Plebeia (Plebeia) plectoforma Engel, 2022

Engel, Michael S., 2022, New species of the stingless bee genus Plebeia (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of Melittology 2022 (114), pp. 1-28 : 20

Plebeia (Plebeia) plectoforma Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E5990BBC-AD99-468B-82BD-AA87044A31EA

( Figs. 39–41 )

DIAGNOSIS: This species is quite similar to P. hyperplastica (vide supra), sharing with a rather similar patern of maculation, although in P. plectoforma the yellow is more intense ( Figs. 39–41 ), rather than somewhat muted in the former species ( Figs. 27–28 ). Plebeia plectoforma is also distinctly larger, with forewing lengths 4.3–4.7 mm vs. 3.6–3.8 mm in P. hyperplastica .

DESCRIPTION: As described for P. amydra (vide supra), with the following modifications: ⚲: Total body length approximately 4.50–5.17 mm, forewing length (to base of humeral sclerite) 4.33–4.67 mm. Head wider than long, width 1.83–1.90 mm, length 1.47–1.50 mm; compound eye length 1.17–1.23 mm; upper interorbital distance 1.13– 1.17 mm, lower interorbital distance 0.90–0.93 mm. Scape length 0.63–0.67 mm. Malar area 0.3× flagellar diameter; clypeus broad, width 1.8–1.9× length. Preoccipital ridge carinate. Intertegular distance 1.27–1.37 mm. Hind wing with 5–6 distal hamuli.

Clypeus dark brown with mesal line of yellow, sometimes with thin yellow line bordering supraclypeal area to form a sort of T-shaped yellow mark, apicolateral corners typically yellow to yellow brown; supraclypeal area yellow; scape yellow ventrally; lower face largely yellow except separated from antennal torulus by less than torular diameter, yellow tapering upward to concavity in ocular margin. Mesoscutum with strip of yellow to pale yellow along lateral borders; axilla yellow to pale yellow; mesoscutellum with yellow to pale yellow apical margin, sometimes yellow not meeting axilla laterally; legs largely brown to dark brown, although lighter on forelegs and yellow sometimes present at femorotibial joints; wing membranes hyaline and infumate, veins brown to dark brown.

♀: Latet.

♂: Latet.

HOLOTYPE: ⚲, Venezuela, Lara, Sanaré , 16.1 km SE Yacambú N.P., 1450 m, 9°42’0’’N, 69°35’6’’W, 2 June 1998, J. Ashe, R. Brooks, R. Hanley ( SEMC).

PARATYPES (8⚲⚲): 8⚲⚲, Venezuela, Lara, Sanaré , 16.1 km SE Yacambú N.P., 1450 m, 9°42’0’’N, 69°35’6’’W, 2 June 1998, J. Ashe, R . Brooks, R. Hanley ( SEMC).

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: 1⚲, Venezuela, Tachira, San Cristobol , 10 km SE P.N. Chorro El Indio, 1320 m, 7°44’3’’N, 72°13’1’’W, 29 May 1998, J. Ashe, R . Brooks, R. Hanley (SEMC).

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is a combination of the Latin verb plectō, meaning, “twist” or “bend”, and the noun fōrma, meaning, “form” or “shape”.

REMARKS: Some of the larger species reported herein, and particularly P. plectoforma , tend to further blur the distinctions between Plebeia s.str. and Plectoplebeia Melo (e.g., Engel, 2022). The body sizes are similar to those of Plectoplebeia and like the two species included in that genus, all occur in cloud forests at elevations above 1000 m. They also sometimes have a larger number of hamuli, such that there is a continuous range from the typical 5 of most lower elevation Plebeia , the 5–6 of some of the species reported herein (including P. plectoforma ), and ultimately the 5–7 in the two species currently assigned to Plectoplebeia . The faint sinuation along the margin of the metatibia is also approximated in several of the larger Plebeia such that virtually all distinctions of Plectoplebeia now wholly intergrade with Plebeia . The shape of metasomal tergum I in Plectoplebeia nigrifacies (Friese) seems to be autapomorphic to that species. It seems as though Plectoplebeia should be synonymized and considered nothing more than cloud forest Plebeia .

Figures

Figures 39–41. Worker of Plebeia (Plebeia) plectoforma, new species. 39. Lateral habitus. 40. Dorsal view of head and mesosoma. 41. Facial view.

Figures 27–29. Worker of Plebeia (Plebeia) hyperplastica, new species. 27. Lateral habitus. 28. Dorsal view of head and mesosoma. 29. Facial view.