Colletes simulatus Ferrari 2017, new species
Creators: name: Ferrari, Rafael R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Colletidae
Colletes
Colletes simulatus

description: Colletes simulatus Ferrari, new species
(Figs. 56A–F)
Diagnosis. The combination of clypeal mid-longitudinal area depressed, paraocular and mesoscutal pubescence with off-white and black hairs intermixed, T1 with coarse punctation, and T2–T5 covered with yellow appressed hairs differentiates C. simulatus n. sp. from all other Chilean species of Colletes.
Colletes simulatus n. sp. is most similar to C. atacamensis, however, these species can be easily distinguished from each other by the paraocular and mesosomal pubescence with off-white and black hairs intermixed in C. simulatus n. sp. (paraocular and mesosomal pubescence with pale-yellow hairs only, in C. atacamensis); comparatively longer malar area, ~1.5x as long as basal depth of mandible, in the female C. simulatus n. sp. (malar area ~1.3x as long as basal depth of mandible in the female C. atacamensis); and mesoscutum densely punctate (i=0.5d) in the male C. simulatus n. sp. [mesoscutum moderately densely punctate (i=1–1.5d) in the male C. atacamensis].
Description. FEMALE (Figs. 56A, 56C, 56E): Dimensions (mm): Approximate body length 8.8; head width 3.1; head length 2.4; intertegular distance 2.1; forewing length 7.2.
Colouration: Black except pale-yellow on tibial spurs, wing veins (except vein R of forewing pale-brown), stigma, distitarsi, tarsal claws (except bright-yellow on proximal 1/3), marginal zones of T1–T5 and S1–S5. Darkbrown on tegula, dorsal surface of tibiae and tarsi (except distitarsi), ventral area of T1–T3, metasomal sterna (except mid-longitudinal band pale-brown). Reddish-brown marked on distal half of mandible.
Structure: Labrum medially concave; concavity margined by lateral ridges. Clypeal mid-longitudinal area deeply and narrowly (0.4x MOD) depressed on upper half; depression shallow and broad (=MOD) below; adjacent lateral area convex; apicomedial ridge absent. Malar area ~1.5x as long as basal depth of mandible (44:29). F1 ~1.3x as long as its apical width (38:28). UID:LID (65:61). Genal area concave behind upper summit of compound eyes in lateral view. Dorsolateral angle of pronotum modified into a spine. Horizontal surface of metapostnotum ~0.4x as long as metanotum (29:68); metapostnotal pits well-delimited; posterior transverse carina sinuous and complete. Posteromedial surface of front coxa without spine. Posterior hind tibial spur ciliate. Hind basitarsus 4x longer than broad (48:12). Outer rami of hind tarsal claws ~1.3x as long as inner rami (24:18). Posterolateral area of S6 flat and lacking carina; marginal zone depressed.
Pubescence: Off-white, plumose, erect, long on lateral slopes of clypeus and supraclypeal area, genal area (except moderately short behind eye), mesepisternum, metepisternum, ventral surface of front coxa, posteroventral surface of front trochanter and femur, ventral surface of mid and hind trochanters, T1. Mixed off-white and back hairs on paraocular, interantennal, frontal and vertexal areas, pronotal lobe, mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, upper margin of lateral surface of propodeum. Pale-yellow, erect, moderately long setae on mandible, dorsal surface of mid and hind tibiae and basitarsi; fulvous, long on posterior surface of front tibia, dorsal surface of front basitarsi, posterior margin of mid basitarsi; such hairs very long on posterior margin of hind basitarsus. Brightyellow, suberect, thick setae on ventral surface of mid and hind tarsi; thickest towards distal margin. Pale-yellow, suberect, very long hairs, which are branched only apically on anterior surface of hind femur and tibia. T2–T5 with pale-yellow, dense appressed hairs; T4–T5 also with very sparse black setae (longer on T5). S2 with pale-yellow, erect, short hairs, which are branched only apically. Discs of S3–S6 with pale-yellow, erect, moderately short setae; marginal zones with plumose, suberect hairs (except S6).
Surface sculpture: Clypeal mid-longitudinal depression punctures crowded and moderately fine (except moderately dense below); adjacent convex area largely impunctate. Malar area longitudinally striate. Supraclypeal area with very sparse coarse punctures; interspaces smooth and shiny. Paraocular area densely punctate; moderately coarsely punctate below; slightly finer above; interspaces smooth and shiny throughout. Frontal area punctures crowded and moderately coarse. Vertexal area densely and moderately coarsely punctate (except finely punctate near eye). Mesoscutum, scutellum and mesepisternum densely and coarsely punctate (except sparsely punctate on mesoscutal mid-posterior area); interspaces smooth and shiny. Metanotum densely and moderately coarsely punctate; interspaces rugulose but somewhat shiny. Metepisternum rugulose above; obliquely striate medially; smooth below. Lateral surface of propodeum sparsely and moderately coarsely punctate; interspaces rugose. Upper area of vertical surface of metapostnotum rugose medially. T1 densely punctate; moderately coarse punctures intermingled with fine ones. T2 densely and minutely punctate; anterior 1/3 with minute punctures intermingled with moderately fine ones. T3–T5 sparsely and minutely punctate. Metasomal sterna sparsely and finely punctate (except moderately coarsely punctate on S6); interspaces imbricate.
