Eufriesea aequatoriana, de Oliveira, 2025

de Oliveira, Marcio Luiz, 2025, A dozen of new species of orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Euglossini) from Brazil and Ecuador, Revista Chilena de Entomología 51 (3), pp. 321-342 : 324

Eufriesea aequatoriana sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 A-D)

Type material. Holotype. Male , with the following data: “ Ecuador, El Oro, Santa Rosa, Valle Hermoso, -3.4835 / -79.8228, 675m, eucaliptol, 19-mar-2019, G. Estévez ” ( MECN).

Diagnosis. Male. Length of labiomaxillary complex long, surpassing the end of metassoma and almost three times eye length, midtibial brush weakly connected with anterior felt patch, TI-IV integument black with black hairs but yellow in the lateral margins of T II and IV, V-VII weak metallic blue with yellow hairs.

Description. Measurements: Total length 15 mm, the length of labiomaxillary complex more than three times eye length. Morphology: Clypeal disc with only a polished medial stripe, labrum with a central ridge ( Fig. 1a ), length of labiomaxillary complex long surpassing the end of metassoma ( Fig. 1c ), midtibial brush weakly connected with the wide anterior felt patch ( Fig. 1d ), hindtibiae without pointed knobs above spurs and with its posterodistal inferior margin ending in a long and thick tip. Color: Clypeal disc brass with blue hues distally and golden hues on laterals, lower paraocular areas violet with green laterally, rest of face green ( Fig. 1a ), vertex black with violet hues, front of mesocutum and tegulae green with violet hues, pronotal lobes violet, fore and midtibiae violet with green hues, midtarsi with dense and yellow hairs, hindtibiae black with sparse yellow hairs, mesepisternum dark green with violet hues, wings honey, integument of TI-IV black, TV-VII weak metallic blue with yellow hairs ( Fig. 1b ). Pilosity: Black except for yellow in midtarsi, hindtibiae, laterals of TII-VII. Punctation: Clypeal disc and lower paraocular areas little dense, superficial, and small, supraclypeal area very sparse and small, near ocelli very dense and small ( Fig. 1a ), tegulae very sparse and with micropunctures, mesoscutum dense and small, scutellum very dense and small, mesepisternum dense and small, external face of hindtibiae very sparse and small, in TI-VI very dense and with micropunctures, VII sparse and small.

Female. Unknown.

Geographic records. Ecuador.

Etymology. A reference to Ecuador, where it was collected.

Bait. Eucalyptol.

Comments. Belonging to Ef. macroglossa species-group, having the main characteristics of this group as defined by Kimsey (1982): “tongue very long, exceeding SIII, terga appearing multicolored, depending on angle of light, clypeus protuberant, lacking ridges or welts, labrum rounded, gonostylar dorsal lobe shorter than ventral one”. This species is very similar in general to Ef. macroglossa (Moure, 1965) due to the long length of labiomaxillary complex. But, differing by the labrum with a central ridge and two incomplete sublateral welts, a little pointed in lateral view, midtibiae with wider anterior felt patch, and hindtibiae with posterodistal inferior margin ending in a long and thick tip.

Figures

Figure 1. Holotype of Eufriesea aequatoriana sp. nov. A. Head, frontal view. B. Dorsal habitus. C. Lateral habitus. D. Mesotibia. Holotype of Eufriesea patrice sp. nov. E. Head, frontal view. F. Dorsal habitus. G. Lateral habitus. H. Mesotibia. / Figura 1. Holotipo de Eufriesea aequatoriana sp. nov. A. Cabeza, vista frontal. B. Hábito dorsal. C. Hábito lateral. D. Mesotibia. Holotipo de Eufriesea patrice sp. nov. E. Cabeza, vista frontal. F. Hábito dorsal. G. Hábito lateral. H. Mesotibia.