8. Caenohalictus palumbes (Vachal, 1903)

(Figs. 18, 19, 29A–C, 31D)

Halictus (Paragapostemon) palumbes Vachal, 1903. Type data: lectotype ♀ Type locality: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Nova Friburgo. Naturhistorisches Museum in Wien. Examined through photographs.

Diagnosis. Caenohalictus palumbes is a large species, measuring from 8 to 10mm, with maxillary palpomeres measuring about 1x the MOD and eyes not enlarged as in C. longipalpis sp. nov. and C. sesquipalpis sp. nov. It resembles C. cyanolucens sp. nov. and C. parviformis sp. nov., but can be separated by the larger size in both sexes, females with scutellum densely punctate and polished, propodeal pit enclosed, weak carinae almost parallel and S1 with strong metallic reflections. From males of C. cyanolucens sp. nov., it can be easily separated by flagellomeres 2–11 homogeneously covered by intermixed trichodea and placodea sensillae and mandible with preapical tooth. The male preapical tooth is found only in C. palumbes among examined species. The male is described for the first time.

Redescription

Female: Body length x̄ =9.37 (N=4). ITD x̄ =1.69 (N=4). UID x̄ =1.32 (N=4). LID x̄ =1.30 (N=4). CLL x̄ =0.52 (N=4). HL x̄ =2.09 (N=4). HW x̄ =2.29 (N=4). Head. Metallic green or cuprous, sometimes with golden reflections. Labrum: black; apical elevation absent; base rugose. Mandible: black; apical amber spot occupying 1/3 of its length; preapical teeth present. Maxillary palpomeres length:0.7–1.0 the size of MOD. Clypeus:punctate to sparsely punctate (I=PD; I>PD); areolate; thin and long setae (2.5–3 MOD approximately), on its apex with shorter, denser and little thicker setae (2 MOD), intermixed with a comb of very short setae; apical dark band occupying a little less than 1/2 its length. Epistomal lobe: angle approximately orthogonal, projected onto the clypeus. Supraclypeal area: sparsely punctated (I>PD); areolate. Parocular area: brown setae, plumose and long (1,5– 2 MOD). Antennae: scape black; flagellomeres black to dark brown. Frons: slightly punctate, blending with the lineolate to areolate sculpture. Eye setae: approximately 1 MOD. Gena: thin and sparse long plumose setae (2–4 MOD); coriaceous; sparsely punctate; metallic green, turquoise or goldish green. Mesosoma. Mesoscutum: sparsely punctated to punctated in a few areas; granulate. Scutellum: coriaceous posteriorly, only on the apical edge; densely punctated (<1pd). Mesepisternum: areolate to rugulose, coriaceous below. Metanotum: rugulose-punctulate to coriaceous. Metepisternum: areolate. Legs: fore coxa and femur dark brown with metallic dark green reflections, dark brown elsewhere; fore leg with white plumose setae on trochanter and femur, light brown elsewhere, median and hind leg with dark brown plumose setae. Metapostnotum: medium depression occupying only the median area, a little more expanded anteriorly; weakly striate, irregular or branched shaped, rugose; granulate. Propodeum: dense and thin long plumose setae; pit weakly carinate, not enclosed above. Metasoma. Terga: green or golden anteriorly; black on the disc; marginal area dark brown; on T3 with a blue, green or goldish green reflection on the middle, between the black area and marginal area; T4 without the black area, also with the same reflections on the middle before the marginal area. Sterna: S1 bright metallic green; S2–S6 black to dark brown; dense and thin plumose setae on the post gradular area, glabrous on the pre gradular area.

Description

Male: Body length x̄ =9.5 (N=5). ITD x̄ =1.53 (N=5). UID x̄ =1.35 (N=5). LID x̄ =1.02 (N=5). CLL x̄ =0.51 (N=5). HL x̄ =2.02 (N=5). HW x̄ =2.17 (N=5). Head. Metallic green, goldish green or dark green, above de frons black, dark blue, turquoise or metallic green. Labrum: yellow. Mandible: black; amber apical spot occupying around 1/3 of its length; preapical teeth present. Maxillary palpomeres length: 0.5–1.0x MOD. Clypeus: sparsely punctate to densely punctate below; areolate to micro lineolate; yellow spot occupying around 1/2 of the clypeal area, with a dark edge separating it from the green area. Epistomal lobe: angle obtuse and not projected onto the clypeus. Supraclypeal area: areolate; sparsely punctate. Parocular area: yellow and thick plumose setae, dense around the antennal socket, with brown and thin plumose setae on the supraclypeal area, lower parocular area and clypeus. Antennae: scape black, sometimes with weak cuprous reflections; flagellomeres black to yellow anteriorly; crenulate, F2 longer than each F3–F10. Frons: areolate-rugulose; inconspicuous punctation, blending with the sculpture. Eye setae: long (1.0– 1.2x MOD). Gena: black, turquoise, metallic green or goldish green; coriaceous-rugulose; slightly punctate; long and thick yellow plumose setae, gradually becoming thin and short above the middle. Mesosoma. Integument color: black, goldish green, turquoise or metallic green with a few bluish spots. Mesoscutum: inconspicually and sparsely punctate; granulate. Scutellum: lineolate; punctate to densely punctate. Mesepisternum: areolate. Metanotum: areolate; slightly punctate. Metepisternum: areolate. Legs: dark brown, with dark blue reflections on the coxa, except on the middle coxa or brown to light brown, with metallic green reflections from coxa to femur, except on the middle coxa. Metapostnotum: median depression occupying only the median area, a little more expanded anteriorly; striae areolate-rugose, sometimes weakly; granulate. Propodeum: dense, short and thick plumose setae on the sides, weakly near the metapostnotum; pit weakly carinate, not enclosed above, sometimes weakly. Metasoma. Terga: dark green, blue or metallic green with blue reflections, with a small black area before the dark brown marginal area. Sterna: S1 same color of the integument; brown or dark brown to black elsewhere. Genitalia. Gonobase: wider than long, width a little smaller than the length of the gonocoxite. Volsella: length a little more than 1/2 of gonapophysis, wider than long. Gonapophysis: ventral prong and dorsal flanges absent; dorsal crest absent; with small dorsal setae on the outer edges in the middle. Gonocoxite: longitudinally striate. Gonostylus: VA vestigial; VP absent; MGL reniform; IGP dorsal process as an oblong lobe, with dense, small and very thick setae, lower apex with the shape of a hook; OGP with 3 long setae.

