Epeolus turcicus, Bogusch, 2018

Bogusch, Petr, 2018, Three new species and new records of cuckoo bees of the genus Epeolus in Turkey (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Nomadinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 58 (1), pp. 127-135 : 128-130

Epeolus turcicus sp. nov.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: TURKEY: BITLIS: ♀, Bitlis env., Süphan Daği , 2500 m a. s. l., 17.viii.1991, K. Warncke lgt. ( OLML) . ALLOTYPE: TURKEY: BITLIS: Bitlis env., Süphan Daği , 2500 m a. s. l., 17.viii.1991, 1, K. Warncke lgt. ( OLML) . PARATYPES: TURKEY: BITLIS: Bitlis env., Nemrut Daği, 2300 m a. s. l., 15.viii.1991, 2, K. Warncke lgt. ( OLML); Bitlis env., Süphan Daği, 2500 m a. s. l., 17.viii.1991, 1 ♀ 2, K. Warncke lgt. ( OLML). KONYA: Konya env., 6.viii.1991, 1, K. Warncke lgt. ( OLML).

Description. Female. Size: Body length: 5.1 mm.

Head. Length to width ratio = 1.2. Mandible reddish, mandibular apex and preapical tooth darker than rest omandible. Labrum reddish and sides convex, coarsely and densely punctate, with pair of prominent teeth medially, apex with prominent hair, with pair of lobes separated by medial shallow emargination. Clypeus reddish, not very shiny and with very fine punctation throughout. Frons to interorbital tubercle reddish, with sparse whitish hair around antennal socket, and with well-developed frontal keel. Vertex with fine and sparse punctures, interspaces shiny and greater than puncture diameters. Antenna dark, only scape, pedicel and F1 completely reddish, F2 reddish basally. Flagellomeres slightly longer than wide (L:W ratio = 1.1), F2 a little longer than other flagellomeres (L:W ratio = 1.15–1.2).

Mesosoma. Pronotum reddish and entirely obscured by yellowish tomentum. Mesoscutum black in the middle with dense coarse wax-like punctation, interspaces much narrower than puncture diameters. Mesoscutum along anterior and posterior margins with yellowish tomentum, well-developed paramedian band and similar band also on each side of mesoscutum. Mesoscutellum reddish, round, densely and very coarsely punctate, punctures bigger than on the mesoscutum, axillar tooth (free portion of axilla) short and acute. Mesoscutellum with posterior margin extending over propodeum. Propodeum very finely sculptured, dull, lower part shiny, and laterally with yellowish tomentum. Mesopleuron in upper half black with dense yellowish tomentum, in lower half reddish, sparsely hairy and very coarsely and densely punctate, shiny interspaces narrower than puncture diameters. Wings slightly brownish with dark brown venation. Legs reddish, only basal part of front coxa dark, tibial spur on middle and hind legs black.

Metasoma. Metasoma partly reddish (usually basal and lateral parts of sterna and terga). T1 finely and densely punctate, interspaces matt and narrower than puncture diameters. T1 with bands of tomentum connected laterally and separated medially, forming a C-shape on each side. T1 with apical fascia of pale tomentum separated medially by patch of light brown to reddish-brown tomentum. T2–T4 densely but more coarsely punctate with shiny interspaces and ill-developed depressions. T2–T4 with apical bands of yellowish tomentum interrupted medially and narrowed laterally, apical impressed areas semitransparent. T5 shiny with very fine and dense punctation, black apex and whitish tomentum on sides, pseudopygidial area short, with silver-like pubescence. T6 reddish with slightly curved apex, bearing brownish pygidial plate, which is not very wide, with sparse short yellowish hair. S2 coarsely and sparsely punctate, interspaces much bigger than puncture diameters, especially medially, where punctures are bigger, shallow, and very sparse. Other sterna more finely and densely punctate. S5 curved (see from side) and narrow. Processes on sides of S6 normal, with short projections.

Male. Size: Body length: 5.1 mm.

