Colletes cyaneus Holmberg, 1903

Ferrari, Rafael R., 2019, A revision of Colletes Latreille (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Colletinae) from Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, Zootaxa 4606 (1), pp. 1-91 : 21-25

Colletes cyaneus Holmberg, 1903

( Figs. 10 , 11 , 12 , 45A, 45C, 51D)

Colletes cyaneus Holmberg, 1903: 468 ; Friese 1910: 646; Ĵrgensen 1912b: 94; Moure 1956: 203; Schlindwein 1995: 87, 1998: 50; Moure & Urban 2002: 8; Silveira et al. 2002: 155; Moure et al. 2007: 681; Moure et al. 2012; Ascher & Pickering 2018.

Syntype ♀ lost. ( MACN) .

Colletes semicyaneus (= Reedaspis semicyanea ( Spinola, 1851)) ; Schrottky 1907: 6.

Diagnosis: Colletes cyaneus can be diagnosed through the combination of mesoscutum with off-white and black hairs intermixed, femoral scopa of female or legs of male with off-white to pale-yellow hairs, and T1–T5 discs metallic-blue. Colletes cyaneus is most similar to C. michenerianus as the two are unique amongst the species found in southern Brazil in having metallic-blue metasomal terga. Their females, however, can be differentiated from each other by labrum medially convex in C. cyaneus (clypeus medially concave in C. michenerianus ); and scopa with pale-yellow hairs in C. cyaneus (scopa with fuscous hairs in C. michenerianus ). The males of the two species can be distinguished by the comparatively longer malar area, ~1.8x as long as basal depth of mandible, in C. cyaneus (malar area ~1.5x as long as basal depth of mandible in C. michenerianus ); and legs with off-white hairs in C. cyaneus (legs with fuscous hairs in C. michenerianus ).

Redescription: FEMALE ( Figs. 10A, 10C, 10E ):

Dimensions (mm): Approximate body length 9.9–10.7; head width 3.6–4.0; head length 2.8–3.1; intertegular distance 3.1–3.4; forewing length 8.2–8.6.

Colouration: Black except metasomal terna (except T6 black) bright metallic-blue. Discs of S1–S5 metallic dark-blue. Wing venation (except veins C and R of forewing black), stigma, tibial spurs, dorsal surface of tarsi (except basitarsi black) dark-brown. Marginal zones of S1–S5 pale-yellow. Proximal 1/3 of tarsal claws pale-brown. Distal 1/3 of mandible, distal 2/3 of tarsal claws, S6 mid-longitudinally reddish-brown.

Structure: Labrum medially concave; concavity margined laterally by longitudinal ridges. Clypeal mid-longitudinal area narrowly (0.4x MOD) and moderately deeply depressed on upper 1/3, depression shallower and much wider below (2x MOD). Malar area ~1.1x as long as basal depth of mandible (30:27). Hypostomal carina short and flat. F1 ~1.5x as long as its apical width (46:29). UID:LID (75:76). Frontal area without protrusion below lateral ocellus. Vertexal area concave behind upper summit of eye in postero-lateral view. Dorsolateral angle of pronotum pointed. Mesepisternum ventrally, near ventral end of episternal groove, without protrusion surrounded by appressed hairs. Horizontal surface of metapostnotum ~0.3x as long as metanotum (11:40); metapostnotal pits welldelimited; posterior transverse carina sinuous and incomplete. Posteromedial surface of front coxa without spine. Posterior hind tibial spur ciliate. Hind basitarsus ~2.8x longer than broad (50:18). Outer rami of hind tarsal claws 2.8x as long as inner rami (14:5). Marginal zone of T1 flat. Marginal zone of S6 depressed.

