Megalopta xavante Santos & Melo 2014, sp. n.
Creators: name: Santos, L. M.
name: Melo, G. A. R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Halictidae
Megalopta
Megalopta xavante

description: Megalopta xavante sp. n.
(Figures 3F, 4F, 5A, 9E, 11D, 12A, 15D)
Diagnosis
Differs from M. guarani sp. n. and M. karitiana sp. n. by medial protruding process of S4 digitiform in lateral view; from M. atlantica, M. purpurata and M. mapinguari
sp. n. by integument mostly reddish brown with metallic green tints on head and mesosoma (Figures 3F, 4F).
Description
(1) Mandible simple and lacking supplementary teeth (Figure 4F). (2) Labral elevation in central portion, with rounded elevated area in relation to the sides. (2) Clypeus with surface between punctures on basal and central area smooth, the apical macula reddish brown. (4) Central portion of supraclypeal area with sparse punctation, punctures separated by ≥ 1 pd. (5) Antenna reddish brown (Figure 4F). (6) Upper frons flat, not strongly declivous toward sulcus around median ocellus. (7) Ocellocular distance equal to length of F1 (Figure 4F). (8) Mesoscutum adjacent to the parapsidial line densely punctured, punctures contiguous, punctation becoming sparser towards the mesoscutal lip (<1 pd). (9) Scutellum with posterior margin raised in relation to anterior margin of metanotum. (10). Metanotum with integument, in oblique view, not hidden by short plumose pilosity. (11) Basal area of metapostnotum reddish brown, its length 0.4× that of metanotum, with smooth surface, without longitudinal rugulosities (Figure 3F). (12) Mesepisternum with contiguous punctation. (13) Metepisternum with sparse pilosity, integument visible through pilosity, posterior upper margin unmodified, lacking a velvety process. (14) T1 with dorsal surface of disc sparsely punctured (≥ 1 pd), posterior marginal zone microreticulated between punctures. Male. (15) Scape with diameter gradually enlarging toward the apex (Figure 9E). (16) Flagellum reddish brown, except F2 and F3 lighter than the others (Figure 9E); F1–F11 not differing in diameter; F2 about twothirds of F 3 in length (Figure 9E); F6–F11, in anterior view, with the anterior and posterior margins flat, in posterior view with basal glabrous area at same level of remaining surface. (17) Metanotum with integument, in dorsal view, not hidden by short plumose pilosity (Figure 11D). (18) Basal area of metapostnotum reddish brown with metallic green tints; its length about 0.7× that of metanotum; the longitudinal rugulosities slightly impressed centrally (Figure 11D). (19) Metepisternum as in the female. (20) 1st and 2nd tarsomeres of foreleg with longest simple setae shorter than summed length of the three apical tarsomeres. (21) S3 with longitudinal sulcus, posterolateral margin notched. (22) S4 with medial protruding process, profile of process digitiform in lateral view; basal portion glabrous; posterolateral margin notched, notched not extended to basal half of sclerite.
Measurements
Approximate body length: (10.7–10.7); intertegular distance: (3–3.4); maximum width of head: (2.9–3.3); length of forewing with tegula: (9.5).
Type material
Holotype female (RPSP): BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: ‘Nova Xavantina MT BR \ CUNX – bacaba luz\ 14/I/99\ Canolho A.’ Paratype male: BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: ‘ Nova Xavantina \ MT BR \ CUNX – Bacaba luz\ 30/I/98 Leg\ Barreira RL’.
Distribution
BRAZIL. Mato Grosso: Nova Xavantina (Figure 15D).
Etymology
The specific epithet honours the ‘Xavante’, the name for an ethnic group of natives, used here as a noun in apposition. The Xavantes live in nine indigenous areas which are part of the territory they traditionally occupied for at least 180 years, in eastern Mato Grosso. The region where they live has suffered the environmental impact of extensive cattle ranching since the 1960s, an impact which is almost certainly irreversible. From the 1980s the impact has been intensified by the spread of giant grain farms, especially soybeans produced for export (Graham 2008).
The sodalis species group
Diagnosis
The sodalis species group includes: M. cuprea, M. munduruku sp. n. and M. sodalis. Members of this species group can be recognized by having the mid portion of the basal area of the metapostnotum with depressed triangular area with longitudinal rugulosities branching from central rugulosities, or with transverse depression in M. munduruku sp. n., and by having the posterior upper margin of the metepisternum unmodified, lacking a velvety process in both sexes. Furthermore, this species group exhibits a large amount of intraspecific variation in the shape of the basal elevation of the labrum and in the basal area of the metapostnotum.
M. cuprea occurs in Bolivia and northern Brazil (Figure 16A), while M. munduruku sp. n. is found only in northern Brazil (Figure 16B) and M. sodalis is widely distributed (Figure 16C).
description: Published as part of Santos, L. M. & Melo, G. A. R., 2014, Updating the taxonomy of the bee genus Megalopta (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Augochlorini) including revision of the Brazilian species, pp. 575-674 in Journal of Natural History 49 (11) on pages 625-627, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2014.946106, http://zenodo.org/record/4004455