Ceratina (Zadontomerus) raquelitae Latreille 1802, new species

Ceratina (Zadontomerus) raquelitae Flórez-Gómez & Ayala new species

(Figures 15, 16, 22H, 23I, 24H, 28)

Diagnosis: Medium sized bees, females range from 6.0– 7.8 mm in length and males from 5.5–6.3 mm in length; dark green-olivaceous with metallic tints. Females recognizable by the combination of the following characters: thick pubescence with rounded apex on the posterior margin of T4 and disperse in T5 (Fig. 15E); clypeus with thin yellow mark. Disc of scutum impunctate or with line of scarce punctures along the medial line that do not reach the posterior margin in both sexes. Males with eyes strongly convergent below; hind trochanter ventral margin rounded with long and dense whitish pubescence, extending to the basal half of the femur; hind femur slightly dilated (Fig. 22H); and T7 forming two laminar projections delimitating a medial notch (Fig. 23I).

Description. Holotype male. Length 5.9 mm. Body dark green olivaceous with metallic tones.

Head. Mandibles with two teeth, black and medial area light brown, outer margin with scattered whitish and short pubescence. Labrum, middle area with yellow squared-shaped mark. Clypeus with an inverted T-shaped yellow mark; densely punctate. Supraclypeal area and lower paraocular area densely punctate, surface rather rugose. Upper paraocular area and frons surrounding the swellings, with punctures separated by a distance as 1–3 times a puncture diameter. Eyes strongly convergent below. Vertex densely punctate and with sparse yellowish pubescence. Gena with upper area densely punctate, becoming sparser below, punctures do not reach the preoccipital margin, long and whitish scattered pubescence. Preoccipital margin carinate, carina more developed than female. Antennae dark brown, distal flagellomeres lighter. Head length 1.39 mm; head width 1.57 mm; lower interocular distance 0.69 mm; upper interocular distance 1.01 mm; ocellocular distance 0.32 mm.

Mesosoma. Pronotum with lateral carina, dorsolateral angle rounded. Mesepisternum with punctures separated by a distance up to twice a puncture diameter, lower area with sparser punctures and whitish scattered pubescence. Hypoepimeral area with dispersed punctures, as the rest of the mesepisternum, lower area towards the scrobal groove impunctate.Anterior area of scutum with punctures separated by a distance of 1.0–2.5 times the diameter of a puncture; disc of scutum almost impunctate but with dispersed punctures surrounding the medial line; posterior area with close punctures. Scutellum with dense punctation but disc with more separated punctures, distance between punctures up to 3 times a puncture diameter. Propodeal triangle striate, medial striae much longer than lateral ones. Tegula dark brown and polished. Wings slightly smoked, venation dark brown. Length of forewing 4.31 mm. Scutum length 0. 8 mm; scutum width 1.11 mm. Legs. Hind trochanter, ventral margin rounded with long and dense whitish pubescence. Hind femur, slightly dilated, basal half with dense, long and white pubescence (Fig. 22H).

Metasoma. T1 polished, disc with fine and dense punctures. T2 with dispersed punctation, separated by a distance of up to twice puncture diameter. T3 with dense punctures becoming sparser in the disc. T4-T5 with punctures separated by a distance of twice a puncture diameter. T6, middle area with tuft of yellowish pubescence. T7 forming two laminar projections delimitating a medial notch (Fig. 23I). S6, as shown in the Figure 24H. Genital capsule as shown in the Figure 16.

Paratype female. Length 7.42 mm. Same color as male

Body dark green olivaceous with metallic tones.

Head. Round. Mandibles with three teeth, color as male. Labrum black, with long yellowish pubescence. Clypeus, middle area with thin longitudinal yellow mark, with punctures separated by a distance of 0.5–1.0 times puncture diameter, middle area impunctate. Inner margins of compound eyes slightly converging below. Supraclypeal area with dense punctation between antennal sockets, medial area polished and impunctate. Lower paraocular area and antennocular area densely punctate, distance among punctures less than a puncture diameter. Area below antennal sockets polished. Upper paraocular area with scarce punctures. Frons, area surrounding the impunctate swellings, with dispersed punctures, separated by a distance as three times a puncture diameter. Vertex with dispersed punctures, with large areas polished; scattered whitish long hairs. Gena narrower than eye width, areas adjacent to eye and preoccipital margin polished and impunctate reaching 1/3 of the gena; upper area with dispersed punctures separated by a distance as twice a puncture diameter; lower area with scarce punctures almost impunctate. Preoccipital margin with slightly evident carina. Antennae as male. Head length 1.56 mm; head width 1.73 mm; lower interocular distance 0.97 mm; upper interocular distance 1.11 mm; ocellocular distance 0.38 mm.