Pubescence: Head with plumose, erect, long, off-white and black hairs intermixed (except mandible with fuscous, moderately long setae); clypeus with only off-white, suberect, moderately short hairs mid-longitudinally; black hairs on frontal and vertexal areas very long; genal area with suberect, short hairs near outer margin of eye. Mesosoma with plumose, erect, very long, off-white and black hairs intermixed (except mesoscutum and pronotal lobe with moderately long hairs); mesepisternum almost entirely covered with black hairs; lateral surface of pro- podeum with very long hairs on upper margin. Legs with pale-yellow hairs (except front trochanter with black, moderately long setae and front femur with black, long, plumose hairs); front and mid coxae with plumose, erect, moderately long, pale-yellow and fuscous hairs intermixed; mid and hind trochanters with plumose, erect, long hairs; femoral and tibial scopae with branched apically only, suberect, very long hairs anteriorly; tibiae with suberect, short setae (except hind tibia with erect, long setae); basitarsi with erect, moderately long setae (except long on posterior margin of mid basitarsus, very long and posterior margin of hind basitarsus). Metasomal terga with off-white hairs (except T5–T6 discs with black, long setae); T1 with plumose, erect, long hairs; T2–T3 discs with minute, suberect setae; T4 disc with moderately short, off-white and black setae intermixed; T1–T5 marginal zones covered with appressed, short, dense hairs. Metasomal sterna with pale-yellow setae (except S1with plumose, long hairs); S2 disc with erect, moderately short setae and branched apically only hairs intermixed; S3–S6 with suberect, short setae (except setae longer towards marginal zones); S2–S5 also with a line of plumose, moderately short hairs near marginal zones (except short on S4–S5).

Surface sculpture: Clypeus longitudinally finely striate below and mid-longitudinally; punctures densest above and towards lateral slopes. Supraclypeal area largely impunctate; integument imbricate. Malar area sparsely and moderately finely punctate on upper 1/3 (interspaces smooth); longitudinally striate on lower 2/3. Paraocular area densely punctate (except sparsely punctate near upper summit of eye); moderately coarsely punctate below, slightly finer above; interspaces imbricate throughout. Frontal area punctures difficult to discern from overall rugose interspaces. Vertexal area densely and moderately finely punctate near lateral ocellus (interspaces rugulose); sparsely and finely punctate towards eye (interspaces smooth). Mesosomal interspaces imbricate (except when stated otherwise). Mesoscutum and metanotum moderately densely and moderately coarsely punctate (except sparsely punctate posteromedially). Scutellum and mesepisternum densely and coarsely punctate (except sparsely punctate on scutellar anterior surface). Metepisternum with oblique carinae mid-anteriorly; moderately densely and moderately finely punctate below; punctures above nearly indistinguishable from imbricate integument. Lateral surface of propodeum sparsely and minutely punctate. Vertical surface of metapostnotum rugose above. Metasoma with imbricate interspaces throughout. Metasomal terga minutely punctate; sparsest on T1, densest on T5. Metasomal sterna finely punctate (except S6 with moderately coarse punctures near posterior margin); S2–S4 and S6 moderately sparsely punctate (except densely punctate near marginal zones); S5 densely punctate.

MALE ( Figs. 10B, 10D, 10F ). As in female, except for usual secondary sexual characteristics and as follows:

Dimensions (mm): Approximate body length 8.9–9.4; head width 3.3–3.5; head length 2.7–2.8; intertegular distance 2.4–2.6; forewing length 7.6–7.9.

Colouration: Dorsal surface of distitarsi pale-brown. T5 with metallic-blue and greenish-blue reflections. Marginal zones of S1–S5 dark-brown.

Structure: Labrum medially convex; convexity not margined laterally by longitudinal ridges. Clypeal mid-longitudinal depression broader (0.8x MOD) above. Malar area ~1.8x as long as basal depth of mandible (35:20). F1 ~1.2x as long as its apical width (34:28). UID:LID (72:67). Hind basitarsus ~3.2x longer than broad (54:17). Outer rami of hind tarsal claws 1.6x as long as inner rami (16:10). S7, S8 and genital capsule as in Figs. 11A, 11B, 11C , respectively.

