Nogueirapis costaricana Ayala & Engel, 2014

Ayala, Ricardo & Engel, Michael S., 2014, A new stingless bee species of the genus Nogueirapis from Costa Rica (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of Melittology 37, pp. 1-9 : 3-7

Nogueirapis costaricana Ayala & Engel , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:369ED174-7CCE-494E-8A84-9E7729165E2B

( Figs. 1–4 , 8 )

DIAGNOSIS: The new species is similar in appearance to the ferruginous form of N. mirandula but with the dark areas of the face more extensively developed and not completely divided to the median ocellus by a narrow line of yellow integument (cf. Figs. 4, 5 ), and the broad yellow areas of the face bordering the compound eyes which are medially divided by narrow extensions of dark integument that extend nearly to the epistomal sulcus outside the anterior tentorial pit ( Fig. 4 ). In addition the following combination of traits further supports the recognition of this species: clypeus centrally with large dark area, darker area continuing to clypeal margins as lighter brown, apically with short median line of yellow; yellow bordering compound eye terminating slightly before upper tangent of compound eyes ( Figs. 1 , 4 ); scape dark brown with yellow at extreme base and in narrow line on outer ventral surface ( Fig. 4 ); mesepisternum with large dark area on upper half; metatibia, metabasitarsus, and remaining tarsomeres dark brown; metasomal terga yellowish ferruginous narrow transverse bands of brown to light brown. In addition to the pattern of facial maculation (cf. Figs. 4, 6 ), the new species may also readily be distinguished from the ferruginous form of N. mirandula by the latter’s entirely yellow ferruginous mesepisternum, anterior legs largely yellow ferruginous, largely yellow ferruginous metatibia with a patch of dark brown in apical half posteriorly and third to one-fifth anteriorly, and yellowish ferruginous metasomal terga with broad transverse bands of dark brown.

DESCRIPTION: ☿: Total body length 4.70 mm; forewing length 4.52 mm. Integument shiny, faintly and finely imbricate, and micropunctate at setal bases. Head slightly wider than long, width 1.83 mm, length 1.51 mm. Integument largely yellow ferruginous except as noted below. Mandible yellow, with distal margin dark brown, condyles nearly black, lower margin with scattered long, reddish brown setae. Labrum yellow, with black setal insertions prominent, setae as long as or slightly shorter than diameter of scape. Malar area narrow, black. Clypeus apically yellow, centrally with large dark area ( Fig. 4 ), darker area continuing to clypeal margins as lighter brown, apically with short median line of yellow, clypeus bordering epistomal sulcus at bend beyond anterior tentorial pit yellow, clypeus slightly more prominent medially, with scattered short suberect setae, upper margin of clypeus slightly concave ( Fig. 4 ); supraclypeal area slightly elevated, narrowing toward frontal line, largely yellow except brown medially bordering clypeus ( Fig. 4 ) and near antennal toruli, area above supraclypeal area brown. Scape dark brown, except yellow at extreme base and in narrow line on outer ventral surface; pedicel dark brown; flagellomeres dark brown dorsally, lighter ventrally particularly toward apex ( Fig. 4 ). Face above level of antennae, frons, and vertex with large area of dark brown to black integument, dark brown area laterally extends ventrally on face below level of antennae and close to epistomal sulcus and tentorial pit, demarcating a narrow yellow area along border of compound eye ( Fig. 4 ), dark area of upper frons not completely divided medially by narrow strip of yellow integument, only divided in lower portion and well distant from median ocellus ( Fig. 4 ), yellow paraocular border terminating slightly before upper tangent of compound eyes ( Fig. 4 ); face with pale micropubescence, such setae not dense, some longest fuscous setae on supraclypeal area and in upper paraocular area. Ocelli positioned above upper tangent of compound eyes ( Fig. 4 ), distance between median and lateral ocelli slightly shorter than diameter of median ocellus (median ocellar diameter 0.10 mm), posterior interocellar distance 1.5x diameter of lateral ocellus, ocellocular distance 1.3x diameter of median ocellus, posterior interocellar distance 1.4x ocellocular distance. Vertex black, with fuscous setae, such setae as long as or slightly longer than ocellocular distance. Yellow strip along posterior border of compound eye in apical two-thirds, remainder of border on gena dark brown and extending to meet dark brown and black of vertex, remainder of gena ferruginous to yellow ferruginous, with pale micropubescence; postgena yellow.

