Colletes patagonicus Schrottky, 1907

Ferrari, Rafael R., 2017, Taxonomic revision of the species of Colletes Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Colletinae) found in Chile, Zootaxa 4364 (1), pp. 1-137 : 98-101

Colletes patagonicus Schrottky, 1907

( Figs. 51A–F )

Colletes patagonicus Schrottky, 1907: 7, 1913: 236 ; Cockerell 1918a: 138; Pérez & Cerda 1980: 100; Toro 1986: 123, 1999: 30; Moure & Urban 2002: 16; Moure et al. 2007: 685; Montalva & Ruz 2010: 22; Ascher & Pickering 2017. Lectotype ♀ (examined). {ZMB}. [hereby designated]

Colletes rhodaspis Cockerell, 1909: 397 ; Schrottky 1913: 236; Ruiz 1944: 205; Moure & Urban 2002: 18; Moure et al. 2007: 686. Synonymy proposed by Toro (1999: 30).

Holotype ♀ (examined). {NHM}.

Colletes patagonica (sic); Cockerell 1909: 398.

Colletes rufosignatus Cockerell, 1918a: 138 ; Moure & Urban 2002: 19; Moure et al. 2007: 687. Synonymy proposed by Toro (1999: 30).

Lectotype ♂ (examined). {USNM}. [hereby designated]

Colletes campoi Herbst, 1920: 8 ; Gazulla & Ruiz 1928: 300; Ruiz 1944: 205. Synonymy proposed by Toro (1999: 30). Lectotype ♀ (examined). {MCZ}. [hereby designated]

Diagnosis. Colletes patagonicus is very distinct from all other Colletes species due to the ferruginous scutellar and metanotal pubescence (sometimes pale-orange in males), which strongly contrasts with the partially (females) to entirely (males) pale-yellow mesoscutal pubescence. In females, the pale-yellow mesoscutal hairs are intermingled with black ones, increasing the colour contrast.

Colletes patagonicus is most similar to C. flavipilosus n. sp., but they can be easily differentiated by the characteristics given above (scutellar and metanotal pubescence pale-yellow, as on the mesoscutum in C. flavipilosus n. sp.); and T2–T5 without appressed hairs in C. patagonicus (T2–T5 covered with pale-yellow appressed hairs in C. flavipilosus n. sp.).

Redescription. FEMALE ( Figs. 51A, 51C, 51E ): Dimensions (mm): Approximate body length 8.0–9.2; head width 2.9–3.3; head length 2.1–2.4; intertegular distance 2.4–2.8; forewing length 6.2–6.9.

Colouration: Black except dark reddish-brown marked on tip of mandible. Dark-brown on tegula, wing venation (except vein R of forewing black), stigma, mediotarsi. Pale-brown on distitarsi, marginal zones of T1–T4 and of S1–S5, distal half of tarsal claws. Yellow on proximal half of tarsal claws.

Structure: Labrum medially flat and without ridges. Clypeal mid-longitudinal area evenly narrowly (~0.3x MOD) depressed throughout, shallow above, slightly deeper below; adjacent lateral area convex; apicomedial ridge absent. Malar area slightly longer than basal depth of mandible (31:29). F1 1.25x as long as its apical width (30:24). UID:LID (68:62). Genal area flat behind upper summit of compound eyes in lateral view. Dorsolateral angle of pronotum rounded. Horizontal surface of metapostnotum 0.4x as long as metanotum (22:52); propodeal pits poorly-delimited; posterior transverse carina sinuous and narrowly interrupted medially. Posteromedial surface of front coxa bearing very long spine (0.75x MOD). Posterior hind tibial spur ciliate. Hind basitarsus ~ 3x longer than broad (46:15). Outer rami of hind tarsal claws 2x as long as inner rami (24:12). Posterolateral area of S6 flat and lacking carina; marginal zone depressed.

