Neofidelia apacheta Dumesh and Packer

Dumesh, Sheila & Packer, Laurence, 2013, Three new species of Neofidelia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Megachilidae) from Northern Chile, Zootaxa 3609 (5), pp. 471-483 : 472-476

Neofidelia apacheta Dumesh and Packer , new species.

( Figs. 1–2 , 3, 6, 7 , 10–13 , 24 , 30 )

Diagnosis: For females, the combination of metabasitarsus dorsally concave and laterally curved, and metabasitarsal fringe mostly pale is unique ( Figs. 3 a and 3b). Other species have the dorsal surface of the metabasitarsus straight in profile ( Fig. 4 ) with the exception of N. profuga in which the fringe hairs are brownblack (as they are also in N. longirostris ) ( Fig. 5 ). For males, the combination of metatibial inner process angulate ( Fig. 6 ) and apex of pygidial plate truncate ( Fig. 7 ) is unique. All other species have a rounded inner process to the metatibia ( Fig. 8 ) except for N. camanchaca which has a rounded apex to the pygidial plate ( Fig. 9 ).

Description: Male: Dimensions: Length 9.8–11.3 mm, forewing length 6.3–7.7 mm, head breadth 2.3–2.8 mm, ITW 1.6–1.9 mm.

Colouration: Integument black, except: ventral surface of antenna brown; apex of clypeus and of mandible reddish; malar space with apical reddish-orange spot; tarsi reddish brown; apical impressed areas of terga brown becoming translucent apically; T6 mostly yellow ochre, apex red-brown, base suffused with dark brown.

Pubescence: Hairs mostly pale yellowish white, longest on mesopleuron (6.5MOD), metafemur (4–5MOD), and genal area below (5MOD); pubescence of face most dense on antennal scape, supraclypeal area, and upper third of clypeus; pubescence long and dense on mesosoma except metapleuron below and propodeum anterolaterally; mesotarsus with long hairs (4MOD); metatibia with dense long pubescence on ventral surface (3MOD); T1 with long hairs on disc (4MOD), T1–T7 with long hairs laterally, longest on T5–T7 (3.5MOD), T7 bare on apical half; S1–S5 with long (<3MOD) suberect hairs laterally, parallel to surface and shorter (<2MOD), erect hairs on disc; S6–S7 with dense ventrally oriented hairs (1MOD and 1.7MOD, respectively).

Sculpture: Clypeus coarsely and densely punctate on basal 1/4 (<1pd), finely and sparsely punctate on apical 3/ 4 (3–4pd); supraclypeal area punctures coarse, crowded; metafemur imbricate and densely punctate (<1pd), punctures slightly sparser anteroventrally (1–1.5pd); terga with basal areas densely and coarsely punctate (≤1pd), punctures sparser medially (~2pd), medially (~2pd), apical impressed areas shiny and impunctate, T5–T7 slightly more coarsely punctate than other terga; T2 with weak transverse wrinkles on posterior half of disc; pygidial plate imbricate, surface irregularly wrinkled, mostly impunctate except for sparse punctures basally and large punctures along lateral margins; sterna more densely punctate than terga (1–2pd).

Structure: Head broader than long (59:66), clypeus only slightly more protuberant than breadth of compound eye (16:15); labrum 1.3X as long as broad; mouthparts elongate, surpassing procoxa in repose; scape 2X as long as broad, pedicel as long as broad, F1 1.7X as long as broad, F2–F3 broader than long, F4–F5 with length and breadth subequal, F6–F11 longer than broad; mouthparts elongate, labial palpus 1.35X as long as head, glossa and labial palpus subequal in length; mesoscutellum strongly convex; metafemur swollen (L:B 80:45), subapical angle 1/3 femur length from apex, approximately right angular, apical angle 1/6 femur length from apex, clearly obtuse; metatibia apically broadened (L:B 65:24), ventral surface with two longitudinal ridges, outer ridge strongly carinate, inner surface carinate on apical 1/3, both outer and inner ridges with sharp apicoventral angulation 1/4 from apex; pygidial plate enclosed by carina, apex truncate. Genitalia: gonostylus extending slightly beyond apex of penis valve, with translucent area less than 1/2 length of gonostylus ( Fig. 10–11 ); S7 strongly sclerotized medially, apical margin weakly concave and with small apicomedian convexity ( Fig. 12 ); S8 apically rounded ( Fig. 13 ).

Female: As in male except as follows:

Dimensions: Length 7.2–10.6 mm, forewing length 5.1–6.3 mm, head breadth 2.06–2.6 mm, ITW 1.5–2.0 mm.

