Megalopta (Noctoraptor) atlantica, Santos, Leandro M. & Silveira, Fernando A., 2009

Santos, Leandro M. & Silveira, Fernando A., 2009, Taxonomic notes on Megalopta Smith, 1853 (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Augochlorini) with a synopsis of the species in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, Zootaxa 2194, pp. 1-20 : 14-16

Megalopta (Noctoraptor) atlantica sp. n.

( Figs. 11, 17)

Diagnosis. 3: Body length 12.5 mm. Integument entirely black, with some bluish hue on terga. Disc of scutellum relatively flat, posterior surface of scutellum almost perpendicular to disc surface, above level of metanotum; dorsal surface of axilla and contiguous antero-lateral margin of scutellum on same plane of disc of scutellum; metapostnotum with divergent rugae, distinct on mid basal area, weaker laterally, always shorter than metanotum, its lateral surface polished, its posterior margin gently arcuate, almost parallel to anterior margin; pubescence of metepisternum sparse, not entirely hiding its surface; metepisternal process inconspicuous, narrow, without velvety pilosity; surface of hypostoma polished, except for a limited microreticulate area contiguous to angle of hypostomal carina; mid-longitudinal depression of S3 deep, very wide, progressively widening from basis toward marginal zone; posterior margin of discal lobes of S3 abruptly slanting to rear, its surface almost continuous with marginal zone of sternum; protruding process of S4 digitiform, narrow and long, its base extending backwards as a carina, without posterior line or apical brush of hairs. Female unknown.

Description. Holotype (Male).

Measurements: Intertegular distance: 3.35 mm; width of head: 2.76 mm; total body length: 12.5 mm.

Color: Black, except for apical process of labrum, ferruginous; basal process of labrum, apical third of clypeus and tarsi blackish brown; wings hyaline with strong ferruginous hue, their apices lightly infuscate by pilosity; pterostigma and veins, ferruginous, except Sc+R, black.

Pilosity: light yellow on paraocular area, frons, tibiae, tarsi, lobes of S3 and apex of S5; creamy-white around pronotal lobe; white on gena, mesepisternum, propodeum, coxae, trochanters and femurs, anterior vertical surface of T1 and disc of S1–S2; fuscous, long erect hairs on face, vertex, pronotum, mesoscutum, scutellum, mesepisternum anteriorly, and on T1–T7. Long, fine, simple and erect, on gena, hypostoma, trochanters and femora, intermixed with shorter hairs on clypeus, intermixed with tomentum on mesepisternum, lateral and posterior surfaces of propodeum (tomentum denser on lateral surface of propodeum); moderately long on face, pronotum and mesoscutum, intermixed with short finely branched, decumbent hairs on lower paraocular area and frons, with short, very fine, simple semi-erect hairs on mesoscutum, and with dense tomentum on pronotal collar and lobe; very fine, simple, semi-erect hairs of variable size (minute to short) on terga. On lobes of S3 composed of moderately thick, moderately long, decumbent setae; on lobes of S4, composed of moderately thick, moderately long, erect setae with apexes gently bent backwards, except on internal margins, where they form a dense brush with their apexes bent toward the opposite lobe; on apical margin of S5 similar to that on lobes of S3.

