Chilicola (Heteroediscelis) erithropoda Toro & Moldenke, 1979

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 : 51-57

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Colletidae

Chilicola (Heteroediscelis) erithropoda Toro & Moldenke, 1979 Figs 2 C–D; 30 C–D; 37 A–J; 49

Chilicola erithropoda Toro & Moldenke, 1979: 127 (male holotype, AMNH [examined]). Packer 2008: 77. Montalva and Ruz 2010: 28 (checklist). Moure et al. 2012 (catalogue). Ascher and Pickering 2015 (checklist).

Diagnosis.

Males are separated - along with Chilicola travesia - by the tibiae and tarsi mostly or entirely yellow-orange, and differentiated from the latter by MOC less than 0.95 × width of the head, and apical surface of S1 process longitudinally concave except for a median anterior convexity. Females are separated from all other species of the subgenus except Chilicola travesia by the combination of malar space less than 2/3 × as long as the clypeal lateral, metatibia expanded (>0.25 × as deep as long), and T3 with apicolateral patches of tomentum as on T1-T2. Females of Chilicola erithropoda are differentiated from those of Chilicola travesia by the hind tibia mostly dark (at most basal one-third and narrow apical band yellow) and the probasitarsus mostly yellow-brown to dark brown (at most basal and apical quarter yellow) - both are mostly or entirely yellow in the latter species.

Description.

Male. Length 5.5-6.8mm, forewing length 3.4-3.9mm, head width 1.3-1.5mm, thorax width 1.3-1.5mm, median ocellar diameter (OD) 0.13-0.15mm.

Colouration: Black-brown except as follows: antenna variable (scape with yellow apicoventral spot to entirely dark; apicoventral surface of pedicel yellow to brown; ventral surface of flagellum yellow to yellow-brown, narrowing basally on F1). Following parts yellow: labrum; clypeus except narrowly dark at mid-length along epistomal suture and apex often translucent brown laterad; lower paraocular area, extending more than 1OD above transverse portion of epistomal suture medially and reaching lower tangent of antennal socket laterally; protrochanter apical rim posteriorly; apical one-third to half of profemur on anterior surface, narrowly on posterior surface; protibia; protarsus; apex of mesofemur broadly on anterior surface, narrowly on posterior surface; mesotibia; mesobasitarsus variable from brown to yellow; apical half of mesodistitarsus; broad apical ring on metafemur; metatibia except ventral and posterior carinae brown; meta basitarsus ventrally, sometimes dorsally in basal half; anterior spot on tegula; apex of T7. Apicoventral rim of metacoxa and metatrochanter yellow-brown. Metasoma dark brown, T1-T6 marginal zones yellow-orange 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 (0.5-2.5OD) longest at midlength; mesoscutal hairs moderately long and sparse (1-1.5OD) shorter and denser toward lateral margin (0.5-1OD); discs of scutellum and metanotum mostly bare, few short hairs (0.5OD), longer and denser toward lateral and posterior margins of scutellum (1-2OD) longest posteromedially, and toward lateral margin of metanotum (≤2.5OD); propodeal hairs moderately long and dense dorsolaterally (0.5-2OD); T1-T3 apicolateral patches of tomentum (0.5-1OD); S2 hairs moderately long and moderately sparse (1OD basolaterad, 0.5OD distilaterad, bare mesad).

Surface sculpture: Microsculpture imbricate, integument generally dull; punctures generally small and deep. Clypeus and supraclypeal and vertexal areas moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d) except clypeus irregularly punctate in upper half (i=1-3d), supraclypeal area densely punctate toward lateral margin (i≤d); lower paraocular area irregularly punctate (i=1-3d); frontal area very densely punctate (i≤0.5d), densely punctate around ocelli (i≤d); ocellocular space moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); scape shallowly and moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d) densely punctate apicoventrally (i≤d); genal area microstriate and moderately densely punctate (i≤d); hypostomal area weakly imbricate and densely punctate (i≤d); pronotum densely punctate (i=0.5-1d), lateral surface coarsely imbricate; mesoscutum densely punctate (i=0.5-1d) punctures crowded around median (i≥0.5d); scutellum moderately densely punctate (i=0.5-2d); mesepisternum irregularly punctate, sparse below scrobe and anterior of episternal groove (i=1-2d), impunctate just dorsad of scrobe, otherwise irregularly spaced on hypoepimeral area (i≤2d); metanotum densely punctate (i=0.5-2d) punctures crowded around median and anteriorly (i≤0.5d); metepisternum densely punctate (i≤d); metapostnotum rugose, minutely so posteriorly; propodeum coarsely imbricate, moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); T1-T5 coarsely imbricate; T1-T3 moderately densely punctate (i≤2d); T4 moderately punctate-puncticulate (i=1-2d); T5 moderately punctate-puncticulate (i=1-3d); T6 sparsely punctate-puncticulate (i≥2d) and coarsely imbricate posteriorly; T7 sparsely punctate-puncticulate (i≥2d); marginal zones of terga weakly imbricate and shiny, minutely punctate.

