Sphecodes pellucidus Smith, 1845

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 : 27-28

Sphecodes pellucidus Smith, 1845

DIAGNOSIS. This species is similar to the western Palaearctic S. pieli Cockerell, 1931 , S. kozlovi Astafurova et Proshchalykin, 2015a , and S. simillimus Smith,

1873 in sharing a similar shape of male genitalia with large membranous portion of gonostylus ( Fig. 26 ), but differs from these species by the lack of a longitudinal carina on the vertex. The female is also similar to S. ephippius differing in the long setae of the scape (distinctly longer than width of scape) and the more transverse head with the vertex not elevated (setae on scape shorter than width of scape and vertex weakly elevated in S. ephippius ).

DESCRIPTIVE NOTES. Hind wing with basal vein strongly curved; costal margin with 5–6 hamuli. Female. Total body length 7.0–11.0 mm. Head strongly transverse, 1.30–1.35 times as wide as long; vertex not elevated. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely punctate (20–30 μm / 0.5–1). Metasomal T1 impunctate or with a few fine punctures; T2 distinctly punctate, denser on anterior third and sparsely on remainder of disc; marginal zones impunctate; T1–T3 red; pygidial plate dull, 1.3–1.5 times wider than metabasitarsus. Male. Total body length 7.0–11.0 mm.

Head transverse, 1.25 times as wide as long; tyloids (from F4 onward) covering

1/2–4/5 of ventral surface of flagellomeres. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum densely punctate (20–30 μm) with punctures separated by less than a puncture diameter, often with contiguous punctures. Metasomal T1 impunctate or rarely with a few fine punctures; T2 sparsely punctate; T1 partly red (black basally and medially), T2 entirely red, T3 entirely or partly red; gonocoxite dorsally without impression.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Kazakhstan. West Kazakhstan: 51 ♀, 72 ♂ (Uralsk

[Oral]; Yanvarztevo; Kharkin, Ural River; Mergenevo; Dzhanybek); Aktobe: 3 ♂

(Chelkar [Shalqar]); Kostanay: 10 ♂ (Borovoye, Kokshetau; Naurzum [Aksuat];

Narsum Nature Reserve ); Kyzylorda: 3 ♀, 1 ♂ (Baigakum near Zhulek, Syr Darya

River; Kazalinsk); Akmola: 15 ♀, 34 ♂ ( Akmolinsk ; Kokshetau Mts, Tersakkan

River ; Tengiz Lake; 10 km N Zharkol Lake); Karagandy: 17 ♀, 180 ♂ (Bayzhanzhal

Mts; Taldy-Manak River, S Zhana-Ark [Atasu]; Ak-Tau; Koksengir, S Zhana-Ark

[Atasu]; Karagash, 60 km NW Zhana-Ark [Atasu]; Karazhal [Qarazhal]); Zhambyl:

1 ♀, 1 ♂ ( Kurday ; 60 km E Dzambul, Monjunkum desert) ; Pavlodar: 5 ♀, 7 ♂

(Pavlodar; Chernoretzkiy; Irtysh River, 13 km NW Lebyazhye; 80 km E Dzhambul,

Vanovka; 40 km E Merke, Novovoskresenovka; Tatti, 80 km E Merke; 10 km E

Dzhambul); East Kazakhstan: 13 ♀, 27 ♂ (Semipalatinsk [Semey]; Topolevka, E

Sarkand; 18 km SE Zaysan, Temir-Su; Ayaguz River, 40 km SE Targabatay; Sa-

sykkol Lake; 40 km SW Ayaguz [Ayagöz]; 20 km ENE Charsk; 20 km SE Aksay;

12 km S Slavyanka, Narym Mts); Almaty: 18 ♀, 9 ♂ (Almaty; Ili River , 50 km S

Bakanas; Otar; Iliysk; Chuiliysk Mts, 5 km E Kurday; Dzhansugurov [Zhangsügirov],

Aksu River; 144 km N Alma-Ata, Malaysari; Alakol lake, Koktuma; 40 km E

Alma-Ata, Fabrichny; Kapchagai, 60 km N Alma-Ata; Matai-desert; Charyn valley,

W Chundza).

PUBLISHED RECORDS. The species was recorded from West Kazakhstan by

Meyer (1924: 7) and Warncke (1992: 43), and from Akmola by Popov (1933: 53).

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

Central Asia, Russia, China (Xinjiang, Sichuan), Mongolia, Europe (north to 66°

latitude), Caucasus, Turkey, North Africa.

Figures

Figs 26–31. Genitalia, males, dorsal view. 26 – Sphecodes pellucidus; 27 – S. pinguiculus;