Apatosigynes meloi Engel 2021, new species
Creators: name: Engel, Michael S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Colletidae
Apatosigynes
Apatosigynes meloi

description: Apatosigynes meloi Engel, new species
ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 386A6A6C-986C-44DF-8D66-FBEE007CCC93
(Figs. 1–21)
DIAGNOSIS: This species is quite similar to A. simplicicrus from Amazonian Peru and was previously identified as conspecific. However, the Brazilian species differs by the more elongate first metasomal tergum, the largely dark reddish legs, the more prominently rugose basal area to the propodeum, the absence of a mediolongitudinal strip of impunctate and imbricate integument on tergum VII of the male, and sternum V with a concave apical margin. There are also differences in the hidden sterna and genitalia (Figs. 19–21, cf. fig. 18 in Michener, 1989), particularly in the forms and setation of sterna VII and VIII.
DESCRIPTION: As for genus with following additions: ♀: Total body length 10.9 mm; forewing length 8.1 mm. Head broader than long, width 3.1 mm, length 2.5 mm; upper interocular distance 1.9 mm, lower interocular distance 1.9 mm; gena narrower than compound eye in profile. Scape long, reaching above level of median ocellus. Intertegular distance 2.2 mm.
Integument largely coarsely and contiguously punctured, with faintly imbricate integument between punctures, where evident; punctures more spaced on mesoscutum and mesoscutellum, separated by less than a puncture width but with definable integument between rather than contiguous, integument finely imbricate; pleura contiguously and coarsely punctured, punctures slightly more separated ventrally and posteriorly; metepisternum without coarse punctures, instead imbricate with fine striae dorsally; basal area of propodeum with raised rugae projecting from base to apical margin, integument finely imbricate between rugae. Metasomal terga densely punctate, punctures nearly contiguous, those anteriorly on dorsal-facing surface of tergum I slightly larger, anterior-facing surface almost impunctate, otherwise finely imbricate; enamel-like bands impunctate; sterna with dense setigerous punctures.
Integument black except on legs beyond trochanters dark reddish brown, somewhat lighter on tarsi, and exceptionally narrow enamel-like pale yellow bands on apical margins of terga I–IV, bands shorter than 0.5× median ocellar diameter. Wing membranes lightly infumate except clear centrally from apex of radial cell to just beyond second medial cell; veins dark brown to black.
Pubescence generally diffuse and yellowish to fuscous; setae of face largely yellowish, and long to moderate length, with short branches, setae most numerous on clypeus and around and above antennal toruli but not obscuring integument, setae of vertex more erect. Mesoscutum with scatered erect fine setae, such setae simple or with a few minute apical branches, except anteriorly setae with more abundant branches along rachis; similar setae on mesoscutellum and metanotum except shorter on later; setae of pleura erect, long to moderate length, and minutely branched along rachis, such setae on metepisternum finer, thinner, and shorter; scopal setae on propodeum laterally; basal area of propodeum glabrous. Pubescence of legs as in generic account (vide supra). Metasoma with short decumbent simple setae, sparser on basal terga, progressively more abundant on apical terga and intermixed with sparse, slightly longer, erect, simple setae; prepygidial fimbria composed of dense, fuscous setae, setae minutely branched, similar setae surrounding pygidial plate; sterna with abundant, minute, blunt, translucent setae.
♂: As for female except in usual sexual differences and as follows: Total body length 9.4 mm; forewing length 7.6 mm. Head broader than long, width 2.7 mm, length 2.1 mm; upper interocular distance 1.7 mm, lower interocular distance 1.5 mm. Scape short, not extending to level of median ocellus. Intertegular distance 2.0 mm.
Narrow enamel-like pale yellow bands on apical margins of terga I–V, bands slightly shorter than to subequal to median ocellar diameter.
Metasomal tergum VI with dense, long, fuscous setae apically, similar setae throughout disc of tergum VII; sterna with abundant, fine, moderate-length, yellowish, simple setae; those setae apically on sterna III–V progressively longer, with those of sternum V forming dense apical fringe along concave apical margin.
HOLOTYPE: ♀, Brazil, São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Campus da USP, 30.I.2000 [30 January 2000], Melo (SEMC).
PARATYPE: ♂, Brazil, São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Campus da USP, 30.I.2000 [30 January 2000], Melo (SEMC).
ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet honors Gabriel A.R. Melo, distinguished Brazilian hymenopterist who collected and donated the material (to Michener and the SEMC in 2000), and in recognition of his many contributions to the systematics of living and fossil Aculeata. Gabriel and I were graduate students during the same years, he in SEMC while I was at Cornell. I recall fondly my regular visits to see Michener, at which time I also had the pleasure to interact and discuss systematics with and generally be illuminated by Gabriel.
description: Published as part of Engel, Michael S., 2021, Two new genera of South American Eulonchopriini (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), pp. 1-24 in Journal of Melittology 2021 (107) on pages 10-15, DOI: 10.17161/jom.i107.16038, http://zenodo.org/record/8057561