Mexalictus (Georgealictus) albofasciatus Dumesh, 2013

DUMESH, SHEILA, 2013, <p> <strong> Revision of the rare Mesoamerican bee genus <em> Mexalictus </ em> (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) with the description of </ strong> <br /> <strong> 21 new species </ strong> </ p>, Zootaxa 3708 (1), pp. 1-80 : 57-59

Mexalictus (Georgealictus) albofasciatus Dumesh , new species

( Figs. 162–163 )

Holotype. Female. HONDURAS, Francisco Morazan, 23.2kms N Tegucigalpa, La Tigra , 2100m, 8 June 1994, Brooks & Ashe [ KUM].

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from others in the subgenus by the following combination: head and mesosoma metallic green; more apical terga hyaline with pale apical bands of pubescence, metallic reflections present on metasoma.

Description. Female (Holotype): Body length 8.8mm, wing length 7.0– 7.1mm, head width 2.0mm, ITW 1.34–1.35mm. Head: round, L:W = 1.02:1; metallic green. (1) Labrum and mandible: labrum with subrectangular basal area, basal elevation sulcate, with a medial depression, narrow triangular distal process; mandible basally black, becoming red in apical 2/5. (2) Clypeus: metallic green in basal 1/3, becoming shiny brown-black apically; length 0.8X length of supraclypeal area, 3/4 of length below lower ocular tangent, weakly convex in lateral view, slightly less protuberant than supraclypeal area; punctures dense laterally and basally, separated by less than <1pd, somewhat interrupted medially, punctures becoming more sparse, larger and coarser apically. (3) Supraclypeal area: mostly dull except basal shiny area around antennal sockets; convex, slightly more protuberant than clypeal area; apical width subequal to length; punctation slightly denser laterally, punctures separated by 1–2pd, becoming sparser medially. (4) Lower paraocular area: mostly dull becoming shiny towards paraocular lobe; punctation becoming less crowded below antennae, especially towards supraclypeal area (2pd); paraocular lobe very finely punctate. (5) Frontal area: frontal line carinate only between antennae, from basal third of supraclypeal area to upper antennal margins, with a visible shiny line reaching median ocellus; punctures dense and crowded; compound eye more convex below than above. (6) Vertexal area: shiny, with a weak transverse depression; OOD = 1.6MOD, IOD = 1.5MOD, OVD = 1.1MOD; punctures dense and crowded, separated by 0.25pd at most, coarse and crowded medially, more separated laterally. (7) Genal and hypostomal areas: genal area shiny, narrower than compound eye in lateral view; punctures separated by 1–2pd above and>3pd below, hypostomal area nearly impunctate, bare and slightly dull. (8) Antenna: scape reaching past median ocellus, pedicel slightly longer than wide, F2 shorter than F1, flagellomeres slightly increasing in length apically, F2–F5 wider than long, F6–F9 quadrate, F10 longer than wide. Mesosoma: entirely metallic green (9) Pronotum: smooth, impunctate, shinier laterally than dorsally, nearly bare; pronotal lobe pubescent, bearing pale branched hairs. (10) Mesoscutum: mostly dull, slightly shiny laterally; granular along margins and median line; pubescence yellow with several black hairs mostly evident anteriorly; punctures separated by 1pd in central disc becoming more sparse anteriorly, separated by 2–3pd. (11) Mesoscutellum: entirely shiny, medial line slightly raised basally; punctures fine and dense around margins and medial line (1pd), well separated on central disc (>2pd). (12) Metanotum: entirely shiny below pubescence; punctures extremely fine, separated by 3–4pd. (13) Mesopleuron: dull, punctures shallow and well separated (2–3pd); pre-episternum with punctation similar to mesopleuron, punctures deep and coarse anteriorly; hypoepimeral area and central episternum dull, with fine scattered punctures above, impunctate below; pubescence erect, with few dark hairs among light hairs. (14) Metapleuron: shiny, but somewhat granular, transversely striate basally, with black minute pubescence. (15) Metapostnotum and propodeum: metapostnotum basally shiny becoming granular baso-medially, with a slight depression, 0.80X length of mesoscutellum; striation present basally, normal and strong throughout, extending near 1/2 dorsal surface; propodeum strongly sloping posteriorly, white and long hairs present laterally and posteriorly. (16) Wings: marginal cell tinted dark brown, venation dark brown on marginal and basal veins; 1 st recurrent vein meeting 2 vein widths basad of 2 nd transcubital vein. (17) Tegula: dark brown, anteriorly dull becoming shiny posteriorly, punctate with longer, dark pubescence anteriorly. (18) Foreleg: tarsi with hairs dark reddish, basitarsus parallel sided, about 4X as long as width, hairs thick, erect and spine-like with a lateral patch of short golden erect hairs distally; tibia distally broadened, about 2.5X as long as greatest width, with dark brown-black erect hairs, longest ventrally; femur about 3X as long as greatest width, with branched dark sparse hairs ventrally, nearly bare dorsally; trochanter slender, about 2X as long as distal width, with hairs erect; coxa subtriangular, slightly depressed laterally, with branched hairs, a mixture of dark and pale hairs. (19) Middle leg: as foreleg, except as follows: basitarsus without lateral patch of short hairs distally; tibia with apicoventral patch of pale, long and dense pubescence on apical 2/3; femur with a lateral patch of dense short golden hairs proximally, and a patch of black long hairs near proximal margin; trochanter distally broadened, length 1.5X width; coxa somewhat hidden within ventral pleuron. (20) Hind leg: as middle leg, except as follows: basitarsus 3.5X as long as greatest width with several branched hairs, pubescence less dense than on tibia; tibia slender, 4X as long as greatest width, densely pubescent, hairs brown-black, long and erect; femur 4X as long as greatest width, without lateral patch of hairs, scopa well developed, with long brown branching hairs, somewhat sparse; trochanter and coxa with long, branching, black pubescence; trochanter much shorter, nearly as long as wide; coxa similar to that of foreleg; tibial spurs translucent yellow-brown, apically darkened; inner hind tibial spur microserrate, with about 15 teeth; outer hind tibial spur weakly curved at apical 1/3. Metasoma: (21) Terga: T1 shiny brown with a medial yellow band apical margin hyaline, minutely punctate; T2–T5 dull and brassy with green metallic reflections, apical hyaline revealing pale hairs below, narrow pale bands of pubescence on apical terga; pubescence pale, long and branched on T1, short and dark on T2–T4, long and dark on T5, sparse long hairs about 3X as long as short erect hairs. (22) Sterna: S1 with white long pubescence basally, S2–S5 with hairs long and black, present on apical half of sternite, S6 with few short and erect black hairs on apex, otherwise bare.

Male: unknown

Material examined. HONDURAS, Francisco Morazan, 23.2kms N Tegucigalpa, La Tigra , 2100m, 8 June 1994, Brooks & Ashe (holotype female [ KUM]) .

Etymology. This species is named for its pale metasomal bands of pubescence, its main defining characteristic.

Figures

FIGURES 162–163. Mexalictus albofasciatus Dumesh, n. sp., 162. Female lateral habitus, 163. Female head. Scale bars = 1mm.