Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) leoi, Engel, 2014

Engel, Michael S., 2014, Three new species of the genus Caenaugochlora from Central America and Colombia (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), Journal of Melittology 2014 (41), pp. 1-15 : 4-7

Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) leoi Engel, new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1DCEAE8C-92F3-43C8-AF24-E3462851D324

( Figs. 1–4 )

DIAGNOSIS: The new species can be identified by the combination of a metallic green head and mesosoma with yellow legs ( Figs. 1–2 ); the broad yellow apical margin on the clypeus ( Fig. 3 ); the yellow scape, pedicel, and apicalmost flagellomere ( Fig. 3 ); the equal upper and lower interorbital distances, the angled pterostigmal margin inside the marginal cell; and the pattern of sculpture on the pleura and basal area of the propodeum ( Fig. 4 ) (vide Description, infra).

DESCRIPTION: ♀: Total body length 11.2 mm; forewing length 7.9 mm. Head slightly wider than long, length 2.5 mm, width 2.7 mm. Mandible with distinct subapical tooth. Labrum with basal area transverse, surface with low transversely ovoid elevation, basally blending into remainder of surface. Malar space linear. Clypeus and supraclypeal area relatively low in profile, surfaces rather flat. Upper interorbital distance 1.3 mm; lower interorbital distance 1.3 mm. Compound eyes with fine, white ocular setae, individual setae much longer than an individual ommatidial diameter. Preoccipital ridge angled above, not carinate, laterally rounded. Pronotal lateral angle slightly obtuse, dorsal ridge carinate, lateral ridge angled, not carinate. Mesoscutum with anterior border broadly rounded, with narrow, anterior-facing surface low, not projecting over pronotum; intertegular distance 2.2 mm. Inner metatibial spur pectinate, with seven long branches, not including apical portion of rachis, branches progressively shorter toward apex of spur, rachis thickened around basal branches; metabasitibial plate broadly triangular, with rimmed anterior and posterior borders, apex narrowly rounded. Forewing with basal vein distad 1cu-a by three times vein width; pterostigmal margin inside marginal cell angled, with longer, relatively straight posterior border and shorter anterior border; marginal cell elongate; first submarginal cell about as long as combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells; second submarginal cell slightly narrowed anteriorly, anterior border along Rs about as a long as anterior border of third submarginal cell along same vein; 1rs-m almost confluent with 1m-cu, former slightly offset distally; apex of second submarginal cell at tangent with pterostigmal apex; 2rs-m gently arched, distad 2m-cu by eight times vein width; hind wing with distal hamuli arranged 3-1-1-3. Metasomal terga not depressed; sterna unmodified.

Clypeus with coarse, shallow punctures separated by less than a puncture width in yellow area, slightly more widely spaced in green area, integument between punctures strongly imbricate, almost granulose in appearance; supraclypeal area strongly imbricate, almost granulose, with small punctures separated by two or more times a puncture width, more widely spaced centrally; face strongly imbricate, with small, densely scattered punctures below level of antennal toruli, such punctures contiguous at and above level of toruli, giving integument a minutely roughened texture, such integument blending through ocellocular area to strongly imbricate, almost finely granulose vertex, vertex strongly imbricate with scattered punctures; gena as on vertex except anteriorly near compound eye imbrication less strong and punctures more defined, posteriorly imbrication stronger and punctures sparse to absent; postgena impunctate and longitudinally striate. Pronotum finely imbricate. Mesoscutum imbricate, with small contiguous punctures in lateral thirds, such punctures becoming shallower and gradually more widely spaced in middle third and particularly toward midline, around median line punctures faint and separated by more than a puncture width, posteriorly punctures separated by about a puncture width; mesoscutellum strongly imbricate with small punctures separated by about a puncture width laterally and posteriorly, otherwise punctures sparse and faint; metanotum coarsely imbricate, appearing slightly nodulose around setae; pleura coarsely imbricate and granulose, surface appearing roughened anteriorly, with sparse, coarse, exceedingly faint, shallow punctures, such faint punctures apparently progressively disappearing posteriorly, mesepisternal border with metepisternum less imbricate and with scattered minute punctures; metepisternum largely smooth to finely imbricate and shining, with scattered minute punctures; lateral surface of propodeum strongly imbricate with scattered coarse, shallow punctures; posterior surface more weakly imbricate than lateral surfaces, with scattered coarse punctures; basal area of propodeum imbricate, with irregular striate rugae, such rugae extending most of surface but not reaching apical margin ( Fig. 4 ), apical margin rounded and more finely imbricate than surface between rugae. Metasomal terga imbricate except more finely imbricate apical margins and dorsal-facing surface of first tergum, anterior-facing surface of first tergum smooth and shining; sterna largely finely imbricate with scattered, postgradular punctures.

Mandible largely yellow with dark reddish brown apex; labiomaxillary complex dark brown, with palpi largely yellow except basal palpomeres dark brown; labrum yellow; clypeus with apical third yellow, remainder of clypeus and head metallic green with golden highlights, some coppery highlights at transition between yellow and green coloration on clypeus; scape and pedicel yellow ( Fig. 3 ); flagellum dark brown except slightly lighter first flagellomere and apicalmost flagellomere yellow ( Fig. 3 ). Mesosoma metallic green with golden or coppery highlights ( Figs. 1, 2 ), such highlights most noticeable on nota, in places with more olivaceous appearance, disc of mesoscutum darker with less prominent highlights; tegula semi-translucent yellow; wing membranes hyaline, with faint tinge of parchment color, veins yellow to yellow brown except Sc+R dark brown; legs yellow with slightly darker areas on outer borders of metafemur and metatibia and under surface of mesofemur, procoxa slightly darker with strong metallic green and golden highlights, under surface of metafemur in basal half darker with some metallic highlights. Metasoma generally light brown to brown with strong metallic olivaceous green-golden highlights on discs, laterally metallic coloration faint and color lighter brown, broad apical margins dark brown with no or faint metallic highlights; sterna brown with at most faint metallic golden highlights.

Pubescence nowhere obscuring integumental surfaces, color golden except tinged slightly darkly golden on mesoscutum and apically on metasomal terga; otherwise pubescence as typical for genus.

♂: Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: ♀, Costa Rica: San José, km 117 Pan-Am Hwy [Pan-American Highway], 19 km N San Isidro, 1800 m, 9°28’0’’ N, 83°42’30’’ W, 20–25 Jun [June] 1997, S & J Peck, CR 1P97 023, ex: flight intercept trap; deposited in the Division of Entomology , University of Kansas Natural History Museum , Lawrence , Kansas.

PARATYPE: 1♀, same data and repository as holotype .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet honors young Leo Hughes Engel (born 31 July 2014), beloved nephew.

Figures

Figures 1–3. Holotype female of Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) leoi, new species. 1. Lateral habitus. 2. Dorsal habitus. 3. Facial view.

Figures 4–6. Dorsal views of the mesoscutella, metanota, and propodea of the female holotypes of the species treated here. 4. Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) leoi, new species. 5. C. (C.) hestia, new species. 6. C. (C.) gonzalezi, new species.