Euglossa (Euglossella) granti Cheesman

Hinojosa-Díaz, Ismael A. & Engel, Michael S., 2014, Revision of the orchid bee subgenus Euglossella (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Part II: The viridis and mandibularis species groups, Journal of Melittology 2014 (36), pp. 1-108 : 75-80

Euglossa (Euglossella) granti Cheesman

( Figs. 105–116, 152, 162, 170)

Euglossa granti Cheesman, 1929: 147 [♀]. Holotype ♀ (NHML, visum).

DIAGNOSIS: Labiomaxillary complex in repose reaching second metasomal sternum in both sexes; upper and lower interorbital distances equal (at most marginally different) ( Figs. 109–110); malar area short (less than 0.25 mm, or noticeably shorter than diameter of mid-flagellar articles) ( Figs. 109–110); pronotal dorsolateral angle projected as a lamella; male mesotibial tufts as follows: anterior tuft rhomboid, long (maximum length exceeding mid-width of velvety area) and wide (mid-width exceeding width of contiguous section of velvety area), posterior tuft circular-ovoid ( Figs. 111, 152); female mesoscutellar tuft ellipsoidal, composed of dense, dark setae, occupying two thirds of mesoscutellum length ( Fig. 107); male mesobasitarsus with posterior keel projected in a right to slightly acute angle ( Fig. 112); female metabasitarsus with anterior margin slightly convex and posterior margin appearing straight ( Fig. 114); second metasomal sternum of male with two, simple meso-lateral tufts; width of metasoma and head only marginally different (less than 1.05 times) in males ( Fig. 105) (female not available for measurement); head mainly green ( Figs. 109–110); male with paraocular marks trapezoidal, lower width about two thirds of length of lower lateral part of clypeus ( Figs. 106, 109); scape of male with ivory spot covering almost entire anterior surface ( Fig. 109), absent in female ( Fig. 110); mesosoma (except mesoscutellum) green with blue-purple intergradations and bronzy iridescence ( Figs. 105–108), mesoscutellum blue-green ( Figs. 105, 107, 115); first to fourth metasomal terga blue-green with cyan iridescence on lateral margins, fifth to seventh terga cyan ( Figs. 92–95, 104); mesoscutellum and central area of mesepisternum moderately punctate (punctures separated by about one puncture diameter in central areas), slightly denser in female ( Figs. 106–108, 115); male metasomal terga with moderately dense punctures, noticeably larger on second tergum and progressively towards posterior segments ( Fig. 116), densely and evenly imbricate-punctate in female ( Fig. 107); mesosomal vestiture dominated by dense, yellow-fulvous setae ( Figs. 105–108, 115); eighth metasomal sternum posterior section very narrow as a slender cylinder; gonocoxite dorsal process about as wide as long ( Fig. 162); gonostylar lateral section with well-developed “secondary” lobe (convexity of posterior margin of basal sector) almost as long as adjacent ventral lobe, covered with dense setae reaching posterior margin of blades of penis valve.

DESCRIPTION: ♂: Structure. Total body length 10.39 mm (10.00–10.89; n=5); labiomaxillary complex in repose reaching second metasomal sternum ( Fig. 106). Head length 2.44 mm (2.37–2.52; n=5), width 4.49 mm (4.37–4.65; n=5); upper interorbital distance 2.06 mm (2.00–2.15; n=5); lower interorbital distance 2.00 mm (1.93–2.07; n=5); upper clypeal width 1.10 mm (1.00–1.19; n=5); lower clypeal width 1.81 mm (1.74–1.87; n=5); clypeal protuberance 0.54 mm (0.44–0.63; n=5); clypeal ridges, labral ridges, and labral windows as described for E. viridis , except paramedial ridges quasi-parallel to medial ridge, forming a rectangular clypeal disc; labrum wider than long, length 0.89 mm (0.81–0.96; n=5), width 1.04 mm (1.00–1.11; n=5) ( Fig. 109); interocellar distance 0.30 mm (0.30–0.31; n=5); ocellocular distance 0.62 mm (0.59–0.67; n=5); first flagellar article longer [0.54 mm (0.50–0.59; n=5)] than second and third flagellar articles combined [0.39 mm (0.37–0.41; n=5)]; length of malar area 0.13 mm (0.11–0.15; n=5). Mandible tridentate. Pronotal dorsolateral angle projected posterolaterally as a truncate lamella; intertegular distance 3.47 mm (3.33–3.59; n=5); mesoscutal length 2.66 mm (2.52–2.81; n=5); mesoscutellar length 1.20 mm (1.17–1.24; n=5); posterior margin of mesoscutellum truncate along most of its length (laterally rounded) ( Fig. 115); mesotibial length 2.22 mm (2.15–2.30; n=5); mesobasitarsal length 2.22 mm (2.15–2.30; n=5), width 0.69 mm (0.66–0.74; n=5), posterior keel projected in a right to slightly acute angle with proximal margin (between mesotibia-mesobasitarsus joint and apex of keel) appearing slightly convex ( Fig. 112); metatibia triangular (scalene triangular), maximum thickness 1.29 mm (1.25–1.44; n=5); metatibial anterior margin length 3.46 mm (3.26–3.59; n=5), ventral margin length 2.44 mm (2.22–2.59; n=5), postero-dorsal margin length 4.36 mm (4.22–4.52; n=5); metatibial organ slit as described for E. viridis , dorsal section length 0.51 mm (0.48–0.52; n=5); metabasitarsal length 2.08 mm (2.00– 2.19; n=5), mid-width 0.76 mm (0.74–0.81; n=5); metabasitarsal ventral margin truncate. Forewing length 8.61 mm (8.30–9.04; n=5); jugal comb with 13–14 (n=5) blades; hind wing with 20–24 (n=5) hamuli. Maximum metasomal width 4.55 mm (4.42–4.78; n=5); second metasomal sternum with two meso-lateral tufts separated by twice width of an individual tuft.

