Chilicola (Oroediscelis) capillitas Packer and Dumesh, 2019

Packer, Laurence & Dumesh, Sheila, 2019, Fifteen new species of Chilicola (Oroediscelis) (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Xeromelissinae) with illustrated keys to the males and females of the subgenus, Zootaxa 4559 (1), pp. 1-56 : 4-7

Chilicola (Oroediscelis) capillitas Packer and Dumesh , new species

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( Figs. 5–11 , 84 , 149 , 151 )

Diagnosis. The male of C. capillitas can be differentiated from those of all other species of C. ( Oroediscelis ) by the combination of: yellow marks on clypeus present; processes on S5 absent; and form of the processes on S4 which are long, comparatively straight, not apically concave and, in profile, slightly concave ventrally towards the apex which is produced slightly ventrally and weakly hook-like. Other species with yellow on the clypeus, lacking processes on S5, and with long processes on S4 have the latter bent ventrally and diverging apically ( C. cuzcoensis Michener ), apically concave ( C. styliventris Friese , C. abrebotellas Packer and Dumesh , n. sp., C. fritzi Packer and Dumesh , n. sp.), or with processes relatively short and flat apicoventrally ( C. rozeni Packer and Dumesh , n. sp.). The female can be differentiated by the combination of: malar space approximately 3/4 as long as wide; metapostnotum with nearly all striae surpassing midlength; and punctures on vertexal area large and dense.

Description. Male: Length 6.5 mm; forewing length 4.5 mm, head width 1.6 mm.

Head: about 1.1 X as long as wide, L:W 91:81. Clypeus with apical yellow band, paraocular area yellow to above level of dorsal margin of clypeus, mandible with basal yellow maculation (variable in size). Clypeus and supraclypeal area punctures small, distinct, irregularly spaced, i=1–4 d and i=0.5–4 d respectively; lower paraocular area punctures sparse below, i~d above; frontal area deeply alveolate-punctate. Clypeus with weak longitudinal depression. Malar space 3/4 as long as wide (9:12); lower ocular tangent above middle of clypeus. Longest hairs on face 3 MOD; genal beard with hairs 4 MOD posteriorly. First flagellomere as long as second on anterior surface (12:12) but longer on posterior surface (15:12); F2 and F3 with one subapical seta as long as succeeding flagellomere and one approximately half as long.

Mesosoma: pronotum finely, densely punctate; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum punctures distinct, mostly i=0.5–1d, with a few larger interspaces on discs; metanotum irregularly punctate, i=0.5–2 d; mesepisternum punctures i~d, sparser above scrobal groove; metepisternum longitudinally striate above, shiny weakly microsculptured below; obscurely, sparsely punctate throughout. Metapostnotum shorter than mesoscutellum (17:20); with fine, longitudinal, irregular, sometimes anastomosing and interrupted striae; lateral surface of propodeum coarsely imbricate; weakly, sparsely punctate. Longest hairs of mesosoma 3.5 MOD, on mesepisternum, metanotum laterally and dorsolateral area of propodeum; longest hairs on mesoscutum ~1.4 MOD. Stigma shorter than marginal cell on wing margin (35:47), distal stigmal perpendicular slightly apical to first submarginal crossvein. Metafemur with posteroventral margin sharp. Metatibia more than 3X as long as greatest depth, 64:19, which is at apex of apical tooth of posterior crest; subapical brush incomplete; bare area of ventral surface shining, without microsculpture; posterior crest mostly straight, ending in a strong, acute tooth; anterior crest evenly rounded in anterior view. Metabasitarsus shorter than remaining tarsomeres combined (44:55), ventral process at basal 1/4, anterior process at midlength, apex of anterior process somewhat obtuse to somewhat acute (the two sides of the holotype vary). Metasoma: somewhat dull due to microsculpture except apical impressed areas shiny; punctures distinct, i~d on disc, apical impressed areas finely punctate to close to apex, i=1–2 d; apicolateral patches of white, plumose hairs on T1–T3. S1 longest hairs posteriorly, 2.2 MOD; S2 longest hairs anterolaterally, 3 MOD; S3 apicolateral erect hairs <2 MOD; S4 long hairs anterolaterally, 3 MOD; S5 long hairs anterolaterally, 4 MOD; apical fringe of robust setae absent; S6 hair tuft ~2 MOD. S2 with weak and S3 with strong sublateral bosses; processes of S4 long, <4 MOD, subparallel in ventral view, inner margins slightly curved laterad; in profile, ventral surface straight except weakly concave for apical 1/3, apex pointed; S5 unmodified; S6 apicolateral fovea 3X longer than wide, mesal margin raised, surface of disc concave; apical impressed area distinct, membranous, long, 1.1 MOD, hair fringe subequal in length to apical impressed area. Terminalia : refer to Figs. 7–9 .

