Protosmia (Nanosmia) hamulifera Griswold, 2013

Griswold, Terry L., 2013, New Palearctic bee species of Protosmia subgenus Nanosmia (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Journal of Melittology 2013 (20), pp. 1-9 : 2-5

Protosmia (Nanosmia) hamulifera Griswold , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9F70FA22-1E4E-498E-B2EB-CF5DF45F8FF0

( Figs. 1–3, 16, 17)

DIAGNOSIS: Males differ from other Nanosmia by the combination of: labrum and lower margin of mandible without dense pubescence; F3 short, at most as long as broad; S1 apically truncate but margin medially with shallow emargination; tegula and tergal margins dark, not yellow; T2–T4 with complete apical fasciae; T6 with apical margin rounded. The forms of S5 and S6 ( Figs. 2, 3) are distinctive. Females can be distinguished from all other Nanosmia by the combination of mouthparts scarcely exceeding fossa in repose and labial palpus with hooked setae ( Fig. 17 ).

Description: ♂: Length, 3.5 mm; forewing length, 2.5 mm. Color: Black except flagellum, tegula, distal tarsi, S1, S3, and S4 brown distally. Pubescence: White; dense, obscuring integument on lower half of face, pronotal shoulder; long, abundant on apical margin of scutellum; distinct ventral fringe on midfemur. T1–T5 with apical fasciae, interrupted on T1. Wings hyaline. Structure: Head slightly broader than long. Mouthparts in repose not reaching forecoxa; galea shorter than head length. Labrum without basal ridge. Clypeus scarcely convex in profile, not modified laterally, apical margin crenulate. F1 broader than long; F2 broader than long; remaining segments one and one-third times as long as broad. Preoccipital ridge not carinate. Forefemur slender, sparsely punctate posteroventrally. Forebasitarsus slender. Midfemur slender, unmodified. T6 with reflexed apical rim, margin broadly convex medially. S1 as broad as long, very densely punctate, apical margin strongly, broadly convex with shallow emargination medially, scarcely covering apex of S2 medially, not reflexed, dorsal pubescent surface not visible when metasoma in normal position. S2 with disk depressed medially, densely pubescent, apical margin slightly convex, with shallow setae-fringed emargination on medial one-half. S3 with disk depressed, densely clothed with erect pubescence, margin shallowly concave, laterally with shallow notch, entire margin with long, medially-directed fringe. S4 with sparse, long setae covering most of disk, margin moderately convex, without lateral notch, with single, weak, medially-directed fringe. Genitalia and associated sterna as in figures 1–3.

♀: Length, 4 mm; forewing length, 2.5 mm. Color: Black except labrum, mandible distally, flagellum, tegula, distal tarsi, T1–T3 distally brown; distal margins of S2–S5, wings hyaline. Pubescence: White; dense, obscuring integument on lower half of face except for most of clypeus, pronotal shoulder, mesepisternum along omaulus; long, abundant on apical margin of scutellum; distinct ventral fringe on midfemur. T1–T5 with apical fasciae, interrupted on T1–T3, interruption very broad on T1 narrowing to one-third of margin on T3. Structure: Head slightly wider than long. Mouthparts in repose slightly exceeding fossa, not reaching forecoxa; galea shorter than head. Labial palpus with long hooked setae. Labrum with scattered erect setae and long apical tuft. Mandible with second tooth slightly farther from first tooth than from third, ratio = 1.1 ( Fig. 16 ). Clypeus with low rounded convexity, apical margin with several denticles, scarcely concave. F3 width approximately four-fifths width of F10. Preoccipital ridge not carinate. Propodeal basal zone with fine, not coarse, longitudinal carinae. Forebasitarsus robust, much broader apically, ratio of length to apical width 1.6. Scopal setae pointed apically.

HOLOTYPE: ♀: UNITED ARAB EMIR. Dubai (Zabeel), Reared blocks, E.A. Sugden, 53911A [Logan].

PARATYPES: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 10♂♂, 11♀♀, same data as holotype except rearing number [Logan] ; 1♀, Dubai, Main Palace , 9 Mar 1984, E.A. Sugden [Davis] ; 1♀, Al Awir , 12-16 May 1984, malaise trap, E.A. Sugden [Logan] ; 1♂, 2♀♀, J. Ali Hotel, 14 Apr 1989, I.L. Hamer [Lawrence]. SAUDI ARABIA: 4♂♂, 2♀♀, Najran, 15 Mar 1990, G.G.M. Schulten [Leiden] ; 1♂, 1♀, same data [Logan] .

DISTRIBUTION: Arabian Peninsula ( United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia).

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin, hamulus, small hook, and – fer, to bear, relating to the distinctive hooked setae on the female labial palpi.

COMMENTS: For most Nanosmia the male is the most distinctive sex and, therefore, the preferred sex in choosing the holotype, as is done here for both other species. In this case, however, the female is the most distinctive and has therefore been chosen for the holotype.

This is the second species of Nanosmia to have been reared from trap nests; the previously described P. (N.) asensioi Griswold & Parker also nests in existing cavities ( Griswold & Parker, 1987).

Figures

Figures 17–20. Species of Protosmia, subgenus Nanosmia. 17. Female mouthparts, Protosmia hamulifera, new species. 18. Female head, P. schwarzi, new species. 19. Female lateral habitus, P. montana Müller. 20. Male T6, P. trifida, new species. Scale bars represent 0.25 mm.

Figures 13–16. Female mandibles. 13. Protosmia montana Müller. 14. P. schwarzi, new species. 15. P. trifida, new species. 16. P. hamulifera, new species. Scale bars represent 0.1 mm.