Lasioglossum villosulum subsp. arabicum, Ebmer, 2008

Pauly, Alain, Noël, Grégoire, Sonet, Gontran, Notton, David G. & Boevé, Jean-Luc, 2019, Integrative taxonomy resuscitates two species in the Lasioglossum villosulum complex (Kirby, 1802) (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 541, pp. 1-43 : 22

Subspecies arabicum Ebmer, 2008

Lasioglossum (Evylaeus) villosulum arabicum Ebmer, 2008: 560 . Holotype: ♀, UAE, Sharjah x Khor Kalba , 7–14 Jun. 2006, light trap, leg. A.V. Harten 6681 ( SDEI) . Examined by AP.

Distribution

This subspecies inhabits the Arabian Peninsula ( Oman, UAE) and is distinguished mainly by red terga ( Figs 13–14 ). Also conspicuous are the zones of snow white, felted, adpressed pubescence on the face, particularly on frontal area and pronotum, and white, felted, upstanding hairs on the mesopleura, particularly the front as well as the posterior propodeal surface and the lateral fields above. This pubescence marks the subspecies as a desert form ( Ebmer 2008: 560; Dathe 2009: 385). Specimens from Oman and UAE have red terga, whereas those from Yemen, identified as L. villosulum by Ebmer (D. Notton, unpublished new record), have dark black terga. Maybe there is more taxonomic complexity here, but it is outside the scope of the current project to further examine this. It may correlate with topography and climate since Oman and UAE are generally lower altitude (hotter) and Yemen is generally higher altitude (cooler).

Figures

Fig. 13. Lasioglossum villosulum arabicum Ebmer, 2008, ♀ (UAE). A. Head. B. Punctation around ocellus. C. Scutum. D. Propodeum. E. First tergum. F. Metasoma.

Fig. 14. Lasioglossum villosulum arabicum Ebmer, 2008, ♂ (UAE). A. Head. B. Scutum. C. Propodeum. D. First tergum. E. Metasoma.