Colouration: Tarsomeres golden-brown basally, brown apically.

Pubescence: Hairs long on genal area below, profemur, mesotarsus, and sternal scopa (4MOD), longest apicodorsally on metatibia (6MOD) and metabasitarsus (5MOD); metabasitarsus and metatibia with pale brown hairs, those on metatibial fringe darkened towards their apices; on face most dense on supraclypeal area and lower paraocular area; on clypeus less dense than on rest of face, not obscuring surface beneath; on mesosoma shorter on dorsal surfaces, longer on mesopleuron, lower half of metapleuron bare; metabasitarsal fringe long, laterally divergent ~45˚ from vertical; T1–T5 with long hairs covering terga except apical impressed areas bare; T6 entirely bare.

Sculpture: Face with punctation very fine, coarsest on upper paraocular area and between lateral ocelli, sparse on vertexal area (2pd), smooth and impunctate between lateral ocellus and compound eye, punctures fine on lower paraocular area (2–3pd), supraclypeal area densely punctate (1pd), clypeus finely and sparsely punctate (3pd) with poorly demarcated impunctate median line, genal area finely punctate (1–2pd); mesoscutum finely and irregularly punctate; mesoscutellum shiny, impunctate on anterior 1/4, elsewhere 1–2pd; mesopleuron with punctures sparser posteriorly and on lower third; lower half of metapleuron impunctate, upper half sparsely punctate (2–4pd); dorsal surface of metabasitarsus shiny and impunctate; lateral surface of propodeum minutely punctate, (1–2pd), posterior surface with some larger, sparser punctures; metasomal terga with basal areas sparsely punctate, apical impressed areas impunctate, T1–T2 finely punctate on discs (4–5pd), punctures sparser but somewhat coarser on T3–T5, pygidial plate coarsely imbricate without conspicuous punctures; sterna more densely punctate (1–2pd), punctures largely hidden below dense scopal hairs.

Structure: Head broader than long (L:B 47:51); clypeus more protuberant than breadth of compound eye (55:50) and apical lip only slightly convex in lateral view; labrum 1.5X as long as broad; antennal scape 2.2X as long as broad, pedicel as long as broad, F1 2X as long as broad, F2–F3 broader than long, F4–F5 about as long as broad, F6–F10 longer than broad; metabasitarsus with outer margin and dorsal surface slightly longitudinally convex, breadth of glabrous dorsal surface ~1/5th as long as the basitarsus, and subequal to MOD (breadth:length:MOD 6:31:6); terga with apical impressed areas triangular, medially occupying almost half length of tergum, narrowing laterally, occupying 1/7th length of tergum.

Material Studied: Holotype male, allotype female, 126 female and 46 male paratypes as follows: Holotype male, allotype female, 3 female and 1 male paratypes: CHILE, Region I, 62km E. of Pozo Almonte, -20.28928 - 69.21951. 2464m, 14.iv.2012, L. Packer, ex Nolana tarapacana . Additional paratypes, all collected by the junior author, are as follows: same locality as holotype but 15–16.iv.2012, pan and cup traps, 14 females and 2 males; same locality except 21.iv.–10.v.2012, pan and cup traps, 43 females and 8 males. Region I, ~ 70km E. Pozo Almonte, -20.29732 -69.14223, 2969m, 16–21.iv.2012, L. Packer, pan traps, 3 females and 1 male; Region I, ~ 73km E. Pozo Almonte, -20.31233 -69.12930, 3137m, 16–21.iv.2012, pan and cup traps, 4 females and 2 males; same locality except 21.v.2012, 1 male ex Nolana tarapacana ; Region I, Mamigna vertedero, -20.06175 - 69.22181, 2660m, 16–21.iv.2012, pan and cup traps, 10 females and 1 male; same locality except 21.iv.-10.v.2012, pan and cup traps, 3 females and 10 males. Region I, 4km NW Mamigna, -20.06371 -69.23058. 2683m, 16–21.iv.2012, pan and cup traps, 20 females and 8 males; same locality except 21.iv.–10.v.2012, 6 females and 8 males; Region I, S. of Cerro Colorado, -20.08888 -69.28450, 2386m, 16–21.iv.2012, pan and cup traps, 1 female and 1 male; same locality except 21.iv.–10.v.2012, pan and cup traps, 7 females and 1 male; Region I, Hwy 31 59km, Pampa de Chaca,-18.73617 -69.75206, 2175m, 20.iv.–11.v.2012, cup trap, 2 females; Region I, Hwy 31 55.6km, Pampa de Chaca -18.74978 -69.78452, 2989m, 20.iv.–11.v.2012, pan traps, 3 females; same locality except 1935m, 19.iv.–12.v.2012, vane trap, 4 females and 1 male; Region XV, Hwy 11 65km, -18.47355 - 69.84498, 1935m, 19.iv–12.v.2012, L. Packer, pan traps, 3 females and 1 male; Region XV, Planta Quiborax, - 18.44193 -69.89268, 1660m, 19.iv.–13.v. 2012, L. Packer, pan trap, 1 female.

