Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) nelumbonis ( Robertson 1890 )

Gibbs, Jason, Packer, Laurence, Dumesh, Sheila & Danforth, Bryan N., 2013, Revision and reclassification of <i> Lasioglossum </ i> (<i> Evylaeus </ i>), <i> L. </ i> (<i> Hemihalictus </ i>) and <i> L. </ i> (<i> Sphecodogastra </ i>) in eastern North America (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae), Zootaxa 3672 (1), pp. 1-116 : 39-43

Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) nelumbonis ( Robertson 1890)

( Figs. 4G , 5G , 6G , 7G , 8G , 27 , 28 , 75A )

Halictus nelumbonis Robertson 1890, p. 316 ♂

Lectotype. ♀ USA, Illinois, Macoupin Co., Carlinville (C. Robertson) [ ANSP: 4258]. Designated by Cresson (1928). Examined by JG 2012.

( Label reads “ Robertson S. Illinois / Lectotype 4258 [numbers handwritten]/ Halictus nelumbonis Rob. [handwritten]”) .

Evylaeus nelumbonis (in Mitchell 1960: redescription, key ♂; Hurd 1979: catalogue; Moure & Hurd 1987: catalogue) Halictus (Evylaeus) nelumbonis (in Viereck 1916: catalogue)

Lasioglossum (Evylaeus) nelumbonis (in Michener 1951: catalogue)

Diagnosis. Both sexes of L. nelumbonis can be recognised by mesoscutum rugose anterolaterally and propodeum vertical surfaces covered with appressed plumose hairs ( Fig. 75A ). The metapostnotum is bare and contrasts sharply with the propodeum ( Fig. 75A ). The mesoscutal and propodeal characters above are both unique among the species treated herein. Lasioglossum nelumbonis is unlikely to be mistaken for any other species but is perhaps most similar to L. pectorale . Both L. nelumbonis and L. pectorale have coarsely rugose mesepisterna ( Fig. 27 , as in Fig 76C ).

Redescription. FEMALE. Length 5.7–8.1 mm. Head length 1.80–2.00 mm. Head width 2.02–2.18 mm. Wing length 4.9–5.3 mm. (n=5)

Colour. Head and mesosoma black. Antenna black-brown. Tegula dark reddish brown. Legs dark brown, except medio- and distitarsi reddish brown. Wing membrane hyaline, faintly dusky. Pterostigma reddish brown. Metasomal terga black-brown, apical margins pale brown.

Structure. Head round (L/W ratio = 0.89–0.93). Clypeus 2/3 below suborbital line. Eyes convergent below (UOD:LOD = 1.21–1.26). Gena narrower than eye. Ocelli normal. Pronotum smoothly rounded. Protibial spur with serrations as long as width of malus. Inner metatibial spur pectinate, teeth 4–5, basal teeth longer than width of rachis. Propodeal lateral carina reaching dorsolateral slope, oblique carina obscure.

Surface sculpture. Supraclypeal area imbricate, punctures dense (i<d). Gena and postgena lineolate. Mesoscutum reticulate-rugose laterally, polished posteromedially; punctures distinctly separated posteromedially (i≤d). Mesepisternum coarsely rugose. Metapostnotum carinate-rugose, distinctly delimited from dorsolateral slope. Propodeum rugose. Metasomal terga polished, punctures dense throughout.

Pubescence. Head and mesosoma with sparse plumose hairs. Metafemoral scopa with dense plumose hairs. Propodeum covered in dense tomentum. Metasomal terga with apical fimbriae sparse. T1 with dense fan of appressed hairs. T2–T4 with basolateral tomentum. Metasomal sterna with plumose scopa.

MALE. Length 5.9–6.6 mm. Head length 1.52–1.73 mm. Head width 1.65–1.85 mm. Wing length 3.9–4.8 mm. (n=5)

Colour. Head and mesosoma black. Antenna black, except ventral surface of flagellum reddish brown. Legs dark brown, except medio- and distitarsi reddish brown. Tegula reddish brown. Wing membrane hyaline, faintly dusky. Pterostigma dark brown. Metasomal terga dark brown.