Mesosoma. Generally, as in male but with shorter pubescence. Anterior area of scutum with punctures separated by a distance of 1.0–2.5 times the diameter of a puncture; disc impunctate; posterior area with close punctures. Tegula and wings as male. Length of forewing 4.64 mm. Scutum length 0.89 mm; scutum width 1.32 mm. Legs. Dark with green metallic tones. Tibia base with yellow spot. Tarsi dark brown, apical tarsi lighter. Spurs yellowish.

Metasoma. T1 -T4 Punctures as in male. T4 posterior margin with long, thick and round, pointed whitish hairs (Fig 15E), separated by 2–4 punctures. T5 and T6 rugose, with long thick hairs intercalated with short and thin hairs.

Type material: Holotype (♂ MZFC: 05530): MEXICO: Morelos: Huitzilac, Derrame del Chichinautzin, km 87, 2440 m, 19.025; -99.13972, 4-VII-1997, O. Yáñez. Described paratype (♀ MZFC: 05541): same locality as holotype. Other paratypes: same locality as holotype (♀ MZFC: 03479, 02829, ♂ MZFC: 04839, 06140, 05529, 06121).

Other material examined: MEXICO. Michoacán: Dr. Miguel Silva, 9 km S Ario de Rosales, 1450 m, 29- X-1987, T. Griswold (BBSL: 1♂). Morelos: Tepoztlán, km 3.5, Autopista México-Cuautla, 2000 m, 19.00694; - 99.13861, 12-18-XI-1995, J. L Salinas (MZFC: 3♀: 3613, 3550, 1989); km 12, Autopista México-Cuautla, 1650 m, 18.9733; -99.0825, 4-VIII-1996, I. Hinojosa (MZFC: 4♀: 3256, 2829, 1989, 2126. 1♂: 2402); km 4.5, Autopista México-Cuautla, 1940 m, 19.0041; -99.12944, 17-II-1996, I. Hinojosa (MZFC: 2♀: 3855, 3762); 9-VI-1996, O. Yáñez (MZFC: 2 ♂: 3958, 3923); 3-VIII-1996. I. Hinojosa (MZFC: 1♀: 4085, 6♂: 4030, 4080, 4079, 4078, 4067, 4057); 22-IX-1996, I. Hinojosa (MZFC: 1♀: 4133, 3♂ 4470, 4228, 4330); 27-VII-1997, I. Hinojosa y O. Yáñez (MZFC: 2♀: 4794, 4900, 8♂ 4901, 4838, 4905, 4839, 4902, 4864, 4863, 4862). Huitzilac, Derrame del Chichinautzin, km 87, 2440 m, 19.025; -99.13972, 4-VII-1997, O. Yáñez (MZFC: 3♂: 6141, 6140, 5363); km 86. 5, 2450 m, 19.0255, -99.14416, 26-X-1996, I. Hinojosa (MZFC: 2♀: 5595, 5598, 1♂: 5250); km 85.6, 2470 m, 19.0241, - 99.1450, 15-X-1995, I. Hinojosa y O. Yáñez (MZFC: 8♀: 6087, 5781, 5013, 5545, 5541, 5535, 5543, 5252, 7♂: 6121, 6126, 4993, 5532, 5531, 5529, 5530); km 85, 2500 m, 19.0252, -99.15611, 15-X-1995, I. Hinojosa (MZFC: 1♂: 5008); km 79.4, 2660 m, 19.0352, -99.20194, 11-XI-1995, O. Yáñez (MZFC: 2♀: 5080, 5127). Jalisco: Ciudad Guzmán, 40 km W, 2000 m, 17-VII-1989, T. Griswold (BBSL: 4♂). Camino Volcán Colima, 19.6253; -103.54713, 05-IX-2014, R. Ayala (EBCh: 2♂). Mazamitla, 5 km S, 18-III-1990, C. M Estrada (EBCh: 7♀, 4♂).

Distribution: Ceratina (Z.) raquelitae is endemic to Mexico. This species is distributed in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt, between 1400–2600 m above sea level, in the states of Jalisco, Michoacán and Morelos.

Comments: In some cases, females are similar to C. ignara, but can be recognized by the long, thick hairs on the apical terga. In addition, the clypeal mark is thinner and metasoma is more elongated.

Etymology: This species is dedicated to Raquel Gómez, mother of the first author.