Euglossa (Glossura) natesi, Parra-H, Alejandro, Ospina-Torres, Rodulfo & Ramírez, Santiago, 2006

Parra-H, Alejandro, Ospina-Torres, Rodulfo & Ramírez, Santiago, 2006, Euglossa natesi n. sp., a new species of orchid bee from the Chocó region of Colombia and Ecuador (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Zootaxa 1298, pp. 29-36 : 30-33

Euglossa (Glossura) natesi , n. sp. Parra­H, Ospina­Torres & Ramírez

Syn. Euglossa amoena Dressler, Nomen nudum

Males only, females unknown.

Diagnosis. Separated from other members of the genus by the combination of tongue length (twice body size), sternum 2 with no tufts or depressions, blue­green scutum and bronze metasoma.

Dimensions. Total length 16.88 mm (16.00–18.00); head width 5.95 mm (5.88–6.00); intertegular span 4.18 mm (3.90–4.40); abdominal width 5.40 mm (5.06–5.80); tongue in repose exceeding twice body length.

Head. Mandibles bidentate; labrum longer than wide, with well­defined median keel, two weak lateral keels and two translucent spots; side of clypeus and paraocular area bluegreen; clypeus dark blue­green; lateral margins of clypeus dark maroon, medial ridge black ( Fig. 3 ); clypeus prominent, with pronounced medial keel and two less prominent lateral keels; paraocular markings dirty white, narrow above, broader below ( Figs. 1, 3 ); antennal scape black; upper frons blue. Tongue in repose about twice body length, 28.35 mm (27.75–30.55); clypeus length 1.86 mm (1.58–1.92), clypeus width 2.11 mm (2.00–2.42); clypeocular distance 0.18 mm (0.16–0.21); head length 2.73 mm (2.58–3.00); head width 5.95 mm (5.90–6.00); eye length 3.77 mm (3.63–3.83); lower interocular distance 3.04 mm (2.96–3.08); upper interocular distance 2.36 mm (2.25–2.60); antennocular distance 0.56 mm (0.50–0.58); upper interantennal distance 1.45 mm (1.30–1.58); antennocellar distance 1.23 mm (1.13–1.25); interocellar distance 0.24 mm (0.21–0.29); ocellocular distance 0.71 mm (0.67–0.75).

Mesosoma and metasoma. Mesoscutum and scutellum blue­green; mesepisternum green; abdomen golden bronze ( Fig. 1, 2 ). Scutellum rounded on posterior margin, about half as long as wide, with strong median depression ( Fig. 2 ); sternum 2 without tufts or depressions; total body length 16.88 mm (16.00–18.00); mesoscutum width at anterior end of tegulae 4.10 mm (3.90–4.40); metasoma width 5.40 mm (5.06–5.80). Hind tibia bluegreen. Posterior tuft of midtibia lacking, anterior tuft oblong, shorter than width of velvet area ( Figs. 4, 5 ); velvet area of midtibia wide, tapering below; midtibia with acute apical process ( Fig. 5 ); midtibial spur serrate; hind tibia triangular, narrow, about half as wide as long. Midtibia length 3.31 mm (3.17–3.50); midtibia width 1.34 mm (1.31–1.38); midbasitarsus length 2.93 mm (2.79–3.00); midbasitarsus width 0.84 mm (0.79–0.88); hind tibia length 5.38 mm (5.17–5.58); hind tibia width 2.76 mm (2.67–2.83). Wing venation dark brown; wing membrane light brown. Jugal comb at base of hind wing with 12–14 blades.

Pilosity. Unbranched, black, long (~ 0.5 mm) sparse setae on vertex; branched, yellow, short (~ 0.2 mm) setae mixed with unbranched, black, long (~ 0.4 mm) setae on mesoscutum; unbranched, black, long (~ 0.4 mm) setae on scutellum; dense, branched, yellow, long (~ 0.7 mm) setae on mesepisternum and genal area.

Punctation. Disc of clypeus with coarse, shallow punctation; mesepisternum shallowly punctate, almost mirror­like; mesoscutum with fine, sparse punctation, interspaces about 3 times width of punctures; scutellum covered by shallow, sparse punctation; terga 1–4 with shallow, sparse, irregularly shaped punctures with thin band of fine, dense, symmetrical punctures on posterior margin; terga 5–6 with coarse, shallow punctures; basal end of hind tibia with shallow, irregularly shaped punctures.

Genitalia and hidden metasomal sterna. Line drawings of sterna 7, 8 and the genital capsule are provided in Figures 6–9 . Sternum 7 with small lobes ( Fig. 6 ), with setal patches on each end (not shown in Fig. 6 ); sternum 8 with strongly curved apical process, spiculum pronounced in lateral view ( Fig. 7 ). Gonocoxite lobes of genitalia rounded, notched at base ( Fig. 8 ); penis valve extending slightly beyond gonostylar setae; dorsal bridge of penis valve (dbpv) curved, with pronounced horn­like processes ( Fig. 8 ). Gonostylus with two lobes ( Fig. 9 ): lower lobe long, digitiform, with thick, short, unbranched setae; upper lobe rounded with thick, long, unbranched setae.

Var ia t io n. Based on a sample size of 10 individuals, low variation (<10%) was found in most of the characters examined here, apart from clypeus length (10.54%), interocellar distance (13.79%), malar area (19.86%), and the coloration of the facial markings, which range from ivory white to light brown.

Etymology. The epithet natesi honors professor Guiomar Nates­Parra, from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, who founded the Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Abejas (LABUN) and pioneered research on Colombian bees.

Holotype. COLOMBIA: Nariño, Municipality of Barbacoas, Altaquer, La Tajada. April 7 2005, 960 m, collected by Alejandro Parra­H in trap baited with cineole, male (deposited in LABUN).

Paratypes. COLOMBIA: Antioquia, Urrao, La Clara, 1270 m., 8 Nov. 1982, J. P. Folsom B58C (Dressler coll.), 1 male, (deposited in MCZ). Valle, Rio Anchicayá, 400 m, IX­28­1976, Bell, Breed & Michener, male, (deposited in KU). Nariño, Municipality Barbacoas, Altaquer, La Tajada, 960 m, five males collected in traps baited with Cineole and Eugenol, collected by Victor Solarte, (deposited LABUN). ECUADOR: Esmeraldas, km 17 Lita­Alto Tambo, 730 m 18 Jan. 1990, collected in traps baited with cineole by M. Whitten, 2 males labeled 122 and 123 (deposited in FLAS).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Euglossa natesi n. sp.. Lateral view (1), dorsal view (2) and frontal view (2).

FIGURES 4 – 9. Euglossa natesi n. sp. Middle tibia (4) of male with its corresponding line drawing (5); hidden male sterna 7 (6) and 8 in lateral and ventral views (7) male genitalia capsule (8) (dbpv.: dorsal bridge of penis valve, gc.: gonocoxite, pn.: penis, pnv.: penis valve) and gonostylus (9) in lateral view.