Sphecodes tibeticus Astafurova & Niu, 2020

Astafurova, Yulia V., Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., Niu, Ze-Qing, Orr, Michael C. & Zhu, Chao-Dong, 2020, New and little-known bees of the genus Sphecodes Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Halictidae) from Southern and South-Western China, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 79, pp. 145-162 : 145

Sphecodes tibeticus Astafurova & Niu sp. nov.

Figures 4 , 5

Material examined.

Holotype: ♂, China: Xizang, Chayu Country, Zhowagoin Town, Zala Village [28.60795N, 97.28781E], 1973 m, 27.VIII.2014, leg. Q.T. Wu [IZCAS].

Diagnosis.

This species resembles the East-Palaearctic Sphecodes laticaudatus Tsuneki, 1983, sharing a similar structure and sculpture of the body, including the shape of antennal tyloids and gonostylus, a densely punctate head, mesoscutum and scarcely punctate metasomal terga. The new species differs from S. laticaudatus by sparser, weakly-plumose facial pubescence below the antennal sockets that does not obscure the integument (versus denser, well-plumose pubescence, obscuring integument), and a more elevated vertex with the distance from top of head to upper margin of a lateral ocellus ca. a lateral ocellar diameter as seen in frontal view, Fig. 5A (versus a half diameter in typical form, Fig. 5B ).

Description.

Male. Total body length 8 mm (Fig. 4A ). Head black (Fig. 5A ), weakly transverse, about 1.1 times as wide as long; vertex elevated, with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocelli ca. a lateral ocellar diameters as seen in frontal view ca. two lateral ocellar diameters as seen in dorsal view; antenna short (Fig. 5C ), reaching posterior margin of mesoscutum, F1 0.6 times as long as wide, F2 1.9 times as long as wide, remaining flagellomeres ca. 1.4 times as long as wide; tyloids weakly developed, semicircular across basal 1/8-1/5 of flagellar surfaces; supraclypeal area flat; preoccipital carina absent; face and ocello-ocular area with confluent (finely areolate) punctures (ca. 20 μm); vertex behind ocelli roughly rugose; gena finely rugose; face below antennal sockets with relatively sparse weakly plumose setae, gena with sparse thin setae.

Mesosoma (Fig. 5D ) black, tarsi brownish. Wings hyaline with brown stigma and veins; hind wing with the angle between basal (M) and cubital (Cu) veins 80°, costal margin with six hamuli. Pronotum, between dorsal and lateral surfaces, with sharp angle. Mesoscutum mostly with confluent punctures ca. 20-30 μm. Mesoscutellum, hypoepimeral area, mesepisternum, propodeal triangle and lateral part of propodeum roughly reticulate-rugose.

Metasoma dark black (Fig. 5E ); terga scarcely punctate, T1 almost impunctate with a few microscopic punctures, remaining terga with a few shallow punctures on anterior half, marginal zones impunctate, smooth (except finely tessellate on T4); sterna delicately tessellate with numerous microscopical setae pores; gonocoxite dorsally with impression; gonostylus with semi-oval membranous part (Fig. 4C, D ).

Female unknown.

Etymology.

The new species is named after its locality Tibet (Xizang).

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality in Xizang (China).

Figures

Figure 4. Sphecodes tibeticus Astafurova & Niu, sp. nov., holotype, male A habitus, lateral view B labels C, D genitalia, dorsal view (C), lateral view (D). Scale bars: 1.0 mm (A), 0.5 mm (C, D).

Figure 5. Sphecodes tibeticus Astafurova & Niu, sp. nov., holotype, male (A, C-E), and S. laticaudatus Tsuneki, male (B) A, B head, frontal view C antenna, lateral view D mesosoma, dorsal view E metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.