All specimens are housed at PCYU with the exception of two females and one male (Praz-Litman collection, Neuchatel); one female (personal collection of Rolando Humire); two males and five females, including holo- and allotypes (PUCV); one male and one female at AMNH. Paratypes will be sent to various additional museums in due course.

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the cairn-like piles of stones that the Aymara peoples of northern Chile constructed as part of ritual offerings made by travellers in the hope of a safe journey. Several such “apachetas” are given official archaeological site status in the vicinity of the type locality.

Variation: This species varies considerably in size: the smallest female is slightly more than 2/3 the size of the largest. Males are somewhat less variable in size, with the smallest being 4/5 the size of the largest. None of the important diagnostic features of the species shows clear allometric variation. The colour, sculpture and shape of the female pygidial plate varies: although it is always yellowish for most of its length and coarsely imbricate basally, the extent of yellow varies and some individuals have it smooth and shiny for the apical ¼. The angle subtended by the sides of T6 varies from less than 60° to almost 80°.

straight (4a), in dorsal view to show dorsal surface parallel sided and dark fringe (4b); Fig. 5 . N. profuga female metabasitarsus to show dorsal surface with weaker longitudinal concavity and dark fringe; Fig. 6 . N. apacheta male metatibia to show angulate inner process; Fig. 7 . N. apacheta male pygidial plate to show truncate apex; Fig. 8 . N. longirostris male metatibia to show rounded inner process; Fig. 9 . N. camanchaca male pygidial plate to show rounded apex. Scale bars = 1mm.

Floral hosts: Netted specimens were collected on Nolana tarapacana I.M.Johnst. (Solanaceae) and those from pan traps were almost always from areas with abundant flowering plants of this species.

Comments: The discovery of N. apacheta is perhaps somewhat surprising as the areas where it was found had been searched by the junior author, also using pan traps, at the same time of year in 2000 and again in 2004 (Genaro and Packer, 2005; Packer, 2005). However, the summer rains (“invierno Boliviano”) were much more plentiful in 2012, in some areas being the strongest in ~30 years (Humire, personal communication) and in others the strongest in over 90 years (Larrain, personal communication). The junior author does not recall seeing No. tarapacana in flower during the earlier visits. Other bees not seen in the earlier fieldwork were also discovered abundantly, including an undescribed species of Xeromelissa which also seems to specialize upon the flowers of No. tarapacana . The known distribution of No. tarapacana (Dillon, personal communication) is almost identical to the known localities for N. apacheta with the exception that the floral host has also been found at lower elevations (down to 1200m in the Pampa de Tamarugal). While other species of Neofidelia are active after winter rain, including the two species described below, N. apacheta has only been found after the summer rain which is the main source of precipitation at higher altitudes in the far north of Chile. However, flowering No. tarapacana has been collected in October and November and so it is possible that N. apacheta may also be found after a rare winter rainfall in the north of Chile.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Fig. 1. N. apacheta male lateral habitus; Fig 2. N. apacheta female lateral habitus. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 3 – 9. Fig. 3. N. apacheta female metabasitarsus in lateral view to show dorsal concavity (3 a), in dorsal view to show lateral curvature and pale fringe (3 b); Fig. 4. N. longirostris female metabasitarsus in lateral view to show dorsal surface

FIGURES 10 – 13. Fig. 10. N. apacheta genital capsule (dorsal); Fig. 11. N. apacheta genital capsule (ventral); Fig. 12. N. apacheta S 7; Fig. 13. N. apacheta S 8. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 23, 24. Fig. 23. N. submersa female side view of head to show strong protuberance of clypeus; Fig. 24. N. apacheta female side view of head to show weaker protuberance of clypeus. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 29 – 33. Fig. 29. N. profuga head to show clypeus extending only slightly below lower ocular tangent; Fig. 30. N. apacheta head to show clypeus extending further below lower ocular tangent; Fig. 31. N. submersa male clypeus to show protuberant clypeal lip; Fig. 32. N. camanchaca male clypeus to show non-protuberant clypeal lip. Scale bars = 1 mm.