Hylaeus (Deranchylaeus) alfkeni (Friese, 1913)

Dathe, Holger H., 2014, Studies on the systematics and taxonomy of the genus Hylaeus F. (8) Revision of the Afrotropic subgenus Hylaeus (Deranchylaeus) Bridwell (Hymenoptera: Anthophila, Colletidae), Zootaxa 3874 (1), pp. 1-84 : 23-25

Hylaeus (Deranchylaeus) alfkeni (Friese, 1913)

Figures 8 , 46–49

Prosopis alfkeni Friese, 1913a: 35 : 583 –584. 2 ♂, Rhodesia [ Zimbabwe]: Bulawayo. Syntypes ♂ MNHU Berlin. Lectotypus and paralectotypus designated here, with label " Bulawayo Rhodesia 28 IX 1912 G. Arnold". One female with the same data, det. Alfken, is not mentioned in the original publication, thus excluded from the type series.— Friese 1913b: 574; Alfken 1914: 194–195; Friese 1916: 417, 422–424.

Hylaeus alfkeni (Friese) : Cockerell 1942: 2, 13; Eardley & Urban 2010: 26 –27.

Hylaeus (Deranchylaeus) alfkeni (Friese) : Bridwell 1919: 139; Snelling 1985: 8. Rasmussen & Ascher 2008: 23.

Diagnosis

This is a small dainty species with conspicuously coarse, dense punctation; very coarse to subcoarse on the mesosoma and metasoma. The only species in this subgenus that has this unique feature. It also has white patches or bands of tomentum on the posterior edge of the pronotum, the scutellum, the sides of the propodeum and the first two terga.

Characteristic features

Male. TL 4.0–4.9 (4.50) mm, WL 3.0–3.6 (3.16) mm.

Head. Proportions HL:HW 1.01, UFW:LFW 1.68; outline prolonged trapezoid. Scapi black, small, cylindrical, not wider than flagella, SL:SW 1.87. Mask white, complete; clypeus CL:CW 1.51, silk glossy, punctation rugose. Labrum and mandibles black.

Mesosoma compact, narrowing towards posterior end; pilosity sparse, short. Tegulae each with a bright spot. Pronotum black, slightly expanded forward, narrow, with sharp anterior edge, dorsolateral angles acute. Mesonotum and scutellum shiny, punctation very coarse, subcontiguous. Legs black with bright patches on bases of tibiae, on foretibiae in front and on tarsi; wings hyaline, venation brown. Propodeum angular; medial area with large net meshes, shiny; terminal area circumscribed by sharp carina.

Metasoma slender spindle-like, black. T1 and T2 with very coarse, contiguous punctation; following terga finely shagreen, with shallow and scattered indistinct punctation; T1 with narrow white lateral fringes, depressions of following terga white ciliated. Terminalia ( Fig. 8 ) resembles to curvicarinatus - group.

Female. TL 4.8–5.8 (5.26) mm, WL 3.1–4.0 (3.57) mm.

Head. Proportions HL:HW 0.99, UFW:LFW 1.50; outline prolonged trapezoidal; clypeus CL:CW 1.31. Face with small white comma-shaped patches below foveae.

Mesosoma compact; pilosity white, short, amplified on underside, white tomentose at seams. Tegulae each with a bright spot. Pronotum slightly expanded forward, narrow, with sharp anterior margin, dorsolateral angles acute. Mesonotum and scutellum shiny, punctation very coarse, subcontiguous. Legs black or brown, bright patches on foretibiae in front, white also on distitarsi, sometimes on base of tibiae; wings hyaline, venation brown. Propodeal terminal area with sharp carina around.

Metasoma compact spindle-like, black. T1 and T2 with very coarse, contiguous punctation; following terga finely shagreen, punctation shallow and scattered, indistinct. Lateral fringes and terminal bands on depressions white; fringe of last sternum bright.

Distribution

Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe ( Eardley & Urban 2010).

Specimens examined: 17 ♂, 30 ♀ coll. AMG, MNHU, OLBL, SAMC, SANC.

NAMIBIA. Near Helmeringshausen, 34 km on C13, 26.05S 16.38E.

SOUTH AFRICA. Free State: Sandveld Nature Reserve, 27.40S 25.45E.— Gauteng: Soutpan, 25.24S 28.06E.— Limpopo: 75 km NW Thabazimbi, 24.24.24S 27.05.40E, 868 m. — North West: Mafikeng, Zeerust env.— Mpumalanga: O.T.K. Reserve nr Loskopdam, 25.27S 29.24E.

ZIMBABWE. Bulawayo; Mushandike Sanctuary Masvingo; S, Gwanda 20 km W; Samva 25 km NE, Nyagui r. (Bindura).

Flower visit

On flowers of Acacia bequaertii , Combretum sp. , Protea sp. ( Eardley & Urban 2010).

Figures

FIGURES 8–11. Male terminalia in species of curvicarinatus-group, subgroup (1).—8 H. alfkeni (Friese).—9 H. curvicarinatus (Cameron).—10 H. gessianus sp. n. (typus).—11 H. leucolippus (Friese) (typus). Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 46–49. H. (Deranchylaeus) alfkeni (Friese): head in frontal view and surface structure of basal terga.—46, 47 # Male.—48, 49 Female. Scale 0.5 mm.