Hoplitis (Hoplitis) astragali Fateryga, Mueller & Proshchalykin, 2023

Fateryga, Alexander V., Mueller, Andreas & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2023, Two new Hoplitis species of the subgenus Hoplitis Klug, 1807 (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae) and the nesting biology of H. astragali sp. nov. in Dagestan, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 96, pp. 641-656 : 641

Hoplitis (Hoplitis) astragali Fateryga, Mueller & Proshchalykin sp. nov.

Fig. 1A-H

Type material.

Holotype. Russia. Dagestan, Levashi district: Tsudakhar, 42°19'40"N, 47°09'48"E, 10.6.2019, ♂ (leg. A. Fateryga). Deposited in ZISP.

Paratypes. Russia. Dagestan, Buynaksky district: 6 km NW Chirkey, 43°00'10"N, 46°53'51"E, 26-27.5.2022, 1 ♀, 7 ♂ (leg. A. Fateryga), 7 ♀, 2 ♂ (leg. M. Proshchalykin); Dagestan, Kumtorkalinsky district: Sarykum sand dune, 43°00'08"N, 47°14'15"E, 28-29.5.2019, 8 ♀, 1 ♂ (leg. M. Proshchalykin, V. Loktionov); ibid., 30.5.2019, 2 ♀ (leg. M. Mokrousov); Dagestan, Levashi district: Tsudakhar, 42°19'40"N, 47°09'48"E, 23.6.2018, 1 ♂ (leg. A. Fateryga); ibid., 1.6.2019, 2 ♀ (leg. M. Proshchalykin, V. Loktionov), 5 ♂ (leg. A. Fateryga); ibid., 10-11.6.2019, 12 ♀, 4 ♂ (leg. A. Fateryga); ibid., 16.6.2021, 1 ♂ (leg. A. Fateryga); ibid., 28-29.5.2022, 1 ♀, 2 ♂ (leg. A. Fateryga), 5 ♀, 15 ♂ (leg. M. Proshchalykin); Dagestan, Laksky district: vicinity of Turtsi, 42°11'34"N, 47°09'33"E, 22.5.2021, 4 ♀ (leg. A. Fateryga). Azerbaijan. Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic: Babek, Sirab, 1.6.2020, 1 ♀ (leg. M. Maharramov). Turkmenistan: Ashgabat environs, 15.5.1993, 3 ♀, 1 ♂ (leg. M. Halada). Deposited in ZISP, FSCV, ETHZ, and CAFK.

Diagnosis.

Among the western Palaearctic Hoplitis species of the subgenus Hoplitis s. str., the female of H. astragali (Fig. 1A ) is unequivocally characterised by the following combination of characters: i) apical margin of sternum 6 without submarginal carina; ii) tibial spurs of hind leg apically blunt with very short tip oriented at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spur (Fig. 1G ); iii) clypeus medially with impunctate longitudinal zone, which is usually continuous, well delimited, about 2-5 × as wide as diameter of adjacent punctures and roughly parallel-sided (Fig. 1C ); iv) declivous lateral side of apical part of labrum about as high as length of last antennal article (Fig. 1E ); v) marginal zones of terga 1-5 with long, dense and uninterrupted band of cream-coloured hairs, which turn to white in worn specimens. The male of H. astragali (Fig. 1B ) is easily diagnosed by the following combination of characters: i) apical margin of tergum 7 medially truncate to slightly rounded (Fig. 1H ); ii) gonoforceps apically with finger-like projection directed inwards at right angles to its longitudinal axis (Fig. 1H ); iii) sterna (2)3-4 medially with inconspicuous, very narrow and little raised longitudinal keel; iv) antennal articles 4-13 longer than wide and ventrally weakly keeled (Fig. 1D ); v) marginal zone of sterna 2-4 with rather dense white hair band (Fig. 1F ); vi) lobes of bilobed membranous appendage at apical margin of sternum 6 roughly quadrangular in shape and separated from each other by narrow longitudinal zone beset with reddish-brown spines (Fig. 1F ).

Assignment to species group.

The Hoplitis monstrabilis species group of Hoplitis (Hoplitis) includes several species that are morphologically and biologically intermediate between the members of the H. adunca species group and the H. annulata species group ( Sedivy et al. 2012b, 2013; Müller 2023). The representatives of the H. monstrabilis species group differ from those of the H. adunca species group by the absence of a submarginal carina on female sternum 6 and their habit of nesting in self-excavated burrows in the ground rather than in pre-existing cavities or stone irregularities above ground. They differ from the H. annulata species group by the shape of male tergum 7, which is apically truncate to rounded rather than bidentate. In accordance with these differences, H. astragali is assigned here to the H. monstrabilis species group.

Description.

Due to the uniform morphology of the numerous species of Hoplitis (Hoplitis) , the following description is restricted to characters, which are relevant for the recognition of the new species.