Head. Length to width ratio = 1.2. Mandible reddish with mandibular apex and preapical tooth darker than rest of mandible. Labrum reddish and sides convex, coarsely and densely punctate, with pair of prominent teeth medially, apex with prominent hair, with pair of lobes separated by medial shallow emargination. Clypeus black with reddish narrow apical band, not very shiny and with very fine punctation throughout, most of clypeus with whitish tomentum. Frons with dense whitish hair around antennal socket, with well-developed frontal keel. Vertex with fine and sparse punctures, interspaces shiny and greater than puncture diameters. Antenna dark, only scape, pedicel and F1–F2 partly reddish. Flagellomeres slightly shorter than wide (L:W ratio = 0.9–0.95), F2–F3 a little longer than other flagellomeres (L:W ratio = 1.15).

Mesosoma. Pronotum black, entirely obscured by yellowish tomentum. Mesoscutum black with dense coarse wax-like punctation, interspaces much narrower than puncture diameters. Mesoscutum along anterior and posterior margins with yellowish tomentum, well-developed paramedian band and similar band also on sides of mesoscutum. Mesoscutellum black, round, densely and very coarsely punctate, punctures bigger than on mesoscutum, axillar tooth short and acute. Mesoscutellum with posterior margin extending over propodeum. Propodeum very finely sculptured, dull, lower part shiny, and laterally with yellowish tomentum. Mesopleuron in upper half with dense yellowish tomentum, in lower half very coarsely and densely punctate, shiny interspaces smaller than puncture diameters. Wings slightly brownish with dark brown venation. Legs reddish, only basal parts of front coxa and middle parts of femora dark, tibial spurs on middle and hind legs black.

Metasoma. Metasomal sterna and terga dark brown or black. T1 finely and densely punctate, interspaces shiny and similar in width to puncture diameters, with yellowish tomentum on whole surface (except basal part). T2–T5 more coarsely punctate than T1, shiny, with interspaces bigger than puncture diameters, and with complete, wide, yellowish apical bands. Depressions of T2–T5 well-developed, semitransparent. T6 with spots of whitish or yellowish tomentum medially. Pygidial plate elongate and reddish, shiny with sparse punctures and dark brown margin. S2 coarsely and sparsely punctate, interspaces much bigger than puncture diameters, especially medially, where punctures are bigger and sparse. Other sterna more finely and densely punctate. S2–S3 with white tomentum on apex, S4–S5 with prominent thick brownish hair on apex.

Differential diagnosis. This species is in the E. variegatus group (with E. compar , E. eriwanensis , E. intermedius , E. productulus and E. variegatus ), characterized by the presence of labral tubercles positioned in the middle of labrum and curved shape of last metasomal sternum of female (most easily seen in lateral view). It is similar to E. aureovestitus in general appearance, but in E. aureovestitus the female S5 is straight and flagellomeres of both sexes are shorter (female E. aureovestitus L:W ratio = 0.85, female of E. turcicus L:W ratio = 1.15; male E. aureovestitus L:W ratio = 0.6, male E. turcicus L:W ratio = 0.85). In female E. turcicus the labrum, apex of clypeus, mesoscutellum, legs and most of the metasoma are reddish. Apex of labrum has two lobes, but they are less conspicuous than in E. variegatus . The scape, pedicel, and F1 are completely red in the female and partly red in the male. Tomentum on whole body is creamy-whitish or pale yellow, T2–T4 with bands of tomentum slightly interrupted in the middle. Legs reddish, in males with several parts darker. Punctation very fine, especially on S2 much finer than in E. variegatus . Pygidial plate of male reddish.

Etymology. The species is known only from localities in Turkey so it was named after this country using the adjective turcicus (- a, - um).

Ecology. Host and floral associations are unknown.

Distribution. Recently known only from three localities in east Anatolia, Bitlis province, near Lake Van, and one specimen was collected near Konya quite far away westwards. It is likely to be more widely distributed in Turkey and probably also in other Middle-Eastern countries.