Three New Species of Microsphecodes s. str. (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) with an updated key to species of the subgenus Author Graham, Liam 0009-0006-1632-4191 Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, ON, M 3 J 1 P 3, Canada. liam.gr87@gmail.com Author Packer, Laurence 0000-0002-1711-8203 Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, ON, M 3 J 1 P 3, Canada. geodiscelis@mail.com text Zootaxa 2024 2024-01-25 5404 1 189 205 https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/download/zootaxa.5404.1.12/52775 journal article 286387 10.11646/zootaxa.5404.1.12 79ca4935-8992-4adb-b90f-d3cfed7d7bca 1175-5326 10571325 69AC7876-31D1-4D36-922A-2C3464C725C0 Microsphecodes fernandoi Graham & Packer Figs. 11 , 13–18 , 29, 32 & 36 . Diagnosis: The colour pattern of this species is unique: the head is black except the clypeus is dark yellowish brown ( Fig. 11 ), the mesosoma is brown, T1 and the base of T2 are somewhat paler than the remaining terga (except for the somewhat paler translucent apical impressed areas) which are dark brown ( Figures 14 & 17 ). This is the only species with the entire mesosoma somewhat paler than the discs of T2–T6 ( Figs. 14–17 ). Description : Holotype female : Dimensions : Total body length 4.6 mm ; forewing length 3.76 mm . Head broader than long, width 1.42 mm , length 1.22 mm . Intertegular distance not measurable due to distortion caused by pin. Colouration : Light brown except as follows: Mandible brown, apical 1/4 red-brown; labrum and clypeus orange-brown; supraclypeal area dark brown; torulus, scape and pedicel orange-brown; flagellum brown; rest of head black; tegula yellow, wing veins dark brown, wing membrane translucent. All legs orange-brown. T1 orange-brown, with a dark brown apical impressed area; T2 orange-brown basally, dark brown elsewhere; T3 dark brown, apical appressed area paler; T4–T5 and pygidial plate dark brown; S1 orange-brown; S2 orange-brown basally, dark brown apically; remaining sterna dark brown; apical impressed areas translucent yellow. Pubescence : pale yellowish, relatively sparse fine simple sub-erect to erect except when stated otherwise; clypeus hairs short, branched, with longer simple hairs intermixed; lower paraocular area hairs denser with many branches, hairs marginally longer than on rest of face; sparser on vertexal area than face, shorter than longest hairs of clypeus; anterior surface of flagellum hairs sparse and long, underlying placodea dark, obscure against dark background. Pronotal collar with short, dense white hair laterally, dorsally less dense; side of mesosoma with dense somewhat plumose short white subappressed hairs with sparse erect long white hairs intermixed; hypoepimeral area almost entirely glabrous; mesoscutum hairs short sparse (surface of mesoscutum obstructed by pin posteromedially); scutellum hairs long white sparse; metanotum with dense white long hairs; posterior surface of propodeum with short, dense white hairs with some longer hairs intermixed; metatibia hairs simple suberect longest apically, shorter than or equal to apical width of tibia; dorsal surface of metatibia with pale bristles bearing few short branches on dorsal side of rachis. T1 glabrous except laterally hairs of medium length, sparsely branched; T2 as for T1, but with short appressed hairs basally; T3–T5 hairs moderately dense and short on disc, with sparse long hairs intermixed laterally and apically, subappressed medium length and white anterolaterally. S1 hairs long sparse along midline, absent elsewhere; S2–S5 hairs scattered long suberect, D-shaped glabrous area apicomedially; S6 hairs short subappressed. FIGURES 14–18. Holotype of M. fernandoi Graham and Packer , sp. n. Fig. 14—lateral habitus; Fig. 15—posterior half of mesosoma to show metapostnotal sculpture; Fig. 16.—dorsal view of mesosoma; Fig. 17—dorsal view of metasoma; Fig. 18—forewing. Surface Sculpture : Integument shiny lacking microsculpture unless stated otherwise. Face densely punctate i<d, with the exception being more sparse towards apex of supraclypeal area; vertexal area punctures sparser i=1–4d; impunctate around ocelli; genal area punctures small sparse i=1–3d;hypostomal area weakly imbricate except on disc, sparsely punctate. Mesoscutum very weakly imbricate, punctures distinct, varying in size, irregularly spaced i=0.5– 2.5d, densest laterally, sparsest on disc (obscured by pin posteriorly); mesoscutellum faintly imbricate, punctures scattered on disc, denser around margins i~1d; metanotum punctures dense i~1d. Metapostnotum dorsal surface margined by strong carina, indented posteromedially; areolate, median pair of areolae on either side of apically complete median carina take up most of the dorsal surface, margined by smaller elongate areolae. Preepisternum and hypoepimeral areas weakly rugose; mesepisternum punctate posteriorly punctures small, i<d; [metepisternum obscured by pubescence]; propodeum coarsely areolate, areolae on posterior surface large. Tegula impunctate weakly imbricate. T1–T2 very weakly imbricate laterally, impunctate; T3 punctures small dense i=0.5–3d; T4–T5 weakly imbricate, punctures small. S1 weakly imbricate, impunctate; S2–S5 imbricate, punctures shallow; S6 imbricate, more densely punctate than other sterna. Structure : Mandible shorter than compound eye ( 0.6 mm : 0.82 mm ). Clypeus 3.5X broader than long ( 0.84 mm : 0.24 mm ). Supraclypeal area convex, somewhat protuberant in profile. Frontal line carinate from just below lower tangent of antennal socket to ~1MOD below median ocellus (MOD = 0.12 mm ). Inner margin of compound eyes somewhat convergent below: UOD:LOD 0.92 mm : 0.82 mm ; ASD 0.1 mm , IAD 0.2 mm ; supraclypeal area as long as wide (apical width 0.28 mm , length 0.28 mm ); IOD:OOD 0.24 mm : 0.28 mm ; vertex strongly convex in frontal view, upper tangent of compound eyes 0.25 MOD below lower tangent of median ocellus; genal area narrower than compound eye in profile ( 0.32 mm : 0.42 mm ); F1 shorter than F2 ( 0.08mm : 0.12 mm ). [Mesoscutum length to width ratio not measurable—surface distorted by pin.] Stigma large, 0.62 mm long, 0.18mm wide (~3.5:1); margin in marginal cell convex, marginal cell 1.04 mm long, 0.28mm wide, free portion slightly less than 3X that subtended by submarginal cells ( 0.82 mm : 0.3 mm ); 1m-cu meets second submarginal cell near middle; stigmal perpendicular goes through 2r-m near anterior margin; hind wing with five distal hamuli. Pygidial plate apically rounded, surface slightly concave. Material Studied. Holotype female: FRENCH GUIANA , Les Eaux Claires , 3.5 mi. N[orth of] Saul , N3°38 - 40’ W53°13’ [~3.65 -53.21], 14-21 July 1995 , mal[aise]. trap, A. Berkov , AMNH . Etymology : The species is known from a unique specimen and is named to honour the memory of Fernando Silveira who was also a unique individual, one of the warmest and funniest people the junior author has ever met; his passing is a great loss.