotum coarsely imbricate; mesepisternum irregularly punctate, moderately dense below scrobe (i=1-2d), sparser anterior of episternal groove (i=1-3d), impunctate just dorsad of scrobe, otherwise moderately dense on hypoepimeral area (i≤2d); metanotum moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d) punctures crowded around median and anteriorly (i≤0.5d); metepisternum densely punctate (i≤d) distinctly longitudinally striate anterodorsally; metapostnotum rugose, minutely so posteriorly; propodeum coarsely imbricate, rugulose posteriorly, moderately densely punctate throughout (i=1-2d); T1-T5 coarsely imbricate and moderately densely punctate (i≤2d); T6 coarsely imbricate and moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); T7 irregularly punctate (i=1-3d); marginal zones of terga weakly imbricate and shiny, minutely punctate.

Structure: Labrum ~2.7 × wider than long (23:8.5); malar space 2.75 × as long as clypeal lateral (22:8); LOT above anterior tentorial pits; clypeus ~1.4 × as long as maximum width in frontal view (40:28) extending for approximately three quarters of its length beyond LOT; clypeus lacking median longitudinal groove; subantennal sutures ~1.6 × as long as shortest distance between them (22:14); IAD 2 × AOD (12:6); scape ~2.6 × as long as maximum width (25:9.5); pedicel shorter than wide (8:9); F1 slightly shorter than wide (9:9.5); F2 ~1.3 × as long as F1 and shorter than F3 (F2:F3 - 12:14); UOD 1.5 × LOD, IOD slightly wider than UOD (UOD:IOD:LOD - 51:53:34); frontal line carinate in lower half, flat above; MOC longer than width of head (101:87); OOC 0.6 × IOC (12:20); genal area less than half as wide as compound eye in lateral view (15:34); ratio of lengths of mesoscutum: scutellum: metanotum: metapostnotum - 65:24:12:16; probasitarsus ~4.1 × as long as maximum depth (29:7); prodistitarsus ~0.7 × as long as preceding three tarsomeres combined (from II to V - 7:6:5:13); metafemur nearly twice as long as maximum depth (63:32); summit of metatibial ventral convexity at approximately two-thirds tibial length; metatibia ~2.1 × as long as maximum depth (57:27); in apical view apical lamina of metatibia broad and thick, length ~0.8 × OD (7:9); ventral metatibial carina angled ventrad, rounded inflection near midpoint, posterior carina absent basally and originating at midpoint of ventral carina; metabasitarsus 4.2 × as long as maximum depth (42:10); S1 process apical surface weakly concave except slightly convex anteromedially, in lateral view anterior and posterior margins divergent apically. S7 apodemal arm sclerotized margin recurved mesad, dividing membranous portion of arm; ventral lobe narrow, almost linear; dorsal lobe strap-like, sides subparallel and somewhat anteriorly curved, with basal tuft of long setae and short apical row, midlength bare. S8 lateral process subequal in width and length, anteromedial sclerotized margin wide and following marginal contour. Gonobase apicoventral truncate process biconvex and distinctly notched by a width less than one convexity.

Female (Allotype). Length 5.8mm, forewing length 3.3mm, head width 1.1mm, thorax width 1.3mm, median ocellar diameter (OD) 0.12mm.

Colouration: Black to black-brown except as follows: mandible with yellow basal spot, translucent yellow in apical half except apex translucent brown. Following parts brown: pedicel, F1 and F2, on apicoventral margins (the latter two additionally with small yellow-brown apicoventral spot); apicodorsal rim of metafemur; basidorsal spot on metatibia. Following parts yellow: ventral surface of antenna from F3 to terminal flagellomere; dorsal surface of protibia; apical half of prodistitarsus; basidorsal and apicodorsal spots on mesotibia; anterior spot on tegula. Metasoma black, T1-T5 marginal zones narrowly translucent yellow.

Pubescence: As in male except as follows: clypeal hairs short and sparse (0.5OD); genal beard sparse (0.5-1.5OD); discs of mesoscutum, scutellum, and metanotum with sparse short hairs (≤0.5OD), longer and denser toward lateral margin as follows: mesoscutum (0.5-1OD), scutellum (1-1.5OD) also on posterior margin, longest posteromedially, metanotum (≤2OD); propodeal hairs moderately long and dense dorsolaterally (0.5-1OD); scopae on metafemur and metatibia (1-1.5OD); T1-T3 apicolateral patches of tomentum (0.5-1OD); S1 hairs long and moderately dense (≤2OD); S2 scopal hairs (1-2.5OD).

