Sphecodes crassus Thomson, 1870

Astafurova, Yu. V., Proshchalykin, M. Yu. & Engel, M. S., 2018, The cuckoo bee genus Sphecodes Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) in Kazakhstan, Far Eastern Entomologist 369, pp. 1-48 : 10-11

Sphecodes crassus Thomson, 1870

DIAGNOSIS. Sphecodes crassus differs from other small Palaearctic species

[i.e., S. geoffrellus (Kirby, 1802) ] and the croaticus species-group ( S. croaticus

Meyer, 1922, S. pseudofasciatus Blüthgen, 1925 , S. zangherii Noskiewicz, 1931 )

and miniatus species-group ( S. creticus Warncke, 1992 , S. haladai Warncke, 1992 ,

S. larochei Warncke, 1992 , S. marginatus Hagens, 1882 , S. miniatus Hagens, 1882 ,

S. nomioidis Pesenko, 1979 , S. schawrzi Astafurova et Proshchalykin, 2014 , S. sandykachis Astafurova et Proshchalykin, 2018 ) by combination of female characters:

head strongly transverse, 1.25 times as wide as long; labrum trapezoidal, 0.7 times as long as width (head less transverse, 1.1–1.2 times as wide as long and labrum semicircular, 0.5 times as long as width in S. geoffrellus ); F3 square, 1.3–1.4 as long as F1 and F2 (F3 transverse and equal F1 and F 2 in the miniatus species-group); T1

impunctate or with a few fine punctures (distinctly punctate in the croaticus speciesgroup). The male differs by short tyloids usually covering less than one third of ventral flagellar surfaces (more longer in S. geoffrellus and in species of the miniatus and croaticus species-groups).

DESCRIPTIVE NOTES. Hind wing with basal vein strongly curved; costal margin with 5 hamuli. Female. Total body length 5.0–8.0 mm. Head strongly transverse,

1.25 times as wide as long; vertex not elevated; labrum trapezoidal, 0.7 times as long as wide; clypeus relatively sparsely punctate, punctures separated by at least a puncture diameter. Mesoscutum sparsely punctate, with fine punctures (10–20 μm)

separated by 2–6 (sometimes sparser) puncture diameters. Metafemur strongly enlarged in proximal half, maximum width 0.4 times its length. Metasomal T1 usually impunctate or with a few fine punctures; anterior half of T2 with fine and relatively dense punctures; T1–T3 red, T3 sometimes dark apically; pygidial plate 0.6–0.7

times as wide as metabasitarsus. Male. Total body length 5.0–7.0 mm. Head weakly transverse, 1.15 times as wide as long; tyloids usually covering less than 1/3

(rarely longer, up to 1/2) of ventral flagellar surfaces. Mesoscutum with fine punctures (10–20 μm) medially separated by 1–4 puncture diameters. Metasomal

T1 with a few fine punctures, sometimes almost impunctate; T2 distinctly punctate;

T1–T3 red, T1 basally, T2 and T3 apically often dark; gonocoxite dorsally with impression; gonostylus oval ( Fig. 6 ).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Kazakhstan. West Kazakhstan: near Uralsk [Oral],

30.IV 1907, 1 ♀, Borodin [ZISP]; Yanvartsevo, Ural River, 15.V–31.VIII 1949, 8

♀, VR [ZISP]; Kharkin , Ural River, 12.V–4.VI 1951 , 12 ♀, VR [ZISP]; Kyzylorda :

70 km NNW Kyzylorda, 8.VI 1979, 1 ♂, YP [ZISP]; Akmola: Kokshetau Mts,

Tersakkan River, 21.V 1957, 1 ♀, VT [ZISP]; Karagandy: 30–40 km S Zhana-Ark

[Atasu], 10.V 1959, 3 ♀, VT [ZISP]; Taldy-Manak River, S Zhana-Ark [Atasu],

10.VI 1959, 1 ♀, AP [ZISP]; 55–80 km SEE Karakalinsk , 21.VI.1978, 1 ♂, VK

[ZISP]; Pavlodar: Zhelezinka, 17.VI 1928, 1 ♀, Belizin [ZMMU]; Pavlodar, 22.V

1928, 1 ♀, Belizin [ZMMU]; East Kazakhstan: Ayaguz River , 40 km SE Targabatay ,

1400 m, 1.VIII 1986, 1 ♂, YP [ZISP]; Cherdoyak River, 45 km NE Kurchum, 1000

m, Naryn Mts, 11.VIII 1986, 1 ♂, YP [ZISP]; 20 km ENE Charsk, 600 m, 17.VII

1987, 1 ♂, YP [ZISP]; Almaty: near Almaty, 8.VI 1977 , 1 ♂, MK [ZISP]; 3 km S

Issik, 22-23.VI 1992, 1 ♀, KD [PCMS].

DISTRIBUTION. * Kazakhstan (West Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda, Akmola, Karagandy, Pavlodar, East Kazakhstan, Almaty), Mongolia, Russia, Europe (north to

64° latitude), Caucasus, Turkey, Central Asia, Iran, Japan, North Africa.

Figures

Figs 2–7. Genitalia, males, dorsal view. 2 – Sphecodes albilabris; 3 – S. alternatus; 4 – S.