Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) mexicanorum Cockerell 1912

Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) mexicanorum Cockerell, 1912

(Figs. 33 –42,111–113, 140)

Xylocopa mexicanorum Cockerell, 1912: 555. Holotype: American Museun of Natiral History, New York, USA (♀). Type locality: Mexico, Veracruz, Rio Nautla

Diagnosis. Body length, female, 22.37 mm (21.2–23.04; n=5); male, 22.89 mm (22.32–23.14; n=5). Female: Head without elevated ridges or prominences on frons; ocelli below tangent of the eyes; area between parapsidal line and mesoscutal disc with scattered punctures (separated by two or more times their diameter); wings dark brown with iridescence blue-greenish, but on the papillate distal extreme yellowish (Fig. 36); pubescence evenly black; integument of terga evenly black; T1 densely punctate on disc (punctures separated by one or two puncture diameter), T2 to T4 less densely punctate (three diameters separation); T5 puncture density in between previous values (two diameters separation); length of hairs on terga respect MOD, T2 0.26–0.41, T3 0.41–0.71, T4 0.45–0.81, T5 0.62–1.07. Male: T1 to T5 yellowish with black bands on posterior half, T6 and T7 orange-brown; pubescence mainly yellowish-orange, except T7 with orange-brown hairs; posterior tibia internal distal projection robust, rectangular, longer than wide, blunt (Fig. 42); length of hairs on terga respect MOD, T2 0.93–1.31, T3 0.93–1.77, T4 0.98–1.75, T5 1.13–1.74; tip of lateral process of the gonostylus ending broad, oval.

Description. Female: Integument and pubescence black; wings with iridescence blue-greenish, but on the papillate distal extreme yellowish (Fig. 36); venation dark brown; body length 22.37 mm (21.2–23.04; n=5); length of forewing 21.86 mm (20.88–22.45; n=5); head length 5.84 mm (5.66 – 5.94; n=5); intertegular distance 6.85 mm (6.43–7.26; n=5); width of T2 10.54 mm (10.38–10.72; n=5). Head: Clypeus with broad inferior margin unpunctate; throughout the inferior submargin with a little depressed; punctures on superior area of clypeus separated by approximately the width of a puncture; sublateral and inferolateral areas with punctures separated bytwo or three times their diameter. Genal area with sparse punctures on middle region; punctures on superior region very small (Fig. 33); with pits on posterolateral area of the ocelli, of half the ocellar diameter; vertex with a well-defined middle longitudinal line; the punctures slightly smaller than those on clypeus, separated by two or more times their diameter. Mesosoma: Between the parapsidal lines and discal area with scattered punctures, separated by two or more times their diameter; scutellum angled in profile. Metasoma: T1 with densely punctate on discal area, separated by one or two times their diameter; T2 to T4 with punctures separated by approximately three times their diameter; T5 with punctures separated by approximately two times their diameter; T6 with very densely punctate. Length of hairs on terga respect MOD as follows: T2 0.26–0.41, T3 0.41–0.71, T4 0.45–0.81, T5 0.62–1.07. Male: Integument yellowish-orange on head and mesosoma; T1 to T5 yellowish with black bands occupying half or more of their area; T6 and T7 orange-brown. Pubescence yellowish-orange; T7 with orange-brown hairs; cypeus with a dark brown middle line reaching disc of clypeus; hyaline wings, venation reddish brown; body length 22.89 mm (22.32–23.14; n=5); length of forewing 19.63 mm (19.00–20.49; n=5); head length 4.34 mm (4.27–4.45; n=5); intertegular distance 6.72 mm (6.19–7.22; n=5); width of T2 10.99 mm (10.38 – 11.61; n=5). Head: Labrum with a small subtriangular area unpunctate on the medial region; rest of labrum with scattered punctures; clypeus with scattered punctures on middle region of inferior submargin; disc of clypeus unpunctate; superior inferolateral and lateral areas with scattered punctures, separated by two to four times their diameter; posterior ocelli to the same level upper margin of the eyes; posterolateral ocellar area with similar size of an ocellus, unpunctate; vertex unpunctate on medial área. Mesosoma: Between the parapsidal line and discal area with densely punctate, separated by one to one and a half times their diameter; posterior tibia, anterior margin of hind tibia with long dense pubescence, with simple curly hairs; by contrast hairs on posterior margin short and less dense; internal surface with long pubescence toward basal area; short and dense toward distal area; distal internal projection of tibia robust, rectangular, longer than wide, blunt (Fig. 42). Metasoma: T1 with only plumose hairs, T2 with a mixture of plumose and simple hairs, T3 and T4 with plumose hairs restricted to submarginal area, T5 to T7 with dense, long hairs, some of them plumose. Length of hairs on terga respect MOD as follows: T2 0.93–1.31, T3 0.93–1.77, T4 0.98–1.75, T5 1.13–1.74. Genitalia: Distal angle of the ventral section of the gonostylus, acute (Fig. 113); basal angle at the base of lateral process of the gonostylus, obtuse (Fig. 112); tip of the lateral process ending broad, oval (Fig. 112).

Variation. In females the greenish blue iridiscence of the wings may occupy more than half the wings.

