Austrosphecodes tartarus, Gonçalves & Pereira, 2022

Gonçalves, Rodrigo Barbosa & Pereira, Felipe Walter, 2022, New species of the cuckoo bee genus Austrosphecodes Michener, 1978 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecodini) and a key for Brazilian species, European Journal of Taxonomy 819, pp. 55-89 : 83-84

Austrosphecodes tartarus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BF540E2E-C673-48AA-BBFA-CCCEA88B687D

Figs 9 , 10D

Diagnosis

This species can be distinguished by the mesoscutum with a strong median sulcus (deeper than half the median ocellus diameter), and also covered with erect setae longer than the mid ocellus diameter. The only female has a black metasoma and tegulae dark amber, different from other species that have red and orange tints. The vertex has irregular carinae directed to the mid ocellus. Males are not known.

Etymology

According to Greek mythology, Tartarus is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans. The name is used as a proper noun in apposition.

Material examined

Holotype BRAZIL – Paraná • ♀; “DZUP\568519” “Brasil, PR, S. José dos\ Pinhais, 880m,\ 25.605º S 49.193ºW,\ 1-30.x.2016, A. C.\ Domahovski, Malaise ”; deposited in the Coleção Entomológica Pe. Jesus Santiago Moure, Curitiba, Brazil; DZUP 568519 .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Head width 1.9 mm, length 1.5 mm; intertegular distance 1.3 mm; body length about 8.0 mm.

HEAD. Labrum brown. Mandible mostly brown, as labrum; dark amber on apex; long setae on outer and ventral margins. Clypeus black; sulcate; basal margin arcuate in the middle; punctate to densely punctate (i<pd); surface strongly microreticulate; few sparse erect setae on middle; more concentrated yellowish long setae on lateral apex. Supraclypeal area black; dull; microrugulose in the middle; densely punctate (i<pd) near margins. Paraocular area black; dull; punctate to rugose; presence of yellowish setae, more concentrated at bottom; few setae on upper paraocular area. Antennae black; scape long, almost reaching mid ocellus; few erect setae on base; imbricate, with polished area; flagellomeres homogeneously covered with short whitish setae on ventral surface. Frons black; contiguously punctate to rugose; few sparse erect setae; not depressed above supraclypeal area. Vertex punctate near eye (i =pd), and densely punctate near ocelli (i <pd); dull interspaces; few short erect setae; rugose to carinate on back of ocelli, with irregular carinae directed to mid ocellus. Gena with erect yellowish setae; lateral view loosely rugose; dull; weakly covered with yellowish setae.

MESOSOMA. Pronotum black; dull; loosely rugose to strigate; few tomentum; lobe of pronotum black. Posterior margin of pronotum covered with tomentum. Prosternum black; dull; strigate-rugose. Fore leg. Coxa black; imbricate; few sparse setae; trochanter dark brown; longer setae on apex; femur dark brown on base, amber on apex; imbricate; darker on outer surface; mostly without setae on ventral surface; presence of erect setae on dorsal surface; tibia amber and tarsi amber; weakly covered with setae; tibial spur serrate on apex, with one sharp tooth. Mesoscutum black; punctate (i =pd) on middle; anterior border densely punctate; posterior margin sparsely punctate; polished interspaces; median sulcus strong defined; strigate-rugose near sulcus. Mesepisternum black; coarsely rugose; not polished; sparse long setae. Mid leg. Coxa and trochanter black to dark brown; imbricate; presence of whitish setae; femur dark brown to amber on apex of ventral surface; dark brown on outer surface, with presence of sparse setae; imbricate ventrally; tibia and tarsi amber, weakly covered with whitish setae; one simple tibial spur, amber. Tegula dark brown; concentric lineolate; polished in middle. Fore wing with 3 submarginal cells; 1 st m–cu reaching 2 nd submarginal cell on 2 nd rs–m. Scutellum black; more polished in the middle; imbricate near posterior margin; sparsely punctate. Metanotum black; rugulose; mostly covered with tomentum. Metepisternum rugose, with impressed carinae near top; weakly covered with tomentum. Hind leg. Coxa black to dark brown; imbricate; presence of long setae; trochanter and femur dark brown; imbricate; sparse setae; tibia dark amber on ventral surface, dark brown on outer surface weakly covered with whitish setae; tarsi dark brown; weakly covered with whitish setae; two simple tibial spurs, serrate, amber. Hind wing with 5 hamuli. Metapostnotum concave; margin trapezoidal, defined by a weak elevation; areolate-rugulose. Latero-dorsal surface gently declivitous, scrobiculate with long hollows. Latero-dorsal of propodeum weakly defined. Propodeum rugose; few tomentum.

METASOMA. T1 dark brown; very sparsely puncticulate. T2 black; mostly polished; row of short whitish setae on anterior margin. T3 black to dark amber on posterior margin; imbricate; short whitish setae on anterior margin; sparse long setae on middle to posterior margin. T4 black/dark brown; imbricate; weakly covered with whitish setae from anterior margin to middle. T5 black; imbricate; weakly covered with whitish setae; fimbriate on apex. Pygidial plate black/dark brown; imbricate; rounded apically. S1–S6 dark brown; imbricate; sparse long erect setae.

Figures

Fig. 9. Austrosphecodes tartarus sp. nov., holotype, ♀ (DZUP 568519). A. Head. B. Mesosoma. C. Propodeum and metasoma. Scale bar =1 mm.

Fig. 10. Geographic records map. A. Austrosphecodes asmodeus sp. nov., A. balrog sp. nov., A. brasiliensis (Schrottky, 1910). B. A. cerberus sp. nov., A gorgon sp. nov., A. inornatus (Schrottky, 1902). C. A. jurupari sp. nov., A. krampus sp. nov., A. lucifer sp. nov. D. A. minarum (Schrottky, 1910), A. orcus sp. nov., A. tartarus sp. nov.