Maculonomia orri Rameshkumar, Bossert & Majumder, 2025

Majumder, Bhaswati, Bossert, Silas, Yeshwanth, H. M. & Rameshkumar, A., 2025, Review of the Genus Maculonomia Wu (Apoidea: Halictidae: Nomiinae) from India, featuring a new species and new record, Zootaxa 5637 (1), pp. 126-138 : 128-130

1. Maculonomia orri Rameshkumar, Bossert & Majumder sp. nov.

Fig. 1 (a–f), Fig. 2 (a–d), Fig.3 (a, b)

Diagnosis

This species belongs to the genus Maculonomia based on several distinguishing characteristics. These include a strongly smoky apical corner of the wing, shallow and uniform punctures on the scutellum, and a slender, elongated hind femur in males that is not expanded. The dark terga (lacking enamelled bands) place it in the terminata -group of species.

The male of Maculonomia orri sp. nov. differs from the males of M. apicalis , M. terminata , and M. xiongjiuensis ( M. anthophoroides is known only from the female) in the following characters: clypeus longer than broad (broader than long in M. terminata , M. xiongjiuensis , nearly as long as broad in M. apicalis ); pubescence yellowish brown (glistering fulvous golden in M. terminata , greyish white in M. xiongjiuensis , pale fulvous in M. apicalis ); scutellar projections large, produced in posterolateral directions, strongly emarginate in between projections (laterally tuberculate in M. terminata , emarginate posteriorly in M. xiongjiuensis , scutellar projection blunt produced posterolateral direction in M. apicalis ); tegulae fulvous (rufo-testaceous in M. terminata , blackish brown in M. xiongjiuensis and yellowish in M. apicalis ); the hind femur has a lamelliform projection at the base (lamelliform projection is square shape in M. terminata , broad lamelliform projections in femur and tibia with triangular projection M. xiongjiuensis and M. apicalis without lamella); the punctures on T1 strong, uniformly distributed, marginal zone with dense punctures basally, apically impunctate (strong but sparse punctures on T 1 in M. terminata and M. xiongjiuensis , while in M. apicalis evenly distributed).

Description

Male: Body length 11 mm. Integument black. Vertex, paraocular area, gena, metanotum, pronotum laterally, and supraclypeal area around antennal sockets with yellowish-brown, plumose setae. Head. about as long as broad (HW: HH— 2.95mm: 2.85 mm). Frons and vertex with sparse punctures. The lateral side of the posterior ocellus with adjacent impunctate area. OOD is equal in length of POL. Median carina starting from below the anterior ocellus to mid-supraclypeal area. Clypeus with weak carina. Clypeus and supraclypeal areas are slightly convex, with sparse, fine and scattered punctures. Mandible with single tooth. Scape about 4.7× as long as broad. F1 and F2 quadrate. F3 to F10 subequal in length, about 1.3× as long as broad. F11 about 2.3× as long as broad. Scape as long as F1 to F4 combined. Malar space nearly absent.

Mesosoma. As long as broad (Ms L: Ms W— 2.87mm: 2.83mm). Scutum with dense punctures, scutellum with fine and sparse punctures, and strongly emarginate. Scutellum with two weak projections. Metanotum without projections. Lateral side of the propodeum with dense punctures. Base on the propodeum with a pair of horizontal carinas. Wings: Fore wings 3.2× as long as broad with strongly smoky coloration at apex. Fore wing with a pale brown tinge except posteriorly. Hind wings about 3× as long as broad. Legs: Legs covered with yellowish-brown, plumose setae. Hind femur smooth and concave on the underside with lamelliform projections near the base ( Fig. 2b, 2c, 2d ). The hind tibia is smooth, and concave without any projections near the base but with a blunt projection at the apical underside ( Fig 2b, 2c,2d ) with a triangle plate at the median apex. S6 emarginate posteriorly.

Metasoma. Metasoma Slightly broader than mesosoma (Mt L: Mt W— 4.3 mm: 2.7mm).

Metasomal terga black without coloured bands. Lateral side of propodeum, anterior surface of T1 with yellowishbrown plumose setae (2a). T1 to T5 densely punctate except posterior margin impunctate. T6 with sparse punctures (1f). S4 emarginate posteriorly, disc with dense and fine yellow–brown pubescence. S5 thickened with a triangle plate at the median apex. S6 emarginate posteriorly. T1, T2 and lateral sides of T3–T6 with sparse, yellow–brown setae. T3–T7 with sparse, black setae. Posterior margin of S2 and S3 with yellow–brown setae. Genital capsule as in figure 3a and 3b.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined: Holotype: 1♂, INDIA: Tripura, Dhalai, Kulai Reserve Forest 23°52’48”N, 91°48’36”E, ex. Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze ( Lamiaceae ) 27.x.2022, Sweep Net, leg. A. Rameshkumar and S. Sardar.

Paratypes: 3♂♂, INDIA: Tripura, Dhalai, Kulai Reserve Forest 23°52’48”N, 91°48’36”E, ex. Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze ( Lamiaceae ), 27.x.2022, Sweep Net, leg. A. Rameshkumar and S. Sardar, NZC.

Floral association. The new species was collected from the medicinal plant Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze ( Lamiaceae ).

Etymology. The species is named after Dr. Michael C. Orr, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Germany, in recognition of his continuous contribution to the taxonomy and conservation of bees.

Distribution. India: Tripura.

Comparative notes. Among Maculonomia species without enamel bands, M. orri resembles M. xiongjiuensis and M. terminata more closely than M. apicalis because of the presence of the femoral projection. The comparison of M. orri with M. xiongjiuensis and M. terminata is provided in Table 1.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Maculonomia orri sp.nov. Male: a: Habitus, dorsal view; b: Habitus, ventral view; c: Head, frontal view; d: Mesosoma, dorsal view; e: Scutellar projection; f: Metasoma (T1–T5) dorsal view.

FIGURE 2. Maculonomia orri sp. nov. Male: a: T1, dorsal view; b: Hind leg; c: Hind femur lamella, Ventral view; d: Hind femur lamella, Lateral view (Scale bars: a, c, d: 0.5mm; b: 1mm).

FIGURE 3. Maculonomia orri sp.nov. Male: a: Genitalia, dorsal view; b: Genitalia, ventral view. (Scale bars: a, b: 0.5mm).