Seladonia cretella Pauly & Devalez

Pauly, Alain, Devalez, Jelle, Sonet, Gontran, Nagy, Zoltán Tamás & Boevé, Jean-Luc, 2015, DNA barcoding and male genital morphology reveal five new cryptic species in the West Palearctic bee Seladonia smaragdula (Vachal, 1895) (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae), Zootaxa 4034 (2), pp. 257-290 : 282-284

Seladonia cretella Pauly & Devalez sp. nov.

( Figs 20–21 )

Diagnosis. The underplate of the large projection of the gonocoxite in the male of this species is almost indistinguishable from that of S. phryganica and S. gemmella . Its shape is somewhat intermediate between those two species ( Figs 20 c,d). The best character to distinguish S. cretella from both species is the long fourth antennal segment (length/width 1.44–1.53 in S. cretella vs. 1.05–1.17 in S. phryganica and 1.41 in S. gemmella ; compare Figs 20a and 20b ). This species can also be recognized by its geographic distribution, as it is an endemic species to the islands of Karpathos and Crete. On these two islands, the antenna is dark ventrally in S. cretella while it is brown yellow throughout in S. phryganica ( Fig. 20b ); the small projection of the gonocoxite is also not as thin as in that of S. phryganica .

Description. Male and female as described for S. smaragdula except as follows: underplate of large projection of male gonocoxite subtriangular to boomerang-shaped ( Figs 20 c,d). Small projection of gonocoxite moderately thin ( Fig. 24 d). Fourth antennal segment of the male relatively long (length/width = 1.44–1.53).

Holotype. GREECE, Crete, Kournas, Asprouliani, 30 km W. Rethymnon, 4.X.2003, 1♂, leg. E. Scheuchl ( ZSM).

Paratypes (7 males). GREECE, Crete, Sitia, 17–20. V.1963, 2 ♂, leg. J. Gusenleitner (col. M. Schwarz).— Crete, Heraklion, 25.V.1963, 1♂, leg. J. Gusenleitner (col. M. Schwarz).—Crete, Georgioupolis, Mathes, 30 km W Rethymnon, 10.X.2003, 1♂, leg. E. Scheuchl (col. E. Scheuchl).—Karpathos, Avlona, 35.7689°N 27.1849°E, 8.VI.2012, Malva sylvestris , 1♂ UAEG 033704), 1♂ ( UAEG 033709), 1♂ ( UAEG 033773), leg. T. Petanidou 3494 ( UAEG, RBINS).

Distribution. Endemic to Crete and Karpathos ( Fig. 21 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet is taken from the diminutive of the island "Crete" where the species occurs.

Comments. This cryptic species was revealed by its barcode. The specimen from Crete (Asprouliani) barcoded by Schmidt et al. (2015) has a barcode positioned at the base of the cluster ( S. gemmella + S. submediterranea + S. orientana ). Unfortunately, the genitalia of the few collected specimens could not be photographed with a scanning electron microscope for study.

Variations. Specimens from Karpathos have antennae dark below while they are brown in the specimens from Crete.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Geographic distribution of Seladonia cretella sp. nov.

FIGURE 24. Contour of the small projection, in lateral view, of the male gonocoxite in the species of the Seladonia smaragdula complex; a, S. smaragdula (Spain, Almeria); b, S. phryganica sp. nov. (Greece, Anafi); c, S. gemmella sp. nov. (Spain, Almeria); d, S. cretella sp. nov. (Greece, Crete); e, S. submediterranea sp. nov. (France, Deux-Sèvres); f, S. orientana sp. nov. (Greece, Lesvos).

FIGURE 20. a, b, male antennae, both from Karpathos; a, Seladonia cretella; b, S. phryganica; c, d, male genitalia in ventral view of S. cretella; c, Crete; d, Karpathos.