Sphecodes orientalis Astafurova & Proshchalykin

Astafurova, Yulia V. & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2014, The bees of the genus Sphecodes Latreille 1804 of the Russian Far East, with key to species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae), Zootaxa 3887 (5), pp. 501-528 : 517-518

Sphecodes orientalis Astafurova & Proshchalykin , sp. nov.

(Figs 13, 14, 43, 44, 61, 71, 81, 87, 91, 100, 110b)

Diagnosis. The new species is very similar to S. ephippius (Linné) in structure, body sculpture, and form of male genitalia, but differs from this species by the well-developed longitudinal carina of the vertex in both sexes and the entirely dark metasoma in males ( S. ephippius usually with T1−T3 all or partly red).

Description. Male. Structure. Body length 6−9 mm. Head weakly transverse, 1.1 times wider than long. Vertex with a longitudinal carina. Genal area slightly narrower than eye in lateral view. Antenna attaining middle of scutum; F1 short, strongly transverse, 0.5 times as long as wide; F2 longest, 1.4 times longer than wide; other flagellomeres 1.1−1.2 longer than wide. Undersides of F3−F11 with semicircular felt-like areas (depression with very short hairs). Felt-like area on F3 covers about 1/5 underside, on F4 and F5 about 1/4−1/3 and on the following segments about 1/2 (Figs 13, 14). S7 slender, arrow-shaped. S8 diamond-shaped: narrow-triangulary produced posteriorly and wide-triangulary anteriorly. Gonocoxite without dorsal depression. Gonostylus as in Figs 43, 44. Sculpture. Face dense punctate, with confluent punctures. Vertex and genal areas rugose. Scutum with deep, round punctures (20−40 µm / 0.5−2), becoming confluent peripherally (Fig. 100). Scutellum with punctures confluent (areolate). Mesepisternum reticulate-rugose. Basal part of propodeum (propodeal triangle) coarsely reticulaterugose, and rest of propodeum similarly sculptured. Metasomal terga polished; T1 impunctate or with few very fine punctures; T2−T4 with sparse, fine, but distinct punctures; marginal zones impunctate; T7 shagreened, apically smooth, densely and coarsely punctate throughout. Coloration. Body black except the following: mandible redbrown apically; flagellar segments brown or reddish-brown beneath; legs dark brown, tarsi reddish to yellow; stigma and veins yellowish-brown. T1−T3 sometimes apically reddish-brown. Vestiture. Face below antennal sockets with moderately dense and long plumose white hairs.

Female. Structure. Body length 7–9 mm. Head weaker transverse, 1.16–1.27 times wider than long (Fig. 61). Vertex weakly elevated, with a longitudinal carina, distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus about twice lateral ocellar diameters. Labrum trapezoidal, 0.4 times as long as wide. Genal area 1.3−1.4 times narrower than eye in lateral view. F1−F3 transverse, about 0.6 times as long as wide; other flagellomeres square. Pronotum between dorsal and lateral surfaces with sharp angle. Hind femora moderately enlarged on proximal half, with maximal width 0.35 times as length. Hind wing with 5–6 hamuli. Pygidium 1.2–1.4 times wider than hind basitarsus. Sculpture. Clypeus, supracypeal area, and frons (until upper margin of eyes) densely punctate, with punctures less a puncture diameter apart to confluent. Vertex (behind lateral ocelli) and genal area with a longitudinally carinate, between carinate smooth and shiny. Scutum and scutellum with deep, round, moderately dense punctures (20−30 µm / 0.5−2). Mesepisternum reticulate rugose. Basal part of propodeum (propodeal triangle) reticulate-rugose (Fig. 71). Sculpture of posterior vertical surfae of propodeum similar, but that of lateral surface generally finer and smoother. Metasomal terga polished; T1 impunctate or with few very fine punctures; T2−T4 on basal half distinctly punctate, with fine and relatively dense punctures (10−20 Μm / 1−3); marginal zones impunctate. Sterna finely tessellate with coarse hair pores 1−3 diameters apart. Coloration. Head and mesosoma black except reddish mandibles and often blackish brown flagellar segments beneath. Legs dark brown, tarsi brown, sometimes light brown. Stigma and veins brown. Usual T1−T2 wholly and T3 basally red, often T3 wholly red and T4 basally red; S 1− S 3 red or sometimes reddish brown. Vestiture. Face below antennal sockets with sparse and moderately long plumose white hairs.