Surface: Clypeus irregularly punctate, with coarse punctures intermixed with finer ones, very sparsely punctate on margin, densely punctate basally, its surface lightly reticulated, shiny; supraclypeal area lightly reticulated, coarsely and densely punctate on lateral and basal margins, with ill-defined impunctate, polished, discal area; lower paraocular areas very coarsely punctate, punctures coarse, with fine ones intermixed; frons very densely punctate (space among punctures carinate), punctures moderately coarse medially, finer and shallower laterad; interocelar and ocelocular areas sparsely punctate, punctures minute, surface polished; vertex densely punctate, punctures relatively shallow, surface reticulate medially, polished laterally; gena densely punctate, punctures moderately coarse, becoming finer toward eye, minute by eye margin, its surface polished; hypostoma sparsely and moderately coarsely punctate, surface lightly reticulate near hypostomal carina and posteriorly, polished on disc; mesoscutum irregularly punctate, moderately coarsely and fine punctures intermixed, very densely punctate laterally (space between punctures carinate), coarsely punctate medially (space between punctures 0.5–1.0 dp), with fewer coarse punctures, surface microreticulate on midanterior margin, polished elsewhere; scutellum densely, finely and homogeneously punctate on disc, punctures moderately fine laterally and on posterior surface; metanotum moderately dense and very finely punctate on disc and along anterior margin, punctures moderately fine laterally and on posterior surface; metapostnotum with divergent rugae, distinct on mid basal area, weaker laterally, its surface polished; on mesepisternum very densely punctate (space between punctures carinate), punctures irregular, moderately coarse to coarse intermixed, except on hypoepimeral area, sparsely punctate, punctures moderately coarse, surface polished; metepisternum irregularly punctate, punctures moderately coarse, organized in irregular lines on upper two-thirds, fine and densely punctate on lower third, surface polished, with a narrow band of transverse, dense microrugulae on upper margin, sparsely and lightly regulate on lower third; lateral surface of propodeum moderately finely and homogeneously densely punctate, surface shiny, coarsely regulate on lower-posterior corner; posterior surface of propodeum finely punctate, surface shiny, rugulose on disc; anterior, vertical and lateral surfaces of T1 minutely and very sparsely punctate, the surface polished; disc of terga lightly microreticulate, reticulation stronger on posterior terga; marginal zones of terga distinctly microreticulate, somewhat dull; disc of T1 with a ill-defined fine and moderately densely (space among punctures = 1–2 dp) punctate area; disc of T2–T6 minutely punctate, punctures stronger on posterior terga, punctation moderately sparse on T2, sparse on T3 and very sparse on T4–T6; S1–S3 and S5–S6 microreticulate; S1 very sparsely and minutely punctate; S2 very sparsely and finely punctate; S3 polished, finely and very sparsely punctate on disc along longitudinal sulcus, moderately coarse and sparsely punctate laterally; lobes of S4 polished, impunctate basally, with moderately dense and moderately fine, verrucose punctures along posterior margin; S5 moderately finely punctate, sparsely punctate basally, densely punctate apically, punctures verrucose apically.

Structure: Mandible falciform, simple, narrow, acuminate; basal tubercle of labrum wide and short, very gently depressed medially; clypeus with distinct transverse premarginal groove; frontal line carinate, carina originating more than one ocellar diameter from the anterior ocellus; eyes converging below, distance between eye and upper corner of clypeus, in frontal view, larger than basal diameter of scape; disc of scutellum relatively flat, posterior surface of scutellum almost perpendicular to disc surface, above level of metanotum; dorsal surface of axilla and contiguous antero-lateral margin of scutellum on same plane of disc of scutellum; metapostnotum 0.54 times as long as metanotum its posterior margin gently arcuate, almost parallel to anterior margin; metepisternal process inconspicuous, narrow, without velvety pilosity; midlongitudinal depression of S3 deep, very wide, progressively widening from basis toward marginal zone; posterior margin of discal lobes of S3 abruptly slanting to rear, its surface almost continuous with marginal zone of sternum; protruding process of S4 digitiform, narrow and long, without posterior line or apical brush of hairs, its base extending backwards as a carina; marginal notch of S5 relatively wide; mid-longitudinal ridge of S6 broadly rounded, not carinate, not fended;

Female: unknown.

Type material. Holotype: Male, “ Brasil, Minas Gerais, 13 km NE de Ipanema, Fazenda Montes Claros, 400m, 29.i-30.i.2003. Mielke & Casagrande, armadilha luminosa” and “ HOLOTYPUS Megalopta (Noctoraptor) atlantica 3 Santos & Silveira sp. nov.” Deposited in DZUP.

Distribution. BRAZIL: MINAS GERAIS.

Etymology. The name atlantica refers to the Atlantic Florest, the vegetational domain where the holotype was collected.

Comments. In the identification key for the species of Noctoraptor by Hinojosa-Díaz and Engel (2003), this species keys out as M. (N.) furunculosa , from which it differs by its punctate tergal discs (impunctate in M. furunculosa ), rugulose surface of metapostnotum (smooth in M. furunculosa ), absence of metallic-green hues on antennal socket (present in M. furunculosa ) and brown tarsi (yellowish in M. furunculosa ). It differs from M. (N.) byroni and M. (N.) noctifurax in the apex of basal area of its labrum, which is only slightly protuberant (with two distinct protuberances in M. byroni and M. noctifurax ).