Scaptotrigona hylaeana, Nogueira & Santos-Silva & Carvalho & Carvalho-Zilse & Alves & Oliveira, 2022

Nogueira, David Silva, Santos-Silva, José Augusto dos, Carvalho, Matheus Mourão, Carvalho-Zilse, Gislene Almeida, Alves, Rogério Marcos de Oliveira & Oliveira, Marcio Luiz, 2022, Two new species of Scaptotrigona Moure, 1942 from the Amazon forest (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini), EntomoBrasilis (e 985) 15, pp. 1-10 : 7-8

Scaptotrigona hylaeana sp. nov. Nogueira & Santos-Silva

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C0963946-273F-4ED2-8144-3BC095577F3C

Diagnosis: This species is distinguished by being shorter body length when compared to other known species with black integument ( S. tubiba (Smith, 1863) or S. postica (Latreille, 1807) , for example), having short setae on the forehead with an appearance velvety, mesosoma with short, sparse setae, finely matte-punctate integument of the clypeus and 3rd cell rs-m (between the second and third submarginal cell) vestigial ( Figure 3A ) (absent in S. nigrohirta sp. nov. and S. xanthotricha ( Figure 3B, 3C ).

Description: Worker ( Figures 3A , 4 B-F and 5).

Coloration: Integument predominantly dark brown to black. Labrum brown. Clypeus black with sides reddish-brown. Malar area, supraclypeal area and gena dark brown to black. Paraocular area, mandible and condyles reddish-brown. Radicle yellowish-brown. Scape dark brown with 1/5 basal yellowish-brown and apical band brown. Pedicel, flagellum and pronotal lobe dark brown. Mesosoma dark brown to black. Legs dark brown to black. Tarsomeres dark brown. Pterostigma and wing venation brown. Wing membranes slightly smoky with microtrichia brown more abundant in the apical area of the Rs vein. Metasoma dark brown to black.

Punctation: Integument predominantly punctate. Head matte and punctate with shiny areas on clypeus, malar space and paraocular area. Mesosoma matte and punctate. Legs and sterna smooth and shiny with pilligera puntaction with rugose aspect. Terga matte.

Pubescence: Frons with yellow very short simple setae (0.03 mm). Malar area practically glabrous with very short setae

(0.01 mm). Scape, clypeus and supraclypeal area glabrous. Vertex with black long simple setae (0.12 mm) or with one branch. Labrum with brown simple setae (0.17 mm). Coxae with whitish simple hairs: procoxa (0.14 mm), mesocoxa (0.15 mm) and metacoxa (0.19 mm). Mesocoxa and metacoxa with hairs with delicate crimped apex. Trochanters with whitish simple hairs with delicate crimped apex: protrochanter (0.19 mm), mesotrochanter (0.25 mm) and metatrochanter (0.27 mm). Basal area of profemur with whitish simple hairs with delicate crimped apex (0.16 mm), and apical area with simple setae (0.09 mm). Basal area of mesofemur with whitish simple hairs with delicate crimped apex (0.24 mm), and apical area with simple brown setae (0.09 mm). Basal area of metafemur with whitish hairs with delicate crimped apex (0.08 mm) and with erect simple black setae on apical area (0.06 mm). Protibia (0.21 mm), mesotibia (0.20 mm) and metatibia (0.24 mm) with simple black setae on posterior border. Corbicula area with long black setae with delicate crimped apex (0.64 mm). Probasitarsus (0.22 mm), mesobasitarsus (0.18 mm) and metabasitarsus (0.18 mm) with simple black setae. Mesoscutum practically glabrous, with some simple black setae on anterior area of disc (0.10 mm). Mesoscutellum with simple black setae (0.11 mm). Sides of propodeum with long simple yellowish hairs (0.22 mm) and short branched hairs (0.03 mm). Mesepisternum with sparse simple erect yellowish setae (0.05 mm). Inferior area of mesepisternum with simple whitish hairs with delicate crimped apex (0.31 mm). Metepisternum with very abundant decumbent whitish branched hairs (0.03 mm). T1 with decumbent yellowish branched hairs (0.02 mm). T2-T5 practically glabrous with sparse yellowish hairs (0.02 mm). Basal area of T5 with some branched hairs (0.01 mm). T6 with simple yellowish setae (0.15 mm) and sparse branched hairs (0.02 mm). Sterna with abundant long yellowish hairs with delicate crimped apex (0.32 mm).

Structures: Body length 4.88 mm. Head 1.17x wider than long (1.86 mm: 2.19 mm, length and width, respectively). Forewing length 4.78 mm. Length of compound eye 3.86x breadth (1.39 mm: 0.36 mm, length and width of the compound eye, respectively). Inner orbits concave, converging downwards (1,32 mm: 1.21 mm, superior and inferior interorbital distance, respectively). Maximum interorbital distance greater than the length of the eyes (1.46 mm: 1.39 mm). Flagellum diameter 1.14x of the malar area (0.16 mm: 0.14 mm). Clypeus with width 1.88x its length (0.54 mm: 1.02 mm = length and width of clypeus respectively). Clypeus-ocellar distance 1.14 mm. Alveolorbital distance greater than interalveolar distance (0.35 mm: 0.22 mm, alveolorbital distance and interalveolar distance, respectively). Vertex slightly convex. Interocellar distance greater than ocellorbital distance (0.45 mm: 0.30 mm). Scape length 7.08x its width (0.85 mm: 0.12 mm). Flagellum width slightly greater than the pedicel width (0.16 mm: 0.13 mm). Mandible with the first tooth similar to the second. Mesotibial spur 0.22 mm long. Metatibia with triangular corbicula; length of metatibia 2.2x its width (1.65 mm: 0.74 mm). Metabasitarsus 1.45x longer than broad (0.89 mm: 0.61 mm) and with posterior bord angled and projected. Intertegular distance 1.42 mm. With 7 hamuli on posterior wing. Mesoscutellum 1.55x wider than long (0.87 mm: 1.56 mm, length and width, respectively).

