Heriades viridiana Rojas-Arias, Griswold & Ayala. 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Rojas-Arias, Laura
name: Griswold, Terry
name: Hinojosa-Díaz, Ismael
name: Morrone, Juan J.
name: Barajas, Ricardo Ayala
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Megachilidae
Heriades
Heriades viridiana

description: Heriades viridiana Rojas-Arias, Griswold & Ayala. sp. nov.
(Figs. 2G, 30–31)
Diagnosis. Tergal fasciae made of one row of thick, white hairs (Fig. 3J). Male: at least ventral surface of F2 to F11 bright orange, scape, pedicel and F1 black; clypeus with plumose, orangish, dense hairs, with similar length evenly distributed, joining hairs on hypostomal area (Fig. 31A); S1 with strong process, in profile with sides projected forming an acute angle, in posterior view of process with one acute angle (Fig. 2 Ga); S5 with two subtriangular lobes, and a line of capitate hairs increasing in length toward sides (Fig. 31E); S6 with two subapical tufts of several hooked, long hairs, all hairs with similar length and directed medially and on posterior margin a few simple, sort hairs medially (Fig. 31F). Female: mandible with outer surface without tubercle; clypeus, apical margin with five or more tubercles; T3 with punctures medium-sized (0.33 times DOP as on scutum), and sparse (0.5 times DOP), similar to H. briceida sp. nov. and seemly differing only in not having clypeus with stronger emargination and with tubercles in the middle of apical margin, and mesepisternum with sparser punctures.
Description. Male: Body length, 6.6 mm (5.7–6.6, n=6); forewing length, 3.3 mm (3.3–4, n=6).
Head. Length 1.5 mm (1.4–1.6, n=6), width 1.8 mm (1.6–1.9, n=6); eyes about 3 times longer than broad, 2.1 times wider than gena in profile; lower interocular distance 0.9 mm (0.8–0.9, n=6); upper interocular distance 1 mm (0.9–1.1, n=6); interantennal distance 2 times antennocular distance; lateral ocelli large (Fig. 3C) (3.9 times DOP in interocellar area); interocellar distance 2 times OD; labrum with wide, basal, medial tubercle posterior margin subquadrangular; dorsal margin of mandible with carina; clypeus with shallow emargination on all length and crenulated of apical margin, 2 times broader than long, lower half convex in profile, apical margin without emargination (Fig. 31A); ocellocular distance 1.4 times OD, OPR 2 times OD; scape black, length 0.7 times alveolocellar distance, 2.1 times longer than wide; pedicel black, about 2 times longer than F1 and about 0.9 times longer than F2; F1 dark brown, broader than long, remaining flagellomeres yellow and slightly dark brown on dorsal surface, 2.3 longer than first; F11 1.4 times longer than broad. Mesosoma. Scutum 2.7 times longer than scutellum, 3.1 times longer than tegula, and 3.4 longer than axilla; intertegular distance 1.3 mm (1.1–1.3, n=6); metanotum with transverse ridge, in posterior view with two small medial subtriangular elevations; propodeum with small to midsized pits (Fig. 3H), 0.06 mm long; legs dark amber. Metasoma. T1 1.5 mm broad (1.3–1.6, n=6); T3 1.7 mm broad (1.5–1.8, n=6); posterior margin of S1 truncate with shallow, broad emargination and subapical smooth carina (Fig. 2 Gb), in profile, with posterior margin not projected and strong process apex on one half of distance from apex to base (Fig. 2 Ga).
Sculpturing. Clypeus with small (at base 0.7 times OD), contiguous, coarse punctures, equally sized; supraclypeal area with punctures smaller than base of clypeus; frons with bigger, coarser and denser punctures than those on supraclipeal area; frons in front of ocelli with sparser punctation than on frons; vertex with bigger, sparser punctures than on supraclypeal area, with micropunctures between punctures; hypostomal area with punctation as on clypeus, bigger and sparser on gena; pronotum anterior surface with punctures sparser and less coarse than on clypeus, denser and slightly coarser on pronotal lobe; disc of scutum with bigger (0.4 times OD), almost contiguous punctures than on vertex; mesepisternum with equal DBP and DOP punctures as on scutum; metepisternum with smaller punctures, less dense and coarse; T1 and T2 with smaller (0.2 times OD) punctures than on scutum, equally sparser; T3 with bigger, less sparse, coarse punctures than on T1, slightly rounded, separated by less than third DOP; T4 and T5 with denser and coarser punctation than on T3; dorsal surface of T6 with punctation as on T5, on posterior surface with notably smaller and sparser punctation, DBP half DOP; sides of S1 with punctation bigger and parser than T1, and in process notably smaller and denser; sides of S2 with punctures smaller than on T1, disc of S2 microreticulate without punctation.
