Leioproctus (Alokocolletes), 2013

Maynard, Glynn Vivian, 2013, Revision of Goniocolletes and seven Australian subgenera of Leioproctus (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae), and description of new taxa, Zootaxa 3715 (1), pp. 1-114 : 61-62

Leioproctus (Alokocolletes) subgen.n.

This subgenus is erected for 2 species from inland Australia. In his description of the first species recognised, Houston (1991) commented " L. excubitor belongs to a small group of closely related species none of which has been described until now" and "...inhabit the arid zone of Western Australia ". The second species described here, extends the range of the subgenus to the Northern Territory and western Queensland.

Type species: Leioproctus (Leioproctus) excubitor Houston, 1991 .

Diagnosis— Medium-sized black bees with apical tergal, white hair bands in females; first flagellar segment much elongated; T4 with lateral furrows; male S7 with 4 apical lobes; female sting compressed laterally. The lateral furrows on T4 are unique in Leioproctus .

Description— Length ca 10 mm; integument black with white hair. Head— Ocelloccipital area flat; facial fovea vaguely impressed; frons moderate size, dense to very dense punctures with smooth interspaces; antennal sockets shallowly depressed; scape reaching median ocellus or beyond; F1 as long as or longer than the following 2.5 segments, female F2–3 length less than width; female F4–11 length about equal to width; male F2–3 length about equal to width; F4–11 length greater than width; supraclypeal area raised; epistomal suture distinct; inner eye margins parallel, male lower margin slightly divergent; palps reaching beyond apex of extended glossa, segments well sclerotized and subequal in length; malar space absent. Mesosoma — Scutum and scutellum with moderately dense to very dense small punctures with granular interspaces; propodeal triangle broad rounded onto posterior vertical area carina separating basal area from ventral area absent. Wings with membrane slightly darkened; covered in dense, dark microtrichia; stigma slender, parallel sided, more 0.5 length of costal margin of marginal cell; marginal cell elongate, apex of marginal cell strongly divergent from costal margin; first recurrent vein enters second submarginal cell basally; jugal lobe of hind wing reaching beyond cu-a. Legs of female slightly swollen; fore tibial spur with a few small teeth on apex of velum; hind basitibial plate about 0.2 length of tibia, carinate marginally with thick, dense, flattened, simple hair; hair of hind tibial scopa open monopodally branched; inner hind tibial spur with 4–8 long, thick teeth; hind basitarsus with weak posterior fringe. Metasoma— Brown to black with dense, short, fine hair; base of T1 with longer hair, apical margins T1–4 with dense, apical fringe, mostly broadly interrupted medially; caudal fimbria coarse, black; female pygidial plate moderately wide, granular basally, smooth apically; apical margin rounded; female sternal hair sparse, white, mostly simple; female sting flattened laterally; T3–4 laterally depressed; no gradulus, males without apical hair bands, with basal hair bands; male with pygidial plate bare, rounded apically; sternal hair as for female, S4 with lateral fringe, S5 with full apical fringe.

Etymology— Alokos is Greek for furrow, it refers to the lateral furrows of T3–4.

Key to species in Leioproctus (Alokocolletes)

1 First flagellar segment longer than the length of F2–4 combined..... Leioproctus (Alokocolletes) excubitor Houston, 1991

– First flagellar segment less than the length of F2–4 combined......... Leioproctus (Alokocolletes) sequax Maynard, sp.n