Leurotrigona pusilla Moure & Camargo

Leurotrigona pusilla Moure & Camargo, in Moure et al., 1988

(Figs. 4, 5, 11–15, 26; Tab. I)

Leurotrigona pusilla Moure & Camargo, in Moure et al. 1988: 146 [due to an editorial lapsus the description was headed with the name Leurotrigona muelleri, however the intended new name appeared in the abstract, legends and text, being considered the valid name]; Camargo 1994: 50, 52; Pompolo 1994: 144; Oliveira et al. 1995: 16, 17, 18, 19; Pompolo & Campos 1995: 181, 182, 183; Lopes & Machado 1998: 82; Nates-Parra 2001: 233; 2005: 58; Oliveira 2001: 210; Silveira et al. 2002: 88; Rasmussen 2003: 15; Rocha et al. 2003: 316; Urban 2003: 33, 43; Kaminski & Absy 2006: 261, 262; Camargo & Pedro 2007: 316.

Trigonisca pusilla; Michener 1990: 131.

Leurotrigona cf. pusilla; Mesquita & Franciscon 1995: 256.

Trigonisca pussila [sic]; Nates-Parra 2005: 78.

Diagnosis. Worker (Figs. 4, 5, 11–15, Tab. I). Head width 0.79–0.88 mm; pubescence of clypeus and lower parocular area, simple, relatively shorter and sparse; piligerous points separated by distance about as long as hair length in discal area of clypeus; only simple hairs or very shortly branched hairs on juxtaclypeal area (Fig. 4); malar space short, 1x diameter of fl.3 (Fig. 4); clypeus short, about 1/3 of its maximum width and 1/ 5 of clypeocellar distance; integument of upper gena with fine tessellation; posterior margin of tibia III sinuous, posterior parapenicillum markedly sinuous, S-shaped (Fig. 5); keirotrichiate area on inner surface of tibia III with a glabrous area medially.

Male (Figs. 11–15; Tab. I). SVI with broad hairy medial area slightly concave (Fig. 11); median projection of SVII broader and V-shaped (Fig. 12); gonocoxite as long as wide and not projecting laterally on the gonostylus articulation (Figs. 14, 15).

Type material. Holotype, worker, from “Foz do Rio Curicuriari – AM. R. Negro – Brasil – 15,21- VII-80 ”, “SA-19, 66 °49’W, 0°13’S Camargo Mazucato leg”, “marg. esq. do R. Negro”, nest “230c”, deposited in RPSP. Paratypes: 35 workers and 3 males (pinned), plus fixed material, from the same nest of the holotype (230c); 3 workers from French Guiana, Sinnamary, 15 km SE, palm plantation road, 5 May 1982, D. Roubik coll. No. 64; 2 workers from Manaus – AM, Brazil, Boulevard 1239, 31.III.1986, M. V. B. Garcia leg.; 36 workers of the nest 402c and 6 workers (pinned) plus fixed material of the nest 403c, both nests from Manaus – AM, Brazil, M. Garcia leg., dated 20.IV.1986 and 14.III.1986, respectively. All of them deposited in RPSP, except for two workers from the nest 402c in the Smithsonian Institute.

Additional material examined. PERU. San Martin: Tarapoto , 0629/7622, 350 masl, 24.XII.2002, Rasmussen (3w); BRAZIL. Amazonas: Aruti, rio Negro, SA-19, 66 °2’W, 0°19’S, 22–23.VII.1980, Camargo, Mazucato leg. (4w); Samaúma, rio Daraã, 64°45’W, 00°26’S, 17–20.VII.1999, Camargo, Pedro, Mazucato leg. (2w, 996874, 996876).

Geographical distribution. French Guiana, western Amazon to Peru (Fig. 26)

Nest. In small cavities and galleries excavated by termites and coleopterans, in dried wood, in grooves of walls (Moure et al. 1988), and in the internodes of sugar cane, often in aggregations (Rasmussen 2003: 15, Rasmussen pers. inf.); cells arranged in clusters.

Discussion. See comparative notes in Discussion of L. crispula sp. nov.