Colletes spinatus Niu , Zhu & Kuhlmann

Niu, Ze-Qing, Zhu, Chao-Dong & Kuhlmann, Michael, 2014, The Bees of the Genus Colletes (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae) from China, Zootaxa 3856 (4), pp. 451-483 : 473-474

Colletes spinatus Niu, Zhu & Kuhlmann , sp. nov.

( Figs 5 a–f, 6, male unknown)

Diagnosis: Colletes spinatus sp. nov. likely belongs to the C. fodiens -group but the unknown male is required to get clarity about its status. With the females of this group C. spinatus sp. nov. shares the small lateral pronotal spines, the sparsely punctate disc of the mesoscutum, densely punctate terga and distinct tergal hair bands but it significantly differs by the slightly raised narrower and apically sparsely punctate and shiny clypeus ( Fig. 5 b) that would be unique for this group. In the females of the C. fodiens -group the clypeus is very broad, flatter, heavily sculptured and matt. Colletes spinatus sp. nov. also shares some characters with C. wacki Kuhlmann (species of doubtful placement) that, too, has a more shiny clypeus but not as pronounced as in C. spinatus sp. nov. but its lateral pronotal spines are far stronger and longer and tergal punctation is sparser.

Description: Female, BL=7.5–8.0mm (holotype: 8.5mm) ( Fig. 5 a); head broader than long, HW:HL=54:41 ( Fig. 4 b); gena obviously narrower than eye in lateral view, GW:EW=6:13 ( Fig. 5 a); width of metasoma as broad as that between tegulae, MtW:TW=60:60. Clypeus slightly raised, nearly as long as broad, apically sparsely punctate and shiny ( Fig. 4 b); disc of scutum and scutellum shiny, with sparse punctation ( Fig. 5 c); malar area short, medially only 1/3 long as width of mandible base; facial fovea nearly as broad as the width of antennal flagellum; dorsolateral angle of pronotum small and in spine-shaped ( Fig. 5 f); propodeum laterally sparsely covered with short appressed hairs that at least partly hide the sculpture of integument; punctation on disc of T1 fine, round and dense, i=0.5–1.5d ( Figs. 5 d, 5e); T1–T4 with broad white apical hair bands, the apical band on T1 interrupted medially, T2 with broad white basal hair band, the band nearly as half wide as the exposed T2 ( Fig. 5 e); sloping anterior and basal parts of T1 sparsely covered with long white plumose hairs ( Fig. 5 d). Antennal flagella ventrally dark brown ( Fig. 5 a); all legs blackish-brown. Face covered with long white plumose hairs ( Fig. 5 b), vertex, scutum, scutellum and mesepisternum covered with long paler white plumose hairs.

Male, unknown.

Type material: Holotype: 1♀, China, Xijiang, Wensu Xian, Pochengzi (80º12′E, 41º18′E), 1930 m, 15.VI.1978, Xue-Zhong Zhang; Paratypes: 1♀, same label information as holotype ( IZCAS); 3♀♀, China, Xijiang, Wensu Xian, Pochengzi (80º12′E, 41º18′E), 1930 m, 13.VI.1978, Xue-Zhong Zhang.

Floral association: no record.

Distribution: China: Xinjiang ( Fig. 6 ).

Etymology: The specific epithet is Latin spinatus , meaning the species with the small lateral pronotal spines.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Colletes pseudolaevigena Kuhlmann, female. a: Body in lateral view; b: Head in frontal view; c: Head in lateral view; d: Scutum in dorsal view; e: Metasoma in dorsal view; f: T 1 – T 2 in dorsal view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. Colletes spinatus Niu, Zhu & Kuhlmann, sp. nov., female. a: Body in lateral view; b: Head in frontal view; c: Scutum in dorsal view; d: Metasoma in dorsal view; e: T 1 – T 2 in dorsal view; f: Dorsolateral angle of pronotum in frontal view. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 6. Distribution map of Colletes linzhiensis Niu, Zhu & Kuhlmann, sp. nov. and Colletes spinatus Niu, Zhu & Kuhlmann, sp. nov. ●: Colletes linzhiensis Niu, Zhu & Kuhlmann, sp. nov. ▲: Colletes spinatus Niu, Zhu & Kuhlmann, sp. nov.