Female: As in male except for usual secondary sexual characteristics (number and form of flagellomeres, number of metasomal terga and sterna, terminalia , and leg and sternal modifications in males) and as follows: Length 6.5 mm, forewing length, 5 mm, head width 1.6 mm. Face and mandibles black. Frontal area distinctly punctate, i <d; facial fovea punctures very shallow and sparse relative to rest of frontal area; pronotum finely and more sparsely punctate; mesoscutal punctures somewhat smaller, i=1–1.5 d; mesepisternal punctures sparser, i=1– 4 d; metasomal terga with punctures smaller and sparser, i = 1–3 d. Metapostnotum more regularly and completely striate; apical impressed area microsculpture as strong as on disk.

Material studied. Holotype male: ARGENTINA: Catamarca, Cuesta Minas Capillitas, 3000m, 30.xii.1973, J.L. Neff [CTMI]. An additional label bearing the number 84393, refers to host plant: Senecio L. ( Asteraceae ) (Neff, personal communication); specimen also bears a handwritten label (in Padre Moure’s handwriting) “ Oediscelis cf styliventris ”. Paratypes: same data as holotype, but 18.ii.1973, 3000m, collected from flowers of Stevia Cav. (Asteraceae) “#378” and bearing labels numbered 79659 and 79660; same locality, but with date of 28.i.1973 and label numbered 78557, three females [CTMI, except one at PCYU]; ARGENTINA, Tucumán, Tafi, 2400m, ii.1986, M. Fritz, one male [AMNH]; ARGENTINA, La Rioja, Jagüe, 1855m, 13.xii.2003, L. Stange & P. Fidalgo, two males, [FLAST and PCYU]. An additional male from [SEMC] appears to be conspecific with this species, differing primarily in a somewhat enlarged area of yellow on the clypeus and slightly more densely punctate metasomal terga. This specimen bears no locality, date or collector information other than a small label with the number 4. It has been labeled as “ C. (O.) capillitas ?” [See Figs. 184–185 for distribution map].

Variation: The extent of yellow on the clypeus, lower paraocular area, and mandible varies with the specimen labeled “4” having the yellow attain almost the midlength of the clypeus medially, on the paraocular area almost attaining the antennal socket, and on the mandible attaining the subapical tooth. The specimen from La Rioja has weaker clypeal imbrication and more uniformly large clypeal punctures than the other specimens, the yellow on the mandible only reaching halfway to the subapical tooth (similar to holotype). The specimen from Tucumán has a much-reduced yellow marking on the mandible, restricted to the basal quarter. Specimen “4” has shorter pubescence on S2, ~1.5 MOD. The sculpture on the ventral surface of the metatibia varies among males from completely smooth to slightly imbricate (most imbricate in specimen from Tucumán) .

Etymology. The species is named after the small mining town of Capillitas in the Nevados del Aconquija mountain range in Argentina from near to which the longest series of specimens was collected. The name is to be considered a noun in apposition.

Comments. The form of the apicolateral lobe of S7 deserves comment. In the preparation of the holotype, the lobe is folded such that the two parts are closely approximated. In other specimens, the two parts are at right angles to each other or almost completely on the same plane as each other. The specimen from Tucumán has one lobe flat and the other one folded and closely approximated. Manipulation of the specimen from locality “4” demonstrated that the folding can be instigated simply by depressing the disc of the sternum, suggesting that the fold in the lobe can be opened or closed during mating.

Figures

FIGURES 5–11. Chilicola caPillitas. 5. male lateral habitus (holotype); 6. male face (holotype); 7. male genital capsule, dorsal view (holotype); 8. male S7, dorsal view (holotype); 9. male S8, dorsal view (holotype); 10. female lateral habitus (paratype); 11. female face (paratype).

FIGURES 83–84. Lateral view of metasomal apex to show process of S4 and S5. 83. process of S4 strongly upturned and process of S5 present (red line) (C. abrebotellas paratype); 84. process of S4 straight and narrowing apically and process of S5 absent (C. caPillitas holotype).

FIGURES 149–150. Metapostnotum, dorsal view, to show striae. 149. long, moderately dense and fine (C. caPillitas paratype); 150. short, relatively sparse and coarse (C. carPenteri paratype).

FIGURES 151–152. T1–T2 dorsal view to show: 151. presence (C. caPillitas paratype) and 152. absence of punctation on apical impressed area medially (C. carPenteri paratype).

FIGURES 184–185. Distribution maps of newly described Chilicola (Oroediscelis) species. 184. Large scale map of South America showing distribution of new species; 185. Small scale map of northern Argentina to show distribution within the country.