Prosopis (Indialaeus) feai, (VACHAL, 1894)

Dathe, Holger H., 2011, Studies on the systematics and taxonomy of the genus Hylaeus F. (7) Indialaeus subgen. nov., a new subgenus of Hylaeus from the Oriental Region (Hymenoptera: Anthophila, Colletidae), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 61 (2), pp. 243-258 : 252-255

H. (Indialaeus) feai ( VACHAL, 1894)

Figs 12 , 18 , 34-36

In the original publication by VACHAL (1894) the following specimens of Prosopis feai are mentioned: 12   and 18   from Carin Chebà and 1  each from Schwegoo and Tenasserim; a further  from Bhamò belongs to a different species. Localities mentioned are denoted thus:

Carin Chebà – Karen Hills, area of the Chebà ethnicity, ca. 19°12'N 96°35'E

Schwegoo – Shwegu, ca. 24°13'N 96°48'E

Tenasserim – 12°05'N 98°55'E

Bhamò – 24°15'N 97°14'E

From the Genova Museum I examined a total of 48 specimens of the type series, mounted on 35 pins. Two specimens donated to Heinrich Friese soon after they were collected are missing. I recognize a total of 4 species in the series. The  that had been originally already separated as well as 2   1  belong to two species of the subgenus Nesoprosopis . The other two species are regarded as belonging to the subgenus Indialaeus .

No type has yet been designated for Prosopis feai . Handwritten name labels by the describing author are present only on four pins, and these are not quite consistent. Only in one case are both sexes of the same taxon, as written on the label, to be found on the same pin. The  of this preparation is here designated as lectotype. The specimen was remounted on a separate pin and its genitalia dissected. It is labelled: “Carin Chebà 900-1100 m L. Fea V XII-88“ [printed]; “ Prosopis Feai, Vachal   | “commento Bingham [on reverse]“ [handwritten]; “Museo Civico di Genova“ [printed]; “ Lectotypus Prosopis feai VACHAL, 1894 , Dathe design. 2010“ [red, printed]. 10   and 19   on 22 pins were labelled as paralectotypes. The pairs of specimens were all remounted each on a single pin. The locality is identical with that of the lectotype. The  from Tenasserim is also recognized as Hylaeus feai (VACHAL) , but is excluded from the type series because of abnormal characters – somewhat longer head and paler coloration.

A short description of the species follows, concentrating on the characters that separate it from the new species H. birmanicus .

Male:

Measurements (n=10) (mm). HL 1.43; HW 1.65; WL 4.4-5.0 (4.67); BL 6.0-6.6 (6.25). Head broad, HW:HL 1.15. Scape short, slender, SL:HL 0.21; SL:SW 1.61. Eyes strongly convergent below, UFW:LFW 1.67. Clypeus narrow, CW:CL 0.95; BCW:CW 0.49, 1.50 x ASD, 1.07 x IAD, 0.85 x COD. Clypeus separated from lower end of eye by less than ocellar diameter.

Head in profile transverse elliptical ( Fig. 18 ). Scape small, slender, black. Colour: mask yellow, incomplete, clypeus with bell-shaped marking. Mandibles bifurcate. Pronotum with yellow band, calli and tegulae with spot, anterio-lateral corners of scutellum with small yellow fleck, which may be missing. Middle legs black. Sculpture: Thorax dorsally and laterally densely punctured, interspaces very narrow to unclear, shagreenate, generally matt. Medial area of propodeum shieldshaped, longitudinally ribbed to the midline, intervals smooth. Tergum 1 polished, clearly with scattered punctures, base pubescent, laterally with fringes of hairs. Terminalia: copulatory apparatus Fig. 34 ; gonoforcipes strongly elongated, narrow, laterally with long setae, apically with a few short setae. Penisvalves narrow, apically broadened below. Sternum 8 ( Fig. 35 ) very long, narrow, apically with short setae. Sternum 7 see Fig. 36 .

Female:

Measurements (n=10) (mm). HL 1.66; HW 1.94; WL 4.8-5.7 (5.30); BL 6.8-7.8 (7.14). Head broad, HW:HL 1.17. Scape slender, SL:HL 0.30; SL:SW 2.97. Eyes moderately convergent below, UFW:LFW 1.32. Clypeus narrow, CW:CL 1.01; BCW:CW 0.58, 2.28 x ASD, 1.37 x IAD, 1.26 x COD. Clypeus separated from lower end of eye by less than ocellar diameter.

