Epeolus melectiformis Yasumatsu, 1938

Astafurova, Yulia V. & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2021, Review of the Epeolus tarsalis species group (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Epeolus Latreille, 1802), with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5006 (1), pp. 26-36 : 28-30

Epeolus melectiformis Yasumatsu, 1938

( Figs 1 , 9, 11 )

Epeolus melectiformis Yasumatsu, 1938: 224 , ♀, ♂ (type locality: Ookawa-mura , Tosa, Shikoku, Japan).

Material examined. Russia: Irkutsk Province: 2 ♀, Irkutsk, Eversmann coll. ; 1 ♀, 15 km E of Ust-Ordynsky , 1.VIII.1994, leg. AL [FSCV] ; 1 ♀, idem, 2.VIII.2002, leg. P. Nemkov [FSCV] ; 4 ♂, idem, 31.VII.2010, leg. MP [FSCV] ; Buryatia Repuplic: 1 ♀, Ust-Kiran , 15.VII.1908, leg. Khomze [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, Peschanka, Troitskosavsk [Kyakta] distr., 15.VIII.1926, leg. PM [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, Gusinoe Lake, Selenginsk , 2.VIII.1927, leg. PM [ZISP] ; 2 ♀, Gusinoe Lake, Baraty , 25.VIII.2007, leg. AL, MP, VL [FSCV]; Zabaikalsky Territory : 1 ♂, Nerchinsk , no date, leg. V. Podgorbinskiy, Volmann coll. [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, 7 km W of Priargunsk , 25.VII.1975, leg. DK [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, Nerchinskozavodskoy distr., Olochi , 30.VII.2002, leg. VD [ISEN] ; 1 ♀, 20 km SSE of Krasnokamensk , 4.VIII.2007, leg. AL, MP, VL [FSCV] ; Khabarovsk Territory: 1 ♀, Machtovy, Machtovaya River , 6.VIII.2005, leg. AL [FSCV] ; Amur Province: 1 ♂, Kundur , 17–20.VII.2003, leg. SB [ZISP]; idem , 2 ♂, 17.VII.2003, leg. MP [FSCV] ; 6 ♂, 30 km SW of Arkhara , 21–23.VII.2003, leg. SB [ZISP] ; 1 ♂, 10 km E of Arkhara , 24.VII.2003, leg. SB [ZISP] ; 2 ♂, 40 km SW of Svobodny , 27–29.VII.2003, leg. SB [ZISP] ; 1 ♂, Blagoveshchensk , VII.2004, leg. V. Bezborodov [ZISP] ; Jewish Autonomous Province : 1 ♀, 40 km N of Amurzet, 27.VII.1981, leg. DK [ZISP] ; 1 ♂, 5 km NE of Pashkovo , 11.VII.2003, leg. MP [FSCV] ; 1 ♀, Bastak Nature Reserve, Zabelovskoe Lake , 3–4.IX.2005, leg. V. Kuznetzov [ZISP] ; Primorsky Territory: 3 ♂, Vladivostok , 27.VIII.1977, leg. N. Kurzenko [ZISP] ; 2 ♀, 2 ♂, 40 km S of Khasan , 10.VIII.1978, leg. DK [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, 7 km E of Khasan , 27.VIII.1986, leg. AL [FSCV] ; 5 ♀, 1 ♂, Khasan, Golubiny Utes , 17.VIII.1988, leg. SB [ZISP] ; 2 ♀, 1 ♂, Spassk , 3–5.IX.1995, leg. SB [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Novokachalinsk , 13–16.VIII.2003, leg. SB [ZISP] ; 1 ♀, 2 ♂, 15 km SW of Slavyanka , 23.VIII.2003, leg. SB [ZISP] ; 1 ♂, Luchegorsk , 8.VIII.2005, leg. AL [FSCV] ; 1 ♀, Evseevka , 11.VIII.2006, leg. SB [ZISP] ; 5 ♀, Novokachalinsk , 21.VIII.2009, leg. AL, MP [FSCV] . China: Inner Mongolia: 2 ♀, Alashan Ridge, Gobi, Tsosto , 23.V.1908, leg. P. Kozlov [ZISP] .

Variation. The females of this species exhibit considerable intraspecific variation in integument coloration and degree of development of the tergal tomentum spots. According to the description ( Yasumatsu 1938), the redescription ( van Lith 1956) and additional illustrations ( Mitai 2014) the Japanese female specimens are mostly black. Unlike these black forms, the continental specimens from Russia and Mongolia possess redder body coloration. All female specimens examined from these territories have entirely or partially red axilla, mesoscutellum, pronotum and mesepisternum ( Figs 9, 11 ), sometimes red patterns can be developed on the mesoscutum (along lateral margins and a pair of spots near posterior margin). The red pattern of mesepisternum varies from a small spot (rare) on upper half to entirely red integument (usually). Two examined females from China (Inner Mongolia) are close to the black Japanese form. The males are black and not variable in coloration.

There is some variation in the size of tergal tomentum spots and bands. In the females, T2 lateral fascia ( Fig. 11 ) is often reduced to two lateral spots ( Fig. 9 ), and two lateral spots on T3 and T4 are reduced to one small spot ( Fig. 9 ). Among the male specimens we have not found any reduction of the T2 lateral fascia, but lateral fasciae on T3 and T4 are usually reduced to just spots and only a few specimens have complete lateral fasciae on these terga.

Distribution. Russia (* Irkutsk Provinse, Buryatia, *Zabaikalskiy Terr.,* Khabarovsk Prov., *JewishAutonomous Prov., * Amur Prov., Primorskiy Terr.), Mongolia, * China (Inner Mongolia), Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Ryukyu) ( Hirashima & Tadauchi 1979; Romankova 1995; Proshchalykin & Kupianskaya 2009; Levchenko et al. 2017; Astafurova & Proshchalykin 2021).

Remarks. This species was previously reported from Russia (Buryatia and Primorsky Territory) ( Romankova 1995) without an exact locality.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Epeolus melectiformis Yasumatsu, female (1), E. tarsalis Morawitz, female (2, 4, 5); male (6, 7), E. coreanus Yasumatsu, male (3): 1–3—supraclypeal area, frontal, view, 4, 5—hind femora, lateral view; 6, 7—metasoma, dorso-lateral view. Scale bars: 0.3 mm (1–3); 0.5 mm (4–7).

FIGURES 8–11. Epeolus tarsalis Morawitz, female (8—from Jewish Autonomous Prov.; 10—from Irkutsk Prov.), E. melectiformis Yasumatsu (9, 11—both from Primorsky Terr.), lateral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.