MALE (Figs. 56B, 56D, 56F). As in female, except for usual secondary sexual characteristics and as follows:
Dimensions (mm): Approximate body length 7.6; head width 3.0; head length 2.3; intertegular distance 2.0; forewing length 6.7.
Colouration: Dorsal surface of tibiae, metasomal sterna black. Wing veins, stigma, dorsal surface of distitarsi dark-brown.
Structure: Clypeal mid-longitudinal area evenly deeply depressed; depression narrow (0.6x MOD) on upper half, wide below (= MOD). Malar area ~2.1x as long as basal depth of mandible (54:26). F1 ~1.1x as long as its apical width (34:30). UID:LID (67:56). Horizontal surface of metapostnotum ~0.4x as long as metanotum (23:62). Hind basitarsus ~3.7x longer than broad (44:12). Outer rami of hind tarsal claws ~1.7x as long as inner rami (20:12). Marginal zone of S6 flat not depressed. S7, S8 and genital capsule as in Figs. 57A, 57B, 57C, respectively.
Pubescence: Mesepisternum and metepisternum with off-white and black hairs intermixed. Posterior margin of mid basitarsus with pale-yellow setae. S2 with plumose hairs only.
Surface sculpture: Supraclypeal area densely punctate. Vertexal area punctures crowded. Lateral surface of propodeum moderately densely punctate.T1 with coarse punctures intermingled with moderately fine ones. Punctation on T2–T3 composed of moderately coarse punctures intermingled with fine ones. T4–T5 densely and finely punctate. S6 finely punctate.
Type material. Holotype ♀ —“ CHILE: Region XV, 1.5km SE Campamento Planchones; - 18.6988, -69.60847. 3030m; 31.x-30.xi.2013. White; S. Monckton & J. Postlethwaite ”. “ CCDB-22014; D10”. “HOLOTYPE; Colletes simulatus ♀; Ferrari, new species”. {PCYU}.
Paratypes: CHILE — Region XV: 30km W of Zapahuira, (-18.333, -69.894), 1799m, 3/iv/2000, [L.Packer], 1♂, {PCYU}. Pucará Belén, (-18.472, -69.527), 3178m, 1/xi/2013, [S.Monckton], 1♂, {PCYU}. Tambo, (-18.356, -69.620), 3235m, 12/iv/2004, [L.Packer], 1♂, {PCYU}. Tignamar, (-18.567, -69.488), 3416m, 24/ix/2013, [L.Packer], 1♂, {PCYU}. Region I: 23km E of Pozo Almonte, (-20.251, -69.555), 1081m, 22/ix/2013, [Almeida & Packer], 5♂♂, {RPSP}. E of Pozo Almonte, (-20.252, -69.581), 1057m, 6/ii/2013, [Postlethwaite & Monckton], 1♂, {PCYU}. Mamiña, (-20.062, -69.222), 2758m, 29/x/2013, [S.Monckton], 1♂, {PCYU}. Sobraya, (-18.580, - 70.052), 570m, 10/xi/1955, 1♀, {KUNHM}. Vale de Camarones, (-19.004, -69.856), 735m, 14/vii/1976, [Porter & Calmbacher], 1♀, {AMNH}. Mamiña, (-20.062, -69.222), 2757m, 25/iv/2015, [L.Packer], 1♀, {PCYU}. Region II: Lasana, xi/1996, (-22.266, -68.621), 2701m, [U.Peña], 1♂, {AMNH}.
Range. Chile (Regions XV, I, II). See also Fig. 46C.
Biogeographic distribution. South American transition zone: Desert and Atacama provinces. Northern Chilean species distributed in the summer rainfall area at altitudes of 500–3500m a.s.l.
DNA barcode. Available. BOLD: AAV8097 (2♀♀4♂♂). Distance from the nearest neighbour (C. nigropilosus n. sp.): 10.46–11.26%.
Floral hosts. Leguminosae— Caesalpinia sp.
Etymology. Colletes simulatus n. sp. has been largely misidentified as C. atacamensis in most bee collections that houses specimens of the former, which is not surprising given these species are very similar to each other. “Simulatus”, therefore, means that the species has been “pretending” to be a different species all this time.
Comments. Uncommon species found only in northern Chile.
description: Published as part of Ferrari, Rafael R., 2017, Taxonomic revision of the species of Colletes Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Colletinae) found in Chile, pp. 1-137 in Zootaxa 4364 (1) on pages 107-109, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4364.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1116008