Colletes splendidus Ferrari, Niu & Zhu

Ferrari, Rafael R., Niu, Ze-Qing, Kuhlmann, Michael, Zhang, Dan & Zhu, Chao- Dong, 2021, The cellophane bees of Colletes Latreille (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) from Xizang (Tibet), China, Zootaxa 5022 (1), pp. 1-72 : 29-32

Colletes splendidus Ferrari, Niu & Zhu , sp. nov.

( Figs 13D , 16A–F, 17A–D)

Diagnosis. Colletes splendidus sp. nov. unequivocally belongs to the C. clypearis group, the constituent species of which are characterized by malar area relatively long, at least half as long as basal width of mandible ( Fig. 17A ); T1 disc without tomentum and sparsely covered with long erect hairs ( Fig. 17B ); tergal apical bands well developed ( Fig. 17C ); male T7 relatively broad with a truncate apex ( Fig. 17D ); and male S7 broad basally and strongly narrowing towards apex (Fig. 16F) ( Noskiewicz 1936; Niu et al., 2013b). Among the species of the C. clypearis group found in Xizang, C. splendidus sp. nov. is most similar to C. tibeticus and C. paratibeticus , however, it can be differentiated from both by the mesosoma covered mostly with bright brownish pubescence (mesosomal pubescence with mostly off-white to pale-yellow hairs in C. tibeticus and C. paratibeticus ). Both sexes of C. splendidus sp. nov. can be further distinguished from those of C. paratibeticus by the paraocular area having only pale hairs (paraocular area with a distinct longitudinal band of black hairs in C. paratibeticus ). Males of C. splendidus sp. nov. are also different from that of C. tibeticus in having a comparatively broad hind basitarsus, which is 3.8× as long as broad (hind basitarsus 4.6× as long as broad in males of C. tibeticus ); females are different by the presence of black hairs on mesoscutum and scutellum (mesoscutum and scutellum without black hairs in females of C. tibeticus ).