Characters analogous to . Clypeus with a single or 3 yellow flecks that may fuse to form a bellshaped marking ( Fig. 12 ). Anterior corners of scutellum yellow. Mesopleura densely and strongly punctate, but without larger interspaces. Medial area of propodeum with longitudinal ribs that basally may be irregular, but do not exhibit transverse edges. Tergum 1 polished and with only very sparse fine punctures; pubescent at base.

H. (Indialaeus) birmanicus sp. n.

Figs 4-8 , 31-33

Diagnosis:

Male: Mandible of usual size and shape, apically acute. Corresponding in many characters with H. feai , but above all clearly distinguishable by the structure of sternum 8. Further differences: Scapus roundly widened; mask more extensively yellow, also the supraclypeal area with fleck. Puncture of the mesopleura coarser, axillae black, medial area of propodeum basally with sharp transverse ridge.

Female: Mandibles normal, not enlarged, parallel-sided with edges reinforced. Differences to H. feai : collar with two separate yellow stripes; axillae black; mesopleura with coarse punctures; medial area of propodeum basally with transverse carina; abdominal tergum 1 on the basal surface bare.

Description:

Male (n=5).

Measurements (mm). HL 1.51; HW 1.65; WL 3.8-4.6 (4.32); BL 6.0-6.8 (6.28).

Head ( Fig. 4 ) broad, HW:HL 1.09. Scape enhanced, SL:HL 0.25; SL:SW 1.46. Eyes strongly

convergent below, UFW:LFW 1.62. Clypeus narrow, CW:CL 1.04; BCW:CW 0.40, 1.64 x ASD,

1.00 x IAD, 0.82 x COD. Clypeus separated from lower end of eye by less than ocellar diameter.

Scape apically globularly expanded, reverse side flattened. First flagellomere about equal to pedicel in length, second about 1.5 times first, third about 2.0 times first. Interocellar distance nearly equal to ocellocular distance.

Clypeus and sides of face shiny, finely shagreenate between scattered, fine, shallow punctures. Supraclypeal area narrow, very finely longitudinally striated, matt; acute above, distinguishable from frons. Smooth areas adjacent on both sides. Face, vertex, and gena moderately shiny between moderate, subcontiguous punctures. Back of head with continuous sharp edge. Mandible narrow, acute; edges thickened.

Thorax:

Mesonotum slightly shiny between moderate, subcontiguous punctures; scutellum similar; metanotum rough between deep, dense punctures; mesopleuron conspicuously coarsely punctate, intervals ca. 1 puncture diameter, shagreenate, moderately shiny; metapleuron moderately shiny between fine, subcontiguous punctures. Propodeum laterally sharply margined; side and disc covered with short white tomentose hairs; basal area shield-shaped, smooth and shiny, with irregular sharp longitudinal carinae towards posterior middle; at the base a clear transverse ridge.

Abdomen:

Disc of first tergum smooth and shiny between fine to moderate, sharp punctures at 1-2 puncture diameters apart; disc of second tergum moderately shiny between sparse, fine punctures.

Pilosity. First tergum only laterally with sparse hairs and with apicolateral patch of adpressed pale hairs.

Colour:

Blackish. The following bright yellow: clypeus nearly completely, only the upper margins darkened; supraclypeal area with spot; lateral face mark, ending acutely on eye margin slightly above ocular sinus; pronotal collar interrupted in middle; most of pronotal lobe; outer stripe on protibia, small basal spots on tibiae and basal half of basitarsi. Remainder of tarsi reddish brown. Flagellum dark brown, slightly paler beneath. One specimen with extended marks on the scape, upper supraclypeal area and anterior edges of scutellum, pronotum line not interrupted. Wings clear, brownish, veins and stigma brown.

Terminalia:

Copulatory apparatus ( Fig. 6 , 31 ); gonoforcipes strongly elongated, narrow, laterally outside with long setae, apically with few short setae. Penisvalves narrow, apically expanded below. Sternum 8 ( Fig. 7 , 32 ) elongated, laterally flattened, apically with three clumps of setae. Sternum 7 see Fig. 8 , 33 .

Female (n=8).

Measurements (mm). HL 1.76; HW 1.91; WL 4.2-5.8 (5.12); BL 6.4-8.1 (7.14).

Head ( Fig. 5 ) broad, HW:HL 1.08. Scape slender, SL:HL 0.27; SL:SW 3.02. Eyes moderately convergent below, UFW:LFW 1.27. Clypeus narrow, CW:CL 1.00; BCW:CW 0.59, 2.55 x ASD, 1.41 x IAD, 1.43 x COD. Clypeus separated from lower end of eye by less than ocellar diameter.

