Xenochlora nigrofemorata ( Smith, 1879 )

Santos, Leandro M. & Melo, Gabriel A. R., 2013, Taxonomic notes and description of the male of Xenochlora nigrofemorata (Smith, 1879) (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Halictinae), Zootaxa 3670 (3), pp. 371-377 : 372-377

Xenochlora nigrofemorata ( Smith, 1879)

( Figs. 1–19 )

Megalopta nigro-femorata Smith, 1879: 48. Holotype female, Brazil: Amazonas, Tefé (‘Ega’) (BMNH, not examined). Megalopta opacicollis Friese, 1926: 121 , 131. Holotype female, Brazil: Amazonas, Santo Antonio do Içá (ZMB, examined). New synonymy.

Comments. The male specimen described here is partly damaged, missing F2-F 11 in right antenna and F3-F 11 in left antenna, left foreleg apical to coxa, and apical tarsomeres in most legs ( Figs. 7–8 ). The new synonymy established here, placing M. opacicollis under X. nigrofemorata , was based on the species concepts presented by Engel et al. (1997). It should be considered tentative, especially because the study of Engel et al. relied mainly on differences of color pattern between the different forms they recognized as species.

Description of male. Head. Mostly metallic greenish bronze, except for pale yellow mandible, labrum and apex of clypeus. Labrum with low, weakly-bilobed basal elevation. Disc of clypeus with its central portion protuberant subapically, punctation sparse and mostly coarse, pilosity composed of long, simple setae and a few shorter finely plumose hairs laterally. Epistomal sulcus acutely angled laterally, forming a short paraocular lobe into clypeus. Basal one-third of supraclypeal area with dense punctation and plumose pilosity, apical two-thirds mostly smooth, with only a few punctures. Parocular area and frons with dense decumbent pilosity, punctures on lower parocular area mostly fine, on upper parocular area and frons coarse and mostly contiguous. Scape reddish brown, gradually widening apically, F1 about two-thirds as long as F2. Vertex with punctation similar to that of frons ( Fig. 9 ). Gena with coarser and denser punctation on upper portion, punctation becoming sparser and finer laterally; lower portion mostly glabrous, longest setae on lower gena about as long as those on clypeus. Eyes not greatly enlarged, maximum eye width (in frontal view) about 0.5x upper interorbital distance, furrow surrounding ocelli present, ocellocular distance a little more than one ocellar diameter. Mesosoma. Mostly metallic greenish bronze, except for reddish brown to brown tegula and wing veins, coxae, trochanters, mid and hindtibiae brown, femora and foretibiae mostly reddish brown with some brown areas, tarsi mostly pale reddish brown. Pronotum with lateral angle upturned dorsally, forming an almost right angle, lateral carina present, relatively low. Anterior one-fifth and lateral portions of mesoscutum, adjacent to parapsidial line, with coarse and mostly contiguous punctation, puncture diameter similar to those on vertex ( Fig. 10 ); punctation becoming gradually sparser toward central and posterior portions of disc; dense short plumose pilosity, with sparser intermingled long setae, covering most of mesoscutum, except for its central portion ( Fig. 10 ). Scutelum and metanotum with relatively fine and sparse punctation; pilosity similar in size and shape to that of scutellum ( Fig. 11 ). Basal area of metapostnotum about 0.8x as long as metanotum; longitudinal rugulosities present along its entire extension; surface between rugulosities smooth ( Fig. 11 ). Lateral and posterior surfaces of propodeum with dense punctation (about 1 pd). Lateral portion of mesepisternum and metepisternum with punctation and pilosity similar to that of scutellum; subalar area and most of ventral portion with sparser punctation; metepisternal process absent. Hind wing with ten irregularly spaced hamulli. Metasoma. T1 mostly brown with conspicuous purple tints, central portion of dorsal surface and ventro-lateral areas reddish brown. Disc of T2 mostly reddish brown, except for sublateral portion brown with purple tints, lateral and ventro-lateral areas light reddish brown. Disc of T3 and entire T4-T7 brown with purple tints, ventro-lateral areas of T3 light reddish brown. T1-T3 with coarse, relatively dense punctation, punctures smaller on marginal zone of T3; pilosity simple, mostly short and dense ( Fig. 12 ). T4-T7 with much sparser and shallower punctation, except for marginal zone of T4; lateral areas of T4-T6 and entire T7 with conspicuously long simple setae with curved apex; setae on T7 about as long as length of sclerite. Sterna mostly reddish brown. S1 and S2 with sparse punctation, the surface between punctures finely and weakly microreticulated. S3 with a shallow longitudinal sulcus along its midline, apical lobes long and digitiform, covered with stiff and short setae ( Fig. 13 ). S4 with a basal protruding process; longitudinal sulcus and lateral process present; patch of stiff setae restricted to apical margin ( Fig.14 ). S5, S6, and genitalia as in Figs. 15–18 .