Pronotum yellow, slightly darker dorsally, pronotal lobe yellow with small dark patches anterior to lobe; mesoscutum black, with lateral borders narrowly yellow, yellow not reaching anterolateral angles ( Fig. 2 ), with pale micropubescence and some longer fuscous setae, particularly on anterolateral angles, laterally, and posteriorly; tegula brown, with some yellow areas and long setae anteriorly; mesoscutellum broadly parabolic, with medial posterior margin slightly truncate ( Fig. 2 ), anterior margin with faint short notch medially, yellowish ferruginous with posterior margin slightly light- er, with pale micropubescence and longer fuscous setae posteriorly; metanotum yellow ferruginous, slightly darker laterally. Mesepisternum largely yellow ferruginous, with dark brown area over much of upper half of surface ( Fig. 1 ); metepisternum yellow ( Fig. 1 ). Wing membranes weakly and lightly infuscate, hyaline, with some faint magenta and green iridescence; veins, including pterostigma, dark brown although Rs+M and weakened veins more faintly pigmented ( Fig. 8 ); venation as typical for genus, similar to that of N. mirandula ( Fig. 7 ). Coxae, trochanters, and femora yellow ferruginous except small dark patch distally on metafemur ( Fig. 1 ); setae of legs largely yellowish to lightly fuscous except apically on femora and on tibiae and tarsi darker; pro- and mesotibia reddish brown, with lighter areas anteriorly; pro- and mesotarsus reddish brown; metatibia outer surface entirely dark brown, lighter so in apical two-thirds posteriorly, apical fifth anteriorly ( Fig. 3 ), inner surface with broad yellow area along posterior margin; metatibia length on posterior margin 1.52 mm, maximum width 0.60 mm; metatibia and metabasitarsus with largely dark fuscous setae, corbicula surface with at least three elongate simple setae, two positioned posteriorly, one posterior of midline ( Fig. 3 ); metabasitarsus and remaining metarsomeres reddish brown as on apical portion of metatibia; metabasitarsus length 0.73 mm, width 0.34 mm. Propodeum smooth and shiny, without pubescence, largely yellow, particularly laterally, upper lateral areas darker, yellow ferruginous to brown ( Figs. 1, 2 ).

Metasomal terga with yellowish brown integument, T1–3 with dark brown subapical bands, T4 with apical margin a little more brown, T5–6 with bands well-defined; T4–6 with dark brown setae; sterna with integument and pubescence yellowish; setal insertions dark.

♀: Unknown.

♂: Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: ☿, Costa Rica, Prov. [Province] Limon, Pococí [canton], R.F. [Reserva Forestal] Cordillera Volcánica Central, Las Minas , 400–500 m, 11–18 Abr [April] 2012, W. Porras, tp. [trap] malaise, L_N_240821_545778 #105501. The holotype will be deposited in the collections of the Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad , Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica, but is temporarily housed in the Division of Entomology , University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Lawrence, Kansas, USA.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet refers to Costa Rica, the country in which the holotype was captured .

COMMENTS: This is a relatively small, slender bee with distinctive patterns of yellow contrasting with the darker areas of the head and mesosoma. These patterns do not appear to be intermediate in form between the two color morphs for N. mirandula and we therefore consider them to be indicative of a separate species, although discovery of nests in the region and perhaps the application of molecular techniques will be necessary to corroborate or refute this hypothesis. The species is superficially similar in appearance to the common Tetragonisca angustula (Latreille) or some Plebeia , such as Plebeia pulchra Ayala.

Figures

Figures 1–3. Holotype worker of Nogueirapis costaricana, new species. 1. Lateral habitus. 2. Dorsal habitus. 3. Detail of metatibia.

Figures 4–6. Facial aspects of workers of Nogueirapis costaricana, new species, and the melanic and ferruginous forms of N. mirandula (Cockerell). 4. N. costaricana, holotype. 5. N. mirandula, melanic form. 6. N. mirandula, ferruginous form.

Figures 7–8. Forewings of workers of Nogueirapis Moure from Costa Rica. 7. Nogueirapis mirandula (Cockerell), melanic form. 8. N. costaricana, new species.