Description. MALE. Dimensions (mm): Approximate body length 8.0; HW 2.8; HL 2.3; intertegular distance 2.4; forewing length 6.7. Coloration: Black except dark-brown on F2–F11 ventrally, tegula posteriorly, wing venation (except vein R black and veins C and M-Cu pale-brown), stigma, distitarsi dorsally, tarsal claws distally, marginal zones of T1–T5, ventrally reflexed areas of T1–T2, S2–S5 posteromedially, S6 throughout. Pale-brown on tibial spurs, tarsal claws proximally, marginal zones of S1–S5. Reddish-brown marked on distal third of mandible. Structure: Labrum flat without median protrusion and concavity. Clypeus flat and not depressed mid-longitudinally. Malar area 1.1× as long as basal width of mandible. F1 1.1× as long as its apical width. OID 1.25× as long as LID. Genal area concave behind upper summit of compound eyes in lateral view. Dorsolateral angle of pronotum forming a right angle. Horizontal surface of metapostnotum 0.8× as long as MOD; metapostnotal pits and posterior transverse carina well-delimited. Front coxa without spine. Posterior hind tibial spur ciliate. Hind basitarsus 3.8× longer than broad. Outer rami of hind tarsal claws 1.5× as long as inner rami. Marginal zone of S6 not depressed. Genital capsule and S7 as in Figs 16E, 16F, respectively. Pubescence: Head mostly with pale-yellow, plumose, erect, long hairs; mandible with moderately long setae; paraocular, frontal, vertexal and upper genal areas with bright-brown hairs. Mesosoma mostly with bright-brown, plumose, erect, long hairs; pronotal lobe with moderately short hairs; mesepisternum, metepisternum and upper margin of lateral surface of propodeum with pale-yellow hairs. Legs mostly with pale-yellow, subappressed, moderately long setae; coxae, trochanters and front and mid femora posteroventrally and hind femur throughout with off-white, plumose, erect, long hairs (except front femur with pale-brown hairs posteriorly); mid tibia with appressed, moderately short setae dorsally. T1–T5 with a welldelimited apical band of off-white tomentum (T1 band broadly interrupted medially and T2–T5 bands complete); T1 and T2 with pale-yellow, plumose, erect, long hairs; T3–T6 with dark-brown, erect, moderately long setae; T7 with black, appressed, short setae. S1 with off-white, plumose, subappressed, moderately long hairs throughout; S2 with off-white, plumose, erect, moderately short hairs on disc; S3 with pale-yellow, subappressed, minute setae on disc (except setae erect and much longer laterally); S2 and S3 with a lunate band of plumose, subappressed, short hairs apically; S4 with pale-brown, subappressed, minute setae (except setae erect and much longer laterally and apically); S5 with pale-brown, erect, moderately short setae throughout; S6 largely bare basally and covered with pale-brown, erect, short setae towards apex. Surface sculpture: Clypeal punctation crowded and fine mid-longitudinally and above; punctation dense (i=0.5–1.0 d) and coarser elsewhere, punctures oblique and confluent forming convex imbricate; punctures crowded and fine towards antennal socket. Frontal and vertexal areas evenly densely (i=0.5 d) and moderately coarsely punctate, interspaces imbricate. Mesoscutum coarsely and densely (i=0.5 d) punctate; punctures sparser (i=1.0–1.5 d) posteromedially, interspaces smooth throughout. Scutellum densely (i=0.5 d) and coarsely punctate anteriorly, interspaces imbricate; punctures crowded and moderately coarse posteriorly.Metanotum coarsely rugose. Mesepisternum moderately densely (i=1.0–1.5 d) and coarsely punctate; punctures denser (i=0.5 d) and slightly finer near scrobe; interspaces smooth throughout. Metepisternum rugose below, scabrous above. Lateral surface of propodeum sparsely (i>2 d) and finely punctate, interspaces imbricate. Metasomal terga with smooth interspaces throughout. T1 evenly moderately densely (i=d) and moderately coarsely punctate. T2 moderately sparsely (i=1.5–2.0 d) and moderately finely; punctures somewhat coarser laterally. T3–T6 sparsely (i>2 d) and finely punctate throughout. Metasomal sterna with imbricate interspaces throughout. S2 evenly sparsely (i>2 d) and finely punctate. S3 and S4 minutely punctate medially; punctures somewhat coarser anterolaterally. S5 densely (i=0.5–1.0 d) and finely punctate throughout. S6 largely impunctate basally; minutely punctate apically.

FEMALE. Dimensions (mm): Approximate body length 8.5; HW 3.1; HL 2.6; intertegular distance 2.7; forewing length 7.8. Coloration: Black except dark-brown on F2–F10 ventrally, wing venation (except vein R black), stigma, tarsal claws distally, marginal zone and ventrally reflexed area of T1. Pale-brown on tarsal claws proximally, marginal zones of S1–S5. Reddish-brown marked on distal half of mandible. Tibial spurs entirely paleyellow. Structure: Labrum flat without median protrusion and concavity. Clypeus narrowly and shallowly depressed mid-longitudinally. Malar area 0.9× as long as basal width of mandible. F1 1.4× as long as its apical width. UID 1.1× as long as LID. Genal area concave behind upper summit of compound eyes in lateral view. Dorsolateral angle of pronotum forming a short spine. Horizontal surface of metapostnotum 0.8× as long as MOD; metapostnotal pits and posterior transverse carina well-delimited. Front coxa without spine. Posterior hind tibial spur ciliate. Hind basitarsus 3.4x longer than broad. Outer rami of hind tarsal claws 1.5× as long as inner rami. Pubescence: Head mostly with pale-yellow, plumose, erect, long hairs; mandible with goldish, erect, moderately long setae; frontal and vertexal areas with fulvous and pale-yellow hairs intermingled; genal area with off-white hairs near proboscidial fossa. Mesosoma mostly with bright-brown, plumose, erect, long hairs; mesoscutum and scutellum with brightbrown and black hairs intermixed; mesepisternum, metepisternum and lateral surface of propodeum with off-white, very long hairs. Legs mostly with pale-yellow, erect, moderately long setae; coxae, trochanters and femora with off-white, plumose, erect, long hairs ventrally; front and mid tibiae with pale-yellow, subappressed, short setae. T1–T6 with a well-delimited apical band of off-white tomentum (T1 band broadly interrupted medially and T2–T6