Variation. This species can vary greatly in size, from 8 to 10 mm and also exhibits a great range of body colors, especially on metasoma: opaque green, metallic green, metallic blue, cupreous, black or turquoise. Vachal (1903:99) already recognized the color variation for this species.

Distribution. Brazil: Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo.

Examined material. Brazil, MG, DZUP. ♀, “540163”, “ P. de CALDAS-MG \ Brasil XI-61\ Claudionor Elias l. ”. Brasil, PR, DZUP. ♀, ♂, “ DZUP 539976 ”, “ Flôres\ de\ Arruda \\ Curityba-Paraná\ 21-IX-1942 \\ Caenohalictus \ palumbes\ P. Moure (Vach)\ 1952”, ♀, “ DZUP 539977 ”, “Curityba-Paraná\ 13-IX-1942 ”, ♀, “ DZUP 539978 ”, “Curityba-Paraná\ IX-1941 \\ palumbes\ Vach\ det. J.S. Moure 19”, ♀, “ DZUP 539979 ”, “CURITIBA\ Paraná BRASIL \ XI.1955. MOURE \ LANÇE, MICHENER ”, ♀, “ DZUP 539980 ”, “Curityba-Paraná\ XII.39\\ palumbes\ Vach\ det. J.S. Moure 19”, ♂, “ DZUP 539981 ”, “ Brasil, Paraná, 10Km N de\ Bocaiúva do Sul, Santana,\ 15º06’S, 49º06’W, 900m \ 12.x.2002, GMelo, LZanette &\ AAguiar ”, ♂, “ DZUP 539982 ”, “ CURITIBA \ Paraná BRASIL \ I - 1961 ”, ♂, “ DZUP 539984 ”, “ Brasil, Paraná, Campina\ Grande do Sul, Pico \ Caratuva, 100-1480m,\ 25º14’S 48º50’W,\ 17.ii.2007, G.A.R. Melo,\ F. vivallo ”, ♀, “ DZUP 540147 ”, “ BRASIL, PARANÁ,\ COLOMBO, EMBRAPA \ 25º19’18.66’’S 49º9’33.66’’W \ 26.VIII.2019 935m \ MIKICH, S.B. leg. E2988”, ♀, “ DZUP 540148 ”, “ BRASIL, PARANÁ,\ COLOMBO, EMBRAPA \ 25º19’18.66’’S 49º9’33.66’’W \ 9.IX.2019 935m \ MIKICH, S.B. leg. E3079”, ♀, “ DZUP 540149 ”, “ BRASIL, PARANÁ,\ COLOMBO, EMBRAPA \ 25º19’18.66’’S 49º9’33.66’’W \ 3.X.2019 935m \ MIKICH, S.B. leg. E3572”, ♀, “ DZUP 600472 ”, “ Curitiba \ X.943\ R.Huke \\ Paragapostemon \ palumbes\ (Vachal) ♀ ”, ♂, “ DZUP 600474 ”, “ Curitiba - PR \ 7 / II / 1965 \ R.Lange leg.”, ♀, “ DZUP 169070 ”, “ Brasil, Paraná, Tunas do\ Paraná, Parque Estadual\ de Campinhos, 25º02’S \ 49º05’W, Alt. 860m,\ 11.ix.2008, G. Weiss ”. Brasil, RJ, DZUP. ♀, “ DZUP 540128 ”, “ Brasil, Rio de Janeiro,\ Nova Friburgo, Macaé\ de Cima, 1500m,\ 22º22’S, 42º29’W,\ 15.xi.2005, P. Grossi ”. Brasil, RS, DZUP. ♂, “ DZUP 539983 ”, “ CANELA, RS \ Brasil 26.VIII.1985 \ M. Hoffmann col.\\ col. MCN 91336\\ Caenohalictus ♂\ hoffmann”. Brasil, SP, DZUP. ♀, “ DZUP 540126 ”, “ SÃO PAULO \ IX-1953 \ C. Jordão ”, ♀, “ DZUP 540127 ”, “ C. do Jordão-SP \ Brasil II 1958 \ K.Lenko leg”. MCT. ♂, “ São Francisco de\ Paula, Pró-Mata, RS,\ Brasil 09.03.1997 \ leg. Birgit Harter \\ 12811 H: 239\ F: 85 11:30 ♀\\ Caenohalictus palumbes \ Vachal, 1903\ B. Harter det. 1999”, ♂, “ São Francisco de\ Paula, Pró-Mata, RS,\ Brasil 22.2.1997 \ leg. Birgit Harter \\ 14691 H: 228\ F: 86 10:30\\ Caenohalictus palumbes \ Vachal, 1903\ B. Harter det. 1999”.