Braunsapis scorpius Packer, 2018

Packer, Laurence, 2018, A new socially parasitic Braunsapis (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopinae: Allodapini) from Vietnam, with a key to female socially parasitic Braunsapis in Asia, Journal of Melittology 2018 (79), pp. 1-9 : 2-4

Braunsapis scorpius Packer , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:35F3F2B3-283B-43BD-B806-8968FC873CCD

( Figs. 1–6 )

DIAGNOSIS: The new species is clearly not a pollen collecting species based upon the short hairs of the metatibia (i.e., not forming a distinct scopa), especially of the dorsal surface, which are clearly shorter than the greatest depth of tibia ( Figs. 1, 4 ). It is unique among Asian socially parasitic species of Braunsapis in the mostly orange metasoma with T6 recurved with its dorsal surface at approximately a right angle in comparison to T2–T4 ( Fig. 1 ), and with its sides largely evenly convex and only feebly sinuate apically ( Fig. 6 ). All other Asian socially parasitic Braunsapis except B. bislensis from southern India have a dark brown to blackish metasoma, T6 at most weakly concave in profile, and have the sides of T6 more strongly sinuate with distinct lateral “shoulders” sensu Reyes & Sakagami (1990) (e.g., figure 7 herein and their figure 3). The new species can be differentiated from B. bislensis due to its dark, rather than ivory, mandible and almost entirely pale, as opposed to mostly dark, metasoma. It can also be differentiated from all other congeners from the Southeast Asian tropics, except B. flaviventris Reyes , based upon metasomal coloration. The two can be differentiated by the presence of a true scopa and absence of pale marks on the lower paraocular area in B. flaviventris .

DESCRIPTION: ♀: Body length 5.0 mm, forewing length 3.55 mm, intertegular distance 1.0 mm, head width 1.3 mm.

Coloration. Head and thorax black-brown except as follows: labrum, clypeus, mark on lower paraocular area, anterior surface of scape and pronotal lobe off-white; scutellum, metanotum, and anterior surface of pedicel and flagellum brown, apices of anterior surface of F5–F10 marked with orange-brown, this mark larger on successive flagellomeres; legs brown except apices of all femora; all tibiae and tarsi pale yellowbrown; tegula translucent, wing veins pale brown, vein R and stigma somewhat dark- er; metasoma pale orange except red-brown as follows: T1 with medially interrupted irregular transverse band, T2–T3 and T6 with lateral marks; sterna orange, S 6 in particular translucent (such that some details of the sting apparatus are visible; Fig. 6 ).

Pubescence. Hairs on head and mesoscutum whitish, erect, mostly simple, length 1.3 MOD and <0.7 MOD, respectively; pronotum with short, dense, appressed, feathery hairs; sides of mesosoma with long (<2.5 MOD), finely branched hairs; scutellum and metanotum with shorter (<0.7 MOD), sparse, suberect hairs and few, longer erect hairs ≈ 2 MOD; metatibial hairs subappressed, finely branched, <1.6 MOD; metasomal terga with fine, unbranched, mixed subappressed and erect hairs mostly <0.7 MOD; T6 hairs long, erect on ventrally reflexed portion, ≈2 MOD, shorter ≈1 MOD on upper surface.

Surface Sculpture. Head and mesosoma shiny, microsculpture weak, metapostnotum more distinctly imbricate; punctures minute, obscure and sparse, slightly more distinct on scutellum and metanotum i ≈ d; metasomal terga weakly imbricate, punctures larger than on scutellum, shallow, i ≈ d except T1 disc and apical half of T6 almost impunctate; metasomal sterna impunctate except few weak punctures subapically.

Structure. Head 1.1× broader than long. LbP1=LbP2, each ≈4× longer than LbP3 and LbP4 and only slightly longer than the basal depth of the mandible (13:12). Glossa somewhat shorter than labial palpus. Malar space more than 2.4× longer posteriorly than anteriorly. Compound eyes convergent below: UOD:LOD ≈4:3. Frontal line broadly impressed from close to epistomal sulcus to within 1MOD of lower tangent of median ocellus. Scape almost attaining lower tangent of median ocellus; F1 0.4× as long as wide, F2 approximately half as long as wide, F3 0.75× as long as wide, remaining flagellomeres with length and width subequal.

Mesoscutum wider than long (ITW 1.4X MSL). Scutellum more than twice as long as metanotum, slightly longer than metapostnotum (MSL:MTL:MPL: 26:11:21). Basitibial plate entirely undefined. Posterior metatibial spur more than half as long as metabasitarsus (25:48) and slightly longer than anterior metatibial spur (23).

Metasoma with sides of T1 mostly straight, convergent towards base. T4 and T5 not depressed medially. T6 concave dorsally, sides evenly convex except weakly sinuate subapically; entire 6 th metasomal segment recurved, dorsal surface of T6 forming angle of <90° with dorsal surface of T2–T 4 in profile, sides sharply reflexed ventrad, carinate except more gradually rounded for basal one quarter.

♂: Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: ♀, VIETNAM: Dak Lak, Anh Phuc Cu Prao, N12°52.912’ E108°38.627’, 23.ix.08 [2008], MT [malaise trap], H. Ngo, PCYU-HNV-2842. To be deposited in Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi City, Vietnam ( VAST) pending completion of ongoing bee systematic research at the Packer Collection at York University, Toronto, Canada ( PCYU).

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is a noun in apposition and refers to the recurved apex to the metasoma which gives a superficial resemblance to the apex of the telson and more anterior metasomal segments of a scorpion.

COMMENTS: Other than for a dent in the integument of the head and the broken right antenna, which is glued to the pin beneath the specimen, and loss of the sting shaft, the holotype is in good condition.

Other specimens of Braunsapis collected at the type locality and identified using Reyes (1991) include B. hewiti (Cameron) , B. puangensis (Cockerell) , and B. philippinensis (Ashmead) , but it is not possible to suggest which Braunsapis might be the host(s) of B. scorpius .

Figures

Figures 1–6. Holotype of Braunsapis scorpius, new species. 1. Lateral habitus (scale bar = 2 mm). 2. Mouthparts to show reduced lengths of labial palpomeres and glossa (scale bar = 1 mm). 3. Head, frontal view (scale bar = 1 mm). 4. Close-up of metatibia to show short hairs (scale bar = 1 mm). 5. Base of midleg to show reduced brush of hairs at base of mesofemur and on mesotrochanter (compare to figure 12) (scale bar = 0.5 mm). 6. 6th metasomal segment to show feebly sinuate apical margin, ventral view (scale bar = 0.5 mm).