Measurements (in mm). Approximated body length: 8.0; maximum head width: 2.9; intertegular distance: 3.1; forewing length, including tegula: 7.4.

Type material examined. The type material of Megalopta opacicollis was found filed in the ZMB card catalog under the manuscript name “ Megalopta opaciceps”, since the specimen has been labelled as such by Friese ( Fig. 6 ). However, judging from the data of the collecting label ( Fig. 6 ) and the close agreement with the original description, there is no doubt that this specimen is the true holotype and that the name was changed to M. opacicollis in Friese’s (1926) revision. The specimen is partly broken, with the head, right forewing and one antenna glued to a paper triangle ( Figs. 1–2 ). Also, it lacks the right hindwing and one antenna. While Friese (1926) did not explicitly indicate that he had only a single specimen available when describing this species, the extreme rarity of Xenochlora specimens and the fact that Friese did not indicate, on the other hand, that he had multiple specimens, suggest this is a holotype rather than a syntype. The specimen has now been labeled as the holotype of M. opacicollis .

Additional examined material. Brazil. Acre: 13 ( DZUP), “Faz. Catuaba – UFAC \ armadilha luminosa\ capoeira” “2859” “08248” [ Brazil, Acre, Rio Branco, 67º37'W, 10º04'S]. Amazonas: 1Ƥ ( INPA), “ BRA, AM, Manaus\ PDBFF – Colosso\ 02° 23’ 58”S – 59°52’30”W ”\ 18–20.v.2010 \ D. Storck-Tonon Leg.”. Maranhão: 1Ƥ ( DZUP), “Buritucupu-MA\ Brasil 27/VII/96 \ Pereira & Pinto\ 2145” “Horário: 7–8\ Nº PL: 35 *” “46” “ Xenochlora \ nigrofemorata \ det. GAR Melo 2004”. Rondônia: 1Ƥ ( DZUP), “ Brasil, RO, Porto Velho\ Rio Madeira, Área Mutum\ - 9.59 S - 65.05 W \ 17-30.VI.2011 \ N.V.Sydney & L. Cezar”; 1Ƥ ( DZUP), same data, except “Área Caiçara\ - 9.42 S - 64.82 W ”.

Distribution. Brazil (Acre, Amazonas, Maranhão, Rondônia); Guyana (Georgetown); Peru (Madre de Díos) ( Fig. 19 ).

Figures

FIGURE 19. Distribution records for Xenochlora nigrofemorata. Squares: literature records; circles: new distribution records.

FIGURES 1 – 6. Xenochlora nigrofemorata, female holotype of Megalopta opacicollis Friese, 1926. 1. Head, frontal view. 2. Mesosoma, dorsal view. 3. Mid and hind legs, in lateral view. 4. Mesosoma, posterodorsal view. 5. Metasoma, dorsal view. 6. Specimen labels.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Xenochlora nigrofemorata, male from Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil. 7. Habitus, dorsal view. 8. Habitus, lateral view. 9. Head, dorsal view. 10. Mesoscutum, dorsal view. 11. Detail of mesosoma, posterodorsal view. 12. Detail of terga 1 and 2, dorsal view.

FIGURES 13 – 18. Xenochlora nigrofemorata, male from Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil. 13. Sternum 3, ventral view. 14. Sternum 4, ventral view. 15. Sternum 5, ventral view. 16. Sternum 6, ventral view. 17. Genitalia, ventral view. 18. Genitalia, dorsal view.