Heriades mariana 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 mariana

description: Heriades mariana Rojas-Arias, Griswold & Ayala. sp. nov.
(Figs. 2L, 22–23)
Diagnosis. Interantennal distance short (1.2–1.6 times antennocular distance); T3 with small punctures (Fig. 3K); tergal fasciae with rows of thin, white hairs (Fig. 3L). Male: head notably wider than long; clypeus, supraclypeal area and frons with golden hairs (Fig. 23A); posterior margin of S1 truncate with subtriangular, medial emargination (Fig. 2 Lb), in profile, with posterior margin projected and with soft ventral angle less than one third of distance from apex to base (Fig. 2 La); posterior margin of S5 bilobated, with several lines of capitate hairs on top directed upward, and several lines of simple, shorter hairs on subapical margin (Fig. 23E); S6 with two subapical acute spikes, in profile with quadrate tip (Fig. 23F). Female: mandible on outer surface with diagonal tubercle from base of outer ridge to ventral margin of mandible (Fig. 23C) (similar to H. vulcanica sp. nov. but different from this on body size and color or hairs on posterior T); apical margin of clypeus without emargination, with four to five small, rounded tubercles; clypeus, supraclypeal area and scutum with medium-sized punctures (0.2 times OD) (Fig. 3E) and T3 with small and sparse punctures (0.1 times OD), with dull surface (Fig. 3K).
Description. Male: Body length, 5.2 mm (4.2–5.3, n=6); forewing length, 3.2 mm (3.2–3.5, n=6).
Head. Length 1.4 mm (1.4–1.5, n=6), width 1.6 mm (1.6–1.7, n=6); eyes about 3 times longer than broad, 2.4 times wider than gena in profile; lower interocular distance 0.7 mm (0.7–0.8, n=6); upper interocular distance 0.9 mm (0.9–1, n=6); interantennal distance 1.6 times antennocular distance; lateral ocelli large, 4.7 times DOP in interocellar area; interocellar distance 1.6 times OD, ocellocular distance 1.9 times OD, OPR 1.7 times OD; labrum with basal, medial, wide elevation with one cusp; clypeus 1.5 times broader than long, lower third convex in profile, apical margin with shallow emargination; scape length 0.8 times alveolocellar distance, 2.4 times longer than wide; pedicel as long as broad, about 1.1 times longer than F1 and about 0.6 times longer than F2; flagellum black; F1 broader than long; remaining flagellomeres 1.6 longer than F1; F11 2.6 times longer than broad. Mesosoma. Scutum 2.9 times longer than scutellum, 2.7 times longer than tegula, and 4 longer than axilla; intertegular distance 1.1 mm (1.1–1.2, n=6); metanotum with transverse ridge, in posterior view straight; propodeum with large pits (Fig. 3I), 0.08 mm long; legs black. Metasoma. T1 1.4 mm broad (1.2–1.4, n=6). T3 1.6 mm broad (1.4–1.6, n=6); posterior margin of S1 truncate with subtriangular, medial emargination (Fig. 2 Lb) in profile, with posterior margin projected and with soft ventral angle less than one third of distance from apex to base (Fig. 2 La).
Sculpturing. Clypeus with small (at base 0.2 times OD), contiguous, not coarse punctures; supraclypeal area with punctures as on base of clypeus; frons with bigger and coarser punctures than those on supraclypeal area; frons in front of ocelli punctation sparser than frons; vertex with bigger, slightly sparser punctures than on supraclypeal area, with micropunctures between punctures; hypostomal area with punctation as on clypeus; pronotum anterior surface with punctures bigger, slightly sparser coarser than on clypeus; disc of scutum with punctures (0.2 times OD) as on vertex, with micropunctures between punctures; rest of mesosoma as on scutum except: scutellum with punctures slightly bigger and sparser; mesepisternum with slightly bigger punctures, with micropunctures between punctures; metepisternum with notably smaller punctures, less dense and coarse; T1 with smaller (0.2 times OD), sparser punctures than on scutum; T2 with punctures smaller than on T1; T3 with smaller, less coarse punctures than on T1, semicircular shape, separated by third DOP; T4 with coarser punctures than on T3; T5 with smaller and slightly coarser punctures than on T4; dorsal surface of T6 with bigger, sparser, irregularly shaped punctures as on T5, on posterior surface with sparser punctation, DBP one DOP; sides of S1 with punctation bigger and denser than on T1, on disc process smaller; sides of S2 with punctures sparser than on T1, disc of S2 microreticulate without punctation.
