Chilicola (Chilioediscelis) araucana Toro and Moldenke

Willis, Erin & Packer, Laurence, 2008, Revision and phylogenetic analysis of Chilioediscelis (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 1762 (1), pp. 29-52 : 38-39

Chilicola (Chilioediscelis) araucana Toro and Moldenke

Diagnosis: Males of C. araucana can be separated from all other members of the subgenus except C. patagonica and C. penai by having the metatibia yellow with at most a small dark mark on the external surface. Males of all other species of Chiloediscelis have more extensive dark colouration on the hind tibia. Males of C. araucana and C. patagonica can be differentiated from one another by colour of their protibia and profemur. In C. araucana the protibia and profemur are mostly yellow, in C. patagonica the protibia is yellow only on the anterior surface and the profemur is mostly dark. Chilioediscelis araucana can be distinguished from C. penai by the colouration of the metabasitarsus. In C. araucana , the metabasitarsus is brown, in C. penai it is yellow basally. The female has a unique metasomal colouration, T1-T3 are dark brown and contrast markedly with the orange of T4-T6. Other Chilioediscelis (indeed, other Chilicola ) with a red or orange marked metasoma have extensive amounts of red on at least T2 and T3, in addition to the more apical terga.

Description: Male: length 6.8mm, forewing length 4.6mm, head width 1.8 mm, intertegular span 1.3mm.

Colouration: As in C. andina except yellow as follows, labrum below or entirely (varies among individuals); clypeus mostly; maculation on lower paraocular area to just above dorsal margin of clypeus (present along dorsolateral margin of the clypeus); spot on scape; pro- and mesobasitarsus entirely, pro- and mesotibia entirely, metatibia at most with a small dark spot and carina brown, pro- and mesofemora apically, metafemur with a dorsoapical spot.

Pubescence: As in C. andina .

Surface Sculpture: As in C. andina except as follows, punctures on labrum sparser and unevenly spaced (i=1–2d); punctures on lower paraocular area not noticeably deeper than those on clypeus; punctures on supraclypeal area sparser (i=1–3d); striae on gena extend close to mandible base; mesoscutum and mesopleuron with punctures denser (i=1–2d), not noticeably sparser on mesoscutum or above level of scrobe.

Structure: As in C. andina except as follows: Head: Labrum wider (12:35), not concave dorsally. Clypeus more strongly concave medially in apical view. Supraclypeal area broader (12:10). Vertex concave in frontal view. Eyes not as convergent below, UOD:LOD (37:32). OOC:IOC (9:11). Ratio of pedicel:F1:F2:F3 (6:7:7:7), flagellomeres only slightly longer than broad. Gena narrower (6:17);

Mesosoma: Ratio of scutellum:metanotum:propodeum (16:7:10). Scrobal groove entire. Ventral surface of metatrochanter acutely angulate in lateral view. Metafemur broader (47:23). Metatibia broader (40:15). Ratio of length of stigma to marginal cell on wing margin (18:33). Stigmal margin very weakly convex in marginal cell;

Metasoma: S7 as in C. andina except ventral lobe longer and dorsal lobe broader. S8 with apical lobe strongly convex laterally. Genital capsule elongate, parallel-sided.

Description: Female: Length 6.6mm, forewing length 4.2mm, head width 1.8 mm, intertegular span 1.3mm.

Colouration: As in C. andina except as follows, most of the anterior surface of the protibia and base of mesotibia yellow; T4 apically and T5 and T6 entirely orange.

Pubescence: As in C. andina .

Surface Sculpture: As in male except as follows, punctures finer, slightly sparser on lower paraocular area and mesopleuron (i=1–4d); more regular on supraclypeal area (i=1–2d); facial striae stronger.

Structure: As in male except as follows: Head: Clypeus longer (27:18); eyes not as convergent below UOD:LOD (36:32); scape narrower (length:breadth 16:4), ratio of pedicel:F1:F2:F3 (5:5:4:4), flagellomeres about as broad as long; subantennal sutures not as strongly convergent below; gena not so narrow (10:15);

Mesosoma: Metafemur shorter and narrower (35:11). Metatibia less swollen (40:10). Metabastitarsus 6 X longer than greatest depth (30:5).

Metasoma: Apical impressed areas less extensive, less than 0.33 X as long as corresponding tergum.

Material Studied: Holotype male, ARGENTINA, Rio Negro (S.C. de Bariloche) 2.xii.1964 A.Giai. Additional female, ARGENTINA, Rio Negro (S.C. de Bariloche), Valle Challhuasco, 11.i.2001 C. Morales & C. Quintero. Additional female, ARGENTINA, Santa Cruz, 0.5km E. of Los Antiguos, S46.33.500 W071.35.507, 237m, pan traps, 17–19.xi.03, L. Packer. Additional male, same data except 35km E. of Los Antiguos, S46.36.118 W071.11.845, 234m, 17–23.xi.03. Packer (2004) listed additional material of this species at PBYU. The type is at the AMNH; the second specimen from Bariloche is at MACN.