Etymology and remarks: This is one of the new species left separated in the collection of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA) by João Maria Franco de Camargo before his death, and the reason why we decided to describe it was because a swarm spontaneously nested in a trap-nest in the Scientific Meliponary of Grupo de Pesquisas em Abelhas from INPA (Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) ( Figure 4B and C ).

We decided to keep the name “hylaeana ” in memory of

Camargo, but the etymology seems to be in homage to the Amazon equatorial forest, also known by naturalists Alexander von Humbolt (1769-1859) and Aimé Bonpland (1773-1858) as “ Hyleae ”.

Variations: The three workers from Ilha de Maracá (Roraima, Brazil) studied differ from the others in that they have a large part of the integument slightly lighter, stained black, mainly the metanotum which is pale yellow, the erect setae of T6 are yellowish-brown in contrast to the black setae of specimens of the type locality, this pattern is repeated, for example, in the erect black setae mixed with white pubescence around the propodeal spiracle; the sterna pubescence is pale yellow in the Roraima specimens have the apical band of T4-T5 continuous, unlike the typical form which has slightly yellowish pubescence on sterna and apical bands of T4-T5 that are clearly interrupted in the median region.

Biological notes: When workers are handled, they fly around the enemy but do not attack, even when they are provided with a lot of stored honey.

They do not build cylindrical nest entrance as is common in other Scaptotrigona species. Its entrance is constructed of dark-colored cerumen in a circular shape, measuring 3.5 cm in diameter, with a central diagonal division more pronounced than the edges of the circle, with no airstrip ( Figure 4B and C ). Guard bees are around the entrance landing on the substrate ( Figure 4C ). The brood comb is horizontal shape (Figure D). This species produces a lot of food in pots with an average of 3.3 cm in height and 3.0 cm in diameter ( Figure 4E ).

Geographical distribution ( Figure 6 ): Brazil (Amazonas, Roraima).

Holotype: worker. Label data: BRASIL Amazonas. Itacoatiara, AM-010, km-215. Faz Aruanã. 0302S / 5850W, 24.iv.1994. F.J.Peralta, arastão / Scaptotrigona hylaeana sp. n. Camargo, MS, Det. Camargo, 2009

Examined Material: Paratypes workers (98): BRAZIL : Amazonas: 27 ( INPA), BRASIL Amazonas. Itacoatiara, AM-010, km-215. Faz Aruanã. 0302S / 5850W, 24.iv.1994. F.J.Peralta / Scaptotrigona hylaeana sp. n. Camargo, MS, Det. Camargo 2009; 53 ( INPA), idem except: 5850W, 24.iv.1994. F.J. Peralta, arastão; 1 ( MZSP) idem ; 1 ( RPSP) idem ; 1 ( MPEG) idem ; 1 ( ZSM) idem ; 11 ( INPA), BRA, AM, Manaus , GPA-INPA, 10.xi.2021, Carvalho-Zilse e equipe leg. (30), EnxameaÇão natural ; Roraima: 3 ( INPA), BRASIL-Roraima, Rio Uraricoera, Ilha de Maraca , 02-13 v. 1987 / Eq.J.A.Rafael, Arm.de Malaise / Scaptotrigona hylaeana sp. n. Camargo, MS, Det. Camargo, 2009 .

Figures

Figure 3. Forewing and head of Scaptotrigona Moure, 1942 species. Forewing of S. hylaeana sp. nov. (A), S. nigrohirta sp. nov. (B), and S. xanthotricha Moure, 1950 (D). Head of S. xanthotricha (D) and S. pectoralis (Dalla Torre, 1896). Scales 1 mm (A, B, and C) and 0.5 mm (D and E). Source: authors.

Figure 4. Nest structures of Scaptotrigona Moure, 1942 species. Nest entrance of Scaptotrigona nigrohirta sp. nov. in a trunk in Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) (A). Nest entrance of Scaptotrigona hylaeana sp. nov. in a trap-nest in Scientific Meliponary of Grupo de Pesquisas em Abelhas from INPA (Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) (B and C). Brood comb in superior view (D), food pots (E) and queen (F) of S. hylaeana sp. nov.. Scale bar 1 centimeter. Source: authors.

Figure 6. Distribution records of some species of Scaptotrigona Moure, 1942: S. hylaeana sp. nov., S. nigrohirta sp. nov., S. fulvicutis (Moure, 1964), S. pectoralis (Dalla Torre, 1896) and S. xanthotricha Moure, 1950.