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Extracted from Wallace E. LaBerge. 2001. Revision of the Bees of the Genus Tetraloniella in the New World (Hymenoptera: pidae). Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 36(3);67-162
This extremely small species from
Mιxico is related to eriocarpi but the female
differs from eriocarpi by lacking yellow markings
on the mandibles, the clypeus being black
or with a small median subapical spot, and by
the short antennae. The female has flagellar
segments 29 each slightly shorter than long,
whereas eriocarpi females have at least some
of the median flagellar segments (segments 3
7 or 8) at least as long as broad or longer. The
male resembles eriocarpi in the laterally
toothed sixth sternum and the yellow clypeus,
labrum and mandibular bases but differs in the
thoracic punctation as described below and by
the slightly longer first flagellar segment and
shorter penultimate flagellar segment. FEMALE. Measurements and Ratios.-
N = 14; length, 89 mm; width, 2.53.0 mm;
wing length, M = 2.18±0.100 mm; hooks in
hamulus, M = 8.93±0.165; flagellar segment
1/2, M = 1.76±0.045. Integumental Color.- Black except as
follows: mandible with apical half or more rufescent with golden stripe in apical half or
less; flagellum with segments 3 or 4 to ll dark
red to reddish brown below; tegula translucent
at summit, reddish brown, otherwise piceous;
wing membrane hyaline, veins dark
reddish brown to black; metasomal terga piceous
but terga 24 with apical areas with narrow
hyaline apical rims; metasomal sterna 2
5 with narrow apical areas hyaline; distitarsi
red to reddish brown; tibial spurs testaceous.
Structure.- Clypeus and head sculpturing
as in eriocarpi. Galeae shiny above,
unshagreened or slightly shagreened near tips;
maxillary palpus 5-segmented, segmental ratio
about as 1.0:0.8:0.8:0.3:0.2. Flagellar segment
2 distinctly but slightly shorter than
broad, segments 39 slightly shorter than
broad, segment 10 longer than broad.
Mesoscutal punctures round, deep, dense,
posteromedially separated by half a puncture
width to one or two puncture widths, surface
often shiny, occasionally somewhat dulled by
fine reticular shagreening, especially peripherally;
scutellum similar but anterior half or
two-thirds with punctures smaller than posteriorly.
Propodeum and mesepisternum sculptured
as in eriocarpi. Metasomal terga 14
sculptured as in eriocarpi but tergum 1 with
median third or so of basal area with punctures
separated mostly by two or more puncture
widths. Pygidial plate and sterna as in
eriocarpi. Vestiture.- Generally ochraceous to yellow-
ochraceous and much as in eriocarpi in
form except as follows: dorsum of thorax not
fox-red; metasomal tergum 1 with small, lateral,
pale pubescent patches; tergum 2 with
interband zone with hairs suberect, short, dark
ochraceous, relatively simple; terga 24 with
apical areas with more or less distinct bands
but terga completely covered with yellow
ochraceous pubescence; terga 5 and 6 with
hairs ochraceous-yellow; sternal vestiture
ochraceous, long; scopal hairs as in eriocarpi
but yellow. MALE. Measurements and Ratios.- N
= 20; length, 79 mm; width, 23 mm; wing
length, M = 2.32±0.091 mm; hooks in hamulus,
M = 9.20±0.138; flagellar segment 2/1,
M = 6.08±0.224. Integumental Color.- Black except as
follows: clypeus, labrum, and mandible base
yellow; flagellar segments 2 to 11 yellow to
red below, segment 2 often with base brown
below; tegulae piceous but somewhat translucent
at summits; wing membranes colorless,
hyaline, veins dark reddish brown to black;
metasomal terga 15 with apical areas translucent
in apical halves or less; sternal apical
areas hyaline, colorless to yellow; distitarsi
red; tibial spurs testaceous. Structure.- Head sculptured as in female
or as in eriocarpi; maxillary palpus 5-
segmented, segmental ratio about as
1.0:0.8:0.8:0.4:0.3; antennae moderately long,
barely reaching second metasomal tergum in
repose, second flagellar segment usually five
to seven times as long as minimum length of
first segment, penultimate flagellar segment
three times as long as minimum width or
shorter, weakly crenulate. Mesoscutum sculptured
as in female, anterior third with punctures
separated mostly by half a puncture width
or less, sparser posteromedially, surface shiny;
thorax elsewhere as in female. Terga and
sterna sculptured much as in female but terga
15 with apical areas impunctate in apical half
or less. Sternum 6 (Fig. 52) with lateral carinal
tooth broad, apical, margin forming concavity
facing posteriorly, ending laterally in blunt
tooth directed mostly laterally; hairs extremely
short, sparse, confined to apicomedian area.
Terminalia (Figs. 5256) with sternum 7
(Fig. 53) with inner apical plates without hairs,
triangular but posterior angle not elongate as
in fulvotecta. Sternum 8 (Fig. 54) with several
short hairs near apical margin. Vestiture.- Generally pale ochraceous to
dark ochraceous or yellow, often darker on
vertex and thoracic dorsum, never with dark
brown hairs on vertex, thoracic dorsum, or
terga; tergum 1 with apical area with distinct
lateral patches of pale pubescence; terga 25
with distinct, complete apical pale pubescent
fasciae; sterna 25 with vestiture sparse especially
medially on each sternum; sternum 6
with little or no vestiture.
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