Sphecodes discoverlifei Astafurova & Proshchalykin, 2020

Astafurova, Yulia V., Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu. & Schwarz, Maximilian, 2020, New and little-known species of the genus Sphecodes Latreille (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) from Southeast Asia, ZooKeys 937, pp. 31-88 : 31

Sphecodes discoverlifei Astafurova & Proshchalykin sp. nov. Figures 34-35 , 36-42 , 43-45

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, laos, Phongsaly prov., Phongsaly env., 21°41'N, 102°06'E, 1500 m, 1-30.VI.2003, P. Pacholatko (PCMS), Fig. 42 . Paratypes: 2 ♂♂, the same label as for holotype, but VI.2003 (PCMS/ ZISP); 2 ♀#, the same label as for holotype, but 28.V-20.VI.2003, V. Kuban (PCMS/ ZISP).

Diagnosis.

Among the oriental species lacking a preoccipital carina and with five or six hamuli in hind wing the male of the new species is recognizable by having tyloids covering the entire ventral and lateral flagellar surfaces and also in the shape of the gonostylus which has an elongate membranous part; the female is similar to Sphecodes tantalus Nurse, 1903 by combination of the strongly transverse head, the metafemur strongly enlarged in proximal half, the mesoscutum with relatively sparse punctures, the impunctate T1, the narrow pygidial plate and the reddish metasoma, but it differs by not having an elevated vertex as seen in frontal view (in S. tantalus distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus approximately a lateral ocellar diameter).

Description.

Wings hyaline, weak yellowish with light brown stigma and yellowish veins; hind wing with the angle between basal (M) and cubital (Cu) veins 90°, costal margin with five hamuli. Preoccipital carina absent. Female. Total body length 6.0-6.5 mm (Fig. 35 ), fore wing 4.6-4.9 mm. Head black (Fig. 43 ); strongly transverse, ca. 1.3 times as wide as long; vertex not elevated as seen in frontal view; distance from top of head to upper margin of a lateral ocellus ca. two lateral ocellar diameters as seen in dorsal view; F1 0.8 times as long as wide, F2 0.9 times as long as wide, remaining flagellomeres 1.0-1.1 times as long as wide; labrum trapezoidal, 0.7 times as long as basal width; face densely punctate, with punctures separated by at most a puncture diameter; ocello-ocular area and gena with tiny setae pores (5-10 μm) separated by a few puncture diameters; face and gena with sparser pubescence, not obscuring integument. Mesosoma black, legs brownish with yellowish tarsi; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (Fig. 44 ) with relatively sparse punctures (15-25 μm / 1-4) becoming denser peripherally; metafemur strongly enlarged in proximal half, maximum width 0.4 times its length; hypoepimeral area and mesepisternum rugose; propodeal triangle (metapostnotum) with coarse longitudinal wrinkles and shining interspaces (Fig. 44 ); lateral parts of propodeum coarsely reticulate-rugose. Metasomal T1 impunctate; remaining terga with a few minute setae pores (Fig. 45 ); marginal zones impunctate; T1-T4 mostly red, remaining terga red-brownish; pygidial plate dull, pointed apically, narrow, 0.6 times as wide as metabasitarsus. Sterna finely tessellate with dense shallow setae pores.

Male. Total body length 6-7 mm (Fig. 34 ), fore wing 4.5-5.0 mm. Head black (Fig. 36 ), transverse, ca. 1.2 times as wide as long; vertex not elevated as seen in frontal view and distance from top of head to upper margin of a lateral ocellus approximately two lateral ocellar diameters as seen in dorsal view; antenna short (Fig. 37 ), reaching posterior half of mesoscutum, F1 0.6 times as long as wide, F2 1.3-1.4 times as long as wide, remaining flagellomeres 1.1-1.2 times as long as wide; tyloids covering entire ventral and lateral flagellar surfaces; face densely punctate, the punctures separated byat most a half puncture diameter; ocello-ocular area and gena more sparsely punctate with punctures separated by approximately a puncture diameter; face and gena with sparser pubescence, not obscuring integument. Mesosoma black, tibia (partially) and tarsi yellow; mesoscutum (Fig. 39 ) irregularly punctate, with confluent punctures peripherally and sparser medially (15-25 μm / 1-4); mesoscutellum coarsely punctate (20-40 μm) with punctures separated by at most a puncture diameter; hypoepimeral area and mesepisternum reticulate-rugose; propodeal triangle with coarse longitudinal wrinkles and shiny interspaces; lateral part of propodeum coarsely reticulate-rugose. Metasoma dark brownish (Fig. 38 ); terga almost impunctate with a few minute punctures; sterna with sparse setae pores; gonocoxite dorsally with impression; gonostylus with elongate membranous part (Figs 40 , 41 ).

Etymology.

This species is dedicated to name of the website https://www.discoverlife.org (creators are J.S. Ascher and J. Pickering), in recognition of its contribution to knowledge of bee biodiversity.

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality in Laos.

Figures

Figures 34, 35. Sphecodes discoverlifei Astafurova & Proshchalykin, sp. nov. 34 holotype, male, lateral view 35 paratype, female, lateral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figures 36 - 42. Sphecodes discoverlifei Astafurova & Proshchalykin, sp. nov., male, holotype 36 head, frontal view 37 antennae, lateral view 38 metasoma, dorsal view 39 mesosoma, dorsal view 40, 41 genitalia, dorso-lateral view (40), dorsal view (41) 42 labels. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (36 - 39), 0.5 mm (40, 41).

Figures 43 - 45. Sphecodes discoverlifei Astafurova & Proshchalykin, sp. nov., female, paratype 43 head, frontal view 44 mesosoma, dorsal view 45 metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.