Perdita optiva Timberlake
Creators: name: Portman, Zachary M.
name: Neff, John L.
name: Griswold, Terry
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Andrenidae
Perdita
Perdita optiva

description: Perdita optiva Timberlake
Figs. 10 A, 11A, 12A, 13A, 23J, 24K, 40, 41A, 56J, 59E–F
Perdita (Heteroperdita) optiva Timberlake, 1954: 371, ♂ (not ♀). Holotype ♂ (CAS type no. 14645), 2.5 miles north of Plaster City, Imperial Co., California, USA.
Diagnosis. The male and female have different metasomal color patterns. The female can be distinguished by the combination of the metasoma with a black and white striped pattern (Fig 11 A) and the triangular pygidial plate (24K). The male has a variable color pattern on the metasoma which can potentially be confused with numerous different species. In the typical form (Fig. 10 A), the terga are amber with white bands on the apices of the discs. The shade of amber on the terga ranges from a light orange amber to a dark brown amber. The terga generally (but not always) have large, poorly defined dark marks laterally—these are more prominent on the basal terga. The male of P. optiva can be distinguished from similar species by the following combination of characters: head quadrate (Fig. 12 A), metasoma broader than mesosoma, propodeum lacking a yellow triangle dorsally, and pygidial plate with the apex squared-off (Fig. 23 J).
Description of female. Length: 3.3 mm. Forewing length: 2.0 mm.
Coloration. Head (Fig. 13 A) and mesosoma base color black with metallic greenish luster; clypeus variably marked, ranging from entirely white to brown with white limited to broad medial stripe; supraclypeal mark typically brown, sometimes with small white transverse mark; paraocular mark white, narrowly transverse, not reaching above level of summit of clypeus; mandible white, tip brown; labrum ranging from white to brown; scape white, more or less brown posteriorly; antenna brown dorsally, whitish ventrally; pronotal collar dark brown with metallic tints, occasionally with pair of reduced white transverse marks dorso-posteriorly; pronotal lobe generally dark, sometimes white in whole or part; legs dark brown basally, transitioning to white at apex of femora, brownish posteriorly on distal fore tarsi, often marked with brown medially on hind tibia, more or less brown on hind basitarsus; wing veins light brown; metasoma black, T1–T5 with white bands along apical margins of discs, bands thicker laterally and medially (Fig. 11 A); T2 fovea black; pygidial plate brown.
Structure and vestiture. Head broader than long (Fig. 13 A); face with appressed white pubescence encircling antennal base and on vertex; eyes subparallel, slightly converging ventrally; facial fovea extremely faint, typically obscured by pubescence, linear, slightly broadened basally, extending from level of tops of antennal sockets half distance to apex of eye; mandible with small blunt subapical tooth; labrum quadrate, slightly less than 2X broader than long; disc of clypeus broader than high, convex, apically protruding less than 1 OD from face; lateral extension strongly folded over, not extending towards base of mandible; venter of head with abundant inwardfacing broadly hooked hairs; mesosoma strongly tessellate, impunctate, slightly shiny; pronotal collar slightly impressed, humeral angle weak; mesepisternum and margins of scutum sparsely covered with combination of recumbent and erect white pubescence; fore coxa and anterior venter of mesepisternum with abundant, broadly hooked hairs; apex of mid tibia with some short, thick, curved setae; forewing with second medial cell present; metasoma oval, slightly wide basally, tapering apically, widest at T3 (Fig. 11 A); terga tessellate and impunctate; T2 fovea long, linear-ovoid, 2/3 length of T2; pygidial plate triangular, apex bluntly rounded (Fig. 24 K); hairs of prepygidial fimbria slightly thickened, dense.
Redescription of male. Length: 2.8 mm. Forewing length: 2.0 mm.
Coloration. Head (Fig. 12 A) and mesosoma base color black with bluish or greenish metallic luster; clypeus yellowish-white; supraclypeal mark yellowish-white, broad, narrowly transverse; paraocular mark yellowishwhite, transverse, reaching level of summit of clypeus; mandible white, tip reddish; labrum white, sometimes with basomedial dark spot; scape white except more or less brown posteriorly; antenna tan, brownish dorsally and basally on F2–F4; pronotal collar with pair of narrowly-separated, white transverse marks dorso-posteriorly; pronotal lobe white; legs dark brown basally, transitioning to white at apex of femora, often marked with brown medially on hind tibia and distal hind tarsi; wing veins brown; metasoma amber or brown, brown coloration often more prominent on basal terga and laterally on apical terga, T1–T6 with white bands along apical margins of discs, white bands thicker laterally and medially (Fig. 10 A); T2 fovea dark brown; pygidial plate amber.
