Perdita titania Portman & Griswold, sp. n.
Creators: name: Portman, Zachary M.
name: Neff, John L.
name: Griswold, Terry
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Andrenidae
Perdita
Perdita titania

description: Perdita titania Portman & Griswold, sp. n.
Figs. 6 F, 7F, 8F, 9G, 23Q, 24S, 50, 51A
Diagnosis. Both sexes of P. titania have the metasoma yellow with dark spots (Figs. 6 F, 7F). They can be recognized by the unique color pattern on the propodeum, which is mostly yellow with the dark maculations limited to a distinctive V- or Y-shape (Fig. 7 F). In addition, both sexes have the scutellum dark. The female can be further recognized by the scutum with margins yellow and the pygidial plate narrowly triangular with the apex sharply pointed (Fig. 24 S). The male can be further recognized by having the head broader than long (Fig. 8 F), eyes slightly enlarged, and the terga with relatively large, round dark spots.
Description of female. Length: 3.5 mm. Forewing length: 2.2 mm.
Coloration. Head (Fig. 9 G) and mesosoma base color black with metallic greenish-bronze luster; clypeus white, faintly yellowish sublaterally; supraclypeal mark white, large, broadly transverse; paraocular mark white, transverse to triangular, not reaching above level of summit of clypeus except a thin line reaching 1/2 to 3/4 up eye; mandible white, tip reddish; labrum white with basomedial dark spot; scape yellowish-white; antenna yellowishwhite, more or less marked with brown dorsally; pronotal collar and pronotal lobe yellow; scutum with thin yellow margin laterally; axilla yellow posteriorly; metapleuron and anterior propodeum yellow (Fig. 50 A); propodeum yellow except greenish-bronze V- or Y-shaped mark on posterior face; ventral surface of mesepisternum yellowishwhite along posterior margin; legs yellow except more or less brown on small apicodorsal spot on hind femur, medial hind tibia, and distal hind tarsi; wing veins transparent tan; metasoma white or yellowish-white with multiple dark brown spots (Fig. 7 F); T1 with pair of sublateral spots on anterior and posterior face; T2–T5 with five spots: one more or less triangular medial mark, two small baso-lateral spots (spots on T2 more transverse), and two large, prominent apico-sublateral spots; T2 fovea dark brown; pygidial plate transparent white with reddish tip.
Structure and vestiture. Head slightly broader than long (Fig. 9 G; face, except for clypeus, lower supraclypeal area, and frons covered by dense recumbent white pubescence; eyes subparallel, slightly converging ventrally; facial fovea diverging dorsally, narrowly oval, extending from top of antennal socket 3/4 distance to apex of eye, generally more or less obscured by pubescence; mandible simple; labrum quadrate, 1.5X broader than long; disc of clypeus broader than high, convex, barely protruding apically from face; lateral extension reaching base of mandible; venter of head with abundant inward-facing broadly hooked hairs; mesosoma strongly tessellate, impunctate, slightly shiny; pronotal collar slightly impressed, humeral angle weak; mesepisternum and scutum mostly covered by combination of recumbent and erect white pubescence; fore coxa with abundant, broadly hooked hairs; apex of mid tibia with some short, thick, curved setae; forewing with second medial cell present; metasoma oval, slightly widened basally, tapering apically, widest at T3 (Fig. 7 F); terga tessellate and impunctate; T2 fovea linear, slightly thickened, 1/2 length of T2; pygidial plate very narrowly triangular, apex sharply pointed (Fig. 24 S); hairs of prepygidial fimbria thin, sparse.
Description of male. Length: 2.8 mm. Forewing length: 1.9 mm.
Note: the lone male specimen has been reddened by cyanide. As a result, the exact color of the light maculations are inferred.
