Stelis (Dolichostelis) vallenata, Gonzalez & Ascher & Engel, 2012

Gonzalez, Victor H., Ascher, John S. & Engel, Michael S., 2012, A new Stelis (Dolichostelis) from northern Colombia (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): first records for South America and a synopsis of the bee fauna from the Caribbean region of Colombia, Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 46 (47 - 48), pp. 2919-2934 : 2922-2925

Stelis (Dolichostelis) vallenata sp. nov.

( Figures 1 , 2 )

Material

Holotype female. Colombia: Dep. Magdalena: Valledupar, July 11–13, 1968 / Borys Malkin, Collector ( AMNH).

Paratype female. Colombia: Dep. Guajira: Maicao, May 17–18, 1968 / Borys Malkin, Collector ( SEMC) .

Diagnosis

Females of this species are similar to S. costaricensis and S. costalis Cresson in the clypeus with a sinuous distal margin medially, ocelli unmodified (i.e. not enlarged as in S. louisae ), and the body with coarse and dense punctures. It can be separated from S. costaricensis by the first tergum with a complete yellow band and second tergum with at least a lateral band; such maculations are absent or reduced in S. costaricensis . It can be distinguished from S. costalis by the sixth tergum with a complete yellow band and the lateral margin of the axilla not distinctly extending beyond the line created by the mesoscutum and mesoscutellum. In S. costalis the sixth tergum is immaculate and the lateral margin of axilla distinctly extends beyond the line created by the mesoscutum and mesoscutellum.

Description

Female. Body length, 7.1 mm (7.5 mm); forewing length, 5.6 mm (6.0 mm). Head slightly broader (1.2 times) than long ( Figure 2A ); compound eyes slightly convergent below, about 2.5 times longer than broad, 1.3 times wider than gena in profile; paraocular carina present; intertorular distance 0.7 times torulo-ocular distance; interocellar distance 1.8 times median ocellar diameter, about as long as ocello-ocular distance, slightly shorter than ocello-occipital distance; malar space linear, wider, slightly produced posteriorly; clypeus twice as broad as long, distal margin sinuous medially, without distinct teeth or tubercles; scape 3.4 times longer than wide, pedicel about as long as broad, 1.5 times longer than first flagellomere, first flagellomere broader than long, 0.7 times shorter than second, remaining flagellomeres progressively increasing in length, apical flagellomere longer than broad.

Mandible with outer surface shiny on basal half, with coarse punctures, carinae and tubercles smooth and shiny, distal half dull, irregularly punctate, microreticulate; clypeus with coarse, contiguous punctures as in remaining areas of head except on antennal scape and hypostomal area with minute, sparser punctures, punctures becoming larger, slightly sparser on frons and vertex than on clypeus, integument smooth, shiny between punctures. Mesosoma smooth and shiny with coarse, contiguous punctures as on vertex except: mesoscutellum and mesepisternum laterally with punctures slightly larger and sparser; pronotum, anterodorsal surface of mesepisternum, and lateral surface of propodeum with smaller, sparser punctures; tegula with fine, minute, scattered punctures; axilla with punctures contiguous, smaller than on scutellum; legs finely, densely punctate, punctures larger, sparser on hind legs. Metasomal terga weakly imbricate to nearly smooth and shiny, punctures smaller (0.5–0.7 times a puncture width) than those on mesoscutum, separated by one or two puncture widths, punctures becoming larger, denser on distal terga, punctures contiguous and forming transversal rows on seventh tergum midapically; sterna imbricate with punctures small, separated by at least a puncture width except sixth sternum with larger, nearly contiguous punctures.

Integument black throughout except antenna, tegula, legs and metasomal terga and sterna largely dark reddish brown; yellow maculations as follows: lower and upper paraocular area with spot on lower and upper portions, vertex with band slightly broken laterally, anterolateral and lateral margins of mesoscutum with continuous band, axilla, distal margin of mesoscutellum, metepisternum dorsally with diffuse band, second to fifth sterna each with diffuse band, and terga each with complete band, except second tergum with small lateral spot. Wings light brownish, darker along costal area of forewing; veins, pterostigma, prestigma dark brown.

Pubescence in general short, sparse, white except yellowish on mandible, clypeus, inner surfaces of tarsi, sixth sternum and terga; paraocular area, pronotal lobe, metepisternum, lateral surface of propodeum, terminal terga and sterna with longer, denser setae (integument largely visible among setae).

Etymology

This species is named after vallenato, a type of folk music that originated in Valledupar, the city where the holotype was collected. Today , vallenato is the flagship music of the Caribbean region of Colombia .

Comments

The mandibular teeth in the holotype are worn out, barely distinguishable. The maculations in the paratype are reddish as is common in specimens killed in cyanide but were presumably yellow in life; they also form a complete band on the paraocular area and are present on the outer surfaces of the tibiae basally.

Given that species of Megachile (Chelostomoides) have been recorded as the host of Dolichostelis ( Parker and Bohart 1979; Parker et al. 1987), it is likely that M. cartagenensis Mitchell and M. haematoxylonae Mitchell are the hosts of the new species. Both Megachile are endemic to the Caribbean region of Colombia.

Figures

Figure 1. Female holotype of Stelis (Dolichostelis) vallenata sp. nov. (A) Lateral habitus; (B) dorsal habitus.

Figure 2. Female holotype of Stelis (Dolichostelis) vallenata sp. nov. (A) Facial view; (B) vertex and anterior border of mesoscutum; (C) mesoscutum and mesoscutellum; (D) metasomal apex.