Chlerogella materdonnae Engel, 2010

Engel, Michael, 2010, Revision of the Bee Genus Chlerogella (Hymenoptera, Halictidae), Part II: South American Species and Generic Diagnosis, ZooKeys 47 (47), pp. 1-100 : 39-43

Chlerogella materdonnae Engel , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:90CDFBB8-88FF-491B-B315-46A782333BBD

Figs 55–61, 70–71, Map 3

Holotype. ♁, ECUADOR: Tungurahua, Rio Pastaza, Pailon del Diablo , 5 km SE, II-18- 1996, J.S. Ascher, flying along forest trail ( SEMC).

Paratypes. ECUADOR: 1♁, Tungurahua, Pastaza Valley, Rio Topo , 1100 m, 29.i.1986 [29 January 1986], M. Cooper ( COOP) ; 1♀, Tungurahua, Pastaza Valley, Rio Topo , 1100 m, 20.xii.1982 [20 December 1982], M. Cooper ( COOP) ; 1♁, Napo, 5 km NE El Chaco , 11.ii.1983 [11 February 1983], L. Huggert ( SEMC) .

Figures 55–57. Female of Chlerogella materdonnae sp. n. 55 Lateral habitus 56 Facial aspect 57 Lateral aspect of head.

Diagnosis. Chlerogella materdonnae belongs to a complex of very similar metallic blue species with elongate malar spaces. The female is most similar to C. rostrata but differs by the brilliant and shiny caerulean blue color of the integument (Figs 55–56; cf. Figs 30–31) and the uniformly punctured mesepisternum (not more densely spaced ventrally as in C. rostrata , vide supra). The male can be distinguished from that of C. agalyei by the caerulean coloration and the structure of SIV (Fig. 61) and the terminalia (Figs 70–71).

Figures 58–6Ι. Male of Chlerogella materdonnae sp. n. 58 Lateral habitus 59 Facial aspect 60 Lateral aspect of head 6Ι Apical metasomal sterna.

Description. Female: Total body length 9.11 mm; forewing length 6.20 mm. Head length 2.71 mm, width 1.74 mm. Clypeus beginning at lower tangent of compound eyes. Malar space 43.9% compound eye length (malar length 0.65 mm; compound eye length 1.48 mm) (Figs 56–57). Upper interorbital distance 0.83 mm; lower interorbital distance 0.63 mm. Upper portion of pronotum medially depressed, not elongate, medially less than 0.25 times ocellar diameter in length; ventral portion of preëpisternal sulcus not broad, similar to scrobal sulcus and upper portion of preëpisternal sulcus; intertegular distance 1.43 mm; mesoscutellum weakly convex, not bigibbous. Basal vein distad cu-a by three times vein width; 1rs-m distad 1m-cu by two times vein width; 2rsm distad 2m-cu by nine times vein width, 2rs-m weakly arched; first submarginal cell longer than combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells; second submarginal cell slightly narrowed anteriorly, anterior border of second submarginal cell along Rs slightly longer than that of third submarginal cell; posterior border of third submarginal cell slightly more than two times longer than anterior border. Distal hamuli arranged 2-1-2. Inner metatibial spur with six branches (not including apical portion of rachis).

Clypeus and supraclypeal area imbricate with weak punctures separated by 0.5–1.5 times a puncture width; face with small, contiguous punctures, more widely spaced in malar space; punctures of face blending to imbricate integument in ocellocular area and vertex, with punctures separated by 1–2 times a puncture width; gena finely imbricate with small punctures separated by 0.5–2 times a puncture width; postgena imbricate and impunctate. Pronotum imbricate with minute punctures separated by 1–3 times a puncture width; mesoscutum imbricate with punctures separated by a puncture width or less on lateral thirds and posteriorly, anteromedially punctures becoming exceedingly faint to absent; mesoscutellum finely imbricate with small punctures separated by a puncture width or less; metanotum imbricate with minute punctures separated by a puncture width or less. Preëpisternum finely imbricate with small punctures separated by 1–3 times a puncture width; mesepisternum imbricate with punctures separated by 2–4 times a puncture width; metepisternum faintly imbricate. Propodeum strongly imbricate. Metasoma finely imbricate.

Mandible dark brown except reddish at apex; labrum dark brown; clypeal apex dark brown, remainder of clypeus and head light metallic caerulean blue. Antenna dark brown. Mesosoma light metallic caerulean blue (Fig. 55); tegula dark brown. Wing membranes lightly infumate; veins dark brown. Legs dark brown. Metasoma dark brown.

Pubescence white except intermingled with dark fuscous setae on metatibia and with dark fuscous setae predominant on tarsi, apicalmost metasomal segments, and pro- and mesotibiae.

Male: As described for the female except as follows: Total body length 9.0– 9.18 mm; forewing length 6.13–6.15 mm. Head length 2.58–2.60 mm, width 1.59–1.60 mm. Clypeus beginning below lower tangent of compound eyes. Malar space 50.7– 51% compound eye length (malar length 0.73 mm; compound eye length 1.43–1.44 mm) (Figs 59–60). Upper interorbital distance 0.76–0.78 mm; lower interorbital distance 0.42–0.43 mm. First flagellomere about as long as pedicel, about as long as wide; second flagellomere 2.4 times length of first flagellomere; ventral surfaces of second through eleventh flagellomeres densely covered in placoid sensilla, placoid fields not disrupted. Intertegular distance 1.20–1.22 mm; mesoscutellum weakly bigibbous. Inner metatibial spur serrate. Apical margin of SIII entire; apical margin of SIV broadly concave medially and produced into short broad lobes lateral to concavity, without furrow in apical half of disc (Fig. 61); apical margin of SV entire; apical margin of SVI emarginate; terminalia as depicted in figures 70 and 71.

Mandible, labrum, and clypeal apex brown. Head and mesosoma light metallic caerulean blue except more deeply azurite colored on face and mesoscutum.

Typical gender pilosity except postgena with numerous elongate, sinuate setae, such setae with short apical branches; inner surfaces of trochanters, mesofemur, and metacoxa with elongate, apically-plumose setae, similar setae on inner surfaces of me- tatrochanter, metafemur, and metatibia except largely simple and somewhat sinuate, those of metatibia not particularly elongate, length of such setae not or scarcely longer than metatibial width. Apical margin of SIII with diffuse fringe of moderate-length white setae; SIV with small medioapical pads of short fuscous setae bordering medial emargination; SV with diffuse areas of moderate-length to long white setae.

Etymology. The specific epithet is a matronym combining the Latin term mater, meaning “mother”, and Donna, in loving honor of my mother, Mrs. Donna G. Engel.