Coloration. Head (Fig. 8 F) and mesosoma base color black with metallic greenish luster; clypeus yellowishwhite; supraclypeal mark yellow, large, slightly broader than long; paraocular mark yellow, subtriangular, reaching level of summit of clypeus, extending up along eye in thin line to level of antennal socket; mandible white, tip reddish; labrum white; scape yellow, brownish anteriorly; antenna yellow, slightly brownish dorsally and apically; pronotal collar and pronotal lobe yellow; metapleuron and anterior propodeum yellow (Fig. 50 B); propodeum yellow except metallic green Y-mark on posterior face (Fig. 7 F); legs yellow; wing veins transparent tan; metasoma yellowish-white with multiple large dark brown spots (Fig. 6 F); T1 with pair of sublateral spots on anterior and posterior face; T2–T6 with four or five spots: T2–T6 with small basomedial spot and two prominent apicosublateral spots, T2–T4 with pair of small baso-lateral spots (spots on T2 more transverse); T2 fovea dark brown, merging with baso-lateral spots; pygidial plate transparent yellow.
Structure and vestiture. Head oval, broader than long (Fig. 8 F); face, except for clypeus, lower supraclypeal area, and frons covered by dense recumbent white pubescence; eyes slightly converging ventrally, relatively large; mandible simple, extending to far side of labrum in repose; labrum quadrate, 1.5X broader than long; disc of clypeus broader than high, convex, apically protruding less than 1 OD from face; lateral extension reaching base of mandible; head with moderately dense pubescence ventrally; mesosoma strongly tessellate, impunctate, slightly shiny; pronotal collar slightly impressed, humeral angle weak; mesepisternum and scutum densely covered by combination of recumbent and erect white pubescence; hind tibia with sparse, short, slightly thickened hairs; metasoma equal in width to mesosoma, suboval, wide basally, tapering apically, widest at T3 (Fig. 7 F); terga tessellate and impunctate; T2 fovea narrowly oval, 1/3 length of T2; pygidial plate large, broadly triangular, apex slightly extended into narrow point (Fig. 23 Q); hairs of prepygidial fimbria slightly thickened, sparse.
Terminalia. Not available.
Floral records. Boraginaceae (1 ♂): Tiquilia sp. 1 ♂, Loasaceae (1 ♀): Petalonyx thurberi 1 ♀.
Phenology. Known activity from March to May.
Distribution. Mojave and Sonoran Deserts (Fig. 51 A), USA (and likely Mexico). Dune specialist, currently known only from the Ibex and Algodones Dunes.
Type material. Holotype data: ♀, CALIFORNIA: San Bernardino Co.: Ibex Dunes, W margin (35.6946 - 116.3715): 4 May 1999, R. Andrus, P. thurberi (BBSL, accession no. BBSL 326372). Paratype data: (1 ♂ 2 ♀) CALIFORNIA: Imperial Co.: Algodones Dunes, 4 km W Ogilby (32.95837 -115.08413): 1 ♀, 16 Mar 1999, M.E. Irwin, M. Hauser, K.C. Holston, S.L. Winterton; Algodones Dunes; Glamis, 1 mi W (32.99444 -115.08611): 1 ♂, 25 Apr 1965, M.E. Irwin, T. sp. (UCRC); San Bernardino Co.: Ibex Dunes, S tip (35.6878 -116.3726): 1 ♀, 4 May 1999, R. Andrus.
Etymology. The name comes from the fairy queen Titania in Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The name was chosen due to the beauty and rarity of this species. Treat as a noun in apposition.
Remarks. Perdita titania is one of the rarest Heteroperdita, known from only four specimens and likely limited to dune habitats. Of the four known specimens, two are from the Ibex Dunes and two from the Algodones Dunes, including the single male. The strongly disjunct range is unusual, and may be the result of rarity or incomplete sampling. If this is the true distribution, it seems likely that these are genetically isolated populations. However, there are no apparent morphological differences between the females from the two locations. Additional material, particularly males from the Ibex Dunes, could be informative. Dissection of the male terminalia proved not to be feasible.
description: Published as part of Portman, Zachary M., Neff, John L. & Griswold, Terry, 2016, Taxonomic revision of Perdita subgenus Heteroperdita Timberlake (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), with descriptions of two ant-like males, pp. 1-97 in Zootaxa 4214 (1) on pages 78-80, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4214.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/253086