Centris (Heterocentris) cornuta Cresson, 1865

Genaro, Julio A. & Breto, Dayron, 2024, The genus Centris Fabricius in Cuba, with a new record and the description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), Insecta Mundi 2024 (41), pp. 1-26 : 14

Centris (Heterocentris) cornuta Cresson

( Fig. 37–48 )

Centris? cornuta Cresson 1865: 194 . Holotype female in IES, Gundlach collection, no. 248.

Centris difformis Friese 1900: 300 . Misidentification.

Centris difformis Lutz and Cockerell 1920: 552 . Misidentification.

Centris difformis Alayo 1973: 214 ; Alayo 1976: 29. Misidentification.

Centris sp A . Alayo 1973: 214; Alayo 1976: 29. Males. Synonymy of R. S. Snelling.

Cresson (1865) described the species from a single female and recognized that while it had elements of the genus Centris , the structure of the head was significantly different. As a result, he proposed a new genus called Gundlachia to eventually accommodate it, although he tentatively described it under Centris . Gundlach (1886) redescribed the species in Spanish and claimed to have collected it in Rangel (Pinar del Río), so we assume that this is the type locality of the species, since there are no locality data on the label or in the original description, based on a single specimen.

Gundlach (1886) discovered that the name proposed by Cresson (1865) to create a new genus was already in use for a freshwater snail and thus unavailable. It was considered a synonymous name of Centris difformis F. Smith ( Cockerell 1906) , a species that inhabits Central and South America, but Snelling (1984) clarified the taxonomic status and recognized them as different species.

Moure (2003) described two new species of this group from South America and wrote about the taxonomic history of C. cornuta , recording it for the first time for Hispaniola, based on a female studied and deposited in the NHMUK. Genaro (2007) provided information on the distribution of the species. Vélez and Vivallo (2012) keyed the females of Centris (Heterocentris) with horns on the clypeus and presented images of C. cornuta without mentioning the locality. Probably the photos are based on the same Haitian specimen studied by Moure (2003). Vivallo (2020b) included the species in his comments on the species described by Cresson.

Distribution. Cuba and Hispaniola ( Moure 2003; Portuondo and Fernández 2004, as C. difformis ; Genaro 2007; Moure et al. 2007; Moure and Melo 2023); in Cuba , collected mainly from the eastern provinces and known also from another place located at the other end of the Island, Sierra de Rangel, Pinar del Río; in Hispaniola, known so far only from Grande Anse, a region very close to the east of Cuba . Rare species, known in Cuba from a few specimens deposited in the IES, MNHNCu and JAG collections ( Fig. 47, 48 ).

Brief description of the unknown male. Body length 12.4 mm, forewing length 10.5 mm. Integument coloration. Black, with light metallic blue reflections on head and metasomal terga. Yellow on clypeus, labrum and a triangular spot on ventral surface of antennal scape ( Fig. 41 ). Reddish brown on mesosoma, legs, T5 and T6. Tegula translucent honey colored; wing membrane dusky subhyaline with brown venation. Pubescence ( Fig. 42 ). Whitish pubescence on base of mandible, gena, supraclypeal area, pre episternum, mesepisternum, metepisternum, mesopleuron, inner margin of fore and mesotibia, anterior margin of T1. Yellow pubescence on mesoscutum, scutellum and propodeum, T3–T6 with simple hairs on posterior margin. Black pubescence on vertex, frons in part, tarsi, outer margin of metatibia, metafemur and short simple hairs on disc of terga; inner surface of metabasitarsus with black robust setae. Surface sculpture. Disc of labrum and clypeus smooth, shiny between scattered fine punctures; irregular punctures (i=0–3d) in area supraclypeal, frons and vertex; smooth around ocelli. Mesoscutum and scutellum with irregular punctures (i=0–2d). Terga with irregular punctures (i=1–3.5d), coarser on T3–T6; marginal zones of T1 and T2 polished. Structure. Middle tooth of mandible larger than inner tooth and nearer inner tooth than apical one. Labrum longer than clypeus ( Fig. 41 ). Inner, posterodistal angle of metatibia distinctly produced and spiniform; hind basitarsus with spine on inner margin ( Fig. 43 ).

Figures

Figures 37–43. Centris cornuta. Female. 37) Head in frontal view. 38) Head semi-lateral view. 39) Basitibial plate. 40) Pygidial plate. Male. 41) Head in frontal view. 42) Dorsal habitus. 43) Basitarsus with sender process along inner posterior margin (encircle).

Figures 44–46. Centris cornuta female holotype. 44) Dorsal habitus. 45) Lateral habitus. 46) Frontal habitus.

Figures 47–48. Centris cornuta. 47) Seasonal occurrence, according to sex. 48) Distribution.