Augochlora (Oxystoglossella) mendax, Lepeco & Gonçalves, 2020

Lepeco, Anderson & Gonçalves, Rodrigo Barbosa, 2020, A revision of the bee genus Augochlora Smith (Hymenoptera; Apoidea) in Southern South America, Zootaxa 4897 (1), pp. 1-97 : 87-90

Augochlora (Oxystoglossella) mendax sp. nov.

( Figures 48 A–D; 49A–D; 51K)

Diagnosis. Females of A. mendax sp. nov. are diagnosed from other Oxystoglossella from Southern South America by the tuberculate elevation on S1 and labrum basal elevation not well defined. Those features are shared with two species restricted to Northeastern Brazil, Augochlora modica Lepeco & Gonçalves and Augochlora tenax Lepeco & Gonçalves. Males are diagnosed among Oxystoglossella from Southern South America by the creamy white clypeus apex and labrum and the hind basitarsus short and slightly narrowed apically.

Description. ♀. Measurements. Maximum interocular distance: 1.18–1.46 (x‾ = 1.22, n = 10); head length: 1.44–1.84 (x‾ = 1.58, n = 10); clypeus width: 0.38–0.52 (x‾ = 0.43, n = 10); clypeus length: 0.34–0.50 (x‾ = 0.40, n = 10); clypeoantennal distance: 0.24–0.30 (x‾ = 0.27, n = 10); clypeus ocellar distance: 0.90–1.08 (x‾ = 0.94, n = 10); intertegular distance: 0.93–1.15 (x‾ = 1.00, n = 10); T1 width: 1.24–1.72 (x‾ = 1.37, n = 10); T2 width: 1.44–1.84 (x‾ = 1.56, n = 10); body length: 5.00–6.00 (x‾ = 5.22, n = 10).

Head. Labrum basal surface yellow; basal elevation slight, not well defined. Mandible mostly light brown, apex and base brown; medial portion not strongly constricted, minimum width between 0.7x and 0.9x basal width; preapical tooth small and rounded, produced far from apical tooth apex; distal part of adductor ridge inconspicuous. Clypeus mostly green with golden reflection, apical dark brown band> OD; punctate, punctures large and weak, smooth in between; apex not prolonged over apical border. Epistomal angle acute, strongly protruding over clypeus. Supraclypeal area green with golden reflection; sparsely punctate, smooth in between. Lower paraocular area with golden reflection; punctate, I = PD; long setae (2–3 OD) intermixed with tiny setae. Antennae: scape and pedicel black, flagellum dark brown, ventrally pale. Frons with golden reflection; contiguously punctate; not protuberant above antennal sockets. Preoccipital area weakly lamellate, lamella not expanded near post gena. Gena with golden reflection. Post gena mostly darkened with green reflection; microreticulate, some scattered weak punctures; setae length <3 OD. Hypostomal carina not projected anteriorly.

Mesosoma. Pronotum dorsolateral angle obtuse. Fore leg: coxa brown with weak green reflection; trochanter brown with weak green reflection; femur brown with weak green reflection; ventral surface slightly rounded; setae length <3 OD; tibia and tarsus light brown; white to yellowish setae on both. Mesoscutum green with golden reflection; sparsely punctate on disc, I> PD, sparser posterior to median line, smooth in between, densely punctate on lateral surfaces, anterior border punctate, smooth in between; setae length <2 OD. Scutellum medial furrow inconspicuous; green with golden reflection; sparsely punctate, I> PD, denser punctation posteriorly; with tiny setae intermixed with longer white setae (4 OD). Mesepisternum green with golden reflection; preepisternum densely punctate near pronotal lobe; hypoepimeral area punctate, I = PD, smooth in between; below scrobe punctate, I = PD, smooth in between, ventrally crowded punctate; with long setae (2 OD). Mid leg: coxa dark brown; trochanter dark brown; ventral margin not swollen, almost straight; femur dark brown with weak green reflection, mesofemoral brush yellowish; tibia and tarsus light brown; white to yellowish setae on both. Tegula light brown with anterior green spot. Metanotum with dense tiny setae intermixed with longer white setae (4 OD). Metepisternum green with golden reflection; punctate, becoming crowded punctate to rugose above superior metapleural pit. Hind leg: coxa dark brown with weak green reflection, anterior and posterior surfaces ventrally separated by a smoothly curved area; trochanter dark brown; setae length = 4 OD; femur dark brown; tibia brown; tarsus light brown; outer surfaces without dark setae. Metapostnotum green with golden reflection; as long as scutellum; lateral surfaces with radiating carinae, medially rugose. Propodeum green with golden reflection; with tiny and long (4 OD) setae intermixed; posterior surface weakly punctate, smooth in between; lateral carinae ending below propodeum half; lateral surfaces microreticulate among punctures.

