Dasypoda (Microdasypoda) iberica Warncke, 1973

Radchenko, Vladimir G., Ghisbain, Guillaume & Michez, Denis, 2019, Redescription of three rare species of Dasypoda bees with first description of D. iberica and D. tibialis females (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Melittidae), Zootaxa 4700 (3), pp. 326-344 : 327-332

Dasypoda (Microdasypoda) iberica Warncke, 1973

This species was very briefly described from only two males ( Warncke 1973: 119, Fig. 33 on p. 105) collected in Spain (type material stored in OLL, however Blank & Kraus 1994 mentioned three paratypes in the Warncke collection). The females remained unknown prior to the present study. A more detailed description of the males D. iberica was given later by Ornosa & Ortiz-Sánchez (2004: 341–342), but these authors also did not pay attention to some essential features (e.g., the presence a small tooth-like prong on the lateral margins of S7; dorso-apical part of S8 has two separated semicircular outgrowths; the presence of longitudinal keel in the middle of T7; peculiarities of the galea and the scutum surface structure, etc.). In addition, we provide the first description of the females of D. iberica . These female specimens were collected simultaneously with the males of this species and superficially look similar to them. Both sexes have a similar size and comparable punctures of the body surface, especially on the head and on the scutum; the tibiae of all legs are convex outside and thickened towards the distal part and the tibial spurs are light yellow, almost white; the body pubescence has a similar color, including the yellow-golden hairs on the inner surface of all basitarsi; the T3–T5 on the marginal parts show bands of silver-white hairs and the S3–S5 have yellow-white ones; and many other features described below are similar.

This species shows all the apomorphies of the subgenus Microdasypoda (e.g., male with simple gonostylus and the S7 without projection, see discussion) and is similar to D. cingulata in its narrow, long penis valves. D. iberica can be easily recognized by the inner tooth of the male genitalia ( Fig. 25 ). Moreover, unlike most of other melittids, the tarsal claws of all legs of males and especially females are slightly swollen.

Description. Male ( Figs 1, 2 ). Length: 8.7–10.5 mm. Body black. Head ( Fig. 3 ) W = 2.7–2.9 mm, L = 2.3–2.4 mm. Face densely punctured with rough punctures, on clypeus such punctures almost merge, but they poorly visible through long dense pubescence. Cuticle at front and sides of simple eyes shows wide smooth, shiny, non-punctured areas ( Fig. 4 ). Vertex pubescent with relatively short sparse black-brown hair intermixed with long silver-white in middle. Face densely covered with long silver-white hair, except inner margin of parocular area along compound eyes black-brown. Occiput and inner part of genal area show very long curved silver-white hairs intermixed with shorter brown near compound eyes. Malar space ( Fig. 5 ) narrow (L = 0.1 mm), 4.5 times shorter than basal mandibular width. Mandibles black, apical parts red. External basal part of mandibles with short silver-white pubescence and single long hair. Ventral part of mandibles with long silver-white hair, becoming yellow-brown at distal edge. Galea densely covered with flattened oblong tubercles, and apical part roughly wrinkly punctured ( Fig. 6 ). Scape with thick long silver-white hair in front and distal margin strongly intermixed with black hair. Flagellomeres 1–10 ( Fig. 7 ) approximately of same length, except for 3 rd, which 8 % longer than others, and 11 th which about 25 % longer. 2–10 th flagellomeres slightly curved in dorso-ventral side, convexly above and flattened below, densely covered with short gray setae.

Mesosoma. W (between tegulae) = 2.8 mm, cuticle clearly punctured, distance between points equal to 1–2 point diameters, and center of mesonotum with more scattered punctation (3–4 point diameters) ( Fig. 8 ). Median area of propodeum ribby shagreened in form of shallow fine mesh ( Fig. 9 ). Ventral and lateral parts of thorax with sparse long erected silver-white hairs. Sides of scutum densely punctured with same silver-white hair, mixed with dark brown. Middle of scutum smoothed, very shiny between points, covered with very short sparse dark brown hairs. Tegulae black in front, and translucent yellow-brown at back and lateral sides, transparent along edge, not punctured. Legs black with long, silvery-white hairs, especially long and bent at profemur and protrochanter. Hind tibia convexed outside and thickened towards distal part ( Fig. 10 ). Inner surface of all basitarsi covered with short dense adjacent yellow-ginger hair. Last tarsi slightly lighter brown, with single yellow-golden hairs on top; 5 th tarsus on apex before tarsal claws lighter, yellow. Tibial spurs of hind legs light yellow, almost white. Wings transparent, very slightly shaded at top.

