Lasioglossum bajaense McGinley 1986

Lasioglossum bajaense

TYPE MATERIAL.—The female holotype is labeled

MEX.[ico], B.[aja] C.[alifornia] Sur:trail, LaBurrera-LaLaguna, Sierra de LaLaguna, 850 m.[eters] 28-VIII [August]-'[19]77 coll.[ector] R.R. Snelling/HOLOTYPE Lasioglossum bajaense R.J. McGinley [red label].

The holotype is in excellent condition except for missing the fifth tarsomere of the right hind leg. It is deposited in the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, California.

Two female paratypes, also from La Laguna, Baja California, are in the California State Collection of Arthropods, Sacramento, California, and in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

DISTRIBUTION (Figure 300).—Lasioglossum bajaense is presently known from only three females collected from La Laguna, Baja California, in 1977 and 1979.

DIAGNOSIS.—The smooth, highly polished posterior half of the dorsal propodeal surface will distinguish L. bajaense from all other New World Lasioglossum except L. argutum (smooth propodeal surfaces in other species are dull, not shiny). Along with differences in distribution (Figures 261, 300) these two species can be differentiated by the presence of a large metasomal acarinarium in L. bajaense (similar to that of L. uyacicola, Figure 728). Lasioglossum argutum lacks an acarinarium and is a much smaller bee (length 7.1–8.6, x = 8.0 vs. 8.2–9.2, x = 8.8).

DESCRIPTION.—FEMALE: (1) Length 8.2–9.2 mm (x = 8.8, n = 3); (2) wing length 2.5–2.8 mm (x = 2.7, n = 3); (3) abdominal width 2.5–2.8 mm (x = 2.7, n = 3).

Structure: (4) Head moderately short (appearing slightly shorter than that of L. athabascence, Figure 288; length/width ratio 0.88–0.92, x = 0.91, n = 3). (7) Supraclypeal area evenly rounded, (8) moderately protuberant. (9) Clypeus projecting approximately 0.71 of its length below lower margin of eyes; (11) median longitudinal sulcation apparently absent, possibly obscured by punctation. (14) Distance between lateral ocelli subequal to distance between lateral ocellus and eye. (23) Flagellomere 1 subequal to 2 in length along dorsal surface. Labrum as in Figure 301; (27) distal keel broad in frontal view, spoon-shaped with conspicuous basal median groove; (28) distal lateral projections extremely well developed, sharply projecting as in L. asaphes; (29) fimbrial setae acutely pointed.

(32) Pronotal lateral angle moderately obtuse; (33) pronotal lateral ridge incomplete, interrupted by oblique lateral sulcus; (34) lower portion of lateral ridge narrowly rounded. (35) Mesoscutal lip very weakly bilobed, (36) moderately elevated from pronotum. (40) Dorsal surface of propodeum about 0.82 the length of scutellum and about 1.5 times the length of metanotum, (41) very slightly depressed centrally, (42) posterior margin rounded; (43) propodeal triangle weakly defined, evident medially as a low V-shaped elevation and lateral impressed lines (elevated lateral rims absent); (44) lateral carinae extending just beyond midpoint of posterior surface. (45) Tibial spur as in Figure 21.

(46) Lateral edge of metasomal tergum II only faintly sinuate, virtually straight.

Sculpture: (47) Face shiny, (48) densely punctate below ocelli, punctures contiguous, becoming larger and less dense near antennae. (51) Supraclypeal area obscurely granulate, very shiny; (52) punctures separated by their width laterally, becoming sparse centrally. (53) Clypeus polished; (54) punctures separated by less than their width basally and medially, apicolateral areas largely impunctate. (56) Mesoscutum moderately shiny; (57) doubly-punctate, smaller punctures separated by 1–2 times their width, larger punctures 2–4 times their width apart. (58) Scutellar punctation weakly developed, obscurely doubly-punctate; smaller punctures extremely fine, inconspicuous, separated by 1–5 times their width, larger punctures widely scattered. (63) Dorsal surface of propodeum ruguloso-striolate over basal half, posterior half smooth, somewhat polished; (64) basal half alveolated. (65) Metasomal tergum I moderately shiny; (66) punctation fine, extremely dense, punctures less than their width apart.

Coloration: (71) Wing membrane mostly hyaline, apex lightly infuscated.

Vestiture: (74) Pubescence of head white. (75) Pubescence of thorax white; (76) mesoscutal hairs moderately dense and plumose. (77) Hind tibial hair color weakly differentiated, most hairs white, dorsal hairs brown to light brown. (78) Anterior hairs of metasomal tergum I and (79) basal hair bands of terga II–IV white. (80) Acarinarium present (similar to Figure 728), a large, circular, glabrous area surrounded laterally and dorsolaterally by elongate fringe hairs; dorsal opening of acarinarium wide, wider than width of lateral fringe hairs as seen in dorsal view.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—3.

MEXICO. BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR: Sierra de La Laguna, Trail, La Burrera-La Laguna, 28 Aug 1977, 850 m, R.R. Snelling (1 holotype; LACM); Sierra de La Laguna (17.3 air mi ENE Todos Santos), 17–18 Dec 1979, M.S. Wasbauer (2; CDA, NMNH).