Paratrigona wasbaueri, Gonzalez, Victor H. & Griswold, Terry L., 2011

Gonzalez, Victor H. & Griswold, Terry L., 2011, Two new species of Paratrigona and the male of Paratrigona ornaticeps (Hymenoptera, Apidae), ZooKeys 120, pp. 9-25 : 13-15

Paratrigona wasbaueri sp. n. Figs 619

Holotype.

♀, Paraguay: San Pedro, Cororo-Rio Ypane, XII-5/9-1983, Malaise Trap, M. Wasbauer coll. (BBSL).

Paratypes.

54♀, 28♂, with same data as holotype but collected on November 24-30, and December 1-4 (BBSL, DZUP, SEMC).

Diagnosis.

This species belongs to the lineata species group sensu Camargo and Moure (1994) recognized by the anterior margin of scutum rounded and the absence of maculations on frons, gena, mese- and metepisternum (Figs 6-8). It is most similar to Paratrigona lineata (Friese) sharing the narrow antennal scape (narrower than width of third flagellomere), and the presence of hairs on the disc of scutellum distally and mesepisternum dorsally (Figs 9, 10). It can be easily distinguished from that species by the absence of hairs on the disc of the scutum in both sexes and the digitiform basal projection of the penis valve in the male (Figs 18, 19). The new species also resembles Paratrigona glabella Camargo and Moure and Paratrigona incerta Camargo and Moure in the absence of erect hairs on the scutum; however, in those species the mesepisternum lacks erect hairs dorsally and the erect hairs of the scutellum are either short (at most half median ocellar diameter) or restricted to its distal margin or inferior surface. Also, the basal projection of the penis valve of the male is short and pointed in Paratrigona glabella (male of Paratrigona incerta unknown), not digitiform as in Paratrigona wasbaueri (cf., Camargo and Moure 1994; fig 143).

Description.

Worker: Total body length 4.2 mm (3.8-5.2 mm); head width 1.6 mm (1.6-1.7 mm); forewing length 3.6 mm (3.6-3.8 mm). Head slightly wider than long; inner orbits of compound eyes converging below (Fig. 8); malar area about half width of third flagellomere; clypeus 1.8 times broader than long; interalveolar distance 1.2 times median ocellar diameter, about equal to alveolar diameter; alveolocular distance 1.3 times alveolar diameter; interocellar distance 2.1 times median ocellar diameter, 1.8 times longer than ocellocular distance; ocelloccipital distance about 1.3 times median ocellar diameter; scape 6.3 times longer than wide, narrower (0.8 times) than width of third flagellomere; pedicel about as long as broad, slightly shorter than first flagellomere; flagellomeres slightly broader than long, except apical flagellomere much longer than broad; compound eye 2.8 times longer than broad; gena 0.8 times narrower than compound eye in profile. Scutum with anterior margin rounded, slightly broader than long, 2.8 times longer than scutellum; scutellum about twice as long as broad, broadly rounded on distal margin (short-semicircular sensu Camargo and Moure 1994); hind tibia 2.6 times longer than broad; hind basitarsus about twice as long as broad, strongly projecting on posterodistal margin.

Integument in general finely and densely punctate, dull, as in other species of the genus; propodeum without impunctate midline.

Color black, except: light reddish brown on mandible (darker on teeth), tegula, margins of middle and posterior basitarsi, distitarsi; yellow maculations as follows: labrum, scape, face (Fig. 8), pronotum dorsally with medially interrupted band, pronotal lobe, scutum laterally with narrow band (about half width median ocellar diameter), axilla, lateral and distal margins of scutellum with broader band than on scutum, tibiae basally. Wing membrane hyaline with weak greenish and coppery reflections; veins and stigma dark brown (Figs 6, 7).

Body sparsely covered with minute, appressed, simple whitish hairs except as follows: inferior margin of mandible, labrum, vertex, hypostomal area, mesepisternum dorsally, distal margin of scutellum dorsally and ventrally, sides of propodeum with long (about as long as median ocellar diameter) erect hairs; mesepisternum ventrally, middle and hind coxae, sterna with much longer, erect simple hairs (about twice as long as median ocellar diameter); sides of propodeum with dense, branched, semierect hairs (0.5 times median ocellar diameter) partially obscuring integument; inner surface of tarsi with yellowish to ferruginous hairs.

Male: As in female except for longer body pubescence, brownish legs, and the following: Total body length 4.4-5.3 mm; head width 1.6 -1.7 mm; forewing length 3.7-3.8 mm. Inner orbits of compound eyes strongly converging below (Fig. 12); malar area linear; clypeus 1.3 times broader than long; interalveolar distance subequal to median ocellar and alveolar diameters individually; alveolocular distance about as long as alveolar diameter; interocellar distance about twice median ocellar diameter, 2.8 times longer than ocellocular distance; ocelloccipital distance about 0.7 times median ocellar diameter; scape 3.6 times longer than wide, slightly narrower than width of third flagellomere; pedicel longer than first flagellomere; first flagellomere about twice as broad as long, 0.5 times shorter than second flagellomere; gena about half width of compound eye in profile. Hind tibia about 3 times longer than broad; hind basitarsus 3 times longer than broad. Genitalia and associated sterna as in Figs 13-19.

Queen: Unknown.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Marius Wasbauer, friend and colleague, who has contributed much of the material we have studied, including the species described in this paper.

Comments.

In most paratypes the yellow maculations are pale, discolored, most likely due to preservation in alcohol for an extended period.