Trichocolletes tuberatus, Batley, 2012

Batley, Michael, 2012, Revision of the Australian Bee Genus Trichocolletes Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Paracolletini), Records of the Australian Museum (Rec. Aust. Mus.) 64 (1), pp. 1-50 : 41

Trichocolletes tuberatus n.sp.

Figs 78 , 118

Type. Holotype ♂, 78 km S Bourke (30.8189°S 145.8828°E), 18 Aug. 2008, M. Batley, ex Swainsona affinis , in AM K.291004.

Specimens examined. The holotype and the following. New South Wales: ♂, ♀, 70 km N Bourke , New South Wales (29.5136°S 145.8247°E) , 6 Sep. 2007, M.Batley, ex Swainsona microphylla, AM (K.344816); 2♂, 2♀, 78 km S Bourke (30.7806°S 145.8633°E), 31 Aug. 2009, M. Batley, ex Swainsona affinis, AM (K.344819–22) ; ♂, 21 km E Cobar (31.5639°S 146.0708°E), 17 Aug. 2008, M. Batley, ex Glycine canescens, AM (K.344817). Queensland : ♂, 75 km E Cunnamulla (28.0458°S 146.4894°E), 23Aug. 2008, M. Batley, ex Swainsona microphylla, AM (K.344818) .

Diagnosis

Length c. 11 mm; eyes hairy; legs black; moderately wide, silver-white metasomal bands, ferruginous across anterior margin. Male pubescence usually pale orange-brown, especially on face.

Descriptions

Male (holotype).— Head width 3.75 mm, body length 11.3 mm. Relative dimensions: HW 50, HL 39, UID 33, UFW 33, LID 30, DMA 28, HVO 5, WOC 14, MOD 4, OOD 9, IAD 8, ASD 3, AOD 9, ML 20, BMW 8, MSL 3.0, SL 14, SW 3, FL c. 42.— Eyes hairy; face broad, inner orbits converging ventrally; length of malar area c. 0.38× basal mandibular width; marginal area of clypeus elongated (laterally, 0.16× as long as medial length of clypeus); middle flagellomeres c. 1.2× as long as wide. Legs slender; hind tarsus as long as hind tibia; hind basitarsus 4.8× as long as wide; basitibial area strongly carinate on posterior margin, anterior margin with sharp edge. Genital capsule similar to that for T. orientalis n.sp. (Fig. 37); S7 (K.344818) with narrow rectangular lateral lobes and strong posterior projections ( Fig. 78 ).— Distitarsi orange-brown; mandible deep orange-brown; labrum and flagellum ventrally brown. T 1–5 with wide, silver bands.— Clypeus dull, strongly pit-reticulate and densely punctate except apically; marginal area polished. Scutum dull with strongly pit-reticulation obscuring punctures.— Face densely covered with long, finely-branched, pale orange hair. Scutum closely covered with long, plumose, pale orange-brown hair; fore basitarsus with long, white plume; anterior margin of hind tibia with close to open fringe of long, white hair.

Female (K.344819).— Head width 3.90 mm, body length 11.0 mm. Relative dimensions: HW 50, HL 36, UID 31, UFW 33, LID 32, DMA 33, HVO 4, WOC 15, MOD 4, OOD 7, IAD 9, ASD 3, AOD 10, ML 20, BMW 7, MSL 1.5, SL 15, SW 3, FL c. 31.— Eyes hairy; face approximately quadrate, inner orbits parallel; length malar space c. 0.2× basal mandibular width; clypeus gently convex transversely; marginal area of clypeus as for male; middle flagellomeres as long as wide; inner hind tibial spur with c. 7 long teeth; apex of basitibial area not elevated above surrounding area; hind tarsal claw only with small inner ramus; pygidial plate entire, gently convex but without distinct medial elevation.— Distitarsi orange-brown; mandible deep amber. T 1–4 with silver bands of average width.— Clypeus strongly reticulate and densely punctate except at extreme ventral margin; frontal carina terminating in a small tubercle on supraclypeal area; scutal sculpture as for male.— Face with long, plumose, white hair, close on clypeus and supraclypeal area, dense in paraocular areas and on frons. Scutum closely covered with short, plumose, pale brown hair; metasoma sericeous; prepygidial fimbria pale brown.

Remarks. Sexes associated by unique presence of labral tubercle and two coincident collection events. Similar to T. micans n.sp. but distinguishable by tubercle on labrum.

Distribution. Western areas of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales (CP, ML) ( Fig. 118 ).

Etymology. The specific name is a Latin adjective meaning with a tubercle, referring to the labrum.

Figures

Figs 68–79. Seventh sternum of Trichocolletes males.

Figs 116–119. Known distribution of Trichocolletes species.