Structure. Head round (L/W ratio = 0.92–0.93). Clypeus ½ below suborbital line. Mandible short, reaching opposing clypeal angle. Flagellomeres short, F2 subequal to F1, much shorter than scape. Eyes strongly convergent below (UOD/LOD = 1.32–1.42). Gena narrower than eye. Pronotum smoothly rounded. Propodeal lateral carina not reaching dorsolateral slope.

Surface sculpture. Supraclypeal area weakly reticulate-rugulose. Gena and postgena lineolate. Mesoscutum reticulate-rugose, polished posteromedially; punctures distinctly separated posteromedially (i≤d). Mesepisternum coarsely rugose. Metapostnotum carinate-rugose, apical margin carinate. Propodeum rugose. Metasomal terga polished, punctures distinct throughout.

Pubescence. Head and mesosoma with sparse plumose hairs. Lower paraocular area with sparse tomentum. Propodeum covered with sparse tomentum. Metasomal terga nearly bare, apical fimbriae extremely sparse. T2–T4 with very sparse basolateral tomentum. Metasomal sterna with moderately dense, subappressed plumose hairs (1– 1.5 OD).

Terminalia . As shown in Figs. 7G , 8G . Gonostylus small, with short setae. Retrorse lobe long, broad, attenuated apically.

Taxonomic notes. Lasioglossum nelumbonis has commonly been placed in the subgenus L. ( Evylaeus ) ( Michener 1951; Mitchell 1960; Hurd 1979; Moure & Hurd 1987). It seems to have more affinities with other species of coarsely rugose L. ( Hemihalictus ), such as L. pectorale below. Lasioglossum nelumbonis belongs to the robertsoni species-group, which often have appressed hairs on the propodeum.

Biology. Lasioglossum nelumbonis is believed to be a specialist on Nymphaeaceae ( Moure & Hurd 1987; Lippok et al. 2000) but has also been recorded visiting flowers in other plant families ( Moure & Hurd 1987), presumably for nectar. There are no published records of its nesting biology or social level, but it is believed to be a solitary ground-nester, based on its phylogenetic relationship and floral host restrictions.

DNA barcodes. Six specimens were sequenced (maximum intraspecific p-distance: 0.3%). The minimum pdistance between L. nelumbonis and the most similar species herein is 4.2%. Three fixed nucleotides distinguish L. nelumbonis from other species included herein: 201(G), 277(C), 279(T) (see Table 2).

Range. Fig. 29 .

Material examined. 190 (133 females, 57 males). Deposited in ABS, AMNH, ANSP, CAS, CNC, CTMI, CUIC, IRCW, LACM, MCPM, MCZ, MSUC, PCYU , and UCFC.

CANADA. ONTARIO: Hastings Co.: Marmora; Lambton Co.: Pinery P.P.; Leeds and Grenville United Cos.: St. Lawrence Is. N.P.

USA. FLORIDA: Alachua Co. ; Desoto Co.: Arcadia; Franklin Co.: Carrabelle; Glades Co.: Palmdale; Miami- Dade Co.: S. Miami; Highlands Co.: Archbold Biol. Sta.; Jackson Co.: Sheads; Orange Co.: Orlando; Polk Co.; Sarasota Co. : Myakka River S.P.; Wakulla Co. : Ochlockonee R. S.P.; GEORGIA: Colquitt Co.: Reed Bingham S.P.; Decatur Co.: Spring Creek; Fulton Co.: Atlanta; Macon Co.: Oglethorpe; ILLINOIS: Macoupin Co.: Carlinville; LOUISIANA: St. Tammany Co.: Fontainebleau S.P.; MARYLAND: Anne Arundel Co.; Montgomery Co.: Great Falls; Prince George’s Co.; MASSACHUSETTS: Barnstable Co.: Dennis; Norfolk Co.: Wellesley; MICHIGAN: Barry Co.: Yankee Springs Game Area; Dickinson Co.; Ionia Co. ; Jackson Co.: MacCready Res; Kalamazoo Co.: Gull Lake Biol. Sta.; Midland Co.; NEW JERSEY; Atlantic Co.: Weymouth; Gloucester Co.: Pitman; NEW YORK: Cayuga Co. : Fair Haven Beach S.P.; Orange Co.: Cornwall, Black Rock For.; Oswego Co.: Selkirk Shores S.P.; St. Mary’s Pond, Pucker Rd., 0.3 mi NNW jct. Churchill Rd.; Putnam Co.: Brewster; NORTH CAROLINA: Duplin Co.: Coastal Plains Veg. Res. Sta., Faison; Moore Co.: Southern Pines; TEXAS: Bastrop Co.: Sayers; Lee Co.: Fedor; WISCONSIN: Jackson Co.; Juneau Co.; Monroe Co.; Pierce Co.: Maiden Rock; Walworth Co.: Army Lake, nr. East Troy; Wood Co.