Coloration. As described for males of E. cyanura from Panama to Chiapas, Mexico ( Figs. 105–106, 109, 113, 115–116).

Sculpturing. As described for males of E. cyanura ( Figs. 105–106, 109, 115–116).

Vestiture. Head as described for E. viridis , except setae rather yellow-fulvous ( Fig. 109). Metasoma densely covered with yellow-fulvous setae over mesepisternum, mesoscutum, and mesoscutellum, those on mesoscutum and mesoscutellum longer than in other species ( Figs. 105–106, 115); features of mesotibia as described for E. viridis ( Figs. 111, 152). Metasoma as described for E. viridis , except setae color yellow-fulvous ( Fig. 116).

Terminalia. Hidden sterna and genital capsule as described for E. viridis ( Fig. 162).

♀: Structure. The female holotype was examined but no measurements were taken as it could only be studied on location and no means of taking metrics was available.

Coloration. As described for females of E. cyanura ( Figs. 107–108, 110, 114).

Sculpturing. Overall sculpturing as for males of E. viridis (and by extension for those females described as E. viridis / azurea ).

Vestiture. Head, mesosoma, and metasoma as described for males of same species ( Figs. 107–108, 110). Mesoscutellar tuft and corbicula as in females of E. viridis / azurea ( Figs. 107–108).

HOLOTYPE: ♀, Colombia: “ TYPE [round label with red margin] // B.M. TYPE; HYM.; 17B. 945. [last line handwritten] // Euglossa ; granti ; Cheesman; Det. L.E. Cheesman. [name and author handwritten] // Gorgona I.; 2.59.N. 78.20.W; July 1924.; L.E. Cheesman. // St. George Exp. ; B.M. 1925. 573 [turned upside down]” ( NHML).

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED (12♂♂): Ecuador: 6♂♂, “ CH Dodson 10-18-72; Rio Palenque Station ; Los Rios, Ecuador; on Catasetum sp [mixed handwritten] // Euglossa ; ( Euglossella ); granti Cheesman ♂; Det. I. Hinojosa-Díaz 2012” ( FSCA, one in SEMC) . 1♂, “RIO PALENQUE, ECUADOR; LOS RIOS PROV. C. DODSON; 197[?] // Euglossa ; ( Euglossella ); granti Cheesman ♂; Det. I. Hinojosa-Díaz 2012” ( FSCA) . 2♂♂, “ECUADOR: Los Rios; Rio Palenque; Station // 18 X 1972; C.H. Dodson; Catasetum sp. // Euglossa ; ( Euglossella ); granti Cheesman ♂; Det. I. Hinojosa-Díaz 2012” ( FSCA, one in SEMC) . 1♂, “ECUADOR: Pichincha:; Santo Domingo; 28 VII 1967; R.L. Dressler 735 // Euglossa ; granti Cheesman ; det. R. L. Dressler, 1969” ( FSCA) . 1♂, “ECUADOR: Pichincha:; Santo Domingo // C.H. Dodson 258; VIII 1967 // Euglossa ; ( Euglossella ); granti Cheesman ♂; Det. I. Hinojosa-Díaz 2012” ( FSCA) . 1♂, “ECUADOR: El Oro; near Piñas , 930 m; III-6 1980; N.H. Williams // 2-phenylethyl; acetate // Euglossa ; ( Euglossella ); granti Cheesman ♂; Det. I. Hinojosa-Díaz 2012” ( FSCA) .

COMMENTS: This species is morphologically closer to E. cyanura than to any other species in the viridis group. As mentioned above, both species share the larger punctures on the metasomal terga in males; however, the chief feature that characterizes E. granti is the mesosomal vestiture in both males and females, whereby the mesoscutum and mesoscutellum have a dense, furry-like cover of distinctively-plumose setae not found in any other species in the group ( Figs. 105–108). This vestiture involves a clear difference in setal structure when compared with other species and particularly with E. cyanura ; as such, despite few other structural distinctions, the species is here considered discrete and valid. Enigmatically, the species was listed as endemic to the Amazon Basin by Nemésio & Silveira (2007), but in fact it is known only from the Pacific lowlands of Colombia and Ecuador ( Fig. 170).

mandibularis species group

DIAGNOSIS: Species in the mandibularis group can be recognized from other species of Euglossella (i.e., the viridis and decorata groups) by the combination of the following features: Pronotal dorsolateral angle orthogonal to acute, slightly projected; body coloration strongly metallic with bright, blue, bronzy-red, and mixture and variations of these; integumental sculpturing varying among species, metasomal terga with either strong or shallow punctation; lower interorbital distance noticeably wider (at least 1.10 times) than upper interorbital distance; malar area noticeably longer than diameter of mid-flagellar articles; mesoscutellum with a large central concavity, creating two mid-lateral cusps, especially noticeable in males, but also in females where it is evident by depressed contour of mesoscutellar tuft. Species in the group can be found in the western section of the Amazon Basin in Peru and Brazil, as well as in the Parana and Atlantic Forests in southern Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, and southeastern Brazil.

INCLUDED SPECIES: Euglossa (Euglossella) mandibularis Friese, E. (E.) bigibba Dressler , and E. (E.) perfulgens Moure ( Table 1).