Colletes genalis Friese, 1909

Kuhlmann, Michael, 2007, Revision of the bees of the Colletes fasciatus-group in southern Africa (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), African Invertebrates 48 (2), pp. 121-166 : 144-145

Colletes genalis Friese, 1909

Figs 2 , 10, 11, 41

Colletes genalis: Friese 1909: 122 . Type locality: Namibia, Grotfontein [sic!].

Colletes genalis australis: Cockerell 1945 (1946) : 841. Type locality: South Africa, Rapenburg, Cape Flats. Diagnosis: Among species with a normal scopa, C. genalis is unique in the combination of its small size and very broad malar area (malar area about 1.5× as long as width of mandibular base). Male can be most easily identified by the unique shape of S7 ( Fig. 10).

Description:

Female.

Length 9–10 mm.

Vestiture: Face greyish white with blackish brown hairs intermixed at inner eye margins, between antennae and on vertex; mesonotum with long, yellowish to greyish white hairs intermixed with numerous longer blackish hairs; mesosomal sides and legs yellowish to greyish white, with long black hairs on tibiae and tarsi, scutellum and metanotum with long, yellowish brown hairs, intermixed with longer blackish hairs on scutellum; scopa dark brown dorsally and yellowish ventrally; hind basitarsus with very long, dark brown bristles dorsally; T1 densely covered with long, erect, yellowish white to white hairs; disc of T2 with dense short whitish hairs; discs of T3–T5 with successively longer, erect, blackish hairs; narrow white posterior tergal hair bands on T1–T4, very narrow on T5; T2 with narrow basal tomentum; S2–S3 with very sparse short, fringes laterally, discs of sterna with scattered long, brownish hairs.

Integument: Completely black, except antennae brown ventrally, legs partly dark reddish brown; terga with very narrow, slightly translucent dark reddish brown area posteriorly; malar area elongate, length about 1.5× width of mandibular base; clypeus convex with dense (0.2 pd), fine punctation, punctures elongate; integument between punctures glabrous; facial fovea narrow, maximum width about 3/4 antennal diameter; disc of mesonotum with dense (0.5–1 pd), coarse punctation, integument glabrous, surrounded by dense (<0.5 pd) punctation; upper sloping part of propodeal triangle scabriculous, vertical part shagreened and slightly dull; disc of T1 with indistinct, shallow, fine, scattered punctures (2–3 pd), punctures becoming denser and shallower towards posterior tergal depression; disc of T2 with very fine, but distinct, dense punctation (0.5–1 pd); integument between punctures glabrous.

Male.

Length 9–10 mm.

Vestiture: Face white with blackish brown hairs intermixed along inner eye margins and vertex; mesonotum with long, greyish white hairs; mesosomal sides and legs white to yellowish white, scutellum and metanotum with long, yellowish white hairs, scutellum intermixed with a few brown hairs; T1 densely covered with long, erect, yellowish brown hairs; disc of T2–T3 with successively shorter concolorous hairs; discs of T4– T6 with long, erect, blackish hairs; relatively broad and distinct white tergal hair bands posteriorly on T1–T5; S2–S5 with dense, but very short fringes; fringes longer laterally than medially; discs of sterna with long, erect, white hairs.

Integument: Completely black, except antenna yellowish to reddish brown ventrally, legs and tarsi partly dark reddish brown and terga posteriorly narrowly translucent; malar area long, length about 1.5× width of mandibular base; clypeus with very dense (<0.2 pd), small punctures; facial fovea narrow, maximum width about 1/2 antennal diameter; disc of mesonotum with relatively small, scattered punctures (1 pd), integument glabrous, surrounded by dense (0.5 pd) punctation; upper sloping part of propodeal triangle with short longitudinal carinae, vertical part distinctly shagreened and dull with some well developed more or less transverse carinae; hind basitarsus not modified; discs of T1 and T2 with relatively dense granulation (1 pd), granulation becoming slightly finer and indistinct on posterior tergal depression; integument between punctures glabrous. Shape of S7 as in Fig. 10 and shape of gonostylus as in Fig. 11.

Type material examined: Colletes genalis , ^lectotype:‘SW.Afrika, Grotfontein, 1903, Volkmann, Colletes genalis 1908 Friese det., Type, Coll. Friese’ (ZMHB).

Colletes genalis australis , ^holotype: ‘ B.M. Type Hym. 17.a.1437, Colletes genalis australis Ckll. Type, Rapenburg, Cape Flats , 1–14.x.1920, S. Africa. R . E. Turner. 1920-424’ ( BMNH) .

Additional material examined: 14^5ơ. SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape: 1^Hondeklip Bay , 12.x.1994, F.W. & S.K. Gess ( AMGS) ; 1^Hester Malan Nat. Res. , 30.viii.1987, M. Struck ( CMK) ; 2ơ 31.v.1985, ( TMSA, CMK) , idem ; Western Cape: 1^Kommetjie , 13.x.1972, J.G. Rozen, R. McGinley & C. Thompson ( AMNH) ; 1ơ Graafwater , 5 km W, 2.vi.1984, V. B. Whitehead ( SAMC) ; 1ơ 21.iv.1984, idem ( CMK) ; 1^Knersvlakte , 48 km N Vanrhynsdorp, 20.ix.1996, F.W. & S.K. Gess ( CMK) ; 1^Clanwilliam, Ramskop Camp , 20.viii.1984, V. B. Whitehead, on mauve vygie ( SAMC) ; 1^Clanwilliam, Nardouw , 1.ix.1941, Museum Staff ( SAMC) ; Eastern Cape: 1^Willowmore , 17.ix.1902, Dr Brauns ( TMSA) ; 1^30.vi.1920, 1^19.viii.1906, 1^20.viii.1909, 1^1.ix.1920, 1ơ 30.vii.1920, 1^15.ix.1902, 1^4.ix.1919 ( CMK) , 1^17.ix.1902, idem ( SAMC) .

Distribution: From northern Namaqualand (near Springbok) through the entire winter rainfall area eastwards to Willowmore ( Fig. 41 ). The isolated record from ‘Grotfontein’ (= Grootfontein, Namibia) is very probably an error caused by incorrect labelling and is not included in the distribution map.

Flower visiting: Vygie ( Asteraceae ).

Phenology: First record 21 st April, last record 14 th October.

Figures

Figs 1–4. (1) Colletes albohirtus, clypeus of female, frontal view; (2) C. genalis, scopa on hind leg of female, dorsal view; (3) C. laticaudus, partly reduced scopa on hind leg of female, dorsal view; (4) C. karooensis sp. n., reduced scopa on hind leg of female, dorsal view. Scale bars: Fig. 1 = 0.5 mm; Figs 2–4 = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 41. Distribution of C. denudatus, C. eardleyi, C. fasciatus, C. genalis, C. gessi and C. infracognitus.