Melitta (Cilissa) budashkini Radchenko & Ivanov

Michez, Denis, Kuhlmann, Michael, Ivanov, Sergey P. & Radchenko, Vladimir G., 2012, Description of four new species in the bee genus Melitta Kirby, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Melittidae), Zootaxa 3337, pp. 57-67 : 58-61

Melitta (Cilissa) budashkini Radchenko & Ivanov sp. nov.

Type material. Holotype male, 3 male paratypes and 15 female paratypes, I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, ( IZAN, Kiev, Ukraine): Ukraine, Crimea, Feodosia, Cape Chauda, 45°00’17’’N 35°49’49’’E, steppe zone on Limonium meyeri (Plumbaginaceae) , 16.ix.2011, leg. Yu. Budashkin (33 including holotype and 12Ƥ), S. Ivanov (13 and 1Ƥ) & A. Ivanov (2Ƥ); and 6 female paratypes, same place on Linosyris villosa (Asteraceae) , 16.ix.2004, leg. Yu. Budashkin, IZAN.

Additional material. 13 and 6Ƥ collected from the same place and date as the holotype, but dissected for morphological studies and DNA extraction, leg. Yu. Budashkin.

Etymology. Named after Yu. I. Budashkin, who collected a large part of the type series.

Diagnosis. M. budashkini shows diagnostic features of the subgenus Cilissa : scutum smooth between punctures, male S7 with apicolateral part pointed and male gonostylus shorter than gonocoxite. Volsella and apicolateral part of male S7 are apically pointed like in M. ezoana , M. magnifica sp. nov. and M. sibirica , but the gonostylus is straight in M. budashkini male while it is curved distally in M. ezoana and M. sibirica . S7 of M. budashkini with a blade-shaped apicolateral process that has an additional protrusion at the base of the spike-like process in M. ezoana . S7 is weakly incised apically. Base of female propodeal triangle with vertical carinae ( Fig. 2 g) and outer surface of galea mat like in M. ezoana and M. sibirica , but prepygidial fimbria of female M.

budashkini is mainly white while being dark or predominantly dark like in M. sibirica . T2–4 of female M. budashkini with much wider white apical hair bands than in M. sibirica and M. ezoana . Mesoscutum and scutellum with larger punctures than in M. sibirica . In contrast to M. ezoana the M. budashkini female metabasitarsus is straight proximally. Posterior scutum, anterior scutellum and anterior metanotum sparsely punctate.

Description 3 ( Figs 2–3 ). Body length: 10.5–10.7 mm. Head. L = 2.6 mm. W = 3.1 mm. Integument black including all segments of antenna, but with small reddish-brown patches on the middle of mandibles. Segments of antennal flagellum slightly curved ventrally. Compound eyes slightly converging below. Clypeus convex. Face covered with silver-white hairs, but vertex with scattered small dark hairs ( Fig. 2 c). Mesosoma. L = 3.3 mm. W (between tegulae) = 2.4 mm. Cuticle black. Mesoscutum and scutellum densely punctate with large dots, sparse in the central parts of the mesoscutum and laterally on the scutellum (i>d), smooth between punctures ( Fig. 2 i). Thorax dorsally covered with a dirty gray hairs, propodeum and sides of mesosoma with a silver-white pubescence. Legs. All legs are black, except for brown pretarsi. Legs with white pubescence except first tarsus which is covered with black or brown hairs on the inside. Wings. Wings slightly dark. Metasoma. L = 5.2 mm. W = 3.5 mm. All terga are densely punctate (i<d), smooth and shiny between punctures. Terga lightened apically, on T2–3 margins slightly depressed across the entire width of terga while on other terga only the lateral parts are depressed. Apical parts of all sterna yellowish translucent. S6–8 like in Figs 3 d–f. Gonostylus shorter than gonobase with the middle of the ventral part having a flattened hemispherical protrusion ( Figs 3 b–c).

Ƥ ( Figs 2 , 4 ). Body length: 11–12 mm. Head. L = 3.1 mm. W = 3.5 mm. Integument black except ventral side of antenna and small patches in the middle of the mandibles which are reddish-brown. Inner margins of compound eyes almost parallel ( Fig. 2 d). Face and vertex densely punctate except for the parts close to the lateral ocelli and below the central ocella. Clypeus wider than long. Vestiture greyish-white at vertex mixed with grey and brown hairs. Outer surface of galea slightly shiny and sculptured (densely punctate with small dots – i<d). Face, except vertex, completely covered with silver-white hairs. Mesosoma. L = 3.8–3.9 mm. W = 2.7–2.9 mm. Cuticle black. Mesoscutum and scutellum punctate like male. Propodeal triangle is sculptured and slightly shiny between the ribs ( Fig. 2 g). Thorax dorsally covered with yellowish-brown or yellowish-gray hairs, otherwise covered in white pubescence. Legs. All legs are black, except for brown pretarsi. Tibia and first tarsus of legs are covered with black hairs on the inner side and on the outer side with silver-white pubescence except for the proximal part of tibia below the hind metabasitibial plate where are also black hairs. Wings. See male. Metasoma. L = 5.5–6.8 mm. W = 4.2–4.5 mm. All terga are black and densely punctate (i<d), smooth and shiny between punctures. The apical margin of terga black, slightly depressed laterally. T1–4 with white apical hair band twice as broad as width of apical margin. Basal and apical margins of S1–4 yellowish with apical bands of white erect hairs. Pp as in Fig. 2 h.

Floral visitation. Most specimens were collected on Limonium meyeri (Boiss.) Kuntze (Plumbaginaceae) but six females were found on Galatella villosa (L.) Rchb.f. (= Linosyris villosa (L.) DC.) ( Asteraceae ). The species might be eclectic oligolege (sensu Müller & Kuhlmann 2008) but palynological analysis is required for confirmation.

Biotope. Only found in xerophytic steppe.

Distribution. Crimea. Only known from the type locality.

Comment. M. budashkini seems to be closely related to M. ezoana and M. sibirica . The latter two species show wider East-Palaearctic distribution (Michez & Eardley 2007). Crimea could have been an isolated glacial refugia where M. budashkini shifted on alternative host-plants. All females of M. budashkini have been collected foraging on Plumbaginaceae or Asteraceae while M. ezoana and M. sibirica are Fabaceae specialist and generalist respectively ( Michez et al. 2008).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Melitta budashkini sp. nov. a. Male in dorsal view (scale = 5 mm); b. Female in dorsal view (scale = 5 mm); c. Head of male in frontal view (scale = 1 mm); d. Head of female in frontal view (scale = 1 mm); e. Female in lateral view; f. Male in lateral view; g. Propodeum of female (scale = 1 mm); h. Pygidial plate of female (scale = 0.2 mm); i. Mesoscutum of male (scale = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 3. Melitta budashkini sp. nov. male. a. Galea in lateral view (scale = 0.5 mm); b. Genitalia in lateral view with arrows showing flattened hemispherical protrusion in the middle of the ventral part (scale = 0.5 mm); c. Genitalia in dorsal view (scale = 0.5 mm); d. Sternum 6 in ventral view (scale = 1 mm); e. Sternum 7 in ventral view (scale = 0.5 mm); f. Sternum 8 in ventral view (scale = 0.5 mm).

FIGURE 4. Host-plant of Melitta budashkini sp. nov. a. Female foraging on Limonium meyeri (Plumbaginaceae); b. Landscape in the surrounding area (photo S. P. Ivanov).