Colletes jemeniticus Kuhlmann

Kuhlmann, Michael & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2015, New and remarkable Asian and North African species of Colletes Latreille (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), Zootaxa 4028 (1), pp. 81-101 : 94-96

Colletes jemeniticus Kuhlmann , sp. nov.

( Figs 11 a–d)

Diagnosis. Colletes jemeniticus belongs to a taxonomically very difficult group of predominantly sub-Saharan species related to C. rufitarsis Friese that have mostly tropical and subtropical distributions. In addition to this new species, this group comprises eight described species, namely C. opacus Friese , C. rufitarsis Friese , C. abessinicus Friese , C. michaelis Cockerell , C. senkelensis Kuhlmann , C. gorillarum Cockerell , C. marleyi Cockerell and C. fascicularis Cockerell ( Kuhlmann 1998, Kuhlmann & Pauly 2013) and more than ten undescribed species.

Colletes jemeniticus is closely related to C. opacus and in the male both species share a relative small round S7 ( Fig. 11 c) (about 1/3 larger in C. rufitarsis , different shapes and sizes in the other species of the group) that is yellowish brown in C. jemeniticus (dark brown in C. opacus ). In C. jemeniticus the apical margin of T1 is strongly bended upwards forming a carina ( Fig. 11 b) (flat in C. opacus ), apical tergal margins broad, strongly depressed, medially distinctly separated from the disc and broadly yellowish to reddish translucent ( Fig. 11 b) (in C. opacus narrower, less depressed, medially hardly separated from the disc and narrowly yellowish to reddish translucent).

Description. Male. Bl = 8 mm. Head. Head wider than long. Integument black except apical half of mandible dark reddish-brown. Face densely covered with long, greyish-white, erect hairs, vertex with light brown hairs. Malar area medially about 2/3 as long as width of mandible base, finely striate. Antenna black, ventrally dark brown. Mesosoma. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures smooth and shiny; disc sparsely punctate (i = 1–2d) with coarse punctures. Mesoscutellum anteriorly almost impunctate, with dense punctation apically, surface smooth and shiny. Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long, light yellowish-brown long erect hairs ( Fig. 11 a). Wings. Slightly yellowish-brown; wing venation brown. Legs. Integument black to dark reddish-brown, tarsi yellowish-brown. Vestiture yellowish-white. Metasoma. Integument blackish to reddish-brown except depressed apical tergal margins reddish to yellowish translucent ( Fig. 11 b). T1 and medially base of T2 sparsely covered with long, yellowish-white, erect hairs; apical tergal hair band on T1 medially narrow but laterally broadened, on following terga up to 3x broader ( Fig. 11 b). Terga apically distinctly and from T2 broadly depressed, smooth and shiny. Apical margin of T1 strongly bended upwards forming a carina. Terga with dense and fine punctation (i <0.5d), smooth and shiny between punctures ( Fig. 11 b). Terminalia. Genitalia and S7 as illustrated in Figs 11 c, d.

Female. Unknown.

Type material (1 specimen). Holotype, male, Yemen: W. Aden Prot., Jebel Jihaf [44°40'E 13°45'N], 2300 m,

4.X.1937, B.M. Exp. To S.W. Arabia, H. Scott & E.B. Britton [ NHML]. Etymology. The species name refers to Yemen where the species was collected. General distribution. Only known from the type locality in Yemen. Floral hosts. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Colletes jemeniticus Kuhlmann, sp. nov., male: a. specimen, lateral view; b. metasomal terga 1 and 2; c. metasomal sternum 7 (dorsal view); d. gonostylus (lateral view). Scale bar: 1 mm.