Liphanthus (Melaliphanthus) cuscoensis Gonzalez, Rasmussen, & Engel, 2014

Gonzalez, Victor H., Rasmussen, C. & Engel, Michael S., 2014, A new species of Liphanthus from Peru (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Journal of Melittology 2014 (31), pp. 1-9 : 2-7

Subgenus Melaliphanthus Ruz & Toro

Liphanthus (Melaliphanthus) cuscoensis Gonzalez, Rasmussen, & Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:07902C77-7516-4D3A-851D-75796595B6B3

( Figs. 1–9 )

DIAGNOSIS: The male of this species resembles that of L. inornatus in the metasomal sterna with apical margins straight and unmodified. However, it can easily be separated from that species primarily by the discs of metasomal sterna 2–5 with distinct semicircular mid-apical depressions ( Fig. 4 ); such distinct modifications are absent in L. inornatus .

DESCRIPTION: ♂: Total body length 6.5 mm; forewing length 4.5 mm. Head 1.2 times wider than long; inner orbits of compound eyes diverging ventrally ( Fig. 1 ); intertorular distance 2.3 times torular diameter, as long as torulorbital distance; torulus diameter 0.9 times median ocellar diameter; ocellocular distance 2.3 times median ocellar diameter; ocelloccipital 1.6 times median ocellar diameter, 0.7 times ocellocular distance; interocellar distance 1.7 times median ocellar diameter, about as long as ocelloccipital distance, 0.8 times length of ocellocular distance; compound eye 1.8 times longer than broad; clypeus 3.0 times broader than long, projecting about two-thirds of compound eye width in lateral view; gena 0.7 times narrower than compound eye in profile; inner subtorular sulcus about 0.6 times length of outer subtorular sulcus; facial fovea small, shallow, ellipsoid, about 2.5 times longer than wide; scape 2.6 times longer than broad; antennal flagellum longer than head width, apically curled, second to fifth flagellomeres slightly crenulate on ventral surface; pedicel about as long as broad, 0.4 times length of first flagellomere; first flagellomere dorso-ventrally compressed, about 3.0 times longer than broad, twice as long as the second; second flagellomere 1.7 times longer than broad, slightly shorter than third, remaining flagellomeres progressively increasing in length, apical flagellomere longest; malar area linear; mandible strongly curved, simple, with outer ridge strong. Mesosoma narrower than head width; mesoscutum 1.4 times wider than long, 2.3 times longer than mesoscutellum, about 5 times longer than metanotum; protibial spur with apical portion of rachis about as long as malus, with about 10 elongate branches (not including apical portion of rachis); probasitarsus curved, 3.5 times longer than broad; mesotibial spur ciliate, straight or nearly so, slightly shorter than mesobasitarsus; mesobasitarsus straight, about 3 times longer than broad; metafemur swollen, about twice as long as broad; metabasitibial plate narrowly rounded, delimited by strong carina; metatibia flattened, 3.3 times longer than broad, with distinct carina on posterior margin; metatibial spurs about same length, inner spur slightly curved apically; metabasitarsus about twice as long as broad, parallel-sided, except basally broadly convex on anterior margin; metadistitarsi stouter than pro- and mesodistitarsi. Lateral fovea of second metasomal tergum slit-like (6.7 times longer than broad), about one-third length of tergum; first to fifth sterna with distal margins straight or nearly so (bilobed on first sternum), with distinct median semicircular depressions on discs (borders of these depressions preapically appearing as low sublateral tubercles or swellings in profile: Fig. 4 ); sixth tergum with mid-apical margin distinctly thick, bent ventrally ( Figs. 4, 5 ); eighth sternum and genital capsule as in figures 6–9.

Color dark reddish brown to black, except yellow or cream maculations as follows: labrum, clypeus basally, mandible basally (reddish brown apically), pro- and mesofemora apically on dorsal surfaces, protibia on outer surface, meso- and metatibia basally on outer surfaces, and basitarsi on outer surfaces. Ventral surface of antennal flagellum and pro- and mesodistitarsi light reddish brown, except basalmost prodistitarsi yellow. Wing membranes brownish, veins and pterostigma dark brown.

