Oxytrigona pallida, Lepeco, 2024

Lepeco, Anderson, 2024, Contribution to the taxonomy of Oxytrigona Cockerell, 1917 (Apidae, Meliponini), Zootaxa 5506 (3), pp. 369-395 : 382-386

Oxytrigona pallida sp. nov.

( Figure 6 )

Type material. Holotype, RPSP, female worker “ COSTA RICA San José Prov. \ Rio Damitas, 14.5 km. N.\ Puerto Quepos , 200 m. \ 16 August 1962 (C. D.\Michener and A. Wille)” . Paratype, RPSP, female worker, same label .

Comments. This species has been traditionally identified as O. mellicolor , following the interpretation of Schwarz (1948). However, as pointed out above, O. mellicolor is restricted to the eastern Andes, leaving the species widely distributed from western Ecuador to Honduras unnamed. Gonzalez & Roubik (2008) described O. isthmina as a species resembling O. mellicolor (sensu Schwarz, 1948) but separated both species by the shape of the fore femur and body size, among other characteristics, including male genitalia characters. I examined one paratype worker of O. isthmina deposited in SEMC, and concluded that it indeed does not correspond to the species previously identified as O. mellicolor . I also examined the holotype of Trigona salvatoris Cockerell, 1917 (MCZ), from El Salvador, currently considered a junior synonym of O. mediorufa (Cockerell, 1913) . The specimen has an overall darker coloration and longer setae on the vertex, agreeing with O. mediorufa . Therefore, there are no available names for the species identified as O. mellicolor by previous authors (e.g., Schwarz 1948; Gonzalez & Roubik 2008; Camargo et al. 2023), justifying its description as new herein.

Diagnosis. Head, most of the mesosoma, legs, and metasoma are mostly orange or yellowish; erect yellowish setae throughout the body ( Figure 5A ). As in O. mediorufa and O. isthmina , this species has the frons with abundant short setae ventral to ocellar triangle ( Figure 5B ). From the former, it can be differentiated by having shorter setae on vertex (<1.3 × MOD); the posterior margin of S6 truncate (see fig. 21 in Gonzalez & Roubik 2008); setae on the distal end of scape shorter than 0.5 × MOD; and frequent lack of dark brown or black spots on mesoscutum. From O. isthmina it can be differentiated by having a larger body size (head width> 2.5 mm), besides the longer fore femur (> 4 × its maximum width); and the short setae on posterior margin of T3 shorter than 0.4 × MOD and mostly simple.

Description. Holotype female worker. Measurements. Approximate body length: 6 mm; maximum head width: 2.6 mm; length of forewing: 5.2 mm; maximum width of T2: 1.7 mm. Color. Head predominantly light brown, becoming lighter ventrad antennal socket. Surface near ocelli with brownish maculae. Mandible predominantly light orange, with darker spots proximally and on distal cutting edge. Antennal scape, pedicel and F1 light brown. Flagellum predominantly brown, lighter ventrally. Mesosoma predominantly light brown. Mesepisternum ventrally dark brown. Metanotum yellow. Propodeum medially dark brown. Legs predominantly caramel yellow, with lighter spot on metatibia. Tegula yellowish. Wing veins and pterostigma yellowish. Forewing and hind wing membrane hyaline. Metasoma caramel yellow. Pubescence. Yellowish throughout. Labrum with erect setae about MOD long. Frons with tiny decumbent setae densely distributed near ocellar triangle, long erect setae relatively abundant on dorsal third of frons. Surface between mid and lateral ocelli with dense simple short setae. Erect setae of vertex up to 1.3 MOD in length.Antennal scape with erect setae restricted to distal end, up to 0.5 MOD in length. Pedicel with short decumbent setae. F2 without distinctly long setae. Mesoscutum with erect setae with up to 2 MOD in length, equally distributed throughout sclerite; decumbent setae becoming branched on surface anterior to level of tegula. Scutellum with long erect setae up to 3.5 MOD in length, evenly distributed. Mesepisternum with erect setae with up to 2 MOD in length; decumbent setae branched. Propodeum with branched setae scattered on lateral surfaces. Distal corner of dorsal margin of hind tibia with dense tuft of setae with few apical ramifications. Wings with erect setae on veins and membrane. Posterior surface of T2 with dense erect setae with up to 0.5 MOD in length. Posterior surface of T3 with dense erect setae with up to 2 MOD in length; posterior margin mostly with sparse simple setae up to 0.3 MOD in length. Posterior surface of T4 with dense erect setae with up to 2 MOD in length; posterior margin with scattered simple setae up to 0.6 MOD in length. S4 and S5 with erect setae among scarce shorter white setae. T6 with relatively dense erect setae up to 3 MOD. Integumental sculpturing. Head integument predominantly shiny, with scattered weak punctures, except for clypeus and paraocular area ventrad antennal socket with denser punctation. Surface ventrad ocellar triangle with denser punctures. Mesosoma shiny, with relatively dense punctures, except for medial surface of propodeum, smooth and lacking punctures. Metasomal terga mostly loosely reticulate, becoming punctate on posterior surface. T2 smooth on anterior two-thirds. Structure. Head 1.3 × wider than its medial length; clypeus 2.2 × wider than its medial length; malar space 1.7 × longer than width of F3; distance between antennal sockets about 0.8 × socket diameter; minimum distance between lateral ocellus and eye about 1.1 × distance between lateral ocelli. Antennal scape 5 × longer than socket diameter. Scutellum 0.6 × longer than minimum distance between axillae. Fore femur 4 × longer than its maximum width, ventral margin not carinate; mid basitarsus 2.4 × longer than its maximum width; hind tibia 3.2 × longer than its maximum width, distal margin strongly incurved; hind basitarsus 0.7 × as wide as maximum hind tibial width, 1.9 × longer than its maximum width, posterior margin evenly curved, distal corner slightly projecting and forming an angle, distal margin almost straight. Marginal cell 4.8 × longer than its maximum width. Posterior margin of S6 slightly truncate medially.

