Stelis broemelingi, Parker, Frank D. & Griswold, Terry, 2013

Parker, Frank D. & Griswold, Terry, 2013, New species of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Stelis (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae, Anthidiini) from the Nearctic Region, Zootaxa 3646 (5), pp. 529-544 : 533-534

Stelis broemelingi , n. sp.

( Figs. 4 , 14 , 24 , 34 )

Diagnosis. The relatively impunctate frons and small ocelli distinguish this species from all other North American Stelis . Additional characters that distinguish S. broemelingi are the combination of the white facial marks, brown tegula, and partial apical pubescent bands on the terga. Many characteristics of this species resemble those of S. palmarum Timberlake , but the smaller ocelli, sparsely punctate frons and larger size of S. broemelingi are diagnostic.

Description. Female. Length 5 mm; forewing length 4.5 mm long. Black; following reddish brown: mouthparts, mandible medially, apically on femora; tegula brown; creamy-white band along inner orbit of compound eye, long bar behind compound eye extending behind lateral ocelli, spot laterally on anterior margin of scutum, pronotal lobe, spot on tegula, bases of tibiae, T1 – T4 with four spots each on half apical margins, T5 with two medially joined apical spots. Pubescence mostly white, scraggly, thicker on face, gena, sterna; terga laterally with apical hair bands, medially becoming single row of widely spaced hair; T6 with darker setae on apical onethird extending over margin lighter, shorter, more dense hairs filling apical groove; S1 – S5 with distinct apical hair bands, S6 with dense, short hair on apical margin. Punctation not uniform; clypeus with numerous small punctures separated by shiny areas; area below median ocellus, mostly impunctate with scattered, large shallow punctures; vertex more densely pitted; gena similar to clypeus, rest of head; mesosoma with moderate-sized punctures separated by about their diameter; basal zone of propodeum with large lateral cells, medially with large punctures, impunctate on posterior face of propodeal enclosure; terga with large separate punctures, except those on T6, closer, contiguous on apical 1/4; S1 – S4 similar to terga; punctures on S5 smaller, denser; punctures on S6 minute, surface shagreened. Head broader (1.2X) than long, genal width slightly less than width of compound eye; ocelli quite small about twice diameter of surrounding punctures, interocellar area swollen, lateral ocelli on a slant; IOD = OOD, IOD> (1.4X) LOPD, IOD> (2X) LMOD, DLID> (3X) BLID; pronotal lobe with raised anterior lamella; in lateral view terga crimped subapically, bowed as seen in lateral view, apical impunctate margins lamella-like; T6 broader than long, pseudomargin apically carinate, round ( Fig. 14 ); S6 elongate, top broadly rounded, extending beyond apical margin of T6 by length of ultimate tarsomere.

Male. Similar to female except: S1 with subapical lamella; S2, S3 with large contiguous punctures, apical margins depressed ( Fig. 24 ); S4 with narrow, short-toothed median comb 1/4 width of sternum ( Fig. 34 ); S5 nearly truncate apically, only shallowly concave; S6 apically produced to broad point; S7 with small median point.

Type material. Holotype female. “ARIZ. Cochise Co 6miNE Huachuca City Sept 10 1985 D.K. Broemeling” (BBSL464181). Paratypes. ARIZONA, Cochise Co: 2 Ƥ, 1 3, same data as holotype; 1 3, Apache, 1.9 mi E, 29 Aug 2003, Heterotheca , T Griswold; 1 3, Apache, 4 mi SW, 19 Apr 1961, Rozen, Schrammel; 1 Ƥ, Herford, 17 Aug 1985, RM Bohart; 1 3, Portal, 10 mi NE, 24 Aug 1966, JG Rozen; Graham Co: 1 Ƥ, Duncan, 16 mi W, 3 May 1956, Sphaeralcea, Butler, Werner ; Pima Co: 1 Ƥ, Box Canyon, 16 Sep 1994, T Griswold; 1 Ƥ, Tucson, 21-35 mi W, 21 Apr 1969, J Schuh; 1 Ƥ, Continental, 14 Jun 1955, Verbena enceloides , GD Butler; 1 Ƥ, Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mts., 31 Aug 1961, WJ Hanson; 1 3, same locality, 20 Aug 1964, JC Bequaert; 1 Ƥ, Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mts, 23 Sep 1969, AE Lewis; 1 Ƥ, same locality, 4000', 25 Aug 1959, HE Evans; Santa Cruz Co: 1 Ƥ, Patagonia, 6 mi SE, Rt 68, 21 Sep 1989, KW Cooper; 1 Ƥ, Nogales, 30 Aug 1927, JC Bradley; 1 3, Wickenburg, 21 Apr 1967, Sphaeralcea, Torchio & Youssef. Holotype deposited in BBSL, paratypes in AMNH, BBSL, FSCA, LACM, UAIC, UCDC.

Variation. Some females are larger, up to 9 mm long.

Biology. Only the floral associations mentioned in the type material are known. The host remains unknown.

Distribution. Apparently restricted to southern Arizona where it is active from spring to late summer.

Etymology. Named in recognition of Derek Broemeling, who contributed to our knowledge of cleptoparasitic bees, and whose assistance in developing the U.S. Pollinating Insects Collection is much appreciated.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Female habitus in profile view. 1. Stelis joanae, 2. S. occidentalis, 3. S. lamelliterga, 4. S. broemelingi, 5. S. paiute, 6. S. anthocopae, 7. S. imperialis, 8. S. anasazi, 9. S. shoshone, 10. S. alta. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 11 – 20. Apex of female metasoma in posterior view. 11. Stelis joanae, 12. S. occidentalis, 13. S. lamelliterga, 14. S. broemelingi, 15. S. paiute, 16. S. anthocopae, 17. S. imperialis, 18. S. anasazi, 19. S. shoshone, 20. S. alta. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 21 – 30. Male S 3 in ventral view. 21. Stelis joanae, 22. S. occidentalis, 23. S. lamelliterga, 24. S. broemelingi, 25. S. paiute, 26. S. anthocopae, 27. S. imperialis, 28. S. anasazi, 29. S. shoshone, 30. S. alta. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 31 – 40. Male S 4 in ventral view. 31. Stelis joanae, 32. S. occidentalis, 33. S. lamelliterga, 34. S. broemelingi, 35. S. paiute, 36. S. anthocopae, 37. S. imperialis, 38. S. anasazi, 39. S. shoshone, 40. S. alta. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.