Augochlora (Augochlora) laevicarinata, Lepeco & Gonçalves, 2020

Lepeco, Anderson & Gonçalves, Rodrigo Barbosa, 2020, A revision of the bee genus Augochlora Smith (Hymenoptera; Apoidea) in Southern South America, Zootaxa 4897 (1), pp. 1-97 : 55-59

Augochlora (Augochlora) laevicarinata sp. nov.

( Figure 28 A–D; 29A–D; 51I)

Diagnosis. Augochlora laevicarinata sp. nov. has an inflexed T1 apex and a spiniform projection on S1 of females. The females can be separated from similar species by the labrum basal elevation not well defined and the metapostnotum without strong carinae. Males are diagnosed by the clypeus wider than long and the F1 with the same color of F2. Both sexes are remarkable in lacking golden reflections on the body, and the antennae and legs dark brown to black.

Description. ♀. Measurements. Maximum interocular distance: 1.46–2.42 (x‾ = 1.81, n = 10); head length: 1.84–2.80 (x‾ = 2.28, n = 10); clypeus width: 0.54–0.90 (x‾ = 0.70, n = 10); clypeus length: 0.46–0.68 (x‾ = 0.54, n = 10); clypeoantennal distance: 0.30–0.50 (x‾ = 0.39, n = 10); clypeus ocellar distance: 1.10–1.60 (x‾ = 1.30, n = 10); intertegular distance: 1.10–1.60 (x‾ = 1.30, n = 10); T1 width: 1.21–1.86 (x‾ = 1.48, n = 10); T2 width: 1.68- 3.04 (x‾ = 2.29, n = 10); body length: 7.00–10.00 (x‾ = 8.40, n = 10).

Head. Labrum basal surface black; basal elevation not well defined laterally. Mandible mostly black, subapical region brown and with basal green spot; medial portion strongly constricted, with about half basal width; preapical tooth large and sharp, produced near mandible apex; distal part of adductor ridge weakly swollen. Clypeus mostly green with blue iridescence, apical black band <OD; punctate, punctures large and weak, smooth in between; apex not prolonged over apical border. Epistomal angle acute, strongly protruding over clypeus. Supraclypeal area green with blue iridescence; densely punctate, smooth in between. Lower paraocular area with blue iridescence; contiguously punctate; long setae (1–2 OD) intermixed with tiny setae. Antennae: mostly black, flagellum ventrally light brown. Frons with green and blue iridescences intermixed; contiguously punctate; not protuberant above antennal sockets. Preoccipital area strongly lamellate, lamella expanded near post gena. Gena blue. Post gena darkened near hypostoma; microreticulate, some scattered weak punctures; setae length <3 OD. Hypostomal carina not projected anteriorly.

Mesosoma. Pronotum dorsolateral angle orthogonal. Fore leg: coxa ventrally blue; trochanter black; femur black with weak blue iridescence; ventral surface slightly rounded; long plumose setae (<4 OD); tibia and tarsus dark brown; white to yellowish setae on both. Mesoscutum green with blue iridescence; densely punctate on disc, I <PD, mostly smooth in between, contiguously punctate on lateral surfaces, anterior border punctate, microreticulate in between; setae length = OD. Scutellum medial furrow inconspicuous; green with blue iridescence; densely punctate, I <PD; with dense tiny setae intermixed with longer white setae (4 OD). Mesepisternum green with blue iridescence; preepisternum contiguously punctate near pronotal lobe; hypoepimeral area densely punctate, I <0.5 PD, imbricate in between; below scrobe densely punctate, I <0.5 PD, imbricate in between, ventrally crowded punctate; with long setae (3 OD). Mid leg: coxa black; trochanter black; ventral margin swollen near base; femur dark brown, flattened, mesofemoral brush yellowish; tibia and tarsus dark brown; white to yellowish setae on both. Tegula dark brown with anterior green spot. Metanotum with dense tiny setae intermixed with longer white setae (= 3 OD). Metepisternum blue; contiguously punctate, becoming crowded punctate to rugose above superior metapleural pit. Hind leg: coxa black with weak blue iridescence, anterior and posterior surfaces ventrally separated by a smoothly curved area; trochanter black; setae length = 3 OD; femur black; tibia and tarsus dark brown; outer surfaces without dark setae. Metapostnotum green with blue iridescence; shorter than scutellum; basal and lateral areas with radiating carinae, posteriorly rugulose. Propodeum green with blue iridescence; with tiny and long (3 OD) setae intermixed; posterior surface punctate, smooth in between; lateral carinae ending below propodeum half; lateral surfaces imbricate among punctures.

