Epeolus rasnitsyni Astafurova et Proshchalykin, 2021

Astafurova, Yu. V. & Proshchalykin, M. Yu., 2021, A new species of the genus Epeolus Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea: Apidae) from the Pamirs, with a checklist of Central Asian species, Far Eastern Entomologist 437, pp. 10-15 : 11-14

Epeolus rasnitsyni Astafurova et Proshchalykin , sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ 02F044E1-BECD-463C-AABC-76D983476F45

Figs 1–9

MATERIAL. Holotype: ♂, “р.[ека] Шах-Дара, бл.[иЗЬ] устЬЯ, Зап.[адный] Памир,

Таджикистан, А. Иванов, 30.VII.[19]36” [ Tajikistan: Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous

Region, the mouth of the Shakhdara River, 30.VII 1936, leg. A. Ivanov, ZISP, illustrated in

Fig. 2 ]. Paratype: ♂, Tajikistan: Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Shakhdara , 2.VIII

1936, A. Saakyan leg., ZISP.

DESCRIPTION. Male. Total body length 8.0 mm; forewing length (without tegula) 6.0

mm.

Structure and sculpture. Head ( Fig. 3 ) transverse, ca 1.25 times as wide as long. Labrum

( Fig. 6 ) 1.5 times as wide as long; rounded laterally and flattened basally, with two small subapical teeth, apical margin straight; integument slightly shiny, coarsely and densely punctate

(10–30 μm / confluent–1). Frons with developed frontal keel. Frons and vertex areolate punctate (15–40 μm). F1 ca 1.3 times as long as wide, F2 and F3 ca 1.1 times as long as wide. Mesoscutum dull, coarsely and areolate punctate (30–60 μm). Axilla thickened,

convex with acute and curved tooth attaining posterior margin of mesoscutellum ( Fig. 5 ).

Mesoscutellum with deep medial impression distinctly divided mesoscutellum on two lobes;

posterior margin extending over propodeum. Metanotum medially flat. Mesepisternum areolate punctate. Propodeal triangle rugulose; rest vertical part of propodeum smooth. Metasomal integument slightly visible under tomentum; tergal discs shiny and smooth between dense punctures (15–20 μm / 0.5–1.5); marginal zones transparent. Pygidial plate (T7) dull, wide,

0.9 times as long as basal width, rounded apically, with coarse punctures ( Fig. 7 ). Sterna shiny, with dense punctures.

Coloration. Head black, but mandible yellow-red with dark apex; labrum and clypeus

(apically) and antennae yellow-red. Mesosoma mostly black; pronotal lobe and tegula yellow-reddish; axillae brownish; legs yellowish (including spurs); wings hyaline, stigma and veins light brown to yellow. Tergal discs dark brown; marginal zones pale. Pygidial plate reddish. Visible sterna yellow-brownish with light marginal zones.

labels. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

Pubescence. Face and gena with dense (obscuring integument) whitish tomentum (spar-

ser on frons). Pronotum and metanotum with whitish (holotype) or yellowish (paratype)

tomentum obscuring integument. Mesoscutum on anterior half and peripherally with whitish and yellowish tomentum ( Fig. 4 ). Lateral and ventral parts of mesosoma entirely covered with whitish and yellowish tomentum. Legs with dense white pubescence. Tergal marginal zones with uninterrupted yellowish apical tomentum bands; T1 with wide basal band connected soma, dorsal view; 5 – axilla, dorsal view; 6 – labrum, ventral view; 7 – T7, dorsal view; 8, 9

– metasoma, ventro-lateral (8), dorsal (9) views. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (3, 4, 8, 9); 0.3 mm (5–7).

with apical band laterally; tergal discs with dense light brown adpressed pubescence ( Fig. 9 ).

S1–S3 with dense white tomentum; S4 and S5 with dense golden pubescence, apical long setae light-yellow ( Fig. 8 ).

Female. Unknown.

DIAGNOSIS. This species is closest to that of Epeolus laticauda Bischoff, 1930,

sharing a similar structure, sculpture and pubescence of the body, including the structure of the labrum and patterns of tergal tomentum bands (uninterrupted medially). The new species is clearly distinguished from E. laticauda by the strongly convex axillae with long tooth

(flattened, with shorter tooth in E. laticauda ), the deeply emarginate mesoscutellum and the apically rounded pygidial plate (slightly bilobed or straight in E. laticauda ).

ETYMOLOGY. The species is named after a well-known Russian entomologist Prof.

A.P. Rasnitsyn (Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia) on the occasion of his 85th birthday.

DISTRIBUTION. Tajikistan (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region).

Figures

Figs 1–2. Epeolus rasnitsyni sp. n., male, holotype. 1 – habitus, lateral view; 2 – original

Figs 3–9. Epeolus rasnitsyni sp. n., male, holotype. 3 – head, frontal view; 4 – meso-