Male. Measurements. Approximate body length: 6.8 mm; maximum head width: 2.3 mm; length of forewing: 5.1 mm; maximum width of T2: 1.6 mm. Color. Head predominantly caramel yellow, clypeus and lateral stripe on paraocular area light yellow. Surface near ocelli with brownish maculae. Mandible predominantly light brown, with darker spot on distal cutting edge. Antennal scape, pedicel and F1 caramel yellow. Flagellum predominantly dark brown, lighter ventrally. Mesosoma predominantly light brown. Mesepisternum dark brown ventrally. Metanotum mostly yellow, becoming dark brown laterally. Propodeum medially dark brown. Legs caramel yellow. Tegula yellowish. Wing veins and pterostigma yellowish. Forewing and hind wing membrane hyaline. Metasoma caramel yellow. Pubescence. Yellowish throughout. Labrum with erect setae about 2 MOD long. Frons with simple erect setae up to 2.2 MOD among shorter branched setae, becoming sparser ventrally. Erect setae of vertex up to 3 MOD in length. Mesoscutum with erect setae with up to 2.5 MOD in length, equally distributed throughout sclerite. Scutellum with long erect setae up to 4.2 MOD in length, evenly distributed. Mesepisternum with erect setae with up to 4 MOD among scattered shorter branched setae. Propodeum with dense branched setae on lateral surfaces. Wings with erect setae on veins and membrane. Setae on metasomal terga becoming longer towards posterior sclerites. Posterior margin of T3 with dense coverage of short setae up to 0.5 MOD. posterior margin of T4 with dense coverage of short setae up to 0.8 MOD. Pubescence on metasomal sterna becoming denser and longer toward posterior sclerites. S6 with setae up to 5.0 MOD curved towards midline. Apex of gonostylus with setae up to 0.8 MOD. Integumental sculpturing. Head integument predominantly shiny, with scattered weak punctures, except for clypeus and paraocular area ventrad antennal socket with denser punctation. Mesosoma shiny, with relatively dense punctures, except for medial surface of propodeum, smooth and lacking punctures. T1 shiny. T2 and T3 mostly shiny, except for posterior margin loosely reticulate and punctate. T4–T6 loosely reticulate. Structure. Head 1.3 × wider than its medial length; clypeus 1.7 × wider than its medial length; malar space 0.9 × longer than width of F3; distance between antennal sockets about 0.8 × socket diameter; minimum distance between lateral ocellus and eye about 0.8 × distance between lateral ocelli. Antennal scape 3.3 × longer than socket diameter. Scutellum 0.8 × longer than minimum distance between axillae. Fore femur 3.8 × longer than its maximum width; mid basitarsus 3.5 × longer than its maximum width; hind tibia 2.7 × longer than its maximum width, dorsal portion of distal margin slightly incurved; hind basitarsus 0.8 × as wide as maximum hind tibial width, 1.8 × longer than its maximum width.

Variation. Workers collected from northern Venezuela exhibit fewer short setae on the frons, but can be differentiated from workers of O. flaveola by the shape of the hind basitarsus and the tiny setae on T3 margin <2.0 MOD.

