Stelis anasazi, Parker, Frank D. & Griswold, Terry, 2013

Parker, Frank D. & Griswold, Terry, 2013, New species of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Stelis (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae, Anthidiini) from the Nearctic Region, Zootaxa 3646 (5), pp. 529-544 : 537-538

Stelis anasazi , n. sp.

( Figs. 8 , 18 , 28 , 38 )

Diagnosis. Stelis anasazi can be distinguished from all other Nearctic Stelis except S. permaculata (Cockerell) , S. ashmeadiellae Timberlake , and S. robertsoni Timberlake by the combination of: scutellum overhanging metanotum, face and vertex with white maculations, and female S6 elongate, trowel-shaped. From these three related species it can be separated by the combination of: tegula dark brown or black without white maculation, female T6 rounded apically ( Fig. 18 ), and male S4 comb with margin rounded ( Fig. 38 ).

Description. Female. Length 5mm, anterior wing 4mm long. Black; mandible medially reddish; whitish markings on the following: narrow stripe along inner margin of compound eye, spot on post ocular area, hindtibia basally, T1 – T3 apically. Pubescence white, on head, mesosoma plumose not thick, clypeus with short erect pile, reddish apically, terga with short sparse hair, laterally plumose, more dense; T6 with more erect setae than preceding terga, apical margin with dense band of long and short pile; sterna, except S6, with thicker plumose hair, apically with distinct hair bands. Punctation coarse, punctures small, deep, close on most of body; punctures laterally on terga close, deep, area between punctures dull. Head wider (1.1X) than long; mouthparts short, not extending beyond fossa in repose; clypeal margin crenulate; compound eyes converging basally, DLID>(1.2X) BLID; eye wider (1.1X) than gena in lateral view; frons not bulging anterior to midocellus; ocelli not reduced; IOD <(0.8X) OOD <(0.9X) OPD> (1.5X) LOPD, IOD> (2.0X) LMOD; pronotal lobe with low indistinct carina; anterior surface of mesepisternum not concave; basal zone of propodeum with pitting complete, cells distinct; apical tibial spurs extremely short, spine-like, apical one larger, apical hindtibial spine thicker, short but distinct; TIB>(1.8X) BAT = TAR; terga lamellate apically, graduli deep, terga bowed in profile; T6 angulate laterally, depressed subapically, punctures contiguous, deep groove between pseudo and true apical margin ( Fig. 18 ); S6 flared apically, trowel-shaped, apical margin reflexed, thickened.

Male. About as in female except: white spots larger, apically on scutum, on all tibiae, T4; punctures on T6, T7 denser, contiguous, surface dull; S3 flat with median depression ( Fig. 28 ); S4 with tiny bow-shaped median comb ( Fig. 38 ); S5 depressed, impunctate medially.

Type material. Holotype female. “ U.S.A. Utah Cache County Mendon Springs Reared FDParker”/ “Rearing No. LCB86 315A” [reared from nests of Heriades carinatus ]. Paratypes. UTAH, Cache Co: 3 Ƥ, 1 3, same data as holotype except rearing number; Duchesne Co: 1 3, 7 Aug 1980, W Hanson, G Knowlton; Garfield Co: 1 3, Alvey Wash, 3 mi S Escalante, 19 Jun 2000, FD Parker; 1 Ƥ, Boulder Mountain, Deer Creek jct., 29 Jul 2000, FD Parker; 3 3, 2 Ƥ, Box Death Hollow Wilderness Trailhead, 2365 m, H Ikerd; 1 3, Calf Creek, 11 Aug 2003, Chrysothamnus linifolius , B Bradley; 1 Ƥ, East Fork Sevier Rvr, jct Johnson Hollow, 20 Jul 2000, Erigeron , BS Heath; 2 3, Escalante, 10 mi N, 19 Jun 2000, FD Parker; 1 Ƥ, 1 3, Escalante, 15 mi W, 20 Jun 2000, FD Parker; 1 3, Escalante, 17 mi W, 20 Jun 2000, FD Parker; 1 3, Henry Mountains, McClellan Spr, 0.5 mi NE, 12 Jul 2002, yellow Asteraceae , OJ Messinger; 2 3, Henry Mountains, McClellan Spr, 12 Jul 2002, Asteraceae , CM Davidson; 1 3, Henry Mountains, Nasty Flat, 0.75 mi NE, 12 Jul 2002, Erigeron argentatus , L Topham; 1 Ƥ, Henry Mountains, Nasty Flat, 0.6 mi NE, 12 Jul 2002, Erigeron argentatus , JS Wilson; 1 Ƥ, Lower Bown's Res., 2.4 mi W, 30 Jul 2002, OJ Messinger; 1 3, Pine Creek, S of jct Deep Creek, 21 Jun 2000, Geranium , CM Davidson; 1 3, Posey Lake, 0.3 mi SE, 24 Jul 2002, Senecio spartioides , CM Davidson; 1 Ƥ, Posey Lake, 0.3 mi SE, 24 Jul 2002, Geranium viscosissimum , OJ Messinger; 1 Ƥ, Posey Lake, 0.75 mi SSW, 19 Jun 2000, yellow Asteraceae , S Messinger. Holotype and paratypes deposited in BBSL.

Variation. The extent of white markings varies slightly among the type material, in particular there is sometimes a small lateral mark on T4. Material from other locations varies in the extent of white markings and the density of the punctation. In occasional specimens the tegula is dark brown.

Biology. Stelis anasazi has been reared from nests of Heriades carinatus (Cresson) in Utah and southern Nevada.

Distribution. Stelis anasazi is primarily found in the Great Basin of Utah and Nevada but its distribution extends south to Arizona and west to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

Etymology. Named for the Anasazi , an ancient culture who lived in the Colorado Plateau of the Four Corners region.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Female habitus in profile view. 1. Stelis joanae, 2. S. occidentalis, 3. S. lamelliterga, 4. S. broemelingi, 5. S. paiute, 6. S. anthocopae, 7. S. imperialis, 8. S. anasazi, 9. S. shoshone, 10. S. alta. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 11 – 20. Apex of female metasoma in posterior view. 11. Stelis joanae, 12. S. occidentalis, 13. S. lamelliterga, 14. S. broemelingi, 15. S. paiute, 16. S. anthocopae, 17. S. imperialis, 18. S. anasazi, 19. S. shoshone, 20. S. alta. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 21 – 30. Male S 3 in ventral view. 21. Stelis joanae, 22. S. occidentalis, 23. S. lamelliterga, 24. S. broemelingi, 25. S. paiute, 26. S. anthocopae, 27. S. imperialis, 28. S. anasazi, 29. S. shoshone, 30. S. alta. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 31 – 40. Male S 4 in ventral view. 31. Stelis joanae, 32. S. occidentalis, 33. S. lamelliterga, 34. S. broemelingi, 35. S. paiute, 36. S. anthocopae, 37. S. imperialis, 38. S. anasazi, 39. S. shoshone, 40. S. alta. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.