Trichocolletes brachytomus, 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 : 10-11

Trichocolletes brachytomus n.sp.

Figs 21 , 25 , 48, 84

Type. Holotype ♂, Orroroo , South Australia, 24 Dec. 1938, in ANIC.

Specimens examined. The holotype and the following. New South Wales: ♂, Kinchega NP (32.4581°S 142.3525°E), 8 Sep. 2007, M. Batley, AM (K.278549) . South Australia: ♀, Flinders Rg , 1 Sep. 1948, Hall, SAM (32-024542) ; ♀, Lake Eyre N Sulphur Pen. , 1 Aug. 1967, G. Gross, SAM (32-024543) ; ♀, nr Lake Harry NE Maree , 24 Sep.1972, H. Mincham, SAM (32-024532) ; 2♀, Orroroo , 2 Oct. 1937, J. T . Gray , AM (K.316640–41) ; ♀, same data, SAM (32-024540) ; 3♂, 3♀, Orroroo , 23 Sep. 1938, J. T . Gray ,

SAM (32-024533–40); ♀, Orroroo, 1 Dec. 1938 , ANIC; 4♀, data as for holotype; ♂, Orroroo, 14 Jan. 1939 , ANIC; 2♂, 3♀, Orroroo, 3 Mar. 1939 , ANIC; 2♀, Rev A. P. Burgess , SAM (32-024539,41).

Diagnosis

Eyes hairy; metasoma red with indistinct bands; T 2 without dark marks laterally. Male scape and labrum black; hair on supraclypeal area shorter than on surrounding areas.

Descriptions

Male (holotype).— Head width 4.20 mm, body length 12.0 mm. Relative dimensions: HW 50, HL 37, UID 31, UFW 32, LID 29, DMA 29, HVO 4, WOC 14, MOD 4, OOD 9, IAD 10, ASD 3, AOD 8, ML 19, BMW 6, MSL 1.5, SL 13, SW 3, FL c. 51.—Eyes hairy; face broad, eyes slightly convergent ventrally; length malar space c. 0.3× basal mandibular width; length flagellum equal to head width, middle flagellomeres c. 1.5× as long as wide. Legs robust; inner faces of fore and mid tibiae with angular ridge on distal half; fore basitarsus strongly broadened near calcar; hind tarsus 1.1× as long as hind tibia; hind basitarsus 3.8× as long as wide; basitibial area carinate and elevated above surroundings, carina reduced to angular edge on proximal 40% of anterior margin ( Fig. 25 ). Genital capsule similar to that for T. orientalis n.sp. (Fig. 37); S7 (K.278549) posterior projections short and blunt, lateral lobes tapered with posterior margin crenulate (Fig. 48).—Head and mesosoma black except flagellomeres F2–8 yellow-brown ventrally, distitarsi orange-brown. Metasoma red, bands indistinct but occasionally with ill-defined gold reflections.— Clypeus with contiguous punctures except apical margin impunctate; scutum with dull sheen, moderate pit-reticulation and close, fine punctures.— Face with finelybranched, white hair, long, dense in paraocular areas, on frons and basal half clypeus; shorter, dense and stiffly erect on supraclypeal area. Scutum with close, long, plumose, very pale orange hair; fore basitarsus with plume; anterior margin of hind tibia with open fringe of long, white hair; metasomal terga sericeus with open, semi-adpressed, pale golden hair.

Female ( AM K.316640).— Head width 4.45 mm, body length 13.0 mm. HW 50, HL 34, UID 30, UFW 32, LID 30, DMA 32, HVO 4, WOC 13, MOD 3, OOD 9, IAD 9, ASD 3, AOD 9, ML 17, BMW 7.5, MSL 1.5, SL 15.5, SW 2, FL c. 33.— Eyes hairy; face broad, inner orbits parallel; malar space short (length c. 0.2× basal mandibular width); clypeus convex, basal half flattened sagittally; middle flagellomeres as long as wide; inner hind tibial spur with c. 8 long teeth; basitibial area elevated above surrounding surfaces, posterior margin with thickened ridge forming an irregular edge ( Fig. 21 ); hind tarsal claw small inner ramus; pygidial plate entire with strong medial elevation.—Integument of head and mesosoma black except labrum amber; legs dark orange-brown; mandible medially, flagellum ventrally dark brown. Metasoma red with indistinct, narrow, gold bands; T 2 without dark lateral marks.— Clypeus dull with weak pit-reticulation and close punctures, except near apical margin; supraclypeal area with smaller, dense punctures; scutum dull with moderately strong pit-reticulation and dense punctures.— Face with long, white hair, becoming pale orange towards ocelli, dense in paraocular areas and on frons, sparse on clypeus. Scutum with dense, minutelybranched, bright orange hair; hind tibial scopa pale orange; prepygidial fimbria orange.

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin adjective meaning clipped, referring to the hair on the supraclypeal area of the male.

Distribution. South Australia and far western New South Wales (DRP, FLB, SSD, STP) ( Fig. 84 ).

Figures

Figs 20–23. Basal area of hind tibia of Trichocolletes females: (20) T. maximus, (21) T. brachytomus n.sp., (22) T. pulcherrimus, and (23) T. dives. Setae were removed from the T. maximus and T. brachytomus n.sp. specimens, but shortened by wear in the other cases.

Figs 24–27. Basal area of hind tibia of Trichocolletes males: (24) T. maximus, (25) T. brachytomus n.sp., (26) T. pulcherrimus, and (27) T. lacaris n.sp.

Figs 80–91. Known distribution of Trichocolletes species.