Sphecodes albilabris (Fabricius, 1793)

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 : 5-6

Sphecodes albilabris (Fabricius, 1793)

DIAGNOSIS. Sphecodes albilabris is similar to those species of the Palaearctic gibbus species-group ( S. anatolicus Warncke, 1922 , S. gibbus (Linnaeus, 1758) , S.

nippon Meyer, 1922, 1838 , S. rufiventris (Panzer, 1798) , S. schenckii Hagens, 1882 ,

S. tadschicus Blüthgen in Popov, 1935) by sharing with them a long and rather strongly elevated vertex (distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus more 2.2 and 2.5–3.0 lateral ocellar diameters as seen in frontal and dorsal views, respectively, versus species with a short vertex where this distance is at most

2 diameters as seen in frontal and dorsal views), as well as a coarsely punctate body. This species is quite similar to S. rubripes Spinola, 1838 [1839], both differ from other species of the gibbus species-group in a mesoscutal integument that is effectively areolate. Hovewer, of S. albilabris differs from vicarian S. rubripes by white head and mesoscutum setae of female (brown in S. rubripes ) and brown tibia and basitarsus of both sexes (red in S. rubripes ).

DESCRIPTIVE NOTES. Hind wing with basal vein weakly curved; costal margin with 12–14 hamuli. Female. Total body length 9.0–15.0 mm. Head strongly transverse, 1.3 times as wide as long; distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus 2.5–3.0 lateral ocellar diameters as seen in dorsal view. Mesoscutum coarsely areolate-punctate (50–125 μm); mesepisternum reticulate-rugose;

propodeum laterally strigate-rugose or reticulate-rugose. Metasoma with marginal zones of T3–T4 impunctate; T1–T5 red, T5 usually black apically; pygidial plate dull, as wide as metabasitarsus or slightly narrower. Male. Total body length 9.0–

12.0 mm. Head strongly transverse, 1.25–1.3 times as wide as long; tyloids (at least from F4 onward) semicircular across basal 1/5–1/3 and linear across remainder of flagellomere as seen in lateral view. Mesoscutum areolate-punctate (50–100 μm);

mesoscutellum irregularly punctate, medially with punctures separated by more than a puncture diameter. Metasoma with T1–T5 red, rarely T1 blackish basally;

gonocoxite dorsally without impression; gonostylus larger, not narrowed apically

( Fig. 2 ).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Kazakhstan. West Kazakhstan: 21 ♀, 28 ♂ (Uralsk

[ Oral]; Yanvartsevo ; 110 km ESE Dzhambeyta); Aktobe: 2 ♀, 1 ♂ (Bolshiye

Barsuki desert, near Chelkar [Shalqar]; Chelkar [Shalqar]; Malaya Kobda River, 70

km E Aktyubinsk [Aktobe]); Kostanay: 1 ♂ (near Uzunkol); Kyzylorda: 1 ♀

(Baigakum near Zhulek, Syr Darya River); Akmola: 8 ♂ (Ishim River, 20 km SW

Esil); Karagandy: 8 ♀, 9 ♂ ( Taldy-Manak River , S Zhana-Ark[Atasu]; Aktau, 80

km S Zhana-Ark [Atasu]; Koksengir S Zhana-Arka [Atasu]); South Kazakhstan: 5

♀, 4 ♂ (15 km SE Suzak, Karatau Mts ; 20 km SE Zhanatas, Karatau Mts; Ayaguz

River , 40 km SE Targabatay; Altyn-Ilmen Nature Park); Zhambyl: 8 ♀, 1 ♂

(Dzhambul [Taraz] env., Kara Tau; Makbal; 15 km Dzhambul [Taraz], Assa; 10 km

E Dzhambul [Taraz]; Balkhash Lake, 30 km NNW Mynaral; 30 km N Karabastau;

15 km NW Shardara); Pavlodar : 2 ♀, 3 ♂ (Pavlodar) ; East Kazakhstan: 4 ♀, 11 ♂

(Semipalatinsk [Semey]; Talmenka River, 30 km Kokpety; 5 km S Zharma; Char

River, 50 km SE Semipalatinsk ; 20 km SE Aksay ; Georgievka ); Almaty: 8 ♀, 16 ♂

(Iliysk; Axaj; Chuiliysk Mts, 5 km E Kurday; Aksu River, 25 km SSE Dzhansugurov [Zhangsügirov]; Dzhungar Alatau Mts; 3 km S Issik; Alakol lake, Koktuma;

Matai-desert; 10 km SE Kaskelen; Charyn valley, W Chundza).

DISTRIBUTION. * Kazakhstan (West Kazakhstan, Aktobe, Kostanay, Kyzylorda, Akmola, Karagandy, South Kazakhstan, Zhambyl, Pavlodar, East Kazakhstan,

Almaty), Central Asia, Russia (east to Primorskiy Terr.), Europe (north to Finland and Sweden), Turkey, Syria, Caucasus, India.

Figures

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