Nannotrigona melanocera ( Schwarz, 1938 )

Jaramillo, Joanna, Ospina, Rodulfo & Gonzalez, Victor H., 2019, Stingless bees of the genus Nannotrigona Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Apidae Meliponini) in Colombia, Zootaxa 4706 (2), pp. 349-365 : 355-357

Nannotrigona melanocera ( Schwarz, 1938)

Figures 2 , 5

Trigona (Nannotrigona) testaceicornis melanocera Schwarz, 1938: 485 [Holotype: USNM 53067; worker, Santa Helena, Bolivia]

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by the antennal scape with long erect setae (1.7× width of scape) and posterior margin of mesoscutellum with a shallow and narrow emargination, at most as wide as the axilla. It resembles N. gaboi in the small emargination on the posterior margin of the mesoscutellum. However, in that species the setae on the scape are short (≤ 0.5× width of scape) and T3–T6 are densely covered by light reddish brown, decumbent setae that obscure the integument (sparsely covered by whitish or grayish setae and not obscuring integument in N. melanocera ). In addition, N. melanocera appears to be restricted to ecosystems east of the Andes in the Orinoquia and Amazon regions whereas N. gaboi to ecosystems west of the Andes, in the inter-Andean valleys and the Caribbean region of Colombia.

Description. Male. As described for the female ( Rasmussen & Gonzalez, 2017), except as follows: total body length 4.3 mm; head width 1.8 mm; intertegular distance 1.3 mm; forewing length 4.0 mm. Head 1.2× wider than long; malar area about 0.4× width of F3; clypeus about 1.6× broader than long; intertorular distance 1.1× torular diameter; torulorbital distance 0.9 × torular diameter; interocellar distance 1.7× OD, 1.9× longer than ocellocular distance; ocelloccipital distance 1.4× OD; scape 3.3 × longer than wide. Mesoscutellum with median emargination on posterior margin large, semicircular, about 3.0× broader than long, tooth lateral to emargination acute (less acute than worker). Metasomal S5–8 and genital capsule as in figures 5d–h.

Antennal scape with simple, long (at least 1.0× width of scape) setae on its inner margin. Mesoscutum with setae (0.5× OD) shorter than those on vertex (0.9× OD); mesoscutellum with setae longer than those on mesoscutum (0.7× OD); pro- and mesotibiae with minute setae (about 0.2–0.3× OD).

Clypeus and supraclypeal area with minute, shallow punctures; frons with contiguous, coarse punctures as on ocellocular area. Mesoscutellum with basal fovea v-shaped (1.6× broader than long). Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum foveate (0.2–0.4× OD).

Examined males. (n = 4♂): Colombia: Meta : 1♂, Villavicencio, Universidad de los llanos, A. Pulido, C. Go- mez & D. Triana / LABUN26604 ( LABUN) ; 1♂, ut supra, O. Ramirez y C. Ocampo / LABUN26599 ( LABUN) ; 1♂, ut supra, Electiva-I-2013/ LABUN26601 ( LABUN) ; 1♂, ut supra, M. Henao / LABUN26603 ( LABUN) .

Distribution. This species occurs in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela ( Table 1 ). In Colombia, it occurs in the Orinoquia and Amazon regions ( Fig. 2 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Collection localities of Nannotrigona Cockerell in Colombia.

FIGURE 5. Male of Nannotrigona melanocera (Schwarz). a = Facial view. b = Lateral habitus. c = Dorsal habitus. d = Fifth sternum. e = Sixth sternum. f = Seventh sternum. g = Eighth sternum. h = genital capsule (a: LABUN26603; b–f, h: LABUN26601; g: LABUN26599).