Pubescence yellowish to light brown. Ventral surface of antennal flagellum sparsely covered with long (0.5–0.7 times width of flagellum), erect, simple setae. Setae long and sparse on head and mesosoma, minute and adpressed on metasoma, longer and erect on seventh tergum and preapical sublateral swellings of second to fifth sterna. Sixth sternum with long, stiff, spatulate setae forming lateral and central patches on disc ( Figs. 4, 5 ). Gonostylus laterally with long, minutely-branched setae ( Figs. 8, 9 ).

Outer surface of mandible and basal area of labrum smooth and shiny, impunctate; clypeus with sparse, faint punctures separated by a puncture width or more, integument between punctures micro-aerolate basally, weakly imbricate distally; supraclypeal area with punctures smaller, stronger than on clypeus, separated by a puncture width or less; subantennal area and lower paraocular area imbricate with larger punctures than on supraclypeal area separated by 1–2 times a puncture width; frons and vertex micro-aerolate, punctures coarse and contiguous on frons, sparser on vertex (1–2 times a puncture width); gena imbricate with punctures separated by 1–2 times a puncture width; postgena weakly imbricate with scattered, shallower punctures than on gena. Pleura micro-aerolate to strongly imbricate; mesoscutum smooth and shiny between coarse, contiguous punctures; mesoscutellum with punctures larger and sparser than on mesoscutum, particularly on disc, integument weakly imbricate to nearly smooth and shiny; metanotum with contiguous punctures; propodeum with basal area reticulate, lateral and posterior surfaces micro-aerolate with large, faint punctures separated by 1–2 times a puncture width. First to sixth metasomal terga weakly imbricate on discs, with punctures smaller and sparser (1–2 times a puncture width) than on mesoscutum, premarginal zones strongly imbricate, impunctate; seventh tergum largely impunctate, smooth and shiny on center, with large, coarse punctures elsewhere; sterna with minute, sparse punctures, strongly imbricate except largely smooth and shiny on preapical sublateral tubercles or swellings.

♀: Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: ♂, Peru: CU [Cusco], Espinar, Qbda [Quebrada] Chaisamayo , 14°59’46.15”S, 71°15’25.93”W, 4167m, 16–17.iii.2011 [16–17 March 2011], Pastizal [grassland], M. Alvarado; deposited in the Museo de Historia Natural , Universidad Mayor de San Marcos , Lima, Peru.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet refers to Cusco, the Peruvian department where the species was collected.

COMMENTS: The holotype was collected while sweep-netting Puna grassland ( Figs. 10–12 ) and is in poor condition. The setae are plastered against the integument (following storage in ethanol), and the apical flagellomeres of the left antenna and metapretarsal claws are missing. It is hoped that this paper will focus the attention of melittologists on this high elevation grasslands and their unique bee fauna, and thereby discovering additional material including females and the biology of this species.

Figures

Figure 10. Map of Peru with the collecting locality (black triangle) of Liphanthus (Melaliphanthus) cuscoensis, new species, indicated. Areas below 4000 m.a.s.l. are marked in green, areas between 4000 and 5000 m.a.s.l. in orange, and areas above 5000 m.a.s.l. in red.

Figures 11–12. Photographs of the Puna grassland habitat in which Liphanthus (Melaliphanthus) cuscoensis, new species, was captured. Photographs taken by and used with permission from I. Medina. 11. View looking across the grassland. 12. View looking down a long slope near Chaisamayo brook.

Figures 1–3. Male holotype of Liphanthus (Melaliphanthus) cuscoensis, new species. 1. Facial view. 2. Lateral habitus. 3. Dorsal habitus.

Figures 4–9. Male holotype of Liphanthus (Melaliphanthus) cuscoensis, new species. 4. Meta- somal sterna in ventral view. 5. Ventro-posterior view of metasoma. 6. Eighth metasomal sternum. 7. Genitalia in lateral view. 8. Genitalia in dorsal view. 9. Genitalia in ventral view.