bands complete); T1 and T2 with off-white, plumose, erect hairs (hairs longer on T1); T3–T5 with dark-brown, erect, moderately long setae; T6 with black, appressed, short setae. S1 with off-white, plumose, erect, moderately short hairs; S2–S5 with pale-yellow, subappressed, minute setae on disc; setae much longer laterally and apically; S6 with fulvous, erect, moderately short setae throughout. Surface sculpture: Clypeus densely (i=0.5–1.0 d) and coarsely punctate; punctures oblique and confluent forming convex interspaces. Supraclypeal area densely (i<0.5 d) and coarsely punctate; punctures crowded and finer laterally and above; interspaces imbricate throughout. Malar area substrigulate. Paraocular punctures crowded and moderately fine; punctation difficult to discern from rugose integument near antennal socket. Frontal and vertexal areas densely (i<0.5 d) and moderately coarsely punctate; interspaces imbricate. Mesoscutum densely (i=0.5–1.0 d) and coarsely punctate; punctures much sparser (i=1.0– 2.0 d) posteromedially; interspaces smooth throughout. Scutellum densely (i=0.5–1.0 d) and coarsely punctate anteromedially; punctures crowded and finer elsewhere; interspaces imbricate throughout. Metanotum coarsely rugose. Mesepisternum densely (i=0.5 d) and coarsely punctate; punctures crowded near scrobe and sparser (i=d) ventrad. Metepisternum rugose, except scabrous anteriorly above. Lateral surface of propodeum largely impunctate; integument imbricate. Metasomal terga with smooth interspaces throughout. T1 moderately densely (i=1.0–1.5 d) and moderately finely punctate medially; punctures slightly sparser elsewhere. T2–T5 minutely punctate; punctures sparsest on T2, densest on T5. Metasomal sterna finely punctate with imbricate interspaces throughout; punctures sparsest on S3 (i=1.5–2.0 d); densest on S5 (i<0.5 d); S6 impunctate mid-longitudinally.

Type material. Holotype ♂ — CHINA, Xizang: Rikaze, Yadong, Kangbu , 27.6173 88.9319, 3665 m, 27.vi.2020, QT Wu & D Zhang, 1 ♂, [ IZCAS].

Paratypes — CHINA, Xizang: Rikaze, Yadong, Kangbu , 27.6173 88.9319, 3665 m, 27.vi.2020, QT Wu & D Zhang, 11 ♂, [ IZCAS]. Rikaze, Yadong, Shang Yadong, Banggequtang, 27.5136 88.9749, 3654 m, 30.vi.2020, QT Wu & D Zhang, 1 ♂, [ IZCAS]. Rikaze, Yadong, Xiaya Dong, Zelila, 27.4247 88.9016, 3326 m, QT Wu & D Zhang, 1 ♀ 1 ♂, [ IZCAS] .

Distribution. Western China (Xizang).

DNA barcode. Available (2 ♂). See also Fig. 1 and Table 1.

Floral hosts. Unknown.

Etymology. Reference to the magnificent, bright-brown pubescence that covers most of the mesosoma.

Remarks. The only known female of C. splendidus sp. nov. is missing the right front and mid legs, which were removed for DNA barcoding. Regrettably, the sequencing was unsuccessful. The male holotype is in perfect condition.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Neighbor-joining tree based on the barcode data of the sequenced specimens of Colletes. Further information on the voucher codes shown on the tree can be found in Table 1.

FIGURE 13. Confirmed geographic records of the Colletes species found in Xizang based on the examined material. (A) C. paratibeticus; (B) C. sanctus; (C) C. sidemii; (D) C. splendidus sp. nov.

FIGURE 17. Diagnostic features of the male of C. splendidus sp. nov. (A) Head in profile showing relative size of malar area; (B) oblique view of metasoma showing the long erect hairs of T1; posterodorsal view of metasoma showing (C) the presence of well-defined apical bands and (D) truncate apical margin of T7. Scale bars: (A–C) 1 mm; (D) 0.5 mm.