Ruizantheda colombiana, Coelho & Engel, 2018

Coelho, Beatriz W. T. & Engel, Michael S., 2018, A new group of species within the bee genus Ruizantheda, with a revised key to the males of the genus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Caenohalictini), Zootaxa 4415 (3), pp. 513-532 : 517-519

Ruizantheda colombiana n. sp.

( Figures 4 , 11, 13 , 27 , 34–35 , 44 )

Diagnosis. Metatibia with subapical region concave ventrally ( Fig. 13 ) and rvl with projection formed by sclerotized area that partially borders a translucent and flat surface ( Figs. 34 , 44 ) are distinct autapomorphies for this species. Other diagnostic characters include: mesotrochanter with strong pointed keel ventro-proximally ( Fig. 11 ); S5 with minute U-shaped gradulus ( Fig. 27 ); and basal region of volsella L-shaped ( Fig. 34 ).

Description. Male: Size. Male. Length approximately 11.0 mm. Forewing length 8.0 mm. Intertegular distance 1.7 mm.

Colour. Head and mesosoma bright green, with blue highlights on clypeus, pronotum, and propodeum. About apical one third of clypeus with transverse yellow band. Mandible dark brown with reddish apex. Labral basal area yellow, labral distal process brown. Legs brown, pro- and metacoxae, pro- and mesofemora with faint green-blue highlights. Metasoma brown, discs of T1 and basal bands of T2–4 with blue-green highlights. Pygidial plate brown.

Pubescence. Compound eyes with brownish setae, approximately as long as ocellar diameter. Face with long, plumose, whitish setae, less-branched brownish setae on vertex, dark setae on clypeus. Lower paraocular area with strip of short, plumose, white setae along inner margin of compound eye. Mesosoma with brownish-yellow setae, except anterior margin of mesoscutum with white setae. Legs with whitish setae, except inner surface of tibiae with yellowish-white setae, golden on tarsi, and some blackish setae on outer surface of metatibia. Discs of T2–5 with semi-erect to semi-decumbent setae of variable length. Posterior marginal zone of T2 with many short, simple, appressed, whitish setae. Apicolateral lobes of S4 with tuft of branched setae and 7–9 stout, simple, recurved setae on margin, and the remainder with scattered few setae. S5 with conspicuous triangular patch of short, decumbent setae under minute U-shaped gradulus, setae becoming slightly longer toward apical margin; apical margin with setae simple and branched.

Structure. Head about as long as wide ( Fig. 4 ). Upper to lower interocular distance ratio about 1.2. Malar area linear. Mandible simple. Labral distal process in the form of a minute inverted triangle. Epistomal sulcus forming obtuse angle and slightly rounded. Clypeus almost entirely projecting below lower orbital tangent. Ocellocular area slightly concave. Vertex expanded behind ocelli. Frons slightly depressed. Preoccipital ridge rounded. Profemur swollen. Mesotrochanter with strong pointed keel ventro-proximally ( Fig. 11 ); mesofemur greatly swollen, ventrally flattened; mesotibia slightly swollen with flat, minutely ridged ventral area and small distal tooth on outer surface; mesobasitarsus less than two-thirds length of mesotibia, unmodified. Metatibia with subapical region concave ventrally ( Fig. 13 ). S4 shortened medially, largely hidden under S3, with transverse median depression and apical margin shallowly emarginate. Apical margin of S5 very shallowly emarginate, with minute U-shaped gradulus ( Fig. 27 ). Gradulus of S6 interrupted medially. S7 with median apical process angulate, short and without setae. S8 with median apical process broad and trapezoidal in shape, apical margin bearing lateral, membranous lobes, separated by a short and sclerotized surface (as Fig. 32), lobe medially rounded. Pygidial plate oval, very slightly truncate apically.

Genitalia ( Figs. 34–35 , 44 ). Basal region of gonobase with W-shaped in ventral view. Gonocoxae with outer margins divergent and convex near apex; inner dorsal margins progressively divergent, at about midpoint becoming slightly curved and much more divergent. Basal region of gonostylus with rvl sclerotized, long, more than one-half length of gonocoxite and rounded apically, with simple setae at extremity, overlapping those of opposing gonostylus; with median projection formed by sclerotized area that partially borders a translucent and flat surface; inner lobe present. Mgl crescent-shaped with outer surface expanded medially, and with scattered short setae. Ogp large, terminating before apex of mgl, with many long and plumose setae arising at juncture of ogp with mgl; outer margin less sclerotized, extending to ventral region and laterally forming an inflated area with cuticular wrinkles; clump of median, erect, plumose setae at base of ogp. Penis valve strongly arched in lateral view; strong, main, central dorsal ridge; apex pointed; outer lateral expansion bilobed, forming an obtuse angle between two sections, and without projection posteriorly; prong very narrow, extending past volsella posteriorly. Volsella medio-apical margin strongly emarginate; basal region L-shaped.

Sculpture. Upper paraocular area and frons densely punctate, with fine, contiguous punctures and scattered setal bases intermixed. Lower paraocular area with coarse punctures separated by 1–3 PD. Supraclypeal area sparsely punctured medially, becoming more densely punctured laterally. Disc of clypeus with coarse punctures separated by 1–3 PD. Face with surface between punctures microreticulate, weaker on clypeus. Mesoscutum with setal bases separated by 3–8 PD centrally, surface slightly roughened. Mesoscutellum with a few coarse setal bases centrally, becoming more densely punctured posteriorly and laterally (2–4 PD), surface with appearance bright. Pre-episternum with setal bases separated by 2–4 PD. Mesepisternum with setal bases separated by 2–6 PD. Metapostnotum with narrowly angulate triangular area defined by microareolate sculpture and a fine stria in the middle of metapostnotum, from the base to the apex. Surface between setal bases reticulate throughout mesosoma. Discs of T2–3 with fine punctures separated by 2–3 PD, sparsely punctate on apical margins, surfaces reticulate, slightly finer than remainder of body.

Distribution. Ruizantheda colombiana n. sp. is presently known only from Colombia.

Type material. Holotype male ( SEMC), “ COLOMBIA: Prov. Valle\ above Tenerife \ 7 Feb. 1977. 3300 m. \ M. Breed, C.D. Michener ” and “ HOLOTYPE \ Ruizantheda colombiana \ Coelho & Engel ” [red label]. Specimen lacking antennae, and with head, left metatibia, metatarsus, and metasoma glued to board.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the occurrence of the species in Colombia, one of the northernmost records for the genus.

Figures

FIGURES3–8. Male heads. 3, Ruizantheda nigra n. sp; 4, R.colombianan. sp.; 5, R.venezuelana n. sp.; 6, R. baeri (Vachal); 7, R. pilosa n. sp.; 8, R. gaullei (Vachal).

FIGURES 11–13. Male legs. 11–12, mesofemur and mesotrochanter: 11, Ruizantheda colombiana n. sp.; 12, R. venezuelana n. sp. 13, hind leg of R. colombiana n. sp.

FIGURES 26–27. Male.26, habitus, lateral view, Ruizanthedanigra n. sp. 27, S5,R. colombianan. sp.

FIGURES 34–37. Male genital capsule. 34, 36 ventral view; 35, 37 dorsal view. 34–35, R. colombiana n. sp.; 36–37, R. gaullei (Vachal).

FIGURES 42–44. Male. 42–43, genital capsule, ventral view; 44, gonostylus, ventral view. 42, Ruizantheda nigra n. sp.; 43, R.venezuelana n. sp.; 44, R. colombianan. sp.