Mexalictus (Mexalictus) punctatus 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 : 48-49

Mexalictus (Mexalictus) punctatus Dumesh , new species

( Figs. 144–145 )

Holotype. Female. MEXICO, Hidalgo, 11 mi E. Pachuca, 26 Aug 1962, 8200ft., Naumann & Roberts [ KUM].

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from others by the following combination: supraclypeal area slightly elongate; outer hind tibial spur ciliate, with teeth long and pointed; inter-ocular area shiny, punctures below antennae dense, and mesoscutum with punctures dense, evenly distributed throughout. This species is most similar to M. gibbsi , but can be differentiated by the finely and densely punctate mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (punctures coarser and sparser), and the nearly straight inner hind tibial spur (strongly curved).

Description. Female (Holotype): Body length 8.4mm, forewing length 6.3mm, head width 1.80–1.84mm, ITW 1.28–1.30mm. Head and mesosoma metallic green; pubescence pale whitish. Head: slightly longer than wide, L:W = 1.11:1. (1) Labrum and mandible: dark brown, with a subrectangular basal area raised medioapically with lateral areas shiny and flattened, narrow triangular distal process; basal area of mandible dark brown, mandible red apically. (2) Clypeus: shiny, apical third black; length slightly greater than length of supraclypeal area, nearly entire length below lower compound eye, weakly convex in lateral view, less protuberant than supraclypeal area. Punctures laterally separated by>1pd, medially separated by>2pd, becoming very sparse apically where punctures are large and coarse. (3) Supraclypeal area convex, slightly protuberant, greatest width nearly equal to length from upper clypeal margin to mid–level of antennal sockets; punctation usually even throughout, lateral areas with punctures separated by 1–2pd, central area with punctures sometimes slightly less dense, dulled area between antennal sockets more evident. (4) Lower paraocular area: punctures between antennal socket and compound eye separated by 1pd, becoming more sparse below socket towards supraclypeal area (1–2pd); inner margin of compound eye with extremely sparse fine punctures continuing to paraocular lobe. (5) Frontal area: frontal line carinate between antennae and continuing above antennal sockets, terminating at about 3MOD from median ocellus, without shiny impunctate triangle; compound eye more convex below than above; punctation coarse and crowded above antennae. (6) Vertexal area: shiny, vertex with weak transverse depression; IOD = 2.0MOD, OOD = 1.5MOD, OVD = 1.0MOD; area between lateral ocelli with fine and sparse punctures, vertex with punctures laterad to lateral ocellus separated by>2pd, becoming more dense towards compound eye (1–2pd). (7) Genal and hypostomal areas: genal area subequal to compound eye in lateral view or slightly larger, shiny and finely punctate, punctures ~2pd apart. (8) Antenna: scape reaching posterior median ocellus, pedicel slightly longer than wide, F2 and F3 subequal in size, both wider than long and shorter than F1, flagellomeres slightly increasing in length distally, F10 as wide as long. Mesosoma: (9) Pronotum: smooth, impunctate, more shiny dorsally; pronotal lobe pubescent, bearing pale branched hairs. (10) Mesoscutum: basal area dulled medially and along admedian line, otherwise entirely shiny; punctures dense throughout, separated by 1pd, with sparse larger deeper punctures separated by 4–6pd. (11) Mesoscutellum: shiny becoming slightly dulled apically, with an imarginate midline through basal half; punctures similar to those of mesoscutum. (12) Metanotum: mostly dull, may appear somewhat shiny at certain angles, with extremely minute punctures. (13) Mesopleuron: obscurely punctate, somewhat shiny, pre-episternum entirely shiny and densely punctate, punctures deep and separated by <1pd; hypoepimeral area shiny and sparsely punctate (>2pd), punctures coarser above becoming fine below. (14) Metapleuron: transversely striate basally, otherwise shiny and polished. (15) Metapostnotum and propodeum: metapostnotum shiny and smooth throughout, but weakly granular baso-medially, striation present basally, somewhat fine, extending to apical; propodeum with punctures sparse and obscured laterally, absent posteriorly. (16) Wings: clear, veins and stigma brown, membrane slightly infuscate; first recurrent vein meeting at or 1.5 vein widths basad of second transcubital vein; second submarginal cell with anterior margin 2/3 length of posterior margin. (17) Tegula: punctate anteriorly, with few long branched hairs distally, posteriorly transparent. (18) Foreleg: hairs pale golden on tarsi, metafemoral brush and anterior tibia; coxa, trochanter, and femur with branching shorter erect hairs; pubescence on tibia and basitarsus dense, hairs long, not branched. (19) Middle leg: as foreleg, hairs brownish on outer surfaces of tibia and basitarsus as well as basitibial plate; tibia with lateral patch of pale, long and dense pubescence on apical 2/3. (20) Hind leg: as middle leg, coxa and trochanter with long, branching, pale pubescence; femoral scopa well formed with long branching hairs; tibia densely pubescent, hairs long and erect; basitarsus with several branched hairs, pubescence less dense than on tibia; femur 3X as long as greatest width; tibia 4X as long as greatest width; basitarsus 3.5X as long as greatest width; tibial spurs translucent yellow, apically darkened; inner hind tibial spur microserrate, with over 15 short, close teeth; outer hind tibial spur weakly curved at apical 1/3. Metasoma: (21) Terga: dark brown basally becoming lighter brown toward apical margin with margin somewhat hyaline, nearly entirely shiny, metallic reflections absent; T2–T4 with minute punctures present basally, separated by 2–4pd, apically shiny and impunctate, T5 with punctures more coarse and sparse; T1 smooth and shiny, branching pubescence present laterally and anteriorly, pubescence pale on T1–T4, darker on T5, reddish to dark brown apical and pseudopygidial area, T4 bearing only long branched pubescence, apical impressed areas translucent, T5 with dense pubescence, branched hairs longer than unbranched, black anteriorly, golden posteriorly. (22) Sterna: ventral hairs long, plumose and pale, brownish on anterior surface of S5–S6, long pubescence on S1 near crossing with mesosoma.

Male: unknown.

Material examined. MEXICO, Hidalgo, 11 mi E. Pachuca, 26 Aug 1962, 8200ft., Naumann & Roberts (holotype female [ KUM]) .

Etymology. This species is named for its dense and uniform punctation, relative to other species of the genus, especially on the clypeus, mesoscutum, mesopleuron, and metasomal terga.

Figures

FIGURES 144–145. Mexalictus punctatus Dumesh, n. sp., 144. Female lateral habitus, 145. Female head. Scale bars = 1mm.