Vestiture. Sides of clypeus with plumose, golden equally length hairs, directed ventrally, absent on middle vertical line; supraclypeal area with few plumose, thin, golden, short hairs beneath alveoli; frons with plumose, thin, long, golden hairs directed dorsally (Fig. 23A); hypostomal area with short hairs not joining hairs in clypeus, in frontal view not surpassing mandible; dorsolateral angles of pronotum with pubescence not forming continuous, linear band with hairs on anterior margin of scutum, and without tuft of thick, short hairs; disc of scutum with simple, thin, short, scattered, white hairs on its entire surface; mesepisternum with anterior and posterior edge with plumose, thin, long, white hairs absent medially; disc of metepisternum without characteristic tuft of plumose, thick, short, white hairs; tergal fasciae with rows of thin, long, white hairs, T1 to T3 with simple, short, thin, white hairs in punctures; disc of T4 to T6 with simple, long, thick, whitish hairs in punctures increasing in length towards posterior terga (Fig. 23B); posterior surface of subapical posterior in S1 with several plumose, short golden hairs.
Terminalia. S6 with an obtuse-angled apex, with two subapical acute spikes, in profile with quadrate tip (Fig. 23E); capsule in dorsal view 0.9 mm length, and 0.5 mm width, 2 times longer than wide, gonobase 0.09 mm length, 5 times wider than long, and gonocoxite 0.3 mm length, gonostylus 0.8 mm length with acute apex, penis valve 0.6 mm length (Fig. 23G).
Female: Body length 6.8 mm (4.5–6.8, n=3); forewing length 3.6 mm (3.4–3.6, n=3). Similar to male except: Head. Length 1.7 mm (1.6–1.7, n=3), width 1.8 mm (1.6–1.8, n=3); eyes about 3.9 times longer than broad, 1.7 times wider than gena in profile; lower interocular distance 0.9 mm (0.8–0.9, n=3); upper interocular distance 1.2 mm (1.1–1.2, n=3); interantennal distance 1.2 times antennocular distance; interocellar distance 1.7 times OD, ocellocular distance 1.4 times OD, OPR 1.8 times OD; labrum with one rounded, basal, medial tubercle; mandible on outer surface with outer and condylar ridge parallel with tubercle diagonal from base of ouer ridge, reaching ventral margin of mandible; dorsal margin of mandible with carina; clypeus without emargination and apical margin with five rounded, small, lower tubercles (Fig. 23C); scape 2.9 times longer than broad; pedicel 1.4 longer than broad, about 1.6 times longer than F1 and 2.2 longer than F2, remaining flagellomeres 1.3 longer than F1. Mesosoma. Scutum 2.8 times longer than scutellum; intertegular distance 1.3 mm (1.2–1.3, n=3). Metasoma. T1 1.4 mm broad (1.3–1.4, n=3); T3 1.7 mm broad (1.5–1.7, n=3).