Scapus long and slender. First flagellar segment about equal to pedicel in length, second about 0.75 times first, third equal to first. Foveae faciales long, reaching to the vertex, ending closer to the orbits.

Clypeus and face only silkily shiny, finely shagreenate between scattered, fine, shallow punctures. Supraclypeal area narrow, very finely longitudinally striate, matt; acute above, distinguishable from frons. Finely shagreenate areas adjacent on both sides. Face, vertex, and genae moderately shiny between moderate, subcontiguous punctures. Back of head with continuous sharp edge. Mandible bilobate; edges thickened.

Thorax:

Mesonotum slightly shiny between moderate, subcontiguous punctures; scutellum similar; metanotum rough between deep, dense punctures; mesopleuron conspicuously coarsely punctate, intervals ca. 0.5 to 1 puncture diameter, shagreenate, moderately dull; metapleuron moderately shiny between fine, subcontiguous punctures. Propodeum laterally sharply margined; side and disc covered with short white tomentose hairs; basal area shield-shaped, smooth and shiny, with irregular sharp longitudinal carinae towards posterior middle; at the horizontal base a clear transverse ridge.

Abdomen:

Disc of tergum 1 smooth, shiny and nearly impunctate; only laterally with very fine scattered punctures; disc of tergum 2 moderately shiny between sparse, fine punctures.

Pilosity. Tergum 1 only laterally with sparse hairs and with apicolateral patch of adpressed pale hairs.

Colour:

Blackish. The following parts yellow: bell-shaped mark on the clypeus; supraclypeal area with spot; lateral face mark ending acutely on eye margin slightly below ocular sinus; pronotal collar interrupted in middle; most of pronotal lobe; outer stripe on protibia, small basal spots on tibiae. Flagellum dark brown, slightly paler beneath. Wings clear, with brownish tint, veins and stigma brown.

Type Material:

Holotype male: Myanmar: Kayin, Carin Chebà (Karen Hills, ca. 19°12'N 96°35'E), V XII-88. L. Fea leg. Paratypes: same locality and data 3   6  ; same locality and collector, VIII-88 1 ; Schwego Myo (Shwegu, ca. 24°13'N 96°48'E), Fea. X 1885 1 ; Carin Asciuii Chebà 900- 1000 m. L. Fea. IV-88 1 . All Museo di Storia Naturale Genova ( MSNG) .

Derivatio Nominis:

Refers to the country where the species was first recorded in the 19 th century.

To summarise, the following groups can in my opinion at present be distinguished:

– H. strenuusstrenuus group

H. strenuus (CAMERON)

H. peltates SNELLING

H. sedens SNELLING

H. bellicosus (CAMERON)

– H. thyreus group

H. thyreus SNELLING

– H. birmanicusbirmanicus group

H. birmanicusbirmanicus sp. n.

H. feai (VACHAL)

However, only further studies with substantially more material from a much larger geographical area can enable a true picture of the new subgenus to be formed.

Figures

Figs 9-12: Hylaeus (Indialaeus) species. Head of females, frontal. – 9 H. strenuusstrenuus (CAMERON, 1897) (Oahu, Hawaii). – 10 H. sedens SNELLING,1980 (paratypus).– 11 H.peltates SNELLING,1980 (typus ofH. eurygnathus SNELLING, 1980). – 12 H. feaifeai (VACHAL, 1894) (paralectotypus). – Scale 1 mm.

Figs 13-18: Hylaeus (Indialaeus) species. Head of males, frontal. – 13 H. strenuus (CAMERON, 1897) (Oahu, Hawaii). – 14 H. parmatus SNELLING, 1980 (typus). – 15 H. peltates SNELLING, 1980 (typus). – 16 H. bellicosus (CAMERON, 1897) (typus). – 17 H. thyreus SNELLING, 1980 (typus). – 18 H. feai (VACHAL, 1894) (lectotypus). – Scale 1 mm.

Figs 28-36: Hylaeus (Indialaeus) species. Terminalia of males: copulatory apparatus, sternum 8 and sternum 7. – 28-30: H. thyreus SNELLING, 1980 (typus). – 31-33: H. birmanicus sp. n. (typus, gonoforcipes of copulatory apparatus completed). – 34-36: H. feai (VACHAL, 1894) (lectotypus). – Scale 1 mm.

Figs 4-8: Hylaeus (Indialaeus) birmanicus sp. n. – 4 Head frontal, typus . – 5 Head frontal, paratypus . – Terminalia of a male paratypus (partly in lateral view): 6 copulatory apparatus, 7 sternum 8, 8 sternum 7. – Scale 1 mm.