Vestiture. Clypeus with plumose, orangish, equally length, dense hairs, evenly distributed; supraclypeal area and frons with plumose, thin, white to orangish hairs directed dorsally, equally length; hypostomal area with plumose, long, white hairs, joining hairs in clypeus, in frontal view surpassing mandible (Fig. 31A); dorsolateral angles of pronotum with plumose, thin, scattered, white hairs; disc of metepisternum without tuft of thick, short, white hairs; tergal fasciae with row of thick, short, orangish hairs, present from T1 to T4; disc of T4 to T6 with simple, long, thick, white hairs in punctures (Fig. 31B); S1 with posterior surface of process with plumose, thin, dense, white hairs.
Terminalia. Posterior margin of S5 with two subtriangular lobes directed backwards, and a line of capitate hairs directed and increasing in length outward, with transverse, thin, dark, subapical, bilobed line (Fig. 31E); S6 with rounded, obtuse-angled posterior margin, without blackish subapical margin, with two subapical tufts of several hooked, long, thin hairs, with similar length directed medially (Fig. 31F); capsule in dorsal view 1 mm length, 0.4 mm width, 2.5 times longer than wide, gonobase 0.06 mm length, 6.5 times wider than long, and gonocoxite 0.4 mm length, gonostylus 1 mm length with rounded apex, penis valve 0.7 mm length (Fig. 31G).
Female: Body length 6.3 mm (5.8–6.3, n=2); forewing length 4.3 mm (3.5–4.3, n=2). Similar to male except: Head. Length 1.8 mm (1.6–1.8, n=2), width 1.9 mm (1.6–1.9, n=2); eyes about 3.7 times longer than broad, 1.4 times wider than gena in profile; lower interocular distance 0.9 mm (0.8–0.9, n=2); upper interocular distance 1.1 mm (1–1.1, n=2); interantennal distance 1.6 times antennocular distance; interocellar distance 1.9 times OD, ocellocular distance 1.5 times OD, OPR 1.9 times OD; labrum without rounded, basal, medial tubercle; dorsal margin of mandible with carina; clypeus with shallow emargination on all length and crenulated on apical margin (Fig. 31C); scape 3 times longer than broad; pedicel 1.2 longer than broad, about 2 times longer than F1 and F2, remaining flagellomeres 2 times longer than first. Mesosoma. Scutum 3.1 times longer than scutellum; intertegular distance 1.3 mm (1.2–1.3, n=2). Metasoma. T1 1.7 mm broad (1.4–1.7, n=2); T3 1.9 mm broad (1.6–1.9, n=2).
Sculpturing. Clypeus with punctures medium-sized (0.2 times OD), dense (0.2 DBP) and coarse, between punctures shiny and smooth; supraclypeal area with punctures as on upper margin of clypeus; frons with bigger, coarser, denser and slightly sparser punctation than on supraclypeal area, with micropunctures between punctures; frons in front of ocelli slightly smaller punctures than those on frons; vertex with punctures bigger, coarser and slightly sparser than on clypeus, with micropunctures between punctures; gena evenly punctate, with bigger, less coarse punctures and with more DBP than on frons in front of ocelli; scutum with bigger and denser punctures than on vertex; rest of mesosoma as in scutum except: scutellum with sparser punctures; mesepisternum with slightly smaller punctures on ventral half; metasomal terga smooth and shiny, microreticulate between punctures; T1 with smaller (0.2 times OD), slightly denser punctures than on scutum, with slightly semicircular shape; T2 with smaller, sparser, semicircular shaped punctures than on T1; T3 with punctures smaller (0.2 times DOP), less coarse, than on scutum, horseshoe-shaped, and sparser (0.3 times DOP); dorsal surface of T6 with smaller, denser, and more coarsely punctures than on T5; sterna with punctation smaller and sparser than on scutum, with microreticulate on posterior margin.