Pubescence: Black, plumose, erect, long on paraocular area; such hairs very long on genal area. Fuscous, plumose, very long on vertexal area, mesepisternum, metepisternum, upper margin of lateral surface of propodeum, ventral surface of mid trochanter and femur, posterior surface of front femur. Interantennal area and mesoscutum with off-white and black hairs intermingled. Ferruginous, plumose, long on scutellum and metanotum, strongly contrasting with the remaining pubescence. Fuscous, erect, moderately short setae on discs of T3–T4, posterior 1/3 of S3–S6; such hairs moderately long on mandible, posterior surface of front tibia and basitarsi, dorsal surface of mid and hind basitarsi and tibiae, T3 laterally, disc of T5; very long on posterior margin of mid and hind basitarsi; T4–T5 laterally. Pale-yellow, suberect, thick setae near distal margin of ventral surface of tarsi. Pale-yellow, erect, very long hairs, which are branched only apically on anterior surface of hind femur and tibia. On T1 pale-yellow, plumose, very long; shorter on T2. S1–S2 with pale-yellow, erect, moderately short hairs, which are branched only apically.

Surface sculpture: Clypeal mid-longitudinal depression moderately finely and densely punctate; sparsely punctate on adjacent convex area; lower 1/5 longitudinally striate. Supraclypeal area imbricate. Malar area sparsely punctate medially; interspaces imbricate throughout. Paraocular area densely and moderately coarsely punctate below; sparser and finer above. Frontal, vertexal and upper genal areas densely and moderately finely punctate; interspaces finely rugulose. Mesoscutum moderately coarsely punctate; dense on anterolateral area; sparse on disc; moderately sparse on posterior margin; interspaces smooth and shiny (except imbricate on anterior margin). Scutellum moderately sparsely finely punctate on anterior 1/3; denser and coarser on posterior 2/3; interspaces smooth and shiny. Metanotum densely punctate; interspaces rugose. Mesepisternum moderately densely punctate; interspaces imbricate. Metepisternum obliquely striate medially; rugulose above and below. Lateral surface of propodeum sparsely finely punctate; interspaces imbricate. Upper area of vertical surface of metapostnotum imbricate medially. T1–T5 finely shallowly punctate; interspaces imbricate. Posterior margins of S2–S6 moderately densely punctate.

MALE ( Figs. 51B, 51D, 51F ). As in female, except for usual secondary sexual characteristics and as follows:

Dimensions (mm): Approximate body length 6.1–6.9; head width 2.4–2.7; head length 2.0–2.2; intertegular distance 2.1–2.4; forewing length 5.4–5.8.

Colouration: Wing veins pale-brown. Metasomal sterna dark-brown (lighter on disc). Pale-brown marginal zones of metasomal sterna broader.

Structure: Clypeal mid-longitudinal depression broad (= MOD). Malar area 3x as long as basal depth of mandible (33:11). F1 ~1.2x as long as its apical width (28:24). UID:LID (64:54). Genal area concave behind upper summit of compound eyes in lateral view. Horizontal surface of metapostnotum 0.4x as long as metanotum (24:60). Posteromedial surface of front coxa without spine. Hind basitarsus 5.3x longer than broad (69:13). Outer rami of hind tarsal claws ~1.5x as long as inner rami (22:14). Marginal zone of S6 not depressed. S7, S8 and genital capsule as in Figs. 52A, 52B, 52C , respectively.

Pubescence: Pale-yellow on face (except black on paraocular area), posterior half of genal area, vertexal middle area, mesoscutum, mesepisternum, metepisternum, legs. Sparser on ventral surface of hind tibia. Longer on T2–T5.

Surface sculpture: Upper clypeal margin densely punctate. Supraclypeal area with some coarse punctures. Lateral surface of propodeum rugulose. T1–T5 moderately coarsely punctate; interspaces smooth.