Surface sculpture: As in male except as follows: supraclypeal area irregularly punctate (i=1-2d) densely punctate toward lateral margin (i≤d); lower paraocular area densely punctate (i=d); frontal and vertexal areas densely punctate (i≤d); scape shallowly and moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); genal area weakly imbricate and densely punctate (i=d); hypostomal area weakly imbricate to glossy apically, shallowly and moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); mesoscutum moderately densely punctate (i=0.5-2d) punctures crowded around median (i≤d); scutellum densely punctate (i=0.5-1d) punctures crowded around median (i≤d); mesepisternum irregularly punctate, moderately dense below scrobe (i=1-2d), sparser anterior of episternal groove (i=2-3d), impunctate just dorsad of scrobe, otherwise dense on hypoepimeral area (i≤d); metanotum densely punctate (i=0.5-1d) punctures crowded around median and anteriorly (i≤0.5d); metapostnotum rugose, more weakly microsculptured posteriorly; propodeum coarsely imbricate, moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); T1-T5 sparsely punctate (i≥2d on T1; i=1-3d on T2-T5); T6 moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); marginal zones weakly imbricate and shiny, mostly impunctate.

Structure: Labrum 2.25 × wider than long (22.5:10); malar space ~2.33 × as long as clypeal lateral (21:9); LOT above anterior tentorial pits; clypeus ~1.5 × as long as maximum width in frontal view (40:27) extending for more than three-quarters its length beyond LOT; median longitudinal groove weak on clypeus; subantennal sutures 1.85 × as long as the shortest distance between them (18.5:10); IAD ~1.5 × AOD (11.5:7.5); scape ~3 × as long as maximum width (25:8); pedicel longer than wide (8.5:7); F1 slightly longer than wide (7.5:7); F2 0.6 × as long as F1 and ~0.65 × as long as F3 (F2:F3 - 4.5:7); UOD ~1.4 × LOD, IOD ~1.05 × as long as UOD (UOD:IOD:LOD - 48:51:34); frontal line carinate in lower half, flat above; MOC longer than width of head (98:81); OOC ~0.5 × IOC (11:20); genal area ~0.6 × as wide as eye in lateral view (16:28); ratio of lengths of mesoscutum: scutellum: metanotum: metapostnotum - 61:22:10:15; probasitarsus ~4.6 × as long as maximum depth (30:6.5); prodistitarsus ~0.75 × as long as preceding three tarsomeres combined (depth (20:6.5); length of prodistitarsus subequal to that of preceding three tarsomeres combined (from II to V - 8:6.5:5:14); metafemur ~3.1 × as long as maximum depth (50:16); metatibia ~4.1 × as long as maximum depth (62:15); metabasitarsus 4 × as long as maximum depth (40:10).

Type material

(6 males & 11 females): Holotype (male): Region III, Emb. Sta Juana, C-479 km 21.5, S 28.6747°, W 70.6432°, 642m, 15.x.2013, S. Monckton, CCDB-19989 A10 // PCYU 0021672 (PCYU); Allotype (female): Region III, Chuingo, S 28.8251°, W 70.3560°, 963m, 15.ix.2010, L. Packer, B09857-D12 Bees of Chile332 (PCYU); Paratypes (3 males & 8 females): Region III: one female, same data as holotype, B09857-E05 Bees of Chile337 (PCYU); one male, C-453 km 22, S 28.1816°, W 69.8261°, 1625m, 30.ix.2013, S. Monckton, CCDB-19989 A11 // PCYU 0021673 (PCYU); one female, Fundo La Semilla, 125 km SE Copiapó, S 28.2507°, W 69.741°, 2358m, 17.x.2004, F.D. Parker, M.E. Irwin, pan trap, CHL-14509-57 // FDP52565 (BBSL); one female, Emb. Sta Juana, C-479 km 21.5, S 28.6747°, W 70.6432°, 645m, 15.x.2013, S. Monckton, PCYU 0020910 (PCYU); one female, Alto del Carmen, S 28.759°, W 70.486°, 2272m, 2.x.1982, F. Rodriguez (BBSL); Region IV: two males, Incahuasi, S 29.228°, W 71.014°, 779m, 10.x.1981, H. Toro (PUCV); one female, same data, H. Doñoso (PUCV); one female, same data, H. Burgos (PUCV); one female, same data, B. Dyer (PUCV); one female, same locality, 1.x.1982, O. Martinez (PUCV); one female, Elqui Prov., 6 km S of Vicuña, S 30.085°, W 70.725°, 889m, 16.xi.1991, J.G. Rozen, on Pleurophora pungens (AMNH); one male, E of Vicuña, km 114, S 29.9123°, W 70.3013°, 1429m, ix.2010, L.Packer, white pan (PCYU); one female, Puente Las Terneras, S 29.9089°, W 70.2522°, 1644m, 4.x.2010, L. Packer, PCYU 0021698 (PCYU); one male, E of Vicuña, 127.8 km, S 29.9777°, W 70.2293°, 1711m, 12-19.2010, L. Packer (PCYU).

Variation.

Some females have the apicoventral surface of pedicel, F1 and F2 yellow-brown, and/or a brown or yellow-brown spot on the lower paraocular below the anterior tentorial pit.

Distribution.

Intermediate Desert & Central Andean Cordillera, from Fundo La Semilla (Region III) south to Elqui Prov., 6 km S of Vicuña (Region IV) and west to Incahuasi & Embalse Sta. Juana (Region III); 645-2358m a.s.l.

Ecology.

Collected on Pleurophora pungens D. Don (1 record). Recorded September to November.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is in homage to the fictional monster which this species resembles. It is treated as a noun in apposition.