Vestiture. Clypeus and frons with few short, white hairs in punctures (Fig. 31C); subapical margin of T6 with linear tuft of plumose, short, white hairs.
Type material: Holotype male (No. LR0005): MEXICO: Michoacán, La Laja, [441 m, 18°55’52”N 101°52’01”W], 8/X/1988, R. Ayala (EBCh). Allotype (BBSL335211): MEXICO: Morelos, Puebla, Tehuitzingo, Izucar de Matamoros SE, 18°27.36’N 98°22.42’W, 4/IX/1998, Griswold (BBSL). Paratypes: MEXICO: Michoacán, La Laja, [441 m, 18°55’52”N 101°52’01”W], 8/X/1988, R. Ayala (EBCh, 1♀ 24♂). Morelos, Sierra de Huautla, C.E.A.M.I.S.H. Huatla 2.5km N 4.0km W, [1050 m, 18°27’0”N 99°2’0”W], 1, 5, 7/IX/1996, R. Brooks (KUNHM-ENT 10♂). Ajuchitlán, [990 m, 18°27’52”N 98°59’30”W], 6/IX/1996, R. Brooks (KUNHM-ENT 1♀).
Additional material examined: UNITED STATES: Arizona, Baboquivari Mts. 10/VIII/1924, O. C. Pollug (KUNHM-ENT 1♂). MEXICO: Guerrero, Mexcala, [684 m, 17°56’40”N 99°36’07”W], 3/VI/1946, J. & D. Pallister (BBSL 1♂, KUNHM-ENT 1♂). Chilpancingo, 17mi. N, 2550 ft, [17°31’08”N 99°32’44”W], U. Kans. Mex. Exped. (KUNHM-ENT 5♂). Jalisco, Tecolotlán, Camino a la Ciénaga BTC, 1704 m, 20°15’39”N 104°04’02”W, 12/IV/2014, E. Razo & A. Muñoz (UAQE 1♂). Oaxaca, Tehuantepec, 14mi. NW, 700’, [16°23’08”N 95°20’37”W], 26/VI/1961, U. Kans. Mex. Exped. (KUNHM-ENT 15♀). Puebla, Petlancingo, 3min.n.w., [1368 m, 18°04’59”N 97°55’05”W], 3/IV/1962, F. D. Parker, 3/VIII/1963, F. D. Parker, L. A. Stange (BBSL 1♀ 2♂). Tehuitzingo, Izucar de Matamoros SE, [18°27.36’N 98°22.42’W], 4/IX/1998, T. Griswold (BBSL 1♀). Tepexco, 1 km NE, [1120 m, 18°38’37”N 98°41’25”W], 31/X/1991, T. Griswold, Noguera (EBCh 2♂). Zacatecas, Jalpa, 10miS, [1739 m, 21°34’41”N 102°58’05”W], 18/IX/1970, R. M. Bohart Colr (BBSL 2♂), 17/IX/1970, GE, RM Bohart (BBSL 1♂). Juchipila, La Joya, 1479 m, 21°37’17.4”N 103°18’31.2”W, 21/IX/2012, (UAQE 1♂).
Distribution. This species is distributed along the mountain range of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Zacatecas, the Sierra Madre del Sur in Oaxaca, and central Mexico in Morelos (Fig. 30). A male from the United States, Arizona, extends the distribution of the species out of the Neotropical region. Altitudinal range: 441 to 1739 m.
Etymology. This species is dedicated to M. Sc. Viridiana Vega Badillo, taxonomist of Coleoptera and academic technician in the entomological collection IEXA of INECOL in Xalapa, Veracruz, for her contributions to the entomology.
Comments. Color of hairs in clypeus and paraocular area of males vary, from whitish to orange, males of this species are similar to H. briceida sp. nov. but can be recognized by having a pointy top of process on S 1 in posterior view, and whiter hairs on clypeus. About females see comments on H. briceida sp. nov.
description: Published as part of Rojas-Arias, Laura, Griswold, Terry, Hinojosa-Díaz, Ismael, Morrone, Juan J. & Barajas, Ricardo Ayala, 2025, Neotropical bees of the genus Heriades Spinola, 1808 (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Osmiini) with description of nine new species, pp. 201-259 in Zootaxa 5570 (2) on pages 250-253, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5570.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14734877