Chlerogas aterrimus Engel, 2010

Engel, Michael, 2010, The bee genus Chlerogas in Bolivia (Hymenoptera, Halictidae), ZooKeys 46 (46), pp. 61-70 : 63-67

Chlerogas aterrimus Engel , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BA3957B7-CFBF-4402-880E-34F7413912BD

Figs 1–10

“ Chlerogas boliviensis Brooks and Engel ”; Engel, 2009a: 450 [♁, misidentifi cation].

Holotype. ♁, BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz [Department], Florida Prov. [Province], 11 km NE Achira, 1800 m, 3-xi-1999 [3 November 1999], C. Porter & L. Stange, cloud forest ( SEMC).

Paratypes. 1♁, 1♀, BOLIVIA: Sta. Cruz Dept. [Santa Cruz Department], Caballero Prov. [Manuel Maria Caballero Province], PN Amboró [Parque Nacional Amboró], 17º50'3"S, 64º23'26"W, 2030 m, X.17–20.2001 [17–20 October 2001], S. Spector & J. Ledezma, flight intercept trap ( AMNH).

Diagnosis. This species can be most readily recognized for the black to dark brown coloration and the basal area of the propodeum lacking distinct striae reaching to the apical margin. For those species in which males are known the structure of the exposed (vide infra) and hidden sterna (Figs 4–5), as well as the genitalia (Figs 6–7) are diagnostic.

Description. Male: Total body length 13 mm; forewing length 8.6 mm. Head 1.56 times longer than wide, narrower than mesosoma (length 3.23 mm, width 2.07 mm). Gena nearly as broad as compound eye in profile. Base of clypeus below lower tangent of compound eyes; lower interorbital distance 0.77 mm; upper interorbital

Figures I–3. Holotype male (SEMC) of Chlerogas aterrimus sp. n. I Lateral habitus 2 Facial aspect 3 Lateral aspect of head.

distance 0.93 mm; torular-ocular distance 0.20 mm; torular-median ocellar distance 0.65 mm; distance between lateral ocelli 0.23 mm; distance between lateral ocellus and median ocellus 0.08 mm; ocellocular distance 0.22 mm. Scape not reaching to lateral ocellus; pedicel as long as wide; FI as long as wide, about as long as pedicel, length 0.18 mm; remaining flagellomeres (F) longer than wide; FII 0.27 mm in length; FIII– IV each 0.40 mm in length; FV–VII each 0.43 mm in length; FVIII–IX each 0.47 mm in length; FX 0.67 mm in length. Intertegular distance 1.73 mm; mesoscutellum

Figures 4–7. Male terminalia of holotype of Chlerogas aterrimus sp. n. (scale bars = 1 mm) 4 Metasomal sternum VII 5 Metasomal sternum VIII 6 Genital capsule and everted endophallus with spicules omitted (left is dorsal aspect, right is ventral aspect) 7 Lateral aspect of genital capsule and endophallus (volsella omitted for clarity, spicules omitted on endophallus).

weakly bituberculate (paramedially). Basal area of propodeum shorter than mesoscutellum, slightly longer than metanotum. Forewing with basal vein distad cu-a by 1.5 times vein width; 1rs-m distad 1m-cu by twice vein width; 2rs-m distad 2m-cu by 7 times vein width; marginal cell length 2.3 mm, width 0.50 mm; first submarginal cell about as long as combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells (as measured along their posterior borders); second submarginal cell slightly narrowed anteriorly; anterior border of second submarginal cell along Rs shorter than anterior border of third submarginal cell; distal hamuli arranged 3-1-3. Inner metatibial spur with 3–4

Figures 8–I0. Paratype female (AMNH) of Chlerogas aterrimus sp. n. 8 Lateral habitus 9 Facial aspect I0 Lateral aspect of head.

branches, not including apical portion of rachis. Metasomal sternum IV apically with paramedial patches of dense golden setae; metasomal sternum V gently concave medially, with distinct, pale gold setae fringing apical borders except in medial concavity; metasomal sternum VI deeply concave medially, with dark gold to fuscous setae except medially along inner and proximal border of concavity; hidden sterna and genitalia as in figures 4–7.

Clypeus and supraclypeal area colliculate with coarse, shallow punctures separated by a puncture width or less; malar space colliculate; remainder of face with small, well-defined, nearly contiguous punctures, such punctures blending with colliculate integument on vertex; gena and postgena strongly imbricate to colliculate. Pronotum strongly imbricate; mesoscutum imbricate with small, well-defined punctures separated by less than a puncture width except punctures weak around midline and anteromedially, in such areas punctures separated by a puncture width or slightly more; mesoscutellum imbricate with punctures separated by a puncture width or slightly less, medially between tubercles punctures faint; metanotum faintly imbricate with small punctures separated by a puncture width or less; pleura strongly imbricate to colliculate with coarse, shallow punctures separated by 0.5–2 times a puncture width; lateral and posterior surfaces of propodeum imbricate with scattered small punctures on lateral surfaces, basal area strongly granular to imbricate, without distinct longitudinal striae reaching apical margin, although with exceedingly short, weak strigae at extreme base laterally and sometimes medially. Metasoma weakly imbricate, with scattered minute punctures.

Coloration of head, including scape and pedicel, and mesosoma black to dark brown (Figs 1–3); labrum, mouthparts, antennal flagellum, tegula, legs, and metasoma dark brown. Generally lacking metallic highlights except some scattered, faint, dark metallic blue to purple or coppery highlights on mesosoma and head; wings infumate. Pubescence generally white except as noted above.

Female: As described for the male with the following modifications: Total body length 13.1 mm; forewing length 9.3 mm. Head 1.56 times longer than wide, narrower than mesosoma (length 3.70 mm, width 2.19 mm). Lower interorbital distance 1.04 mm; upper interorbital distance 1.04 mm; torular-ocular distance 0.34 mm; torular-median ocellar distance 0.68 mm; distance between lateral ocelli 0.26 mm; distance between lateral ocellus and median ocellus 0.10 mm; ocellocular distance 0.26 mm. Intertegular distance 1.98 mm; mesoscutellum not tuberculate, faintly bigibbous. Inner metatibial spur with four branches, not including apical portion of rachis.

Pubescence of head and mesosoma intermingled with more erect black setae; setae of scape black; setae of legs black; tergal setae largely fuscous or fuscous golden apically.

Etymology. The specific epithet is based on the Latin term ater, meaning “black”, and is a reference to the dark coloration of this species relative to its Bolivian congener, C. boliviensis .