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Ceratina neomexicana Cockerell, 1901 Life Insecta Hymenoptera Apoidea Apidae Ceratina Subgenus: Zadontomerus |
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Reprinted with permission from: Daly, H. V. 1973. Bees of the genus Ceratina in America North of Mexico (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). University of California Publications in Entomology 74: 1-114. The Regents of the University of California. Published by the University of California Press.
| Ceratina neomexicana Cockerell, 1901 Female. Measurements and ratios: wing, 5.0 mm; hamuli, 5; eye, 110:135:135:135; clypeus, 55 120:35:87; interocellar, 25:50:35:60, 15; frontal carina, 60; malar area, 0 55; interalveolar, 35:35:45:50, 20; antenna, 50:15:12:10:7:10, 15; subpleural signum, 17x3.0 (New Mexico, Santa Fe Co., Santa Fe, cotype). Structure: Head quadrate in cephalic view; eyes parallel, narrowly rounded above, subtruncate at malar area; frontal carina simple, sulciform beneath median ocellus; vertex and supraorbital area limited posteriorly by preoccipital carina; median portion of hypostomal carina when viewed laterally higher anteriorly where it terminates in a right-angled tooth, when viewed ventrally angle between median and lateral positions about 130. Basitibial plate acute, its elevated apex at basal 0.30 of tibial length. Metasoma widest at segment 4; gradulus of tergum 4 terminating laterally beyond and below spiracle at a distance of 2.0 spiracle lengths; tergum 6 with median central area flattened; graduli of sterna 2-3 transverse, straight. Sculpture and vestiture: Head shiny between punctures, largely impunctate on mandible base, clypeal disc, lower supraclypeal area, lower paraocular area, subantennal area, alveolocellar area and a narrow band behind eye; elsewhere with fine punctures more than a puncture width apart and with largely simple setae; punctures closer in interalveolar and alveolorbital areas, posteriorly on vertex, laterally on supraorbital area, and on postgena; setae longer in interalveolar area, vertex, postgena, labral disc, and apically on mandible. Sides of pronotum moderately punctured less than a puncture width apart and often contiguous and rugose, impunctate area before pronotal pit; scutal disc shiny, virtually impunctate except sparsely along lines, fine punctures marginally and as close as a puncture width apart laterally and on axilla; scutellar disc nearly impunctate, fine punctures becoming closer and less than a puncture width apart laterally and posteriorly; metanotum finely punctured throughout, less than a puncture width apart; mesopleuron with coarse punctures about a puncture width apart laterally, becoming more widely spaced posteroventrally, setae narrowly plumose; hypoepimeral area impunctate in lower third; metapleuron medium punctured, about a puncture width apart, impunctate area before metapleural pit; propodeal triangle of about 24 longitudinal carinulae, with some anastomosis and becoming indistinct laterad; angle of propodeum impunctate, minutely coriaceous; sides finely punctured, becoming closer and smaller laterad, with long erect, narrow plumose setae. Metasomal tergum 1 finely punctured on dorsal surface about a puncture width apart medially, virtually impunctate on anterior surface; terga 2-5 with scattered fine punctures on pregradular area near gradulus; postgradular punctures of two types, fine and extremely minute (visible at 50x), the latter type many puncture widths apart; the fine punctures more widely spaced on discs of more anterior terga; becoming denser laterally to about a puncture width apart; each type of puncture with a short appressed simple seta, ground shiny, but subapically minutely roughened, sparsely papillate apically on tergum 5; tergum 6 finely punctured about a puncture width apart or less, ground sparsely papillate basally and rugulose apically; setae short, simple, except central area which is punctured but free of papillae and setae. Sterna finely punctured, about a puncture width apart; setae simple, course, suberect, dense at apex of abdomen; setae of wax glands appressed. Color: Body metallic dark olive green (ISCC-NBS 126) with minor bluish or yellowish-green reflections, head especially blue; metallic colors lacking on labrum, mandibles, mesoscutal disc, and wax glands. Ivory marks: broad amygdaliform on clypeus, extending almost full length; spots at bases of all tibiae, being largest on metatibia; pronotal lobes. Antennae fuscous, lighter beneath; legs proximally fuscous, femora and tibiae faintly metallic, tarsi apically testaceous; wing membrane testaceous, venation and tegula darker. Body setae pale flavescent. Male. Measurements and ratios: wing, 4.5 mm; hamuli, 5; eye, 110:120:110:100; clypeus, 55 95:30:80; interocellar, 21:40:25:50, 15; frontal carina, 60; malar area, 0 40; interalveolar, 25:21:40:45, 20; antenna, 40:10:15:8:10:15, 16; subpleural signum, 20 5 (Cedar Point, Dove Creek, Dolores County, Colorado; Utah State University). Structure: Read rounded in cephalic view; eyes convergent below, narrowly rounded above, broadly rounded at malar area; frontal carina simple, distinct between alveolae, sulciform beneath median ocellus; vertex and supraorbital area limited posteriorly by preoccipital ridge with a low carina; median portion