Hoplitis (Tkalcua) emiratensis Müller, 2016

Müller, Andreas & Mauss, Volker, 2016, Palaearctic Hoplitis bees of the subgenera Formicapis and Tkalcua (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 4127 (1), pp. 105-120 : 112-113

Hoplitis (Tkalcua) emiratensis Müller spec. nov.

Holotype. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Wadi Shawkah, 31.10.– 27.11.2006, ♂ (leg. A. van Harten). Deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich.

Paratype. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: N Ajman, 25.25N 55.29E, 21.9.– 25.10.2007, ♂ (leg. A. van Harten). Deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich.

Diagnosis. While the female of H. emiratensis is still unknown, the male differs from the other two H. (Tkalcua) species by the distinctly shorter proboscis with the second segment of the labial palpus being only 1.3– 1.4x as long as the first segment ( Fig. 22 ). Additional diagnostic characters are the more extended white pilosity on tergum 1, which laterally extends till the base of the horizontal part of tergum 1 ( Fig. 23 ), a row of white bristles along the carina that separates the declivous from the horizontal part of tergum 1 ( Fig. 23 ), the densely haired tergum 5, and the shorter body length not exceeding 5mm.

Description. MALE: Body length 4–5mm. Head: Head about 0.85x as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge about 1.5x as long as ocellar diameter. Maximal width of genal area 0.5–0.6x as long as maximal width of compound eye. Second segment of labial palpus 1.3–1.4x as long as first segment ( Fig. 22 ). Brightened parts of mandible yellow. Antenna yellowish-brown except for the first two segments, which are black. Head covered with dense and appressed white pilosity except for the vertex, which is beset with single long white hairs ( Fig. 22 ). Mesosoma: Punctation of scutum and scutellum dense with interspaces rarely exceeding the diameter of one to one and a half punctures. Basal area of propodeum densely shagreened with many longitudinal carinulae ( Fig. 23 ). Propodeal triangle polished in its lower half. Mesosoma covered with dense white pilosity except for its ventral side, the central parts of scutum and scutellum, the propodeal triangle and the lateral surface of the propodeum, which are unhaired or beset with single white hairs. Tegula, stigma and veins of wings yellow. Femur of all legs apically with dense tuft of white hairs. Outer surface of hind tibia, to a lesser extent also of fore and middle tibia, covered with dense and appressed white pilosity. Middle femur medially broadened on its ventral side. Inner spur of hind leg yellow, its apex curved upwards at an angle of about 45º. Metasoma: Punctation of terga fine and dense with interspaces rarely exceeding the diameter of one puncture. Declivous anterior part of tergum 1 broadly concave, polished, unhaired and unpunctured, separated from the horizontal part of tergum 1 by a weak transverse carina ( Fig. 23 ). Marginal zones of terga 1–4 reddish and with long, dense and uninterrupted white hair bands ( Fig. 23 ). Appressed white pilosity on lateral sides of tergum 1 almost reaching base of horizontal part of tergum 1 ( Fig. 23 ). Carina separating anterior concavity of tergum 1 from its horizontal part with row of strong white hairs ( Fig. 23 ). Discs of terga 5–6 covered with appressed white pilosity. Tergum 6 with yellowish marginal zone, its apical margin with distinct lateral angle. Tergum 7 yellowish, completely hidden below tergum 6, its surface densely haired except for a narrow unhaired apical zone; its apical margin evenly rounded and with loose fringe of rather long white hairs ( Fig. 24 ). Sterna 1–6 unmodified and all of about the same length, their apical margins more or less straight. Apical margins of sterna 1–4 with rather dense white hair band, of sternum 5 sparsely ciliated with short white hairs and of sternum 6 with dense fringe of yellowish-white hairs. Base of sternum 6 with a pair of large translucent flaps. Gonoforceps yellowish, with weak longitudinal keel and more or less parallelsided except for its apical forth, which is narrowed on the outer side ( Fig. 24 ); its apex, outer and inner side as well as underside with numerous long white bristles.

FEMALE: Unknown.

Distribution. Known so far only from the type localities in the United Arab Emirates.

Pollen hosts. Unknown.

Nesting biology. Unknown.

Etymology. emiratensis = from the United Arab Emirates.

Figures

FIGURE 19 – 24. 19: Hoplitis paralias, clypeus of female. 20: Hoplitis zandeni, clypeus of female. 21: Hoplitis zandeni, tergum 7 and genitalia of male. 22: Hoplitis emiratensis, head and proboscis of male. 23: Hoplitis emiratensis, metasoma of male. 24: Hoplitis emiratensis, tergum 7 and genitalia of male.