Biglossa, Friese

Gonzalez, Victor H., Velez-Ruiz, Rita I. & Engel, Michael S., 2014, A new paracolletine bee from Colombia (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), with an updated checklist of the tropical Andean bee fauna, Journal of Melittology 2014 (43), pp. 1-26 : 12-14

Key to Species of Biglossa

Females

We were not able to examine the female of L. thoracica (Friese) ; L. alopex Cockerell and L. inca Cockerell are known only from the male. Thus, these species are not included in the key.

1. Clypeus punctate throughout or nearly so, without distinct mediobasal de- pressed area ............................................................................................................... 2

—. Clypeus largely asetose and impunctate except on depressed, mediobasal area ( Fig. 3 ) ........................................................................................................................ 4

2(1). Mesoscutum imbricate between punctures; terga with weak metallic green or blue highlights ( Argentina) ..................................................... L. chalybaea (Friese)

—. Mesoscutum smooth and shiny between punctures; terga without weak me- tallic green or blue highlights ................................................................................ 3

3(2). Base of T1 imbricate, with punctures at most slightly larger than those on sec- ond and third terga; body pubescence largely whitish, T1–T5 each with com- plete (transverse across tergal width) white apical fasciae ( Argentina) ............. ................................................................................................ L. longicornis Michener

—. Base of T1 smooth and shiny with punctures distinctly larger than those on second and third terga; body pubescence largely dark brown to black, distal margin of T2, and discs of T3 and T4 medially with yellow fasciae (Argen- tina) ................................................................................................ L. nivosa (Vachal)

4(1). Mesoscutum imbricate between punctures (sometimes with large impunc- tate areas on disc) ( Fig. 6 ) ....................................................................................... 5

—. Mesoscutum largely smooth and shiny between punctures .......................... 6

5(4). Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, and T1 with reddish setae; head and mesoso- ma dark brown to black, without metallic bluish or greenish highlights (Ar- gentina) ........................................................................................... L. aenea (Friese)

—. Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, and T1 with dark brown or black setae; head and mesosoma with weak metallic bluish or greenish highlights, some- times on metasomal terga ( Colombia) .................................... L. comforti , n. sp.

6(4). Body pubescence pale, whitish to yellowish; terga densely covered by fas- ciae, integument barely visible; clypeus with depressed median area with punctures contiguous ( Argentina) ...................................... L. robertsi Michener

—. Body pubescence dark brown to black; terga without fasciae, sparsely covered by erect, mostly-simple setae, integument largely visible; clypeus with de- pressed median area with punctures scattered [ Colombia: Norte de Santander (Gonzalez & Engel, in press)] .......................................................... Lonchopria sp.

Males

The Bolivian species L. alopex is known only from the male. It is not included in this key but, based on the original description, it might run to L. deceptrix (Moure) from Argentina. The male of the undescribed species from Norte de Santander, Colombia, is unknown (Gonzalez & Engel, in press).

1. Clypeus punctate throughout ................................................................................ 2

—. Clypeus largely asetose and impunctate, except basally ................................... 4

2(1). Metafemur distinctly swollen; metatibia with distinct carina projecting into a tooth near apex on anterior margin; clypeus dull, coarsely and densely punc- tate, densely covered by relatively short, minutely-branched setae (integu- ment obscured); clypeus with distinct preapical ridge swollen laterally; terga metallic bluish to greenish ( Argentina) ............................. L. chalybaea (Friese)

—. Metafemur and metatibia unmodified, not swollen or with carina; clypeus shinier, with sparser punctures, with longer branched setae, without swol- len preapical ridge; terga black, without metallic highlights ......................... 3

3(2). Clypeal margin laterally projecting into a tooth; sculpturing of T1 notori- ously different from that of second and third terga, strongly imbricate, with punctures sparser and larger than the contiguously punctate second and third terga ( Argentina) ............................................................. L. nivosa (Vachal)

—. Clypeal margin straight; sculpturing of T1 similar to that of second and third terga, strongly imbricate with minute, very sparse punctures ( Peru) ... .......................................................................................................... L. inca Cockerell

4(1). Terga with metallic bluish or greenish highlights ........................................... 5

—. Terga dark brown to black, without metallic bluish or greenish highlights ... 7

5(4). Head and mesosoma (excluding legs) with metallic bluish or greenish high- lights as on terga; clypeus with noticeably depressed, punctate, median area occupying about basal two-thirds of clypeal length ( Colombia) ............. .......................................................................................................... L. comforti , n. sp.

—. Head and mesosoma dark brown to black, without metallic bluish or green- ish highlights; clypeus with median area punctate, not depressed or scarce- ly depressed, occupying basal half of clypeus ( Argentina) ............................. 6

6(5). Malar area linear; metabasitarsus narrow, about half width of metatibia (Ar- gentina) ..................................................................................... L. deceptrix (Moure)

—. Malar area longer, about half width of F1; metabasitarsus broad, about two-thirds of metatibia width ( Argentina) ........................................ L. aenea (Friese)

7(4). F1 long, distinctly longer than broad, about 1.8 times longer than broad (Argen- tina) ................................................................................... L. longicornis Michener

—. F1 short, about as long as broad or slightly longer ............................................. 8

8(7). Mandible with small median teeth, thus appearing tridentate; terga without apical fasciae ( Argentina) ......................................................... L. thoracica (Friese)

—. Mandible without small median teeth; T1–T5 with apical fasciae ( Argentina) .. ..................................................................................................... L. robertsi Michener

Figures

Figures 3–5. Female holotype of Lonchopria (Biglossa) comforti, new species (except paratype in figure 4). 3. Lower three-quarters of head detailing clypeal structure and sculpturing. 4. Outer surface of mandible. 5. Full facial view.

Figures 6–8. Female holotype of Lonchopria (Biglossa) comforti, new species (except paratype in fig- ure 6). 6. Left half of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum. 7. Metatibia and metabasitarsus. 8. Detail of metasomal terga.