Leptometriella boliviana Roig-Alsina

A. Roig-Alsina, 2008, A revision of the South American bee genus Leptometriella Roig-Alsina (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Emphorini), Zootaxa 1688 (1), pp. 20-36 : 35

Leptometriella boliviana Roig-Alsina , n. sp.

( Fig. 7)

Diagnosis. This is the only Leptometriella species that has dark tibial spurs. As in L. minima , the metapostnotum has a short basal portion slanting posteriorly. It is distinguished from L. minima by its larger size, the length of the metasomal vestiture, and the stronger apical points of the male T7.

Description. Male holotype. Length 6.5 mm (paratype 6.5 mm); length of forewing 5.9 mm (paratype 5.8 mm).

Black, except as follows: reddish apex of mandible, dark brown tegula, yellowish-brown, translucent apex of S1–S5, dark brown tibial spurs, and reddish-brown distal tarsomeres. Wings hyaline, weakly amber; veins brown, pterostigma brown. Vestiture pale yellowish-brown on most of body, whitish on venter of thorax and underside of coxae, trochanters and femora. Vestiture dense and long. Hairs dense on face, on clypeus 1.8–3.2 times MOD, between antennal sockets longer, up to 3.5 times MOD. Hairs on scutum 2.5–4.0 times MOD; on mesopleuron 2.8–4.0 times MOD; metapostnotum with short hairs (0.5–0.7 times MOD) close to propodeal margin, remainder of metapostnotum glabrous. T2–T5 entirely covered by dense, decumbent hairs; apical bands evident because of denser hairs; T1 also with apical band. T2 basally to apical band with decumbent hairs 0.7–1.0 times MOD, and scattered semierect hairs 1.3–1.6 times MOD; T6–T7 entirely covered with decumbent hairs. Hairs on apical margins of S2– S5 1.4 –1.7 times MOD, on disc of S6 short and even, 0.25 times MOD, but on apical margin longer, 0.5–0.7 times MOD. Punctures on clypeus even, small (0.10–0.15 times MOD), separated by 0.5–1.0 times their diameter. Punctures on anterior part of scutum and mesopleuron similar to those of clypeus, on posterior half of scutum sparse; scutellum punctate throughout, without impunctate basal band. Metapostnotum dull, finely tessellate. Vertex of head strongly elevated behind ocelli, distance from median ocellus to vertex in frontal view 1.5 times MOD. Proportion of UID to LID 1:0.90; IAD to AOD 1:0.45. Proportion of scape, pedicel and first three flagellomeres 2.3:0.5:1:0.5:0.5; first flagellomere as long as 1.5 times its apical width. Mandible tapering apically. Metapostnotum with basal portion slanting posteriorly, convex when seen in profile. T7 ending apically in two short points separated by a U-shaped notch. S7, S8 and genital capsule similar to those of L. monteana .

Etymology. The name of the species refers to the country where the species occurs.

Material studied. Holotype male, Bolivia, Cochabamba, Chapare, Aguirre , 3200 m, XII-1950, Martínez ( MACN). Paratypes: 1 male, same data as holotype ( MACN).