Metasoma ( Figs 11, 12 ) short (L = 4.2–5.0 mm, W = 3.1–3.6 mm), ovoid, black. Marginal part of all terga widely enlightened, light yellow, colorless at top, markedly depressed at sides. Horizontal part of T1 very short and limited almost only by depressed enlightened marginal edge. Basal part of terga shagreened, with very short evenly scattered brown hairs. T4–T7 with coarse wrinkled punctures in middle before marginal part. Marginal parts of T3–T5 with narrow bands of short silver-white hairs, interrupted on T 3 in middle. Terga also covered with sparse long silvery-white hairs (especially long on T1—their length equal to hair length on sides of propodeum), erected on sides and semi-adjacent in middle. T7 with longitudinal keel in middle, which poorly visible through semi-adjacent long silvery-white hair covering entire segment. Basal parts of S2–S4 without clear visible punctures, shagreened, covered with very short sparse yellow-brown hairs and sporadic long silver-white hairs. Apex of marginal part semi-transparent, thinly transversely striated and with very narrow bands of short white hairs interrupted in middle. Narrow space in front of apical part smoothed, shiny polished with sparse long hair and denser and longer ones on sides. S5 with very short white hair on basal part and long curved semi-erected ones on marginal part. S6 on top with two bunches of dense silver-white hair divided by smoothed non-pubescent triangular space ( Fig. 13 ). Marginal part of S7 with small tooth-like prong on sides, without long projections ( Figs 14, 15 ). S8 without spinous processes on sides ( Fig. 16 ), its dorso-apical part with two separated semicircular outgrowths ( Fig. 17 ). Genitalia ( Figs 18–20 , 21–24 ) with narrow long penis valves, and inner side of gonostyles with long, spiky protuberance ( Fig. 25 ).

Female ( Figs 28, 29 ) first description. Length: 11–11.5 mm. Body black. Head ( Fig. 30 ) W = 3.1 mm, L = 2.5 mm. Clypeus ( Fig. 31 ) smoothed, polished and not punctured in its median part, while sides and top with scattered points (distance between points equal to 2–5 point diameters), each with one semi-adjacent silver-white hair. Central part of face covered by erect and semi-erect silver-white hairs mixed with sparse black. Parocular area near compound eyes, vertex and upper part of frons with black-brown hair. Malar space ( Fig. 32 ) short (L = 0.08 mm), 7× shorter than mandible width at base. Scape with dense long silver-white hair in front of basal part, these hairs mixed black ones on apex part. Antennae ( Fig. 33 ) slightly thickened towards apex. 1 th flagellomer almost twice longer than 2 nd. 3 rd flagellomer approximately as long as 2 nd, and their width equal to length. 4 th flagellomer 15 % shorter than 3 rd. 5–9 th flagellomeres 20–25 % shorter than 3rd, and their width 1.4–1.5× greater than their length. 3–10 th flagellomeres cylindrical, marginal parts of their ventral side enlightened, yellow-brown. All flagellomeres evenly covered with very short gray setae. Basal part of mandibles black, apical third red. Galea with same surface as described in males (i.e. densely covered with flattened oblong tubercles and roughly wrinkly punctured on apical part). Upper distal part of labrum with fringe of intermixed silver and golden hairs, lower part with fringe of dense and slightly darker goldish hairs, longer than ones of upper part.

Mesosoma. W (between tegulae) = 2.9 mm. Scutum smoothed, shiny, densely punctured on sides, distance between points equal to their diameter, punctures more sparse in the center (i.e. distances between punctures about 2–3× as long as diameter of 1 puncture) ( Fig. 34 ). Mesosoma mostly covered with long erect silvery-white hair intermixed with short brown-black ones around scutum edges. Central part of scutum barely pubescent with very sparse short dark brown hair. Apical half of most hair on scutellum with light yellow-ginger color. Propodeum coarsely shagreened, slightly shiny, not pubescent. Tegulae black, strongly shiny, and punctuation present only at its forefront, rest of surface being smooth, not punctured. Wings transparent, almost not darkened. Ventral part of trochanters and basal part of femurs covered with light yellow-golden hair. Outer side of all tibiae and posterior part of basitarsi covered with dark gray hair. Inner surface of basitarsi and distal half of tibiae of all legs with dense brush of golden-yellow hair, and outer part of basitarsi with silver-white ones. Basitarsi black, other tarsomeres dark brown, but apex of last tarsomere (before claws) lighter, yellow-brown. Basal half of claws and arolia more light yellow.