of hypostomal carina when viewed laterally of low uniform height, terminating anteriorly without a tooth, when viewed ventrally lateral portion arcuate. Ventral profile of metatrochanter rounded, apical anteroventral facet obscure, finely punctured; width of metafemur at tooth 0.5 length, tooth obtusely 120 angled, basal anteroventral facet broad, indistinct, with fine, short setae on rounded surface, ventral edge bare (resembles fig. 10e). Metasoma widest at segments 3-4; gradulus of tergum 4 terminating laterally beyond and below spiracle at a distance of 2.0 spiracle lengths; tergum 6 with median subapical protuberance surmounted by setae (resembles fig. ill); dorsal view of apical plate width 2.0 times length, rounded; sternum 6 with two median teeth partly fused at base (resembles fig. 121). Genitalia presumed to be similar to fig. 29b). Sculpture and vestiture: Head shiny between punctures, largely impunctate on clypeal disc, upper subantennal area, most of convex portion of alveolocellar area and in narrow band behind eye; moderately punctured on mandible base with minute and fine punctures; gena with medium punctures less than a puncture width apart; elsewhere with medium punctures less than a puncture width apart and with largely simple setae; punctures closer in interalveolar area, sparser in ocellorbital area; sparse setae longer in interalveolar and postgenal areas, vertex, end posteriorly on mandible. Sides of pronotum finely and continuously punctured, impunctate area above pronotal pit extending to beneath dorsolateral angle; scutal disc shiny, virtually impunctate except moderately along lines, flue punctures marginally and less than a puncture width apart laterally and on axilla; scutellar disc moderately punctate, flue punctures becoming contiguous laterally and posteriorly; metanotum finely and almost contiguously punctured throughout; mesopleuron with coarse punctures less than a puncture width apart laterally, becoming more widely spaced posteroventrally, long plumose setae; hypoepimeral area impunctate just above scrobe; metapleuron finely punctured, usually less than a puncture width apart; small impunctate area before metapleural pit; propodeal triangle rugulose, longitudinal carinulae distinct even laterally; angle of propodeum impunctate, minutely coriaceous; sides finely punctured, becoming contiguous and smaller laterad, with erect, plumose setae. Metasomal tergum 1 finely punctured on dorsal surface about a puncture width apart, virtually impunctate on anterior surface; terga 2-6 with scattered fine punctures on pregradular area near gradulus, postgradular punctures fine and uniformly about a puncture width apart, each with a short appressed simple seta; ground shiny, but minutely roughened on terga 5-6; tergum 7 finely punctured about a puncture width apart with shiny ground, apical plate above with long, plumose hairs extending beyond plate. Sterna 1-5 medium punctured, about a puncture width apart; setae fine, suberect, narrowly plumose, longer subapically on each sternum. Color: Head end thorn metallic very dark greenish blue (ISCC-NBS 175); abdomen similar but cuticle of tergum 1 beneath metallic reflections dark fusco rufous; metallic colors lacking on mandibles which are nearly black. Ivory marks: broad hat-shaped on clypeus, extending full length and width; rectangular spot on labral disc; spots at bases of all tibiae, being largest on metatibia; pronotal lobes. Antennae dark fuscous, lighter beneath; legs proximally nearly black, femora and tibiae faintly metallic, tarsi apically dark testaceous; wing membrane hyaline, venation and tegula dark testaceous. Body setae nearly white. Male compared with illustrations of other specimens: metafemur and metatrochanter (fig. los), sternum 6 and apical plate (fig. 12b); genitalia tot dissected, but illustrated from another specimen (fig. 29b). C. neomexicana is widespread from transmontane California eastward to Texas (fig. 23) and is the most common medium-sized species throughout the southern Great Basin. The blue-green metallic color with broad clypeal mark and ivory pronotal lobes, and the coarse mesopleural punctations are distinctive. Larger females may be separated from C. pacifica by the absence of a central hair tuft on the sixth metasomal tergum. Smaller females may be confused with C. nanula which has less coarse punctation throughout and a more greenish color combined with a gently rounded profile of the hypostomal carina which contrasts with the conspicuously angular or toothlike carina in 0. neomexicana. Males of C. neomexicana have a large, obtuse metafemoral tooth with a poorly defined, anteriorly directed facet bearing minute hairs. The species is most frequently collected in Sagebrush steppe, Juniper-pinyon woodland, mixed conifer forest, Pine-Douglas fir, and many ecotonal associations (fig. 5b). Variation in size exists with the largest specimens from central Arizona (Williams, Oak Creek Canyon; female wing lengths, 4.8-6.5 mm) and slightly smaller, but variable sizes elsewhere (Boulder, Colorado; female wing lengths, 4.77 0.68 mm, range 4.2-5.6 mm, n = 33; male wing lengths, 4.34 .143 nun, range 4.0-4.7 mm, n = 4).
Nests were found at Ketchum, Idaho, in dead, dry stalks of Verbascum sp. which were also utilized by C. nanula.
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