Type material (105 specimens). Holotype: ♂, Russia, Primorskiy Terr.: 15 km SW Slavyanka, 31.VIII.1995, S. Belokobylskij [ ZISP]. Paratypes: Russia. Primorskiy Terr.: 4 ♀, Vinogradovka, 28.V.1929, Kirichenko; 1 ♂, Ta- Chingauz, 24.IX.1948, V. Gussakovskij; 1 ♂, Kedrovaya Pad’ Nature Reserve, 30.VII.1961, N. Nikolskaya; 1 ♀, Spassk, 16.VII.1961, Zhelokhovtsev; 2 ♂, 24.IX.1986, Klimanova; 1 ♀, 28.VI.2002, V. Kuznetzov; 1 ♀, Brovnichi, 13.VII.1974, SB; 6 ♀, Lazovskiy Nature Reserve, 25.V–3.VII.1976; 1 ♀, 18-20.VI.2005, YS, VS; 1 ♀, Sinii Ridge, Evseevka, 20.VII.1978, AK; 1 ♀, Kievka, 1 ♀, 23.V.1979; 2 ♂, 31.VIII.1982, TR; 5 ♂, Ussuriyskiy Nature Reserve, 14.IX.1979, AK; 2 ♀, 10 km SE Chernigovka, 20.V.1979, SB; 1 ♀, Benevskoe, 28.V.1980; 1 ♀, 7.VIII.1989, TR; 1 ♀, Kamenka, 15.VI.1980, TR; 1 ♀, Spassk, 16.VI.1980; 1 ♂, 5-6.VII.1995; 1 ♂, 2.VIII.1995; 2 ♂, 16.VIII.1995; 1 ♂, 10.IX.2001, SB; 2 ♂, Blagodatnoe, 5.VIII.1981, VM; 1 ♂, 2 km N Novokachalinsk, 18.VIII.1981, YP; 1 ♂, Lazovskiy Nature Reserve, Perekatnoe, 23 km SE Lazo, 4.IX.1981, YP; 1 ♀, Novokachalinsk, 18.VII.1982, I. Kerzhner; 2 ♀, 40 km SO Ussuriysk, 20.VIII–1.IX.1984, A. Antropov; 1 ♀, Yakolevka, Arsen’evka River, 25.VII.1986; 1 ♀, 29.VIII.1987; 1 ♂, 21-22.VII.1995; 1 ♀, 1 ♂, 4-7.VIII.2008, SB; 1 ♀, Sedanka, Vladivostok, 13.V.1987, VM; 1 ♀, 30 km SE Ussuriysk, Kamenushka, 8-9.IX.1987, SB; 1 ♀, 2.V.2003, MP; 1 ♀, 1 ♂, 31.VIII.1995, SB; 2 ♀, Anisimovka, 27-28.V.1974; 3 ♀, 3-7.VII.1995, AL; 1 ♀, 5.VI.1992; 1 ♀, 13.V.1994, AL; 4 ♂, 28.VIII.2001, SB; 9 ♀, 11-17.V.2003; 1 ♀, Vladivostok, Akademgorodok, 20.V.1994, AL; 1 ♀, 26.IV.2003, on Taraxacum sp., MP; 3 ♀, Tigrovaya River, 6.VI.1994, AL; 1 ♀, Uglekamensk, 5.VI.1994, AL; 1 ♀, 20 km NE Spassk, 24.VII.1998, SB; 2 ♀, 20 km NE Ussuriysk, Kamenushka, 24.V.2003, MP; 3 ♀, Brovnichi, Tigrovaya River, 1.VI.2003, MP, AL; 1 ♀, Arsenyev, 8.V.2004, A. Gerasimenko; 2 ♀, Tayozhka, 10.V.2004, A. Gerasimenko; 1 ♀ Lazo, 8-10.VII.2005; 1 ♀, 14-18.VI.2006, VS; 1 ♀, 25 km SSW Slavyanka, 23- 24.VII.2006, SB; 1 ♀, Vityaz’, 4-5.VI.2006, MP; 1 ♀, Lazovskiy Nature Reserve, 12.V.2001, M. Quest (M. Schwarz det. 2007, as S. morph. Sphecodes spec. 2 aff. cristatus ); Jewish AP: 1 ♂, 30 km SW Obluch’e, 20.VIII.1982, AL; 2 ♀, Leninskoe, Solonechnaya River, 13.VI.2005, MP; 2 ♀, Stolbovoe, 16.VI.2005, MP; Khabarovsk Terr.: 1 ♂, Khabarovsk, 5.VII.1931, V. Pereleshina; 1 ♀, Khekhtsir, 4.VI.1983, DK; 1 ♀, 40 km N Komsomolsk on Amur, 12.V.1998, VM; 1 ♀, Komsomolsk on Amur, on Acer ginnala, 14.VI.2001, 2 ♀, on Salix bebbiana, 12.V.2012, 1 ♀, 30.V.2012, VM; 1 ♀, Bol’shoy Khekhtsir, Bychikha, 19-21.VII.2005, V. Dubatalov; 1 ♀, Tumnin, “Goryachiy Klyuch”, 28.V.2010, VM; Sakhalin: 1 ♀, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, 14.VI.1955, I. Kerzhner [ ZISP, IBSS].

Etymology. Orientalis is a Latin adjective derived from the Orient, the East, referring to the area where the species has been found.

Distribution. Russia: Primorskiy Terr., Jewish AP, Khabarovsk Terr., Sakhalin.

Hosts. Unknown.