Structure and vestiture. Head quadrate, much broader than long (Fig. 12 A); face with appressed white pubescence on vertex and encircling antennal base; eyes parallel or slightly diverging below; mandible simple, thickened medially, distinctly and abruptly narrowed apically, extending to far side of labrum in repose; labrum quadrate, 2X broader than long; disc of clypeus broader than high, slightly convex, apically protruding less than 1 OD from face; lateral extension reaching 1/4 distance to base of mandible; head with sparse pubescence ventrally; mesosoma strongly tessellate, impunctate, slightly shiny; pronotal collar slightly impressed, humeral angle weak; mesepisternum and margins of scutum sparsely covered with combination of recumbent and erect white pubescence; hind tibia with sparse, short, thickened hairs; metasoma broader than mesosoma, oval, wide basally, tapering apically, widest at T3 (Fig. 10 A); T2 slightly depressed apically; terga tessellate and impunctate; T2 fovea linear, slightly thickened, 1/2 length of T2; pygidial plate broadly triangular, apex broadly truncate (Fig. 23 J); hairs of prepygidial fimbria slightly thickened, sparse.
Terminalia. S8 (Fig. 56 J) with spiculum triangular, lateral apodemes prominent, pointing straight out; apical portion moderately convex, longer than broad, sides moderately diverging before converging subapically; apex strongly folded over dorsally, apex of folded-over portion strongly emarginate medially with two prominent lateral prongs; dense short hairs ventrally; cuticle thinned in a small circle medially. Genital capsule as in Figs. 59 E–F. Gonostyli separated dorsally by narrow, deep U-shape; lobes of gonostylus equal in length, extending well below level of apex of penis valve; dorsal lobe large and broad; ventral lobe narrow with minute hairs on margin of apex; volsella extending slightly beyond gonostylus but still well below level of apex of penis valve; cuspis relatively large, slightly curving dorsally with six spicules on dorsal margin of apex; digitus short and narrow with single spicule on inner margin of apex; penis valve large and long, fused basally before splitting above level of volsella, extending well beyond rest of genitalia, apices narrow, diverging laterally; endophallus extending slightly beyond level of splitting of penis valve.
Floral records. Boraginaceae (43 ♂ 11 ♀): Nama sp. 9 ♂ 3 ♀, Tiquilia latior 2 ♂, T. palmeri 30 ♂ 8 ♀, T. plicata 1 ♂, T. sp. 1 ♂, Fabaceae (1 ♀): Prosopis sp. 1 ♀.
Phenology. Active in the spring (April and May).
Distribution. Mojave and Sonoran Deserts (Fig. 41 A), USA (and likely Mexico).
Type material examined. Holotype data: ♂, CALIFORNIA: Imperial Co.: 2.5 miles north of Plaster City, 1 May 1952, P.H. Timberlake and P.D. Hurd, at flowers of Coldenia palmeri [= Tiquilia palmeri] (CAS type no. 14645).
Additional material examined. Total specimens: 41 ♂ 14 ♀. ARIZONA: La Paz Co.: Bouse (33.9324 - 114.005): 3 ♂ 1 ♀, 19 May 1970, P.F. Torchio, Nama sp.; Parker, 6 mi E; Shea Rd. (34.1322 -114.2288): 1 ♂ 1 ♀, 17 Apr 2010, G.R. Ballmer, Tiquilia palmeri; Mohave Co.: Topock (34.71 -114.48): 6 ♂ 2 ♀, 13 May 1983, P.F. Torchio, N. sp.. CALIFORNIA: Imperial Co.: Ocotillo, 5.3 km ENE; Roadside of Hwy S 80 (32.75711 - 115.94222): 3 ♂, 2 May 2012, M. C. Orr, T. palmeri; 2 ♂ 1 ♀, 2 May 2012, Z.M. Portman; 2 ♂ 1 ♀, 2 May 2012, Z.M. Portman, T. palmeri; Ocotillo, 5.4 km ENE; Coyote Wash (32.75793 -115.94101): 1 ♂, 2 May 2012, Z.M. Portman, T. plicata; Ocotillo, 5.9 km ENE (32.75965 -115.93666): 1 ♀, 2 May 2012, Z.M. Portman, Prosopis sp.; San Bernardino Co.: Needles (34.84805 -114.61413): 1 ♂, 17 Apr 1967, P.F. Torchio, N. Youssef. NEVADA: Clark Co.: 3.5 mi SE Hiko Spr. (35.1269 -114.6432): 1 ♀, 27 Apr 2004, S.M. Higbee, E. Ahlstrom; Cottonwood Cove (35.4875 -114.6944): 2 ♂, 4 May 1998, K. Receveur, C. Schultz, T. latior; Davis Dam, W (35.1857 - 114.5905): 16 ♂ 5 ♀, 13 May 1998, M. Andres, K. Keen, T. palmeri; Laughlin, W (35.1833 -114.6167): 4 ♂ 1 ♀, 13 May 1998, K. Receveur, C. Schultz, T. palmeri.
Remarks. When it was originally described by Timberlake (1954), the male of P. optiva was incorrectly associated with the female of P. sexfasciata. That mistake was corrected by Timberlake (1968). Here, the true female of P. optiva is described for the first time.
description: Published as part of Portman, Zachary M., Neff, John L. & Griswold, Terry, 2016, Taxonomic revision of Perdita subgenus Heteroperdita Timberlake (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), with descriptions of two ant-like males, pp. 1-97 in Zootaxa 4214 (1) on pages 59-62, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4214.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/253086