Structure: Labrum ~2.5 × wider than long (28:11); malar space 0.4 × as long as clypeal lateral (4:10); LOT below anterior tentorial pits; length of clypeus subequal to maximum width in frontal view (37:37) extending for less than half of its length beyond LOT; clypeus lacking median longitudinal groove; subantennal sutures ~1.4 × as long as the shortest distance between them (18:13); IAD ~1.5 × AOD (11:16); scape ~2.67 × as long as maximum width (29:11); pedicel as long as wide (9:9); F1 shorter than wide (8.5:9.5); F2 slightly shorter than F1 and shorter than F3 (F2:F3 - 8:10); UOD ~1.3 × LOD, IOD ~1.1 × UOD (UOD:IOD:LOD - 59:64:46); frontal line carinate in lower half, flat above; MOC shorter than width of head (96:105); OOC ~0.5 × IOC (12:23); genal area ~0.6 × as wide as compound eye in lateral view (21:36); ratio of lengths of mesoscutum: scutellum: metanotum: metapostnotum - 68:26:12:17; probasitarsus ~3.9 × as long as maximum depth (27:7); length of prodistitarsus ~0.8 × that of preceding three tarsomeres combined (from II to V - 8:6:5:15); metafemur ~1.5 × as long as maximum depth (69:45); summit of metatibial ventral convexity situated at approximately two-thirds of its length; metatibia ~1.67 × as long as maximum depth (69:42); in apical view apical lamina of metatibia short and thick, length ~1.1 × OD (12:11); ventral metatibial carina bluntly toothed near midpoint and deeply concave apically, posterior carina absent basally and originating at level of tooth on ventral carina; metabasitarsus ~3 × as long as maximum depth (46:15.5); S1 process apical surface concave posteriorly and convex anteromedially, in lateral view anterior and posterior margins divergent apically, apex appearing strongly anteriorly bent. S7 apodemal arm sclerotized margin entire, enclosing membranous portion of arm; ventral lobe ~0.25 × as broad as basal attached length; dorsal lobe strap-like, subparallel-sided and somewhat anteriorly curved, with row of setae long basally and shorter apically; apex of disc disinctly emarginate. S8 lateral process ~1.1 × wider than long, apicolateral margin distinctly concave, anteromedial sclerotized margin following marginal contour. Gonobase apicoventral truncate process biconvex and distinctly notched by ~2 × width of one convexity.

Female. Length 5.2-6.6mm, forewing length 3.2-3.7mm, head width 1.2-1.4mm, thorax width 1.3-1.5mm, median ocellar diameter (OD) 0.12-0.13mm.

Colouration: Black to black-brown except as follows: labrum entirely black or with yellow-brown apex; mandible with yellow basal spot, otherwise translucent yellow with apex translucent brown; antenna variable (scape dark or with brown apicoventral spot; apicoventral rim of pedicel yellow-brown to brown; apicoventral spot on F1 and F2 yellow-brown to brown; ventral surface of flagellum from F3 to terminal flagellomere yellow to yellow-brown). Following parts yellow: protibia except dark medioventrally; probasitarsus at most in basal and apical quarter; prodistitarsus; wide basal and apical rings on mesotibia; mesobasitarsus variable from brown to yellow ventrally; apical half of mesodistitarsus; narrow apicodorsal rim on metafemur; metatibia at most in basal one-third and narrow apical band; metabasitarsus ventrally; apical half of metadistitarsus yellow to yellow-brown; anterior spot on tegula. Metasoma black, T1-T5 marginal zones yellow to translucent yellow at margins.

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

Surface sculpture: As in male except as follows: clypeus and lower paraocular area moderately densely punctate throughout (i=2d); supraclypeal area irregularly punctate (i=1-3d) densely punctate toward lateral margin (i≤d); frontal and vertexal areas moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); scape shallowly and densely punctate (i=d); genal area microstriate and densely punctate (i=d); hypostomal area weakly imbricate, shallowly and moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d); mesoscutum, scutellum, and metanotum densely punctate (i=0.5-1d) except scutellar punctures crowded around median (i≤d), metanotal punctures crowded around median and anteriorly (i≤d); mesepisternum irregularly punctate, moderately dense below scrobe and anterior of episternal groove (i=1-2d), dense on hypoepimeral area (i≤d); metapostnotum rugose, more weakly microsculptured posteriorly; propodeum coarsely imbricate, rugulose posteriorly, moderately densely punctate throughout (i=1-2d); T1 impunctate basally, punctures small and sparse apically (i=1-3d); T2-T5 punctures small and sparse (i=1-3d); T6 moderately densely punctate (i=1-2d).

