Sphecodes rubripes Spinola, 1839

Astafurova, Yulia V., Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu. & Schwarz, Maximilian, 2019, The distribution of the genus Sphecodes Latreille (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) of the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding countries with description of hitherto unknown female of S. atlanticus Warncke, 1992 and male of S. dathei Schwarz, 2010, ZooKeys 872, pp. 13-40 : 29-30

Sphecodes rubripes Spinola, 1839 Figures 6 , 21

Sphecodes rubripes Spinola, 1839: 512, ♀ (syntypes: ♀♀, Cyprus; MRSN).

Sphecodes africanus Lepeletier, 1841; S. rufipennis Cockerell, 1931, S. atrescens Cockerell, 1931 (Synonyms).

Diagnosis.

The female of S. rubripes differs from S. albilabris by the pubescence of paraocular area ( Fig. 6 ) with brown erect setae not obscuring integument (versus white plumose appressed pubescence obscuring integument usually with admixture of brownish erect setae in S. albilabris , Fig. 7 ). Both sexes also differ by mainly red legs, except brown coxae and trochanters, Fig. 21 (at most reddish tarsi and tibia in S. albilabris , Fig. 20 ). These two species also differ in phenology (males of S. rubripes were recorded in the early spring while males of S. albilabris were found in the summer) and have different hosts ( Bogusch and Straka 2012, Cross 2017). S. albilabris is widespread in the Palaearctic from the Atlantic Ocean to Russian Far East; however, the distribution of the species in the Mediterranean Region is unclear due to confusion with S. rubripes. The past records of S. albilabris from Israel and Syria refer to S. rubripes. We examined material of S. albilabris from Morocco and Tunisia, but we do not have any specimens of S. albilabris from the Arabian Peninsula or surrounding lands.

Material examined.

JORDAN: 1 ♀, 10 km N Petra, 3.V.1996, M. Halada (OLBL/PCMS).

Published records.

Meyer 1924: 3 (Syria, as S. fuscipennis rubripes); Warncke 1992: 31 (Israel, as S. albilabris rubripes); Ascher and Pickering 2019 (Israel, as S. albilabris (Fabricius)).

Distribution.

*Jordan, Israel, Syria; North Africa, South-Western Europe, Cyprus.

Remarks.

Mayer (1924) and later Warncke (1992) interpreted Sphecodes rubripes as a subspecies of S. albilabris (Fabricius, 1793), but this taxon was restored as a valid species ( Bogusch and Straka 2014b).

Figures

Figures 2 - 7. Head, females, frontal view. 2 Sphecodes majalis Perez 3 S. scabricollis Wesmael 4 S. barbatus Bluethgen 5 S. atlanticus Warncke 6 S. rubripes Spinola 7 S. albilabris (Fabricius). Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figures 20, 21. Habitus, females, lateral view. 20 Sphecodes albilabris (Fabricius) 21 S. rubripes Spinola. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.