Hylaeus (Deranchylaeus) eardleyi, Dathe, 2014

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 : 37-39

Hylaeus (Deranchylaeus) eardleyi sp. n.

Figures 22 , 42 , 74–77

Diagnosis

This species has a close relationship to H. melanosoma , H. chimani sp. n. and H. paulyi sp. n., in which the males have expanded matt scapi. The females match the general characteristics of the tinctulus-group but they are hard to determine with certainty without accompanying males.

Description

Male. TL 4.2–5.1 (4.63) mm, WL 2.8–3.4 (3.11) mm.

Head. Proportions HL:HW 0.98, UHW:LHW 1.95, outline rounded trapezoid. Scapi black, expanded, slightly wider than flagella, SL:SW 1.70; flagella long, yellow below, dark above. Mask ivory white, sometimes light yellow, side patches expanded to upper edge of scapi bases, pointed above, supraclypeal area black. Foveae faciales short, indistinct. Clypeus CL:CW 1.69, matt, punctation moderate, sparse, anterior margin narrow black. Supraclypeal area formed channel-like, lateral edges curved upwards. Frons and vertex silky shining, punctation strong, close, white pilosity sparse, short, erect. Labrum and mandibles black.

Mesosoma depressed; pilosity sparse, short, white, longer only at sides of metanotum; margins of pronotum and calli with white toment. Coloration black, only tegulae with white spot. Pronotum narrow expanded forward; anterior margin sharp, dorsolateral angles blunt-edged. Mesonotum and scutellum shagreen, slightly shining, punctation moderate, dense; mesopleurae shagreen, matt, punctation fine, sparse, finer than on mesonotum. Legs black, anterior surface of foretibiae, base of hind tibiae and whole tarsi bright; wings darkened, venation dark brown. Propodeum edged; medial area consisting of three rows of meshes, middle largest, with sharp terminal edge, shiny; terminal area with sharp lateral ridges continuing into lower edges of lateral areas; propodeal furrow widened upwards, interrupting with cutout end margin of medial area.

Metasoma narrow, slender spindle-shaped, black. T1 shagreen, silk shiny, punctation minute, scattered, with narrow smooth end margin; T2 and following terga with low punctation; white lateral fringes lack. Terminalia ( Fig. 22 ): genital capsule with penis valves midst divergent, these conspicuously shorter than gonoforcipes; S8 with apical lobus widened, anterior margin emarginate; S7 with distal lobi formed as short lamellae, proximal lobi with few short bristles, teeth absent.

Female. TL 5.2–5.3 (5.26) mm, WL 3.3–3.5 (3.40) mm.

Head. Proportions HL:HW 0.96, UHW:LHW 1.52, outline transverse elliptic. Scapi black, flagella short, yellow, dark above. Face with tiny white comma spots near orbits below foveae. Foveae faciales long, reaching upper eye border, somewhat bent to ocelli. Clypeus CL:CW 1.28, shagreen, matt, punctation fine, sparse. Frons and vertex very densely punctate, punctation strong, subcontiguous. Genae thickened, in outline protruding below. Labrum and mandibles black.

Mesosoma long depressed, pilosity short and sparse, with toment band at posterior margins of pronotum, calli and scutellum. Tegulae with white spots. Pronotum black; little expanded forward, anterior margin and dorsolateral angles edged ( Fig. 42 ). Mesonotum and scutellum shagreen, slightly shining, punctation moderate to strong, dense to close; mesopleurae with finer and denser punctation than mesonotum, matt. Legs black, light are only tibiae I in front; wings darkened, venation black. Propodeum edged, matt; medial area steep, with irregular longitudinal ridges, with transverse carina in front of a small vertical finely shagreen area; terminal area laterally sharp edged, carinae continuing into lower edges of lateral areas; vertical area wrinkled radially below, without punctures.

Metasoma narrow, slender spindle-shaped, black. T1 shagreen, silky shining, punctation minute, sparse to scattered, following terga without punctures; T1 with narrow white lateral fringes, following terga with white ciliary bands on depressions; fringe of last sternum white.

Distribution

Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe.

Type material: 46 ♂, 14 ♀

Holotypus: ♂ SOUTH AFRICA. Gauteng: Hartebeeshook, Radio Astronomy Observatory, 25.54S 27.42E, 11.01.1996, Stiller lg.—In coll. SANC Pretoria.

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA. Gauteng: Hartebeeshook, Radio Astronomy Observatory, 25.54S 27.42E, 02.04.1996, 1♂, Stiller lg.— KwaZulu-Natal: Greytown 20 km N, 28.58S 30.34E, 1140 m, 18.01.2010, 1♀, Halada lg.; Ryfontein Farm 15 km SE Tzaneen, 23.54S 29.45E, 24.08.1994, 1♂, Mansell lg.; Maputaland: Emanguzi SW, 29.01.2003, 4♂, Snižek lg.; Tembe Elephant Park env. (Jozini), 22.01.2003, 1♀, Křivan lg.; 2♀, Snižek lg.

MOZAMBIQUE. CW: Chimoio 40km SW, 19.26S 33.11E, 650 m, 16.12.2005, 1♂, 1♀, Kadlecová lg.

ZIMBABWE. Chimanimani National Park, 14.12.1998, 1♂, Bečvař lg., 2♂, 6♀, Halada lg.

ETHIOPIA. W Hararge, Mechara, 08.36N 40.19E, 30.10.– 13.11.2010, 1♀, Negessa lg.; 17.– 21.01.2011, 35♂, 2♀, Negessa & Pauly lg.— Paratypes in coll. SANC Pretoria, Biozentrum Linz, HBRC Addis Ababa, RBINS Brussels, SDEI Müncheberg.

Derivatio nominis

The species is dedicated Connal Eardley, the meritorious exponent of apidologic research in southern Africa and initiator of this study.

Flower visit

On flowers of Vernonia auriculifera , Desmodium uncinatum ( Ethiopia, Pauly, label record).

Remarks

The females are hard to distinguish from H. robertianus , while the males are well defined by their terminalia. For a reliable determination, the male must be present. In Ethiopian specimens, the mask is often yellow.

Figures

FIGURES 20–22. Male terminalia in species of melanosoma-group.—20 H. melanosoma (Cockerell).—21 H. paulyi sp. n. (typus).—22 H. eardleyi sp. n. (typus). Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 42–43. Structure of anterolateral edges in female pronotum.—42 H. eardleyi sp. n. (paratypus).—43 H. robertianus (Cameron).

FIGURES 74–77. H. (Deranchylaeus) eardleyi sp. n.: head in frontal view and surface structure of basal terga.—74, 75 Typus male.—76, 77 Paratypus female. Scale 0.5 mm.