Structure: Labrum ~3 × wider than long (28:9.5); malar space ~0.6 × as long as clypeal lateral (4.5:8); LOT below anterior tentorial pits; clypeus ~1.1 × as long as maximum width in frontal view (38:34) extending for approximately one third of its length beyond LOT; median longitudinal groove weak on clypeus; subantennal sutures ~1.1 × as long as the shortest distance between them (14:13); IAD 1.5 × AOD (15:10); scape ~3.1 × as long as maximum width (28:6); pedicel longer than wide (9:8); F1 as long as wide (7.5:7.5); F2 shorter than F1 and slightly shorter than F3 (F2:F3 - 4.5:5); UOD ~1.3 × LOD, IOD ~1.1 × as long as UOD (UOD:IOD:LOD - 54:60:42); frontal line carinate in lower half, flat above; MOC shorter than width of head (91.5:96.5); OOC ~0.5 × IOC (10.5:20); genal area ~0.67 × as wide as eye in lateral view (20:31); ratio of lengths of mesoscutum: scutellum: metanotum: metapostnotum - 62:26:11:13; probasitarsus ~3.1 × as long as maximum depth (22:7); length of prodistitarsus ~0.9 × that of preceding three tarsomeres combined (from II to V - 7:6:4.5:15); metafemur ~2.6 × as long as maximum depth (53:20.5); metatibia ~3.8 × as long as maximum depth (66:17.5); metabasitarsus ~3.9 × as long as maximum depth (41:10.5).

Material studied

(19 males & 22 females): Holotype (male): Region IV, Pueblo Hundido, S 30.063°, W 70.491°, 1031m, x.1972, L. Ruz, on Heliotropium stenophyllum (AMNH) - see comments; Region IV: one male and three females, 11 km WNW of Choros Bajos, S 29.265°, W 71.411°, 10m, 14.x.2001, L. Packer (PCYU); one male, Los Choros, S 29.291°, W 71.309°, 57m, 25.x.2002, J. Grixti & A. Zayed (PCYU); three females, same data, yellow pan (PCYU); one female, same data, bright yellow pan (PCYU); one female, Dunes, Los Choros, S 29.3130°, W 71.2937°, 145m, 13.ix.2010, L. Packer, B09857-A06 Bees of Chile290 (PCYU); Region III: one male and one female, Huasco Prov., Chañar de Aceituno, S 28.9534°, W 71.3472°, 279m, 18.ix.2003, A. Ugarte (PCYU); one male, same data (AMNH); one male and one female, same data (BBSL); one male and one female, Huasco Prov., Chañar de Aceituno, S 29.0279°, W 71.4036°, 279m, 20.ix.2003, A. Ugarte (CTMI); one male, same data (AMNH); one male, Caleta Chañaral de Aceituna, S 29.09°, W 71.467°, 8m, 18.ix.2003, L. Packer (PCYU); four males and four females, Caleta Chañaral de Aceituna, S 29.0904°, W 71.4672°, 10m, 5.x.2010, L. Packer & G.S. Fraser, PCYU 0004665, PCYU 0004656, PCYU 0004666, PCYU 0004659, PCYU 0004648, PCYU 0004662, PCYU 0004658, PCYU 0004650 (PUCV); one male and two females, Huasco prov., Carrizalillo, S 29.099°, W 71.391°, 179m, 20.ix.2003, A. Ugarte, B10037-H10 Bees of Chile758, B10037-H9 Bees of Chile757, B10037-H07 Bees of Chile755 (PCYU); three females, Caleta Carrizalillo, S 29.1098°, W 71.4613°, 11m, 8.xi.2013, S. Monckton (PCYU); one female, same data, pan traps, CCDB-19989 C 06 // PCYU 0021692 (PCYU); four males, 11km WNW Choros Bajos, S 29.265°, W 71.411°, 10m, 14.x.2001, L. Packer (PCYU); one male, same data, CCDB-03755 D02 (PCYU); one female, same locality and collector, 16.x.2000 (PCYU).

Distribution.

Coastal, southern Intermediate Desert, from Chañaral de Aceituna (Region III) south to Los Choros (Region IV), with type locality disjunct from otherwise observed distribution; 8-1031m a.s.l.

Ecology.

Collected on Heliotropium stenophyllum (1 record). Recorded September to November.

Comments.

The holotype is labeled Atacama, Pueblo Hundido, x.1972, L. Ruz, on Heliotropium stenophyllum . This refers to the renamed village of Diego de Almagro (Region III), but is inconsistent with the otherwise-documented distribution of Chilicola erithropoda , as well as the known range of Heliotropium stenophyllum ( Luebert 2013). Following evidence presented in the comments on Chilicola deserticola above, I believe the type locality to be misattributed, and have adjusted it to the village of Pueblo Hundido in Region IV accordingly.