Metasoma. T1 anterior surface sparsely punctate, smooth in between; mostly blue, base darkened; only with long setae, tiny decumbent setae absent. T1 dorsal surface sparsely punctate on disc, I> 3 PD, smooth in between; denser punctation on lateral surfaces; mostly blue; mostly glabrous, long setae (2 OD) on lateral surfaces; apex inflexed, black. T2 mostly blue; minutely punctate, coarser and denser punctation on lateral surfaces, loosely imbricate in between; marginal area with punctate portion longer than apical black band on sublateral surfaces; tiny decumbent setae near base and on lateral surfaces, long setae (2 OD) on lateral surfaces. T3 weakly punctate, imbricate in between; mostly blue, apical band black; tiny setae apex not reaching apical margin sublaterally. T4 weakly punctate, imbricate in between; mostly blue, apical band black; mostly with tiny decumbent setae, long setae (3 OD) scattered on disc and lateral surfaces. T5 black; pseudopygidial area not covered by scale-like setae, colliculate integument exposed. Pygidial plate black, apex rounded. S1 with a short spiniform projection; black; long setae (> 3 OD) medially, margin tiny decumbent setae. S2 mostly black, apical band yellowish; medioapical margin sharp; punctate, microreticulate in between; long setae (> 3 OD). S3–4 as S2. S5 apical margin widely rounded; black; long setae (> 3 OD). S6 black; long dark setae on apex.

Description. Ƌ. Measurements. Maximum interocular distance: 1.36–1.67 (x‾ = 1.50, n = 6); head length: 1.92–2.24 (x‾ = 2.10, n = 6); clypeus width: 0.50–0.64 (x‾ = 0.61, n = 6); clypeus length: 0.48–0.60 (x‾ = 0.54, n = 6); clypeoantennal distance: 0.34–0.44 (x‾ = 0.36, n = 6); clypeus ocellar distance: 1.12–1.24 (x‾ = 1.20, n = 6); inter-tegular distance: 1.27–1.58 (x‾ = 1.42, n = 6); T1 width: 1.60–2.20 (x‾ = 1.89, n = 6); T2 width: 1.80–2.44 (x‾ = 2.12, n = 6); scape length: 0.50–0.68 (x‾ = 0.60, n = 6); body length: 7.00–9.00 (x‾ = 8.00, n = 6).

Head. Labrum basal surface yellowish. Mandible mostly yellowish, apex brown and base with green spot. Clypeus mostly green with blue iridescence, apex yellowish, apical border exposed, yellowish; densely punctate, I = 0.5 PD, punctures large, loosely imbricate in between; setae length = 2 OD. Epistomal angle acute, protruding over clypeus. Supraclypeal area blue with green reflection; densely punctate, imbricate in between. Paraocular area with green reflection; contiguously punctate, punctures small; long setae (2 OD) intermixed with tiny setae. Antennae: scape black; pedicel shorter than F1; mostly black, apex brownish; F1 mostly black, ventrally yellow; shorter than F2; F3 as long as wide; remaining flagellomeres mostly black, ventrally yellow. Frons blue; contiguously to crowded punctate; setae length = 1–2 OD. Gena with green reflection. Post gena with golden reflection, darkened near hypostoma; loosely imbricate, some scaterred punctures; abundant long setae up to 3 OD.

Mesosoma. Pronotum lateral angle orthogonal. Fore leg: coxa ventrally green; trochanter black; femur black with blue iridescence; strongly swollen; tibia and tarsus dark brown; white to yellowish setae on both. Mesoscutum green with blue iridescence; densely punctate on disc, I <PD, smooth in between, contiguously punctate on lateral surfaces, anterior border punctate, imbricate in between; setae length = 0.5–1 OD. Scutellum medial furrow inconspicuous; green with blue iridescence; punctate, punctures coarse; longer setae (3 OD) near apex. Mesepisternum green with blue iridescence; preepisternum contiguously punctate near pronotal lobe; hypoepimeral area densely punctate, I <0.5 PD, imbricate in between; below scrobe densely punctate, I <0.5 PD, imbricate in between. Mid leg: coxa and trochanter black with weak blue iridescence; setae length 3 OD; femur black with blue iridescence; not swollen; tibia and basitarsus dark brown; white to yellowish setae on both. Tegula dark brown with anterior green spot. Metanotum with dense tiny setae intermixed with longer white setae (= 3 OD). Metepisternum green with blue iridescence; punctate, imbricate in between, crowded punctate to striate near hind wing. Hind leg: coxa green; trochanter black with weak blue iridescence; femur black with weak blue iridescence; tibia dark brown, anterior surface without abundant tiny setae among long setae; basitarsus more than 6.5x longer than maximum width, parallel sided; brown. Metapostnotum green with blue iridescence; as long as metanotum; plane; entirely filled with radiating carinae. Propodeum blue; with tiny and long (3 OD) setae intermixed; posterior surface contiguously punctate; lateral carinae lamellate, ending below propodeum half; lateral surfaces imbricate among punctures.