Female. Body length 7-9 mm. Head: Head 0.85-0.9 × as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 2.3-2.4 × as long as ocellar diameter. Second segment of labial palpus 1.6-1.7 × as long as first segment and 0.8-0.9 × as long as compound eye. Proboscis reaching coxa of fore leg when folded. Mandible three-toothed, its preapical zone reddish. Clypeus densely punctate except for median impunctate longitudinal zone, which is usually continuous, well delimited, maximally 4-5 × as wide as diameter of adjacent punctures and roughly parallel-sided (Fig. 1C ). Apical margin of clypeus medially straight to very shallowly emarginate and weakly crenulate. Yellowish-white pilosity at apical margin of clypeus long, its longest hairs almost as long as maximal length of clypeus (Fig. 1C ). Punctation of supraclypeal area and frons very dense and finer than that of clypeus. Labrum basally impunctate, its lateral sides apically strongly declivous (Fig. 1E ) and about as high as length of last antennal article. Antennal article 3 about 1.5 × as long as apically wide and 1.4-1.6 × as long as article 4. Anterior side of antennal articles (4)5-10(11) partly reddish-brown. Mesosoma: Tegula predominantly yellowish-red. Scutum and scutellum densely punctured with interspaces not reaching the diameter of one puncture except medially and laterally, where interspaces may exceed the diameter of one puncture. Basal area of propodeum shagreened except for more or less extended polished zone along lower lateral borders. Posterior surface of propodeum polished with scattered punctures. Propodeal pit polished. Tibial spur of fore leg elongated into tip, which is slightly longer than basally wide and connected to more basal part of spur by straight to weakly concave margin. Tibial spurs of hind leg yellowish, almost parallel-sided and apically blunt with very short tip oriented at right angles to longitudinal axis of spur; inner spur slightly longer than outer spur and roughly 10 × as long as maximally wide (Fig. 1G ). Metasoma: Punctation of tergal discs dense with interspaces reaching the diameter of one to two punctures. Marginal zone of terga 1-5 reddish to yellowish and covered with long, dense and uninterrupted band of cream-coloured hairs (Fig. 1A ), which are medially slightly longer than last antennal article. When seen from behind, longest erect hairs on median half of tergum 1 more than half to almost as long as maximal length of lateral hair tuft. Declivous lateral part of tergum 1 and marginal zone of sterna 2-5 yellowish. Apical margin of sternum 6 without submarginal carina. Scopa white.

Male. Body length 7.5-10 mm. Head: Head 0.84-0.87 × as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 1.7-2 × as long as ocellar diameter. Second segment of labial palpus 1.6-1.7 × as long as first segment and 0.8-0.9 × as long as compound eye. Proboscis reaching coxa of fore leg when folded. Mandible two-toothed, its preapical zone black to more or less reddish. Clypeus rather strongly convex in profile, its punctation dense except sometimes for its median part, where interspaces between punctures may be larger forming a small polished area or a non-continuous midline. Apical margin of clypeus medially straight to very shallowly emarginate and weakly crenulate. Antennal article 3 about 1.3 × as long as apically wide and articles 4-13 1.5-2 × as long as wide. Ventral side of antennal articles 4-13 with weakly delimited and rounded longitudinal keel. Ventral and anterior side of antennal articles 3-13 more or less light brown to yellowish-brown (Fig. 1D ). Mesosoma: Tegula predominantly yellowish-red. Scutum and scutellum densely punctured with interspaces hardly reaching the diameter of one puncture except medially and laterally, where interspaces may exceed the diameter of one puncture. Basal area of propodeum shagreened except for more or less extended polished zone along lower lateral borders. Posterior surface of propodeum polished with scattered punctures. Propodeal pit polished. Tibial spur of fore leg elongated into tip, which is about as long as basally wide and connected to more basal part of spur by straight to weakly concave margin. Tibial spurs of hind leg yellowish and almost parallel-sided except for apex, which is slightly curved. Metasoma: Punctation of tergal discs rather dense with interspaces reaching the diameter of two to three, rarely more punctures. Marginal zone of terga 1-5 reddish to yellowish and covered with long, dense and usually uninterrupted whitish hair band (Fig. 1B ). Tergum 6 laterally toothed, its marginal zone yellowish and ciliated with yellowish hairs. Apical margin of tergum 7 medially truncate to slightly rounded (Fig. 1H ). Declivous lateral part of tergum 1 and marginal zone of sterna (1)2-5 yellowish. Apical margin of sternum 1 straight, of 2-4 medially shallowly emarginate and of 5 distinctly emarginate (Fig. 1F ). Marginal zone of sterna 2-4 with rather dense white hair band (Fig. 1F ). Sterna (2)3-4 medially with inconspicuous, very narrow and little raised longitudinal keel. Sternum 5 medially with very narrow longitudinal row of yellowish hairs directed backwards. Sternum 6 basally with pair of membranous flaps. Lobes of bilobed membranous appendage at apical margin of sternum 6 roughly quadrangular in shape (Fig. 1F ) and separated from each other by narrow longitudinal zone beset with reddish-brown spines. Gonoforceps slightly wider than penis valve and apically with finger-like projection, which is directed inwards at right angles to its longitudinal axis and about 3 × as long as maximally wide (Fig. 1H ).

Distribution.

Mountainous Dagestan in Russia (from 75 to 1350 m a.s.l.), Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, and southernmost Turkmenistan.

Etymology.

The species epithet refers to the flowers of Astragalus L. ( Fabaceae ) exploited by the species for pollen and nectar (see below).

Figures

Figure 1. Hoplitis astragali sp. nov. A, C, E, G female B, D, F, H male A, B habitus in lateral view C clypeus in front view D antenna in front view E mandible and labrum in lateral view F sterna 1 - 6 in ventral view G part of hind leg with inner tibial spur H terga 4 - 7 and genitalia in dorsal view.