Sphecodes sauteri Meyer, 1925

Astafurova, Yulia V., Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu. & Schwarz, Maximilian, 2020, New and little-known species of the genus Sphecodes Latreille (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) from Southeast Asia, ZooKeys 937, pp. 31-88 : 31

Sphecodes sauteri Meyer, 1925 Figures 115-119 , 120-126

Sphecodes sauteri Meyer, 1925: 10, ♂ (holotype: ♂, "Formosa [Taiwan], Mt. Hoozan, 1910, III, Sauter [leg.]"; HNHM, examined, Fig. 125 ).

Diagnosis.

This species is sculpturally closest to Sphecodes malayensis Blüthgen, 1927, S. pseudoredivivus sp. nov. and S. redivivus Blüthgen, 1927 including a scarcely punctate metasomal terga and smoothed hypoepimeral area (differences between males of these species are outlined in Table 3 ). These species belong to the same species-group and females of S. sauteri and S. pseudoredivivus have simple mandibles, and the unknown females of S. malayensis and S. redivivus probably have simple mandibles as well. The female of S. sauteri differs from S. pseudoredivivus in having shorter flagellomeres from F3 onward (ca. 0.9-1.0 versus 1.2) and a scarcely punctate hypoepimeral area (versus dense punctures separated by approximately a puncture diameter).

Descriptive notes.

Wings with weak yellow-brownish darkening; hind wing with the angle between basal (M) and cubital (Cu) veins ca. 90°, costal margin with six or seven hamuli. Preoccipital carina absent. Female (new). Total body length 6 mm. Head (Fig. 115 ) strongly transverse, ca. 1.2 times as wide as long; vertex not elevated as seen in frontal view; mandible simple; labrum short, semi-oval, 0.2 times as long as basal width; F2 and F3 nearly square, ca. 0.9 times as long as wide; ocello-ocular area shining, sparsely punctate (ca. 15 μm / 0.5-3). Gena smooth and shining, with sparse setae pores; paraocular and supraclypeal areas with relatively dense plumose setae, but not obscuring integument. Gena with sparse pubescence. Mesosoma (Figs 116 , 118 , 119 ) and metasoma (Fig. 117 ) sculptured as in the male; lateral and vertical parts of propodeum with dense short plumose setae, obscuring integument. Metasoma red, pygidial plate as wide as metabasitarsus. Male. Total body length 5.0-5.5 mm. Head (Fig. 120 ) transverse, ca. 1.2 times as wide as long; vertex not elevated as seen in frontal view; antennae short (Fig. 121 ), reaching middle of mesoscutum, flagellomeres (from F2 onward) ca. 1.2 times as long as wide; tyloids semi-oval across basal 1/4-1/3 of flagellar surfaces; face and ocello-ocular area with punctures (20-25 μm) separated by 0.5-2puncture diameters; face and gena with sparse pubescence. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (Fig. 123 ) densely and finely punctate (20-25 μm / 0.5-2); hypoepimeral area smooth with minute and sparse punctures (Fig. 122 ); propodeal triangle coarsely reticulate-rugose with shining large interspaces between wrinkles (Fig. 124 ); lateral and vertical parts of propodeum with dense short plumose setae, almost obscuring integument. Metasomal T1 almost impunctate; remaining terga with sparse setae pores; T1-T3 red or brownish; gonocoxite dorsally without impression; gonostylus short, as in Fig. 126 .

Material examined.

Laos: 1 ♀, Phongsaly prov., Phongsaly env., 21°41'N, 102°06'E, 1500 m, 28.V.-20.VI.2003, V. Kuban (OLBL/PCMS).

Distribution.

*Laos, China (Taiwan).

Figures

Figures 115 - 119. Sphecodes sauteri Meyer, female 115 head, frontal view 116, 118 mesosoma, dorsal view (116), lateral view (118) 117 metasoma, dorsal view 119 propodeum, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figures 120 - 126. Sphecodes sauteri Meyer, male, holotype (120 - 125) 120 head, frontal view 121 antennae, lateral view 122 mesepisternum, lateral view 123 scutum, dorsal view 124 propodeum, dorsal view 125 holotype labels 126 genitalia, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (120 - 123), 0.5 mm (124, 126).