Distribution (Fig. 140). Present in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Puebla, Oaxaca, Tabasco, and Veracruz, in the following ecoregions (Dinerstein et al. 2017): Humid forests of Petén-Veracruz, Sierra de los Tuxtlas, Pine-oak forests of the Sierra Madre of Oaxaca, Pine-oak forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur, Pine-oak forests of the Transmexican Volcanic Belt, and Humid forests of Veracruz. According to the specimens examined, this species may be endemic to Mexico. Altitudinal distribution from 100 to 1390 m.

Material examined. 32 ♀ 12 ♂: MEXICO: Chiapas: 2 ♀ (ECOAB): Chiapas: Las Margaritas: Carr. 218 Miramar a Las Margaritas, 16.33843, -91.40550; 337 m, 16-II-2019, 16-II-2019. P. Sagot, 1 ♀ (ECOAB). Ocosingo: Carr. 128 a Laguna Miramar, 16.5443, -91.51249; 413 m, 15-II-2019, P. Sagot, 1 ♀ (ECOAB). Lacanja, 16.7896, -91.10869; 349 m, 21-VIII-2008, J. Mérida, 1 ♀ (ECOAB). San Quintín, 16.40469, -91.3452; 200 m, L. Godínez: 11-III-1987, 1 ♀; 10-III-1987, 1 ♀ (ECOAB). Michoacán: Ario: Las Cañas, 21 km S Ario de Rosales, 19.0878, -101.7630; 1390, 29-X-1987, T. L. Griswold, 1 ♀ (BBSL). Puebla: Cuetzalan del Progreso: 20.01961, -97.53049; 981 m, - IX-2014, L. Arroyo, 1 ♀ (EBCH). Jonotla: 20.0544, -97.5773; 729 m, 2-I-2019, I. Pérez, 1 ♂ (ECOAB). Oaxaca: San Lucas Ojitlán: Km 23 Jalapa de Díaz-Tuxtepec, 18.139004, -96.402512; 90 m, 18-III- 1989, A. Cadena, L. Cervantes, 2 ♂ (CNIN). Santa María Alotepec: 17.11785, -95.83274: 1084 m, 20-IV-2016, L. Reyes, 1 ♀ (ECOAB). Santa María Chimalapa: Chalchijapa, 17.05416, -94.65388; 100 m, 24-III-1995, J. L. Salinas, 1 ♂ (MZFC). San Isidro La Gringa, 17.10361, -94.12250, 100 m, J. L. Salinas, 1-X-1995, 2 ♀; 2-X-1995, 3 ♀; 27-IX-1995, 1 ♂ 1 ♀; 28-VI-1995, 1 ♀; 29-IV-1995, 1 ♀; 29-IX-1995, 4 ♀ (MZFC). Santos Reyes Nopala: Nopala, 16.10583, -97.14499; 459 m, 2-X-1990, R. Delgadillo, 1 ♀ (MZFC). Tabasco: Tenosique: Boca del Cerro, 17.44944, -91.49305; 18 m, - III-1945, 1 ♂ (CNIN). Javier Rojo Gómez, 17.428056, -91.45083; 40 m, 23-VI-2018, A. Tapia, 1 ♀ (ECOAB). Veracruz: Alvarado: Boca del Río, 8 km SE, 19.05182, -96.01564; 17 m, 21-VII-1990, R. Minckley, 1 ♀ (SEMC). San Andrés Tuxtla: Estación de Biología Tropical Los Tuxtlas; 18.58486, -95.07405; 148 m, 1984, R. Coates, 1 ♀ (MZFC), 21-V-1985, A. Ibarra, 2 ♂; P. Sinaca 1 ♂ (CNIN), 13-17-VII-1988, L. Cervantes, 1 ♀; 21-VIII-1988, H. Rojas, 1 ♀ (CNIN), 2-V-1999, N. De Sousa, 1 ♀ (UDLAP), 28-IV-2019, J. Mérida, 1 ♂; 2-V-2019, J. Mérida, 1 ♀ (ECOAB). Totutla: El Desengaño, 19.20606, -96.89909; 1100 m, 21-II-2006, 1 ♂; 31-VII-2006, 1 ♀ (UDLAP). Loma Araucarias, 19.20987, -96.89908; 1150, 15-III-2006, 1 ♂, 24-VII-2006, M. Bonet, 1 ♀ (UDLAP).

Commentaries. The type of Xylocopa mexicanorum described by Cockerell (AMNH _IZC 00323889) was analysed, and presents wings with purple iridescence on the basal and middle part and greenish blue toward the distal region, perhaps due to the preservation of the specimen. This species is very similar to X. griswoldi sp. nov. and for that, in some studies (Ramírez-Freire et al. 2012; Mawdsley 2017) X. griswoldi sp. nov. have been incorrectly determined as X. mexicanorum, which is the only species of the Neoxylocopa in Mexico with scutellum angled in profile (Fig. 38). This species was usually determined based on wing color, such that all bees with wings with predominantly bluish iridescence were considered to be of this species in Mexico, which was an error.

Mawdsley (2017) cites a wider distributional range for this species, including some areas of northeastern Mexico and southwestern US besides records from Honduras, however we can not assert the identity of those specimens as one of the main characters that separate a few species is the shape of the scutellum, which is not accounted for in Mawdsley’s study, so according to the specimens we analyzed the species would be restricted to Mexico.