Plebeia (Plebeia) tigris Engel, 2022

Engel, Michael S., 2022, New species of the stingless bee genus Plebeia (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of Melittology 2022 (114), pp. 1-28 : 6-8

Plebeia (Plebeia) tigris Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:92862347-7A56-4FE9-B78D-F4885D6FF1EC

( Figs. 8–10 )

DIAGNOSIS: This species is immediately recognizable for the distinctively striped metasoma ( Fig. 8 ), as well as its larger body size. In addition, unlike other yellowish species of the region, the face is largely yellow ( Fig. 10 ), the malar space is virtually linear, and the mesosomal coloration is more yellow (rather than whitish), with the yellow marginal maculation of the mesoscutellum extending the entire length of the mesoscutellum to the axillae ( Fig. 9 ).

DESCRIPTION: As described for P. deceptrix (vide supra), with the following modifications: ⚲: Total body length approximately 5.58–5.67 mm, forewing length (to base of humeral sclerite) 5.00– 5.17 mm. Head wider than long, width 1.80–1.83 mm, length 1.53–1.57 mm; compound eye length 1.30 mm; upper interorbital distance 1.03–1.07 mm, lower interorbital distance 0.97–1.01 mm. Scape length 0.70–0.73 mm. Malar area linear; clypeus width 2.0× length. Preoccipital ridge rounded. Intertegular distance 1.23–1.27 mm. Hind wing with 5 distal hamuli.

Integument of head largely yellow except vertex, ocellocular and ocellar areas, upper posterior of head, uppermost margin of gena, and upper face in two inverted triangular areas extending from lateral ocelli down to near upper antennal margins of antennal toruli dark brown; labiomaxillary complex yellow; mandible and labrum yellow except mandibular pale reddish brown apically; clypeus yellow, with epistomal sulcus black; supraclypeal area yellow; scape yellow except small area of dark brown apicodorsally, pedicel brown, flagellomere dark brown. Pronotum yellow, paler on dorsal collar; propleuron yellow; mesoscutum dark brown to black with thin stripes of yellow to pale yellow along lateral borders; axilla yellow, sometimes a bit dusky yellow; tegula translucent yellow; mesoscutellum reddish brown with yellow along entire posterior border; metanotum reddish brown; pleura yellow, sometimes dusky yellow with dark brown spot ventrally; propodeum yellow except reddish brown to light brown on basal area; legs yellow except light brown on prolateral surface of mesobasitarsus, and brown to dark brown on much of prolateral surface of metatibia and entire prolateral surface of metabasitarsus; wing membranes hyaline and faintly infumate, veins light brown to brown; metasoma yellow with dark brown in broad apical margins of all terga; sterna pale yellow.

Clypeus with small punctures separated by less than a puncture width, such punctures a bit more irregular laterally; supraclypeal area sculptured as on clypeus; face below tangent of antennal toruli with minute punctures widely spaced, becoming denser by level of antennal toruli, upper face with minute punctures separated by a puncture width or less, integument between punctures smooth and shining, such punctures similar in ocellocular area, on vertex, and on gena; postgena smooth to faintly imbricate and largely impunctate. Mesoscutum smooth, shining, with minute punctures separated by 0.5–2× a puncture width on disc, punctures coarser, shallower, and contiguous anteriorly, somewhat more spaced along posterior border; punctures of mesoscutellum slightly larger and sparser, separated by 1–3.5× a puncture width, sparser anteriorly and along posteriormost border, integument otherwise smooth and shining between punctures; mesepisternum smooth, shining, with minute punctures separated by 1–2× a puncture width anteriorly, becoming sparser posteriorly and ventrally, until separated by up to 6× a puncture width posteriorly, hypoepimeral area with punctures minute and quite sparse; metepisternum punctured as on anterior of mesepisternum; basal area of propodeum faintly microreticulate-imbricate, shining, glabrous; lateral surface of propodeum with shallower punctures; posterior surface of propodeum smooth and nearly glabrous. Metasoma impunctate and shining, tergum I smooth, remaining terga largely smooth although blending to faintly imbricate in apical marginal zones; sterna faintly and finely imbricate.

Pubescence generally white to yellowish; clypeus with scatered, minute, subdecumbent to suberect simple setae, such setae on supraclypeal area albeit more erect and tinged fuscous; scape with minute, appressed, simple setae, intermixed with scatered, short, erect simple setae, such erect setae shorter than diameter of scape; face with minute, subdecumbent, simple setae becoming more numerous on uppermost frons, becoming intermixed on vertex with erect, short to long, fuscous bristles; gena with setae as on face; postgena with sparsely scatered, moderately long, erect, simple setae. Mesoscutum with numerous, fine, decumbent, posteriorly directed, simple setae, anteriorly numerous short to elongate, erect setae, some with minute branches; mesoscutellum with scatered, fine, decumbent setae as on mesoscutum except slightly longer posteriorly, such setae intermixed with longer, erect, simple setae, posteriorly with abundant elongate, erect, fuscous bristles; mesepisternum with short, decumbent to suberect, plumose setae, such setae denser anteriorly and becoming sparser ventrally and posteriorly, intermixed with short, erect, largely simple setae; hypoepimeral area with such setae typically sparser; metepisternum with abundant, short, decumbent, plumose setae; basal area of propodeum glabrous, posterior surface largely glabrous, lateral surface as on metepisternum except intermixed with sparse, elongate, erect, simple bristles. Setae and bristles of legs largely simple and yellow except tawny to fuscous on retrolateral surfaces of mesobasitarsus and fuscous on metabasitarsus; metatibial fringe setae elongate and corbicular bristles fuscous, simple except setae at superior distal angle minutely branched; penicillum, inferior parapenicillum, and rastellum fuscous. Setae of metasomal terga rather sparse, tergum I and discs of terga II–IV largely glabrous, apical marginal zones of terga II–IV with minute, short, subdecumbent, simple setae; such setae longer, more numerous, and extending onto discs of remaining terga, such setae also progressively more fuscous on more apical terga; sternal discs with short, erect, simple setae, otherwise with scatered, minute to short, simple, subappressed to suberect setae.

♀: Latet.

♂: Latet.

HOLOTYPE: ⚲, Ecuador: Napo Prov., Km 11.1 Sarayacu-Loreto rd. , 20 VII 1994, 1200 m, Génier, ex: feces trap ( SEMC).

PARATYPES (2⚲⚲): 1⚲, Ecuador: Napo Prov., Km 11.1 Sarayacu-Loreto rd. , 20 VII 1994, 1200 m, Génier, ex: feces trap ( SEMC); 1 ⚲, Ecuador: Napo, 1200 m, Km 7.3 Sarayacu-Loreto rd. , 20 July 1994, F. Génier, ex: feces trap ( SEMC) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is taken from the Ancient Greek noun tígris (τῐ́γρῐς, meaning, “tiger”), and refers to the striped metasoma, which superficially brings to mind the stripes of Panthera tigris (L.).

Figures

Figures 8–10. Holotype worker of Plebeia (Plebeia) tigris, new species. 8. Lateral habitus. 9. Dorsal habitus. 10. Facial view.