Etymology. The specific epithet is the feminine nominative form of the Latin word “pallidus,” meaning “pale”. The name refers to the light color of the bees of this species.

Distribution. Western and northern Colombia, Costa Rica, western Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela (see Table 1 ).

Additional examined material. COLOMBIA. DZUP: 4 ♀ “Colombia\#0145” . COSTA RICA. Alajuela. RPSP: 3 ♀ “La Marina,\San Carlos, Pcia. Alajuela\Costa Rica,\13 Beb. 1960\ A. Wille ” ; Cartago. DZUP: 3 ♀ “TURRIALBA\C. Rica 1-III-65 \ R. L. Dressler ”; RPSP: ♀ “TURRIALBA\C. Rica 1-III-65 \ R. L. Dressler ” ; Heredia. DZUP: ♀ “ COSTA RICA: Heredia\ Estacion Biol. La Selva \ 10°25’N, 84°0’W; 80m \ 1. vi. 1996, GAR Melo ” ; Puntarenas. DZUP: ♀ “ COSTA RICA, (S.) Puntarenas\Prov., Gromaco, 34km. SE. of\Potrero Grande, on Rio Coto\Brus. 21 July 1963, 1000 ft. \(C. D. Michener & W. Kerfoot)”; ♀ “El Cacique; Cerca rio Changuina \ Puntarenas; Costa Rica \ 22-I-1961 \ Col. A Wille ”; RPSP: 2 ♂ “ COSTA RICA Punt.\Quepos\ 13 Feb 1987 \ G. E. Bohart ”; ♀ “ COSTA RICA, (S.) Puntarenas \Prov., Gromaco, 34km. SE. of\Potrero Grande, on Rio Coto\Brus. 21 July 1963, 1000 ft. \(C. D. Michener & W. Kerfoot)”; 4 ♀ “ Playas del Dominical,\ Puntarenas; Costa Rica,\ 20-II-1961 \col. A Wille ” ; San José. RPSP: 2 ♀ “SAN ANTONIO\DAMAS\San José; Costa Rica.\ 16-VIII-1962 \ 14 km N. Quepos\col. A. Wille ”. ECUADOR. Esmeraldas. RPSP: ♀ “ECUADOR\Esme-\raldas, Quinindé\ 1-VI-85 \LEgit: L.Coloma ”; DZUP: 3# “Esmeraldas\Ecuador - V-66 \F. H. WALZ” ; Loja. RPSP: ♀ “ Ecuador Loja\ Sabanilla \ IX-85 \LEG it: L. Coloma ”. PANAMA. Chiriqui. RPSP: ♀ “Progresso, PANAMA\Chiriqui Prov.\453 Apr. 23 1923 \ F. M. Gaige ”; ♀ “Progresso, PANAMA \ Chiriqui Prov. \459 Apr. 23 1923 \ F. M. Gaige ”; ♀ “Progresso, PANAMA \ Chiriqui Prov. \567 Apr. 14 1923 \ F. M. Gaige ” ; Panama. RPSP: ♀ “Balboa Panamá\ 18-VIII-1985 \ Camargo leg.”; ♀ “ Barro Colorado Island \Panamá - 23-VIII-85 \ Camargo leg”; 4 ♀ “ PANAMA: Panamá Prov. \Barro Colorado Is.\ 7 oct 79 \ D. Roubik coll. 114”. VENEZUELA . Mérida. RPSP: ♀ “ Venezuela, Merida\Dtto Andrés Bello\ St. Lano Sapo \ 24.10.1986 ” ; Zulia. RPSP: ♀ “ Venezuela Zulia\Dtto. Perija Rio\Laja 30 km N.\O. villa del Ro-\sario 24.I.1973 ” .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Oxytrigona pallida sp. nov. A) worker holotype (RPSP 11295) from San José (Costa Rica), lateral view, scale bar: 2 mm; B) worker holotype, frontal view of dorsal portion of head, scale bar: 0.5 mm; C) worker holotype, dorsal view of mesosoma, scale bar: 1 mm; D) worker holotype, lateral view of legs and mesosoma, scale bar: 1 mm; E) male from Quepos (Costa Rica, RPSP), frontal view of head, scale bar: 1 mm; F) male from Quepos (Costa Rica, RPSP), lateral view, scale bar: 2 mm.

FIGURE 6. Holotype worker of Oxytrigona sauronica sp. nov. (RPSP 09.0361) from Tamara (Casanare, Colombia).A) habitus, lateral view, scale bar: 2 mm; B) head and mesosoma, dorsal view, scale bar: 0.5 mm; C) head, frontal view, scale bar: 0.5 mm; D) hind leg, scale bar: 0.5 mm.