Hoplitis (Hoplitis) lithodorae, Müller, Andreas, 2012

Müller, Andreas, 2012, New European bee species of the tribe Osmiini (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Megachilidae), Zootaxa 3355, pp. 29-50 : 47-48

Hoplitis (Hoplitis) lithodorae spec. nov.

Holotype: Spain, Valencia: 67km SSE of Valencia, Villalonga, ɗ (leg. C. Schmid-Egger), [ ETHZ]. Paratypes: Spain, Andalucia: Sierra de Maria, 25km W of Lorca, 10.5.2003, 1 Ψ, 1 ɗ (leg. J. Halada). Murcia: Pto. De Jumilla, 800m, 19.5.2003, 15 Ψ, 4 ɗ (leg. M. Halada & M. Snizek).

Diagnosis. H. lithodorae belongs to the adunca group of the subgenus Hoplitis (Sedivy et al., submitted). The female can be differentiated from all other European species of the subgenus Hoplitis except H. pici (FRIESE) by the presence of hooked bristles on the basal half of the galea ( Fig. 25 ). In H. pici , the hooked bristles are longer and cover the whole galea except for a short apical zone. In addition, H. pici is restricted in its distribution to southeastern Europe and Turkey and collects pollen exclusively on Muscari (Asparagaceae) ( Müller, 2006; Sedivy et al., submitted). The male can be separated from the other species of the adunca group by the following combination of characters: antenna parallel-sided along its whole length ( Fig. 26 ); antennal segments 4–13 all of about the same size except for segments 4 and 13, which are slightly longer; anterior side of antenna yellowish in its lower third with the exception of segments 1–3 and 13, which are entirely dark; posterior side of antennal segments 8–12 entirely yellowish, of segments 4–7 partly yellowish and of segments 1–3 and 13 entirely dark; the two lobes of the membraneous appendage of sternum 6 have the shape of a trapezium and are separated from each other by a triangular incision ( Fig. 27 ).

Description. Female: Body length: 8–9mm. Head: Second segment of the labial palpus about 1.75x as long as the first segment. Clypeus strongly convex, with up to ten teeth along its apical margin and very densely punctate with interspaces of mostly less than the diameter of half a puncture. Supraclypeal area and lower frons very densely punctate with very narrow interspaces of usually distinctly less than the diameter of half a puncture. Punctation of upper frons and vertex less dense with interspaces reaching the diameter of one to one and a half punctures. Basal half of the galea beset with apically curved bristles ( Fig. 25 ), of which the curved apical part is slightly shorter than the erect basal part. Apical half of the galea without or with only very few inconspicuously curved bristles. Antennal segment 3 nearly 2x as long as segment 4. Head about 0.95x as long as broad. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge slightly more than 2x as long as the ocellar diameter. Thorax: Scutum and scutellum rather densely punctate with interspaces varying between the diameter of one half and one and a half punctures, medially up to two, rarely three punctures. Basal zone of the propodeum entirely shagreened. Hind tibial spurs long, slender and of yellowish to brown colour with their tip being slightly curved upwards; outer spur about as long as maximal tibial width, inner spur slightly longer. Pilosity on the inner side of the hind leg basitarsus yellowish-white. Metasoma: Apical margin of terga 1–5 black to slightly light-coloured. Terga 1–5 with narrow whitish hair bands, which are broadly interrupted on terga 1–2 and only weakly developed on terga 3–5. Tergum 1 endowed laterally with a long, erect and whitish pilosity, which is about twice as long as the pilosity on the median part of its disc. Punctation of terga moderately scattered with interspaces varying between the diameter of one half and three punctures. Sternum 6 with an elevated carina along the whole apical margin.

Male: Body length: 7–9mm. Head: Second segment of the labial palpus about 1.75x as long as the first segment. Antenna parallel-sided along its whole length ( Fig. 26 ), its anterior side yellowish in the lower third with the exception of segments 1–3 and 13, which are entirely dark. Posterior side of antennal segments 8–12 entirely yellowish, of segments 4–7 partly yellowish and of segments 1–3 and 13 entirely dark. Antennal segments 5–12 all of about the same size, segments 4 and 13 slightly longer. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge about 2x as long as the ocellar diameter. Thorax: Scutum and scutellum rather densely punctate with interspaces varying between the diameter of less than one half to one and a half punctures. Basal zone of the propodeum as in the female. Metasoma: Apical margin of terga 1–6 black to slightly light-coloured. Terga 1–5 with narrow whitish hair bands. Punctation of terga 1–5 rather dense with interspaces varying between the diameter of one and two punctures, on tergum 6 denser. Apical margin of tergum 6 denticulate and with a lateral tooth, which is about as long as broad. Apical margin of tergum 7 rounded ( Fig. 27 ), with a sharp edge ventrolaterally and with long whitish hairs along its sides. Apical margin of sterna 2–4 straight and inconspicuously ciliated with long whitish hairs. Apical margin of sternum 5 very weakly emarginated medially and shortly ciliated. Membraneous appendage of sternum 6 bilobed; these lobes, which are separated from each other by a triangular incision, are large, rectangular to trapeziform in shape and densely haired ( Fig. 27 ).

Distribution. Known so far only from a small area in southwestern Spain.

Host plants. Six pollen samples from the same locality all exclusively consist of pollen of Lithodora fruticosa (Boraginaceae) , indicating that this species might be oligolectic on Boraginaceae as are many related species of the subgenus Hoplitis (Sedivy et al., submitted). Most probably, the hooked bristles on the proboscis are used to scratch pollen out of the narrow-tubed Lithodora flowers and thus have the same function as the hooked bristles on the proboscis of the related H. pici , where they serve to extract pollen from the flowers of Muscari , its exclusive host ( Müller, 2006; Sedivy et al., submitted).

Etymology. Lithodora = plant genus, which appears to be an important or even the exclusive pollen host of H. lithodorae .

Figures

FIGURE 25 – 31. 25: Hoplitis lithodorae spec. nov., galeae of proboscis of Ψ. 26: Hoplitis lithodorae spec. nov., antenna of ɗ. 27: Hoplitis lithodorae spec. nov., appendage of sternum 6 and tergum 7 of ɗ. 28: Hoplitis manuelae spec. nov., terga 6 – 7 of ɗ. 29: Protosmia montana spec. nov., head of Ψ. 30: Protosmia montana spec. nov., sterna 1 – 6 of ɗ. 31: Protosmia montana spec. nov., genitalia of ɗ.