|
Extracted from: Wallace E. LaBerge. 2001. Revision of the bees of the genus Tetraloniella in the New World (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 36(3):67162. This moderately large species from
Mιxico and the southernmost United States
is similar to cressoniana and flagellicornis in
the simple scopal hairs, the usually 6-segmented
maxillary palpi, and the well-defined
tergal apical pale fasciae. The female of
michoacanensis differs from that of either
cressoniana or flagellicornis by metasomal
terga 2 and 3 having the apical pale fasciae
distinctly separated from the apical edge of
each tergum by a narrow, shiny, impunctate
rim and by a narrow basal zone of each apical
area being impunctate (this is especially
distinct on tergum 3). The male of
michoacanensis has the apical half of the
clypeus, base of mandibles, and labrum with
pale (cream-colored) maculae much as in
flagellicornis (rarely the labrum or the mandibles
have the pale maculae reduced or absent).
The male of michoacanensis has
metasomal terga 2, 3, and 4 with apical margins
narrowly exposed as in terga 2 and 3 of
the female. FEMALE. Measurements and Ratios.-
N = 20; length, 1012 mm; width, 4.04.5 mm;
wing length, M = 2.97±0.104 mm; hooks in
hamulus, M = 13.60±0.210; flagellar segment
1/2, M = 2.11±0.018. Integumental Color.- Black except as
follows: mandible with median third or less
rufescent, often with apicomedian golden
stripe (absent when worn); flagellum dark reddish
brown to black below; tegulae piceous;
wing membranes hyaline, moderately
infumate, veins dark blackish brown;
metasomal terga with apical rims piceous, often slightly translucent, never hyaline; sterna
with apical areas hyaline to translucent;
distitarsi dark reddish brown to black; tibial
spurs testaceous. Structure.- Clypeus evenly rounded from
side to side, coarsely punctate with small median
ridge or apicomedian boss, surface moderately
shiny, finely shagreened. Supraclypeal
area with deep round punctures separated by
half a puncture width laterally, slightly sparser
medially, surface dull, finely tessellate. Face
above antennal fossae with small round punctures
separated largely by half a puncture width
or less, surface moderately shiny. Vertex with
lateral flattened areas with minute round punctures
separated largely by half to one puncture
width, surface shiny. Genal area narrow,
minutely punctate, moderately shiny. Galeae
without shagreening except near tips, shiny;
maxillary palpus 6-segmented, segmental ratio
about as 1.0:0.8:1.0:0.5:0.4:0.2. Second
flagellar segment about as long as broad, half
as long as first segment. Mesoscutum with
peripheral area with crowded punctures separated
mostly by less than half a puncture width,
posteromedially punctures separated by half
to one puncture width, surfaces dull to moderately
dull, finely tessellate; scutellum similar
but punctures smaller, surface moderately
shiny. Propodeum with dorsal surface
punctatorugose, dulled by fine shagreening;
posterior surface with crowded punctures laterally,
impunctate dorsomedially, surface dull,
shagreened. Mesepisternum with round punctures
separated by half a puncture width or
slightly more, surface dull, finely tessellate.
Metasomal tergum 1 with basal area punctures
small, round, in median half separated largely
by one to two puncture widths, more crowded
laterally; apical area largely impunctate, surface
moderately dulled by fine shagreening.
Tergum 2 and 3 with extreme basal depressed
area with minute crowded punctures, surface
moderately shiny, interband zone (disc) with
punctures large, separated by half to one puncture
width medially, more crowded laterally,
surface dulled by fine shagreening; apical area
with apical rim impunctate, basal fourth or fifth
impunctate, median third to half with small
round crowded punctures, surface dull,
shagreened but apical impunctate rim moderately
shiny; tergum 4 similar but apical rim
not exposed. Pygidial plate V-shaped with
broadly rounded apex. Sterna 24 as in
cressoniana. Vestiture.- Pale ochraceous to white except
as follows: vertex and thoracic dorsum
often with pale hairs ferrugineous but usually
with abundant dark brown hairs; tegulae often
with some dark hairs; tergum 1 with basal
area with long pale hairs, apical area with hairs,
if present along basal margin, short, dark
brown; terga 2 and 3 with basal tomentum
white or mostly white, interband zone hairs
short, dark brown, apical pale fascia complete,
not covering shiny apical rims of terga, with
basal margin irregular and not reaching bases
of apical areas; tergum 4 similar but apical
fascia narrow and completely hiding apical
rim; tergum 5 dark brown except small lateral
white patches; tergum 6 dark brown. Sterna
25 as in cressoniana. MALE. Measurements and Ratios.- N
= 20; length 912 mm; width, 2.53.5 mm;
wing length, M = 2.90±0.098 mm; hooks in
hamulus, M = 12.35±0.209; flagellar segment
2/1, M = 7.00±0.120. Integumental Color.- Black except as
follows: mandible usually with small pale
basal macula; labrum usually white with dark
brown apical border, often pale spot is onethird
or less of labrum and rarely labrum entirely
dark; clypeus with subapical half or less
cream-colored; flagellar segments black to
dark reddish brown below; wing membranes
and veins as in female; terga, sterna, distitarsi,
and tibial spurs as in female but terga with apical
rims often translucent, brown to yellow. Structure.- Head with sculpturing as in
female except as follows: clypeus often shiny,
especially apicomedially; vertex with lateral
flattened areas with punctures often minute
and widely separated. Galeae shiny above;
maxillary palpal segments 6, in ratio of about
1.0:0.9:1.0:0.4:0.4:0.3. Thoracic sculpturing
as in female but mesepisternum often with
punctures sparser, especially below.
Metasomal tergum 1 as in female but apical
area shorter; terga 24 as similar to female
terga 2 and 3 but apical exposed rims typically
progressively narrower posteriorly. Sternum
6 (Fig. 116) with apical rim completely covered by fascia or almost so. Pygidial plate
and sterna as in cressoniana Terminalia (Figs. 116120) similar to
those of cressoniana or noguera but hairs
somewhat longer and coarser and hair pattern
of sternum 6 slightly denser medially, otherwise
as figured. Vestiture.- Vestiture ochraceous except as
follows: vertex and thoracic dorsum often ferrugineous;
vertex, mesoscutum, and scutellum
usually with dark brown hairs, occasionally
absent or reduced in number. Metasomal terga
25 with vestiture as in cressoniana except
tergum 2 with apical fascia often narrowly interrupted
medially and terga 24 and often 5
with apical pale fasciae not reaching apices of
terga, exposing an impunctate, hairless, shiny
rim. Sterna as in cressoniana.
|