Material studied. Primary type specimens: Lectotype ♀ of C. patagonicus —“Patagonia; Rio Caleufú”. “ patagonicus ; ♀ Schrottky”. “ Colletes ; patagonicus ; 1910 Schrottky”. “Typus”. “Coll.; Friese”. “Zool. Mus.; Berlin”. “LECTOTYPE; Colletes patagonicus ♀; Schrottky, 1907; designated R. Ferrari, 2017”. {ZMB}. [hereby designated]. Holotype ♀ of C. rhodaspis —“Syn-; type”. “B. M. TYPE; HYM.; 17.a.349”. “Patagonia; V. del Lago Xanco.; Chubut.; 1903–359.”. “ Colletes ♀; rhodaspis ; Type Cockerell”. “Holo-; type”. “♀ HOLOTYPE; Colletes rhodaspis ; Cockerell 1909: 397; by original designation; det. D. Notton 2016”. {NHM}. Lectotype ♂ of C. rufosignatus —“Chubut; Patagonia”. “From WFH; Rosenberg”. “Type No.; 22933; U.S.N.M.”. “ Colletes ; rufosignatus ; Ckll. TYPE.”. “LECTOTYPE; Colletes rufosignatus ♂; Cockerell, 1918; designated R. Ferrari, 2017”. {USNM}. [hereby designated]. Lectotype ♀ of C. campoi— “CHILE; Tolhuaca; departem:; Mariluan; 16.I.1991 ”. “Type!; Colletes ; campoi ; ♀ P. Herbst”. “P. Herbst; Collection”. “Type; 17213”. “MCZ-ENT; 00017213”. “LECTOTYPE; Colletes campoi ♀; Herbst, 1920; designated R. Ferrari, 2017”.{MCZ}. [hereby designated].

Additional specimens: ARGENTINA—Chubut: INTA Trevelin site 1, (-43.127, -71.562), 386m, 20/xii/2005, [A.Gravel], 1♀, { PCYU}. CHILE—Region X: 6km N of Río Negro, (-40.754, -73.223), 61m, 9/xii/1985, [A.Roig-Alsina], 1♀ 1♂, { MACN}. Region XI: Melinka, (-43.895, -73.743), 56m, i/1969, [G.Barria], 1♀, { AMNH}. Region XII: Est. Brazo Norte, 23/i/1972, [V.Perez], 1♀, { AMNH}. Laguna Amarga, (-50.976, - 72.769), 81m, 7/xii/1966, [Schlinger & Irwin], 1♀, { AMNH}. Laguna Azul, (-50.875, -72.726), 225m, xii/1978, [W.Sielfeld], 1♀, { AMNH}. Punta Arenas, 1/i/1979, (-53.159, -70.950), 81m, [W.Sielfeld], 1♂, { AMNH}.

Range. Argentina (Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz), Chile (Regions X–XII). See also Fig. 10A .

Biogeographic distribution. Subantarctic sub-region (Valdivian Forest and Magellanic provinces). Patagonian sub-region (Patagonian province). Southern South American species distributed at altitudes of 0–400m a.s.l.

DNA barcode. Available . BOLD: AAO3408 (1♀ 1♂). The two barcoded specimens from southern Chile and Argentina were assigned the same BIN (see Table 1). Distance from the nearest neighbour ( C. flavipilosus n. sp.): 3.22–3.82%.

Floral hosts. Lamiaceae— Nepeta racemosa Lam. [ Pérez & Cerda 1980 (as N. mussinii Spreng. ex Henckel )]. Leguminosae— Trifolium repens L. (this paper).

Comments. Uncommon species restricted to southern South America.

I examined the type specimens of the species placed under synonymy with C. patagonicus by Toro (1999) and herein confirm his decisions (see above). In an alternative classification, C. rhodaspis and C. rufosignatus are treated as valid; the former is also considered the senior synonym of C. campoi ( Moure & Urban 2002) . The great variation in body size exhibited by C. patagonicus across its geographic range combined with the fact the ferruginous pubescence on the scutellum and metanotum fades over time, likely explain the reason why so many different names have been proposed for the same species.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Geographic distribution by Colletes species. (A) C. atripes and C. patagonicus; (B) C. rutilans and C. bicolor; (C) C. chusmiza and C. flavipilosus n. sp. The records of C. rutilans out of Chile have not been plotted. Scale bars approximately 300 km.

FIGURE 51. Colletes patagonicus Schrottky, 1907. Female: (A) habitus, lateral view; (C) face, frontal view; (E) habitus, dorsal view.Male: (B) habitus, lateral view; (D) face, frontalview; (F) habitus, dorsal view.Scale bars = 2mm.

FIGURE 52.Dorsal view of the male terminalia of C. patagonicus. (A) S7; (B) S8; (C) genital capsule. Scale bars = 1mm.