Pubescence: Mandible with pale-yellow setae. Clypeal lateral slopes, interantennal area, pronotal lobe, mesepisternum, metepisternum, lateral surface of propodeum, legs with only off-white hairs. Genal area near outer margin of eye with erect hairs. Front trochanter with plumose hairs. Legs with off-white hairs; front and mid tibiae with moderately long setae. Disc of T2 with setae and plumose hairs intermixed.

Surface sculpture: Clypeus striate only below; clypeal mid-longitudinal depression densely punctate. Malar area longitudinally striate throughout. Lower paraocular area and scutellum anteriorly with smooth interspaces. Mesepisternum moderately densely and moderately coarsely punctate. T2–T6 finely punctate. S2–S5 densely punctate. S6 finely punctate throughout.

Material studied: BRAZIL — Rio Grande do Sul: 10.5km SW of Pinheiro Machado , (-31.6366, -53.4536), 2/ xi/2012, [Almeida & Aguiar], 1♀, {RPSP}. 12km NNE of Pedras Altas , (-31.6566, -53.5377), 2/xi/2012, [Almeida & Aguiar], 1♀ 5♁♁, { RPSP }; idem, except 5/xi/2012, 1♀ . 39km NE of Bagé , (-30.8708, -53.6163), 1/xi/2012, [Almeida & Aguiar], 1♀, { RPSP }. Caçapava do Sul, Guaritas , 1/x/1992, [C. Schlindwein], 2♀♀, { UFMG }; idem, except 15/x/1992, 1♁; idem, except 11/x/1993, 1♁. Santana do Livramento , (-30.8730, -55.5283), 3/xi/2012, [Al- meida & Aguiar], 2♀♀, { RPSP }.

Range: ARGENTINA (Buenos Aires), BRAZIL (Rio Grande do Sul). See also Fig. 12 .

Biogeographical distribution: Chacoan dominion (Pampean province) at altitudes of 0–500m a.s.l.

DNA barcode: Available. BOLD: ADI1118 (1♀ 1m). Distance from the nearest neighbour ( C. musculus Friese, 1910 ): 3.36–4.55%.

Floral hosts: According to Schlindwein (1995, 1998), C. cyaneus visits the following plant species: Annacar-diaceae— Schinus molle L. Berberidaceae— Berberis laurina Thunb. Lamiaceae— Glechon thymoides Spreng. Le-guminosae— Adesmia riograndensis Miotto. Loasaceae— Blumenbachia insignis Schrad. Polygalaceae— Monnina cuenata A. St. -Hil.

Comments: Uncommon species seemingly endemic to the South American Pampas.

The female syntype of C. cyaneus that was originally deposited at the MACN is lost (A. Roig-Alsina, pers. comm.). Thus, final decision on the species’ identity was made based upon examination of photographs of the female specimen that will be designated as the neotype in a different study (Roig-Alsina et al., in prep.). This specimen, which is currently deposited at the MACN, is labelled as follows: “ Buenos Aires; Hurlingam, INTA; Castelar. 6-XI-2003; Compagnucci Roig Alsina”. “ Colletes cyaneus ♀; Holmberg; NEOTYPUS; Ferrari, Compagnucci; & Roig Alsina”.

Colletes cyaneus was incorrectly placed under synonymy with C. semicyaneus (= Reedapis semicyanea ), a member of Neopasiphaeinae , by Schrottky (1907).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Colletes cyaneus Holmberg, 1903. Female: (A) habitus, lateral view; (C) face, frontal view; (E) habitus, dorsal view. Male: (B) habitus, lateral view; (D) face, frontal view; (F) habitus, dorsal view. Scale bars = 1mm.

FIGURE 11. Dorsal view of the male terminalia of Colletes cyaneus. (A) S7; (B) S8; (C) genital capsule. Scale bars = 1mm.

FIGURE 12. Geographical distribution of Colletes cyaneus (green circles), C. flagellaris n. sp. (red diamond), and C. sertani- cola n. sp. (blue star). Scale bar approximately 250km.