Metasoma. T1 anterior surface sparsely punctate, microreticulate in between; dark brown with weak green reflection; with few tiny decumbent setae among long setae. T1 dorsal surface mostly impunctate, imbricate, weakly puncticulate on lateral surfaces; mostly brown with weak green reflection, dull, lateral surfaces green; tiny setae dorsally, long setae (2 OD) on lateral surfaces; apex not inflexed, brown. T2 mostly brown with weak green reflection, dull, lateral surfaces green; weakly puncticulate, imbricate in between; marginal area with punctate portion longer than apical brown band on sublateral surfaces; tiny decumbent setae near base and on lateral surfaces, long setae (2 OD) on lateral surfaces. T3 weakly puncticulate, imbricate in between; mostly green, apical band brown; tiny setae apex surpassing apical margin sublaterally. T4 weakly punctate, imbricate in between; mostly green, apical band brown; mostly with tiny decumbent setae, long setae (3 OD) scattered on disc and lateral surfaces. T5 black; pseudopygidial area covered by scale-like decumbent setae pointing towards midline. Pygidial plate black, apex slightly bilobed. S1 with a tuberculate elevation; light brown; with long setae (> 2 OD) medially, margin with tiny decumbent setae. S2 light brown; medioapical margin sharp; punctate, microreticulate in between; long setae (> 3 OD). S3–4 as S2. S5 apical margin widely rounded; light brown; long setae (> 3 OD). S6 brown; long dark setae on apex.

Description. ³. Measurements. Maximum interocular distance: 1.30; head length: 1.64; clypeus width: 0.44; clypeus length: 0.42; clypeoantennal distance: 0.30; clypeus ocellar distance: 0.96; intertegular distance: 1.08; T1 width: 1.40; T2 width: 1.60; scape length: 0.48; body length: 5.50.

Head. Labrum basal surface creamy white. Mandible mostly creamy white, apex brown. Clypeus mostly green with golden reflection, apex creamy white; apical border exposed, yellowish; punctate, smooth in between; setae length = 2 OD. Epistomal angle acute, protruding over clypeus. Supraclypeal area golden; densely punctate, punctures small, smooth in between. Paraocular area with golden reflection; densely punctate, I <0.5 PD; long setae (= OD) intermixed with tiny tomentose setae. Antennae: scape black; pedicel as long as F1; mostly black, apex yellowish; F1 ventrally yellowish; as long as F2; F3 wider than long; remaining flagellomeres mostly black, ventrally yellowish. Frons with green and blue iridescences intermixed; contiguously to crowded punctate; setae length <OD. Gena with golden reflection. Post-gena with golden reflection, darkened near hypostoma; smooth, some scattered weak punctures; sparse long setae up to 4 OD.

Mesosoma. Pronotum lateral angle widely rounded. Fore leg: coxa ventrally green with golden reflection; tro-chanter brown; femur brown with green reflection; slightly swollen; tibia and tarsus yellowish; white to yellowish setae on both. Mesoscutum green with golden reflection; sparsely punctate on disc, I> PD, sparser posterior to median line; smooth in between, denser punctation on lateral margins; setae length = 1–2 OD. Scutellum medial furrow inconspicuous; green with golden reflection; punctate, I = 0.5–1 PD; longer setae (3 OD) near apex. Mesepisternum green with golden reflection; preepisternum contiguously punctate near pronotal lobe; hypoepimeral area densely punctate, I <PD, smooth in between; below scrobe densely punctate, I <PD, smooth in between. Mid leg: coxa dark brown; trochanter dark brown with green reflection; setae length 3 OD; femur dark brown; not swollen; tibia and basitarsus yellowish; white to yellowish setae on both. Tegula yellowish. Metanotum with dense tiny setae intermixed with longer white setae (= 3 OD). Metepisternum green with golden reflection; densely punctate, crowded punctate to striate near hind wing. Hind leg: coxa and trochanter green; femur dark brown with green reflection; tibia light brown, anterior surface with abundant tiny setae among long setae; basitarsus about 5 times longer than maximum width, apically narrowed; yellowish. Metapostnotum green with golden reflection; as long as scutellum; plane; entirely filled with radiating carinae. Propodeum green with golden reflection; with tiny and long (3 OD) setae intermixed; posterior surface densely punctate; lateral carinae lamellate, ending below propodeum half; lateral surfaces imbricate among punctures.

