Homalictus hadrander Michener, 1979

Dorey, James B., Schwarz, Michael P. & Stevens, Mark I., 2019, Review of the bee genus Homalictus Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) from Fiji with description of nine new species, Zootaxa 4674 (1), pp. 1-46 : 13-15

Homalictus hadrander Michener, 1979

( Figs 8–9 )

Material examined. Type material: Holotype and allotype—Fiji—Viti Levu, Nadarivatum 2700 ft. 25 June 1959 C.D. Michener. Specimens held at The University of Kansas Biodiversity institute.

Holotype ♂, allotype ♀, and 43 ♂, 4 ♀ paratypes: FIJI: Viti Levu : Nadarivatu, 823 m (2,700 ft) altitude, 23.VI.1959, CD Michener; 5 ♀ paratypes, same locality but from malaise trap at telecom tower, 1,100 m altitude, 1- 16.VIII.1978, S & J Peck (after Michener 1979) . Holotype and allotype lodged in the SEMC; paratypes in NHMUK, CNC, and BPBM. The material below is consistent with the type specimen described by Michener (1979) .

Other material examined. 1 ♂: 17FJ16 (SAMA 32-036208), 28/4/17, 12:00 PM, 612 m asl, -17.67438, 177.53976, JB Dorey, Mt. Batilamu , long grass and weeds on the path down the mountain . 2 ♀: 17FJ162 (SAMA 32-036206) and 17FJ7 (SAMA 32-036207), 19/4/17, 10:35 AM, 865 m asl, -17.609817, 177.979867, JB Biddle, RK Schober, JB Dorey & CS Matthews, Navai village , caught amongst weeds and grass above a kava plantation (cleared but surrounded by forest). Sunny, little to no breeze in clearing .

Diagnosis. Males: Fovea along anterior inner margin of eye is present ( Fig. 1d ) and habitus is mostly blue.

Females: Habitus mostly blue and propodeum moderately strigate-rugose ( Fig. 8g ).

Description. Males: Measurements: UID 0.85 mm. LID 0.86 mm. AOD 0.3 mm. IAD 0.14 mm. OAD 0.5 mm. IOD 0.25 mm. OOD 0.24 mm. GW 0.32 mm. EW 0.38 mm. BL 6.22 mm. ML 0.16 mm. SL 0.32 mm. FL 4.56 mm.

Colouration: Clypeus anteriorly black; middle blue. Whole clypeus partly iridescent. Supraclypeal area blue, yellowish medially. Fovea along anterior and proximal margin of eye present. Frons, paraocular area, scutum, scutellum and dorsal area of propodeum blue. Metasoma black or some iridescence.

Sculpturing: Paraocular area striae, colliculate along margin of compound eyes. Frons mostly longitudinal striae, transverse striae under ocelli and colliculate above antennal sockets. Supraclypeal area mostly moderately colliculate, medial area finely colliculate. Clypeus finely colliculate. Vertex punctures small and close. Scutum anteriorly finely colliculate and lineolate; medially and posteriorly finely colliculate. Scutellum punctation close, open and close posteriorly. Propodeum; dorsally linear pattern, weak medial anterior groove and moderately strigaterugose; laterally finely colliculate and posteroventral and anterior striae curve towards each other and can meet; posteriorly finely colliculate and diagonal striae ventrally and proximally.

Morphology: Scape extends to above vertex. Interantennal distance about equal to diameter of socket. Labrum simple. Clypeus strongly or moderately depressed medially. Area posterior of vertex with strong and close striae. Posterior margin of scutum shape about straight. Gonostylus well developed with a slight constriction at its base, dorsoapical crest of gonocoxite is well developed. Penis valves strongly hooked.

Females: Measurements: UID 0.86–0.88 mm. LID 0.92–0.94 mm. AOD 0.31–0.32 mm. IAD 0.12–0.13 mm. OAD 0.48–0.49 mm. IOD 0.23–0.25 mm. OOD 0.22–0.25 mm. GW 0.36–0.4 mm. EW 0.34–0.36 mm. BL 6.1–6.41 mm. ML 0.18–0.19 mm. SL 0.35–0.38 mm. FL 5.04–5.46 mm.

Colouration: Clypeus, partly iridescent, lower black; middle blue. Supraclypeal area blue, yellow, orange and purple. Frons blue. Paraocular area blue. Fovea along anterior and proximal margin of eye present or has some iridescence. Scutum blue. Scutellum blue. Propodeum dorsally blue or partly black. Metasoma black, some iridescent purple or iridescence.

Sculpturing: Paraocular area fine striae, colliculate along margin of compound eyes. Frons mostly fine and dense longitudinal striae and colliculate above antennal sockets. Supraclypeal area mostly moderately colliculate, medial area finely colliculate. Clypeus finely colliculate. Vertex punctures small and close or open. Scutum anteriorly finely colliculate, moderately colliculate or lineolate; medially and posteriorly finely colliculate. Scutellum punctation close or open. Propodeum; dorsally no linear pattern or linear pattern, posterior striae triangular, weak medial anterior groove and moderately strigate-rugose; laterally finely colliculate, some striae anteriorly and dorsally or some striae ventrally; posteriorly finely colliculate and diagonal striae ventrally and proximally. Pygidial plate close and fine punctures medially and hairs emerging on ventral 1/3.

Morphology: Scape extends to above vertex. Interantennal distance less than diameter of socket. Labrum with two medial projections parallel from one another. Clypeus not depressed medially. Area posterior of vertex with weak striae, lineolate or finely colliculate. Posterior margin of Scutum shape concave or about straight.

Comments. Homalictus hadrander has a wide-spread distribution for a mostly highland species and yet is found in small numbers in some lowland regions in the southern parts of Viti Levu. It is possible that climate (or some other factor) in this region is more like that at higher elevations.

Distribution. Homalictus hadrander has only been sampled on the largest island, Viti Levu ( Fig. 9 ). While H. hadrander is mostly found between 600 m asl and 1,290 m asl, two individuals have been found at lower elevations (150 m asl) in the cooler and wetter forested areas of Viti Levu.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Propodeum dorsally showing (a) coarsely, (b) moderately and (c) finely strigate-rugose sculpturing. Fovea along anterior inner margin of eye (d) present and (h) absent. Supraclypeal area showing (e) mostly moderately, (f) mostly finely and (g) entirely finely sculpturing.

FIGURE 8. Homalictus hadrander male (a) dorsal habitus, (b) lateral habitus, (c) dorso posterior, (d) anteriorly frontal face and (e) ventral genitalia. Female (f) dorsal habitus, (g) lateral habitus, (h) dorso posterior, (i) anteriorly frontal face and (j) pygidial plate.

FIGURE 9. Collection map of Homalictus hadrander from specimens with identity confirmed by mtDNA COI gene. Sample size is 30.