Parammobatodes rozeni, ROZEN & ÖZBEK, 2003

ROZEN, JEROME G. & ÖZBEK, HIKMET, 2003, Oocytes, Eggs, and Ovarioles of Some Long-Tongued Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), American Museum Novitates 3393, pp. 1-36 : 29-33

Parammobatodes rozeni , new species

This new species closely resembles Parammobatodes nuristanus Warncke in having elongate mouthparts, an elongate labrum, and a relatively large second submarginal cell. It is easily distinguished by a different labrum, shorter antennae, and different sculpturing.

Female. Mouthparts long, extending to base of midcoxa when head in normal position, mandibles closed.

Labrum 1.5 × as long as wide, basal two­thirds in profile evenly (almost spherically) convex, api­ cal third conspicuously concave, saddlelike (fig. 66), basal half with a few, sparse punctures (fig. 67). (In P. nuristanus labrum slightly longer, with basal and apical halves in profile straight and meeting at obtuse angle [fig. 70], basal half finely, relatively densely punctate [punctures 1.0–1.5 diameters apart, interspaces smooth] [fig. 71].)

Antenna short (fig. 68), length of flagellomere I 1.16 × width, length of flagellomere II 0.7 × width, equal to 0.64 length of I. Flagellomere III wider than long (9.5:8), IV as long as wide (9.5: 9.5), V slightly longer than wide (9.75:9.5), and VI even more so (10:9.5). (In P. nuristanus antenna slightly longer [fig. 72], with flagellomere I inconspicuously longer than wide [11.5:11] and only 1.27 × as long as II, the latter 1.27 × as wide as long [11.5:9], flagellomeres III and IV slightly longer than wide (11:10.5), III being as long as 1.22 of II, V and VI becoming gradually longer, V 1.09 × as long as wide, VI 1.14 × as long as wide.)

Punctures of upper frons (beneath midocellus) several diameters apart, interspaces shiny, unsculptured (fig. 69). (In P. nuristanus punctures of upper frons less than one diameter apart [fig. 73].)

Vertex conspicuously shiny between hind ocellus and orbit, finely, sparsely punctate, with no differentiated area next to hind ocellus. Interocellar area almost impunctate (fig. 74). ( P. nuristanus with large, conspicuous, shiny area next to hind ocellus at least as large as hind ocellus; punctures between ocellus and orbit somewhat denser and as large as those on front, on interocellar area dense, somewhat finer than on frons [fig. 77].)

Mesoscutum mesally with conspicuous, longitudinal impression that has a fine furrow at bottom and extends from posterior margin of pronotum almost to anterior margin of scutellum, gradually merging posteriorly into mesoscutal convexity. Mesoscutal punctures, on each side of impression, very sparse, a little smaller than those on frons (fig. 75). (In P. nuristanus mesoscutum uniformly convex, mesally with well­defined, longitudinal furrow; punctures, on each side of furrow, denser and as large as those on the frons; fig. 78.)

Punctation of terga minute, sparse. (Even more so than in P. minutus (Mocsáry) .)

Pygidial plate slightly narrower than in P. nuristanus , punctures finer, sparser, and light setae, particularly laterally near apex, slightly longer, more erect (fig. 76). (In P. nuristanus plate relatively wide, basally with relatively large, dense punctures and small interspaces, apically with very short, appressed, dense setae; lateral setae short; fig. 79.) Hind femur overall as in P. nuristanus , ventral margin of posterior surface sharply carinate (fig. 80).

Head, mesopleuron, and propodeal side with silvery, dense, appressed setae, sculpturing recognizable from certain angles on clypeus, frons, and vertex. Scutal margins and propodeum with appressed, silvery setae. Terga III–V each with wide, uninterrupted, silvery fascia of appressed setae, each fascia also with erect, light setae (fig. 81). Overall body pilosity as in P. nuristanus (Warncke’s [1983:281] description of setae is either incorrect or imprecise).

Body predominantly brownish red, but frons, vertex, gena, antenna from flagellomere V on, and mesoscutum black. Overall body color as in P. nuristanus , except head, thorax lighter red in latter species and antenna all red.

Length 6.0–7.0 mm.

Male unknown.

The new species is named in honor of Jerome G. Rozen, Jr.

Holotype: Female , Israel: [Hadarom] S Negev 15 km N Shizzafon Junction [30°02'30̎N, 35°01'40̎E], 9 May 1997, J.G. and B.L. Rozen (Tel Aviv University).

Paratype: Female, same data as holotype (M. Schwarz collection) .

COMMENT

Both specimens examined were preserved in Kahle’s solution for a study of oocytes and ovaries. As they were not recognized as a new species at the time of dissecting, no particular attention was paid to their condition. The fresh specimen, the paratype, was dissected, with the well­preserved body parts, the gastral apex, and the left hind leg mounted separately on a piece of cardboard. The holotype is worn, with pilosity of the head and apical fasciae of terga III– V particularly affected (these fasciae are well preserved only laterally, although the long, light, erect setae are well preserved.) The fascia of tergum V is somewhat worn off mesally .

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I sincerely thank Jerome G. Rozen, Jr. (American Museum of Natural History, New York) for sending these interesting specimens for study. I am grateful to my friend Wojciech J. Pulawski (California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco) for translating the manuscript from German, and to P.A.W. Ebmer (Puchenau, Austria) for the production and the quality of the photographs.