Metasoma. T1 anterior surface sparsely punctate, I = 3 PD, imbricate in between; brown with green reflection; only with long setae, tiny decumbent setae absent. T1 dorsal surface sparsely punctate, I> 2 PD, punctures weak on disc; mostly brown with weak golden and green reflections, dull; tiny setae on disc, lateral surfaces with longer setae (= OD); apex not inflexed. T2 mostly green, dorsally darkened, dull; weakly punctate, imbricate in between; marginal area with punctate portion longer than apical brown band on sublateral surfaces; mostly with tiny setae, long setae (= OD) on lateral surfaces, pre-marginal setae ending near apical margin on sub-lateral surfaces. T3 weakly punctate, imbricate in between; mostly green, dull, marginal area light brown; mostly with tiny setae, long setae (2 OD) near margin and lateral surfaces. T4 weakly punctate, imbricate in between; mostly green, dull, apical band light brown; mostly with tiny setae, long setae (2 OD) scattered on disc and lateral surfaces. T5 mostly green, apical band light brown; long setae (2 OD) intermixed with tiny setae. T6 dark brown; mostly with long setae (<3 OD). T7 dark brown. S1 without elevation; mostly brown with weak green reflection, apex light brown; with long plumose setae (= OD) medially, margin with tiny decumbent setae. S2 mostly light brown, apical band yellowish; medioapical margin slightly rounded; punctate, microreticulate in between; setae length <OD. S3 mostly brown, apical band yellowish; medioapical margin almost straight; punctate, microreticulate in between; setae length <OD. S4 mostly brown, apical band yellowish; medioapical margin almost straight; punctate, microreticulate in between; setae length <OD, medially with a tuft of thicker setae; S5 brown; depressed transversally on median surface; homogeneously pilose, without glabrous patch medially. S6 dark brown; setae length <OD. S7 lateral apodemes shorter than half S8 width. S8 anterior projection more than four times longer than apical width; posterior margin acuminate.

Genitalia: gonobase 2 times wider than long, ventral arms slightly curved on apex. Gonocoxite about 1.5 times longer than wide. Gonostylus, dorsal surface glabrous. Ventral process of gonostylus: inner lobe globose; with short packed bristles; outer lobe with long bristles with length> inner lobe size. Gonapophysis ventral prong well produced, small; dorsal bridge margin weakly projected; ventral bridge absent; apodeme narrow and weakly hooked.

Distribution. Brazil, in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Paraná, and S„o Paulo.

Etymology. ‘Mendax’ is a Latin word for mendacious, meaning untruthful, false. The name is a reference to the resemblance with a northeastern species ( A. modica Lepeco & Gonçalves ) in almost every morphological trait.

Type material. Holotype, DZUP, ♀ “ DZUP \568210” “ SERRA DO RONCADOR\MT-R. S.Base Camp \BRA-SIL- 19/7/1968 \Laroca & Azevedo” . Paratypes, DZUP, 2♀ “ DZUP \568212” “ DZUP \568213” “ SERRA DO RONCADOR\MT-R. S.Base Camp \BRASIL- 19/7/1968 \Laroca & Azevedo”; 1³ “ DZUP \568211” “ SERRA DO RONCADOR\MT-R. S.Base Camp \BRASIL- 19/7/1968 \Laroca & Azevedo” .

Figures

FIGURE 48. Female of Augochlora mendax sp. nov. A) habitus, B) frontal view of head, C) dorsal view of mesosoma, D) dorsal view of metasoma. Scale bar: 1.0 mm, all at same scale.