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Figures

FIGURE 4. Faces of female Lasioglossum subgenus Hemihalictus in frontal view. (A) L. birkmanni. (B) L. fedorense. (C) L. foxii. (D) L. inconditum. (E) L. lustrans. (F) L. macoupinense. (G) L. nelumbonis. (H) L. pectinatum. (I) L. pectorale. (J) L. sopinci. (K) L. swenki. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Drawings of inner metatibial spurs of female Lasioglossum subgenera Hemihalictus (A-K), Evylaeus (L), and Sphecodogastra (M-Q). (A) L. birkmanni. (B) L. fedorense. (C) L. foxii. (D) L. inconditum. (E) L. lustrans. (F) L. macoupinense. (G) L. nelumbonis. (H) L. pectinatum. (I) L. pectorale. (J) L. sopinci. (K) L. swenki. (L) L. cinctipes. (M) L. boreale. (N) L. comagenense. (O) L. quebecense. (P) L. seillean. (Q) L. truncatum. See McGinley (2003) figures 61, 62, and 65 for images of inner metatibial spurs of L. lusorium, L. oenotherae, and L. texanum.

FIGURE 6. Faces of male Lasioglossum subgenus Hemihalictus in frontal view. (A) L. birkmanni. (B) L. fedorense. (C) L. foxii. (D) L. inconditum. (E) L. lustrans. (F) L. macoupinense. (G) L. nelumbonis. (H) L. pectinatum. (I) L. pectorale. (J) L. sopinci. (K) L. swenki. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 7. Genital capsule of male Lasioglossum subgenus Hemihalictus in dorsal view. (A) L. birkmanni. (B) L. fedorense. (C) L. foxii. (D) L. inconditum. (E) L. lustrans. (F) L. macoupinense. (G) L. nelumbonis. (H) L. pectinatum. (I) L. pectorale. (J) L. sopinci. (K) L. swenki. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 8. Genital capsule of male Lasioglossum subgenus Hemihalictus in ventral view. (A) L. birkmanni. (B) L. fedorense. (C) L. foxii. (D) L. inconditum. (E) L. lustrans. (F) L. macoupinense. (G) L. nelumbonis. (H) L. pectinatum. (I) L. pectorale. (J) L. sopinci. (K) L. swenki. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 27. Lateral habitus of female Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) nelumbonis (Robertson). Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 28. Lateral habitus of male Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) nelumbonis (Robertson). Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 29. Distribution map of Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) nelumbonis (Robertson). Heat map indicates predicted suitable range based on maximum entropy niche-modelling. Black circles indicate actual geo-referenced specimen records.

FIGURE 75. Propodeum and metapostnotum of female Lasioglossum. (A) L. nelumbonis showing appressed hairs. (B) L. quebecense showing strong propodeal carinae. (C) L. foxii showing weak-absent propodeal carinae.

FIGURE 76. Mesepisternum of female Lasioglossum. (A) L. inconditum showing weak, rugulose sculpture. (B) L. pectinatum showing punctation. (C) L. pectorale showing coarse, rugose sculpture throughout. (D) L. comagenense showing weak, rugulose sculpture. (E) L. lusorium showing appressed pubescense. (F) L. truncatum showing rugose sculpture becoming rugulose anterior to mesocoxa.