Sculpturing. Clypeus with medium-sized (0.2 times OD), contiguous, coarse punctures becoming smaller on lower two thirds, with few micropunctures and space between punctures resembling lines; supraclypeal area with punctures slightly bigger and sparser than base of clypeus: frons with slightly bigger, coarser, and contiguous punctures than supraclypeal area; frons in front of ocelli with slightly bigger punctures on sides, than those on frons; vertex bigger and sparser than on clypeus; gena evenly punctate as on frons in front of ocelli; scutum with slightly smaller and denser punctures than on vertex; rest of mesosoma as on scutum except: scutellum with bigger and sparser punctures; mesepisternum with bigger and slightly sparser punctures, with micropuntures between punctures; metasomal terga bright, microreticulate between punctures; T1 and T2 with smaller punctures (0.2 times OD) than on scutum, sparser (0.33 times DOP), with rounded shape; T3 with punctures large, 0.7 times DOP of scutum, irregularly shaped, and sparser (1.5 times DOP); dorsal surface of T6 with bigger, coarser and denser punctures than on T5; sterna with punctation smaller and sparser than on scutum, microreticulate on posterior margin.
Vestiture. Sides of clypeus with few plumose, short, whitish hairs; frons with few plumose, thin, whitish hairs (Fig. 23C); gena with plumose, whitish hairs evenly distributed.
Type material: Holotype male (BBSL 178527). COSTA RICA: Guanacaste, EJN 14km S Cañas, [19 m, 10°23’30”N 85°08’58”W], 12/II/1991, F.D. Parker (BBSL). Allotype (BBSL178545): COSTA RICA: Guanacaste, EJN 14km S Cañas, [19 m, 10°23’30”N 85°08’58”W], 16/III/1991, F. D. Parker (BBSL). Paratypes: COSTA RICA: Guanacaste, EJN 14km S Cañas, [19 m, 10°23’30”N 85°08’58”W], 16/III/1991, F. D. Parker (BBSL 1♀), 103 m, 10°25’59”N 85°05’03”W, 21-22/I/1989, F. D. Parker (BBSL 1 ♂), 16-20/II/1989, F. D. Parker (BBSL 1 ♂). La Taboga For. Res. 9kmSW Canas, [19 m, 10°23’30”N 85°08’58”W], 17-27/II/1987, W. L. Rubink-Mak. Tr. (BBSL 1♀). Hacienda COMELCO 24 km. NW Canas, Inter-Am H’wy, El 50 m, 1130. 1200 m, [10°20’33”N 85°17’58”W], 12, 15/I, 3, 7, 14/II/1972, E. R. Heithaus (USDA ARS 3♀ 4♂).
Additional material examined: COSTA RICA: Puntarenas, Eastern Boundary of Reserva Biológica Carara, [78 m, 9°46’40”N 84°35’54”W], 15/II/1986, W. T. Wcislo (KUNHM-ENT 1♀ 4♂). San José, [1236 m, 9°55’05”N 84°09’14”W], 22/IV/1989, F. D. Parker (BBSL 1♂). Escazú, [1105 m, 9°56’07”N 84°06’48”W], 19/V/1986, W. T. Wcislo (KUNHM-ENT 1♂). MEXICO: Chiapas, Mapastepec, 315 m, 15.5219 -92.80, 1/IV/2005, J. Esponda (ECOAB 1♀). Tapachula, 990 m, 15.13574 -92.21, 14/XII/2014, J. Mérida (ECOAB 1♀).
Distribution. Present from Chiapas, Mexico to Costa Rica, mostly in the Pacific Lowlands biogeographic province (Morrone et al. 2022). Most of the known specimens are from Costa Rica, but two female specimens are from Chiapas, in southern Mexico (Fig. 22). This species is endemic from Central America, associate to the tropical and cloud forest. Altitudinal range: 19 to 1236 m.
Etymology. This species is named after melittologist Dra. Mariana Acuña Cordero, who had contributed greatly on the knowledge of native bees from Costa Rica. She works in an integral way on ecology, natural history, taxonomy and environmental education.
Comments. There is variation on base of labrum, in the size of medial tubercle. This species is similar to H. currani however the male differs by having two subapical spikes on S6 and females with apical margin of clypeus with more than two tubercles all of the same size. On females the tubercle on outer surface of mandible varies from straight to slightly curved. The spikes of S6 on males are similar to H. amanda sp. nov. but differ in being one structure and not a few hairs together, and in profile having a quadrangular tip.
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 238-241, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5570.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14734877