Metasoma. T1 anterior surface sparsely punctate, I = 3 PD, smooth in between; mostly blue, base darkened; only with long setae, tiny decumbent setae absent. T1 dorsal surface densely punctate, I <PD, denser punctation on lateral surfaces, with an impunctate area near apical margin medially; mostly blue; tiny setae on disc, lateral surfaces with longer setae (2 OD); apex inflexed, black. T2 mostly blue; punctate on disc, I = PD, minutely and sparsely punctate near base, contiguously punctate on lateral surfaces, mostly smooth in between, imbricate on lateral surfaces; marginal area with punctate portion shorter than apical black band on sublateral surfaces; mostly with tiny setae, long setae (2 OD) near margin and lateral surfaces, pre-marginal setae ending far from apical margin on sub-lateral surfaces. T3 weakly punctate, imbricate in between; mostly blue, apical band black; mostly with tiny setae, long setae (2 OD) near margin and lateral surfaces. T4 weakly punctate, imbricate in between; mostly blue, apical band black; mostly with tiny setae, long setae (2 OD) scattered on disc and lateral surfaces. T5 mostly blue, apical band black; long setae (2 OD) intermixed with tiny setae. T6 black; mostly with long setae (<3 OD). T7 dark brown. S1 without elevation; mostly blue, apex brown; with long plumose setae (3 OD) medially, margin with tiny decumbent setae. S2 mostly black; apical band yellowish; medioapical margin sharp; punctate, microreticulate in between; with long plumose setae (2 OD), tiny setae on apex. S3 mostly black with blue iridescence, apical band yellowish; medioapical margin slightly rounded; punctate, microreticulate in between; with long plumose setae (2 OD), tiny setae on apex. S4 mostly black with blue iridescence, apical band yellowish; medioapical margin almost straight; punctate, microreticulate in between; with long plumose setae (2 OD), tiny setae on apex. S5 dark brown with blue iridescence; not depressed transversally on median surface; homogeneously pilose, without glabrous patch medially. S6 dark brown; setae length = 2 OD, tiny setae on apex. S7 lateral apodemes shorter than half S8 width. S8 anterior projection more than four times longer than apical width; posterior margin acuminate.

Genitalia: gonobase 2 times wider than long; gonobase ventral arms slightly curved on apex. Gonocoxite about 2 times longer than wide. Gonostylus, dorsal surface pubescent, tiny setae. Ventral process of gonostylus: inner lobe spatulate, expanded; with tiny setae and bristles intermixed; outer lobe with short setae with length = 0.4x inner lobe size. Gonapophysis ventral prong poorly produced; dorsal bridge margin weakly projected; ventral bridge absent; apodeme narrow and weakly hooked.

Distribution. This species is found in the Brazilian states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, and S„o Paulo. There is also a record in Paraguay.

Etymology. The name is derived from Latin laevis, meaning smooth, and carina, meaning keel, and is an allusion to the metapostnotum sculpturation, characterized by the lack of the strong carinae usually observed in other Augochlora .

Type material. Holotype, DZUP, ♀ “ DZUP \564388” “ Brasil, Paraná, Palotina,\ P.E. de São Camilo,\ 21.xI.2011, R. Gonçalves\ V. Scherer” . Paratypes, DZUP, 2♀ “ DZUP \565090” “ DZUP \565089” “ Brasil, Paraná, Palotina,\ P.E. de São Camilo,\ 21.xI.2011, R. Gonçalves\ V. Scherer”; 1³ “ DZUP \565085” “ Brasil, Paraná, Palotina,\ P.E. de São Camilo,\ 21.xI.2011, R. Gonçalves\ V. Scherer” .

Figures

FIGURE 28. Female of Augochlora laevicarinata sp. nov. A) habitus, B) frontal view of head, C) dorsal view of mesosoma, D) dorsal view of metasoma. Scale bar: 1.0 mm, all at same scale.