Xylocopa (Schonnherria) simillima Smith, 1854

Villamizar, Germán, Fernández, Fernando & Vivallo, Felipe, 2020, Synopsis of the carpenter bee subgenus Xylocopa (Schonnherria) Lepeletier, 1841 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Colombia, with designation of lectotypes and the description of two new species, Zootaxa 4789 (2), pp. 301-347 : 329-331

Xylocopa (Schonnherria) simillima Smith, 1854

( Figures 59–62 , 79 )

Xylocopa simillima Smith, 1854: 357 .

Xylocopa mendax Maidl, 1912: 319 . (Synonymized by Hurd & Moure, 1961)

Xylocopa rotundiscuta Brèthes, 1916: 418 . (Synonymized by Hurd & Moure, 1961)

Note. A complete morphological description of both sexes of this species can be found in Lucia et al. (2015). In this study only female specimens were found, therefore, the diagnostic characters cited belong only to this sex.

Diagnosis. Females can be recognized by the following combination of characters ( Figs. 59–62 ): large body size (body length 18.5–22 mm); integument dark brown to black except reddish brown on T1–T4; mesosoma with slightly bluish and greenish highlights, head, legs and metasoma without metallic reflections; wings dark brown with blue and violet iridescence; vertex and gena with fine and sparse circular punctures, sparser on upper gena; clypeus at the same level of paraocular area, with the upper margin of the epistomal suture poorly defined; base of labrum with a distinct, large, single capitate tubercle approximately as large as median ocellus; mesoscutellum with scattered, circular punctures throughout the disc and scattered plumose hairs on posterior half; metasoma with short simple hairs (0.1–0.2x OD) barely noticeable on terga disc, longer on last segments and with fine and dense circular punctures (1–2x puncture width), denser on lateral sides. Besides its similarity with X. dimidiata , the female of this species also resembles Xylocopa viridigastra Lepeletier, 1841 (species recorded in Chile, Ecuador and Peru according to Moure, 2012). Nevertheless, the female’s mandible of X. viridigastra has three teeth on apical margin, labrum with three tubercles of similar size and greenish/violaceous metallic reflections on integument (two mandibular teeth on apical margin, labrum with a single tubercle and metasomal integument without metallic reflections in Xylocopa simillima ).

Floral records. Unknown.

Type material. Xylocopa simillima: Smith (1854) based the description of this species on an unknown number of specimens collected in an undetermined locality cited as “ New Holland ” (= Australia). A specimen deposited in NHMUK that Smith (1874) pointed out as purchased at a sale is here recognized as part of the type series. Although Moure (2012) and Lucia et al. (2015) cited that specimen as the holotype, we considered reinterpret it as a syntype, being here designated as the lectotype. The specimen has the following data label: Type [circular label with red bor- der, printed] B.M. TYPE HYM. [printed] 17B. 196 [handwriting]\ NEW HOLLAND (= AUSTRALIA) purchased Mr Children’s Sale 1840•4•2, 424 [handwriting]\ ♀ SYNTYPE Xylocopa simillima Smith, F., 1854:357 det. D. Notton 2018 [handwriting] SYNTYPE [circular label with blue border, printed]\ 40 442 424 [circular label, handwriting]\ Xylocopa simillima TYPE. Smith [handwriting]\ Simillima Type Sm. [Smith’s handwriting] ( NHMUK). The lectotype is coded NHMUK 014022435 in the NHMUK data portal. Xylocopa mendax : Syntype female (according to Maidl, 1912; NHMW, not examined). Xylocopa rotundiscuta : Lectotype female designated by Hurd & Moure (1961) ( MACN, not examined).

Type localities. Xylocopa simillima : “ Australia ” (incorrect locality according to Smith, 1874). Xylocopa mendax : BRAZIL: “Rio Grande” (probably Rio Grande do Sul state). Xylocopa rotundiscuta : ARGENTINA: Misiones.

Distribution in Colombia ( Fig. 79 ). Amazonas: Araracuara. Meta: La Macarena. Vaupés: Taraira.

Material examined (n= 6♀). COLOMBIA: Amazonas : 1 female: Araracuara, Caño Aduche , S0°38’39”, W72°18′18”, 100 m, 27-Feb-1992, F. Jara, LABUN006641 , 6450 ( LABUN) ; 1 female: Araracuara, Quebrada Ar- madillo, S0°36’, W72°23′, 100 m, 20-Feb-1992, F. Jara, LABUN006217 , 6448 ( LABUN) . Meta: 2 females: La Macarena, Caño Curía , N3°25’, W73°57′, 651 m, 07-Oct-1986, A. Bonilla, LABUN006216 , LABUN006252 , 3008 , 3014 ( LABUN) ; 1 female: La Macarena, Caño Curía, Estación Las Dantas , N3°25’, W73°57′, 651 m, 02-Jul-1986, F. Fernández, LABUN006249 , 2932 ( LABUN) . Vaupés: 1 female: Taraira, Camino Cerro rojo, S0°44’, W69°53′, 112 m, 11-Mar-2007, H. Miller ( LABUN) .

Comments. It is not yet clear if the reddish brown areas on the discs of T1–T4 can be useful for differentiate this species. In fact, the lectotype here designated has the discs of T1–T4 with distinct reddish light brown bands, but we found some Colombian specimens with the integument of the metasoma almost black. This situation was also denoted by Lucia et al. (2015) in some Argentine exemplars of X. simillima and it could be the same variation that happens in other species of the genus such as X. frontalis (Oliver, 1789) and X. nigrocincta Smith, 1854 ( Lucia et al. 2014).

X. simillima is a new record for Colombia and was found in the Imerí province of the Boreal Brazilian dominion (sensu Morrone, 2014). Due to its wide distribution and the great similarity with X. dimidiata , studying more specimens is needed to determine their variations.

Figures

FIGURE 79. Distribution records for Xylocopa romeroi n. sp., X. simillima and X. viridis in Colombia.

FIGURES 59–62. Female of Xylocopa (Schonnherria) simillima Smith, 1854. Fig. 59. Frontal view. Fig. 60. Detail of metasomal terga. Fig. 61. Dorsal habitus. Fig. 62. Lateral habitus. Scale bar 4 mm.