Xylocopa (Schonnherria) barbarae, Lucia & Gonzalez, 2017

Lucia, Mariano & Gonzalez, Victor H., 2017, New species and designation of primary types in Neotropical carpenter bees of the genus Xylocopa Latreille (Hymenoptera, Apidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 61, pp. 31-48 : 39-40

Xylocopa (Schonnherria) barbarae sp. n. Figs 8-11

Diagnosis.

This species, known only from the female sex, can be easily distinguished from other species of Schonnherria by the combination of the following features: medium body size (body length, 19-22 mm); integument dark brown to black with blue highlights throughout and green metallic highlights on discs of terga; wings dark brown with strong violet highlights throughout; labrum basally with a distinct, large, single capitate tubercle; sides of T2-T4 and sides of S2-S4 with white setae; and discs of T2-T4 with dark brown to black setae, 0.5-1.0 × OD.

Xylocopa barbarae is most similar to X. dimidiata Latreille (see below), sharing a similar body size, metallic highlights on all tagmata, wings dark brown with violet highlights, and a labrum basally with a distinct, large, single capitate tubercle. However, X. barbarae can be easily distinguished by the longer and denser pubescence of terga (T2-T4 with setae 0.5-1.0 × OD in X. barbarae vs. setae very short, barely exiting puncture in X. dimidiata ), presence of white setae on sides of T2-T4 (absent in X. dimidiata ), and wings with violet highlight throughout (with green highlights apically in X. dimidiata ).

Description.

♀, Body length 22.0 mm; head width 6.9 mm; mesosoma width 8.3 mm; metasoma width 9.9 mm; forewing length 17.0 mm. Coloration. Integument dark brown to black throughout, with weak blue metallic highlights on gena, vertex, mesoscutum except on disc, mesoscutellum, tegula, outer surfaces of tibiae, and T1 and T2; sterna with strong blue metallic highlights; T2 preapically and discs of remaining terga with weak green metallic highlights. Wings dark brown with strong violet highlights, pterostigma and veins dark brown to black. Pubescence. Dark brown to black, except face, gena, sides of T2-T4, and sides of S2-S4 with white setae. Discs of terga with decumbent to semierect simple setae, shortest on T1 (0.2-0.5 × OD), progressively increasing in density and length towards apical terga, longest on T6 (5.0-6.0 × OD), sides of terga with semierect, mostly branched setae, denser and longer than discs. Sculpturing. Weakly imbricate to smooth and shiny. Vertex and upper gena with scattered punctures, largely impunctate. Mesoscutum with scattered, coarse punctures on anterior margin and lateral sides, impunctate otherwise; mesoscutellum largely impunctate, with large, scattered punctures on posterior half. Terga with circular to ovoid setiferous punctures, about as large and coarse as those on mesoscutellum, submedially with punctures separated at most by 1-2 times a puncture width, punctures denser and coarser laterally and on apical terga; S1 with small, ovoid, dense punctures, remaining sterna with elongate punctures on discs, denser and coarser preapically. Structure. Head 1.3 times broader than long; compound eyes with inner margins parallel or nearly so; inferior interocular distance 1.2 times superior interocular distance; lateral ocelli just below supraorbital line; ocellocular distance 2.5 times OD; ocellocipital distance 4.8 times OD; clypeotorular distance 1.3 times longitudinal diameter of antennal torulus; clypeus 2.3 times longer than broad; labrum basally with a distinct, large, single capitate tubercle, about as large as OD. Mesoscutum gently convex in profile; mesoscutellum convex, without carina or border between dorsal and posterior surfaces; metanotum and propodeum vertical. Holotype. Bolivia: ♀, Chapare [Department of Cochabamba], 14.xi.1945 [14 November 1945], R. Zischka (MLP). Paratypes. (n = 5) Three paratypes with same data as the holotype but collected on 11 and 12 November, 1945 (MLP); 1♀, Chapare (Yungas), I-49 [January 1949] (MLP); 1♀, Dpto. La Paz, Alto Marani, N. of Rurrenbaque, 10 Nov. 1956 (L. Peña) / SEMC1232254 (SEMC).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a matronym honoring Mrs. Bárbara Defea, loving and supporting wife of the senior author.

Distribution.

Xylocopa barbarae is known from the departments of Cochabamba and La Paz in Bolivia.

Figures

Figures 8 - 11. Female holotype of Xylocopa (Schonnherria) barbarae sp. n. 8 Facial view 9 Lateral habitus 10 Dorsal habitus 11 Detail of metasomal terga.