Scaptotrigona faviziae Engel, 2022

Engel, Michael S., 2022, Notes on South American stingless bees of the genus Scaptotrigona (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Part II: Subgroup A of the postica species group, Journal of Melittology 2022 (110), pp. 1-51 : 45-46

Scaptotrigona faviziae Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F8A5DB93-F70B-41FD-95FF-0075A8A3F05F

( Figs. 62–63 )

DIAGNOSIS: This species is noteworthy for the weaker development and coverage of the yellow tomentum on metasomal terga III – V, with the tomentum widely interrupted medially and weaker laterally. In addition, the size of the concavity interrupting the preoccipital carina laterally is exceptional in this species. Usually, the length of the concavity is about 4× its depth or a bit less, but in S. faviziae , the concavity’s length is 5× its depth.

DESCRIPTION: As described for S. ederi (vide supra), with the following modifications: ⚲: Total body length approximately 6.5 mm, forewing length (to base of humeral sclerite) 6.0 mm. Head wider than long, width 2.42 mm, length 2.03 mm; compound eye length 1.42 mm; upper interorbital distance 1.55 mm, lower interorbital distance 1.45 mm. Scape length 0.91 mm, about as long as torulocellar distance, torulocellar distance 0.88 mm. Clypeus approximately 1.7× as wide as long, length 0.64 mm, width 1.06 mm. Malar area approximately 1.8× flagellar diameter or 0.80× basal mandibular width. Preoccipital ridge carinate, lamellate dorsally, with bordering medial and lateral indentations deep, carina interrupted laterally by deep and unusually long concavity, lower margin of concavity with carina forming sharply acute angle, angle projecting upward as a large lamellate tooth.

Integument of labiomaxillary complex orange; labrum orange; mandible yellow orange basally, blending to reddish orange apically; clypeus yellow orange, epistomal sulcus delineated by orange; supraclypeal area yellow orange; malar space yellow orange; face below tangent of antennal toruli yellow orange; scape dark brown except yellow orange ventrally; pedicel and flagellum dark brown; face above tangent of antennal toruli reddish brown; vertex and posterior of head reddish brown; gena largely reddish brown except bordering malar space yellow to yellow orange; postgena yellow. Mesosoma largely orange to reddish orange except mesoscutum black, mesepisternum anteriorly and propodeum reddish orange; tegula yellow orange and semi-translucent except brown on posterior quarter; legs largely reddish orange to brown except coxae, trochanters, underside of metafemur, and apicalmost tarsomeres lighter, yellow orange to yellow. Wing membranes clear to lightly parchment colored; veins orange. Metasoma generally reddish brown to dark brown except anterior-facing surface of tergum I orange, and terga I– V apically yellow orange to yellow; sterna brown.

Areas of short, white, plumose setae in S. ederi instead white to pale yellow or golden; metasomal terga II– V with apical fimbriae of minute, fine, simple, golden setae; terga III – V with dense, plumose, appressed, yellow tomentum absent mediolongitudinally. Vertex with numerous erect, simple, black bristles; pronotal dorsolateral margin near and anterior to pronotal lobe with fulvous to black bristles; mesoscutum anterior and lateral borders with black bristles, disc with sparsely scatered, minute, erect, fulvous bristles; tegula with suberect fulvous to black bristles anteriorly; mesoscutellum with abundant, elongate, erect yellow to fulvous bristles, except a few black bristles basolaterally; mesepisternum with scatered, erect to subdecumbent yellow to fulvous bristles, longer ventrally, along rounded anterior border with preëpisternum a line of abundant, suberect fulvous bristles extending ventrally from pronotal lobe, a few dorsally near lobe black; lateral surface of propodeum with scatered, long, erect, yellow fulvous bristles. Legs with abundant fulvous bristles except intermixed with black bristles on protibia apically, prolateral surface of mesotibia, pro- and mesobasitarsi, and metafemur apically; metatibia and metabasitarsus with almost entirely black bristles, some with fulvous apices. Metasoma with numerous, prominent, suberect to subdecumbent, dark fulvous to yellow bristles on terga III – V.

♀: Latet.

♂: Latet.

HOLOTYPE: ⚲, Brazil: Amazonas , Manaus, INPA, 15 Aug 76, D. Roubik ( SEMC).

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet honors Favízia Freitas de Oliveira, dear friend and renowned specialist of Meliponini. The name combines her forename and the Latin suffix – us (– ae, feminine genitive singular; – i, masculine and neuter genitive singular), which forms adjectives from nouns and is used for commemoration and dedication.

Figures

Figures 62–63. Worker of Scaptotrigona faviziae, new species. 62. Lateral view of head, arrow indicating genal tooth. 63. Lateral habitus.