Metasoma ( Figs 35, 37 ). L = 6.3 mm, W = 3.9 mm, wide-oval. Marginal parts of terga slightly depressed, enlightened yellow-brown, discolored on edge. Basal part of T1 with erect and semi-erect hair each of them rising from oblique backward-directed arcuate raised puncture. Basal part of T2–T4 thinly shagreened, with densely, almost felt, very short branched black-brown hair and in same color very sparse scattered longer ones, extending from almost imperceptible small dots. Apical part of T2–T4 with bands of white, densely adjoined short hair (band on T2 narrowly triangularly interrupted in apical part), over which overhanging long semi-erect silvery-white hair that more erected at sides. Basal part of T5 distinctly punctured and covered with long erect black-brown hair, its marginal part with band of densely adjoined dark-brown hair, over which also overhanging long semi-erect silverywhite ones. Sides of T6, around pygidial plate, covered with long, semi-adjoined brown hair. Pygidial plate strongly depressed ( Fig. 36 ), dark purple at sides and lightened red-yellow in middle, its apical part narrowly elongated and bifurcated. Surface of all sterna thinly shagreened, their basal part with very short silvery-white hairs. Marginal parts of sterna weakly punctuated, their edge with narrow fringe of very short adjoined silvery-white hairs. Basal parts of S3–S6 enlightened, yellow-brown, its marginal part with wide bands of long semi-adjoined golden-yellow hair ( Fig. 37 ). S6 with sparse erect hair of same color, more densely hairy at sides, narrowly semicircularly emarginated at center of apex.

Flight period. May–June.

Host-plants. Herrera (1988) mentioned that this species visits flowers of Cistus libanotis , and Lara Ruiz (2013) mostly (64 %) noted it on flowers of Cistus laurifolius , but also on different species of Asteraceae . Among studied material, one male specimen was collected on Helianthemum and one female on Malva . The scopae of the females were mainly filled by pollen of Helianthemum (Cistaceae) with several pollen grains of Malva (Malvaceae) and Cichorioideae (Asteraceae) . On the male body, we observed pollen of Cichorioideae (Asteraceae) , Onosma (Boraginaceae) and Lamiaceae ( Figs 26–27 ).

Distribution ( Fig. 110 ). As far as known, Dasypoda iberica is endemic to Spain. Published data. Cádiz [36.5336, -6.29944]; Cádiar [36.949, -3.1845]; Madrid [40.4,-3.68333] ( Warncke 1973; Ornosa & Ortiz-Sánchez 2004; Asher & Pickering 2018). Additional material. Spain, El Espinar, SG[Segovia] 500, 05.vi.2010 [40.704944, -4.348833] on Helianthemum 1♂, leg. D. Michez; Naval Peral [40.597, -4.412], 05.vi.2010, 1♀ on Malva , leg. D. Michez; Sevilla reg., La Rocina (Doñana National Park) [37.123206, -6.507239], 14.v.2018, 2♀, 2♂, leg. C. Mo- lina.

Figures

FIGURE 110. Distribution map of Dasypoda iberica, D. tibialis and D. vulpecula: l—D. iberica; ▲—D. vulpecula;¾—D. tibialis.

FIGURE 28–37. Female of Dasypoda iberica: 28—Female in dorsal view; 29—Female in lateral view; 30—Head in frontal view; 31—Clypeus and labrum; 32—Malar area; 33—Flagellum; 34—Scutum; 35—Metasoma, dorsal view; 36—Pygidial plate; 37—Metasoma, ventral view.

FIGURE 21–27. Dasypoda iberica male genitalia: 21–24—General view of genitalia; 25—Base of gonostylus with protuberance; 26–27—Pollen grains on the genitalia.

FIGURE 1–12. Male of Dasypoda iberica: 1—Male in dorsal view; 2—Male in lateral view; 3—Head in frontal view; 4—Vertex; 5—Malar area; 6—Apex of galea; 7—Flagellum; 8—Scutum; 9—Propodeum; 10—Hind tibia and basitarsus; 11—Metasoma in dorsal view; 12—Metasoma in ventral view.

FIGURE 13–20. Sterna and genitalia of Dasypoda iberica male: 13—Sternum 6; 14—Sternum 7; 15—Apex of sternum 7; 16—Sternum 8; 17—Apex of sternum 8; 18–20—Genitalia. (13–16, 19—ventral view; 17–18—dorsal view; 20—dorso-ventral view, rotated 90 degrees).