Sphecodes gibbus (Linnaeus, 1758)

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 : 17-18

Sphecodes gibbus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Sphecodes tadauchi Mitai, 2012: 95–97 (holotype: ♀, Kazakhstan, South Kazakhstan Prov.,

Achisai, Mts. Karatau, 5.VI 2003, leg. K. Mitai, ELKU, examined), syn. n.

DIAGNOSIS. Sphecodes gibbus belongs to the gibbus species-group (refer to

Diagnosis for S. anatolicus for group description, above). Among species of this group S. gibbus is most similar to the western Palaearctic S. nippon as they have a similar sculpture and stricture of the body (this two species are challenging to distinguish), but differs from it most notably by the more developed tyloids on the male flagellomeres, covering large part of flagellomere as seen in lateral view

(semicircular across basal 1/ 3 in S. nippon ). The female also resembles that of S.

anatolicus, but differs by the more elevated vertex with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus about three lateral ocellar diameters in frontal view

(this distance is about two in S. anatolicus ).

DESCRIPTIVE NOTES. Hind wing with basal vein weakly curved; costal margin with 10–15 hamuli. Female. Total body length 7.0–15.0 mm. Head transverse,

1.25–1.32 times as wide as long. Mesoscutum medially with punctures separated by

1–4 (sometimes more) puncture diameters; mesoscutellum often with impunctate areas; mesepisternum reticulate-rugose; propodeum laterally strigate or reticulaterugose. Metasomal T1 sparsely and finely punctate; marginal zones on T1 and T2

distinctly punctate, but on T3 and T4 impunctate; T1–T4 red, T5 from red to black,

sometimes T4 whole or partly black; pygidial plate 0.6–0.7 times as wide as metabasitarsus. Male. Total body length 7.0–14.0 mm. Head transverse, 1.2 times as wide as long; tyloids well developed, covering large part of flagellomere as seen in lateral view. Mesoscutum coarsely punctate, density of punctures variable, usually relatively densely punctate, medially with punctures separated by at most 1–1.5

puncture diameters, sometimes sparser (up to 3 puncture diameters). Metasomal

T1–T3 red (T1 often black basally), T4 from red to black; gonocoxite dorsally without impression; gonostylus with long apical process ( Fig. 11 ).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Kazakhstan. West Kazakhstan: 33 ♀, 30 ♂ (Uralsk

[Oral]; Yanvartsevo; Chinarev; Kharkin; Dzhanybek; 110 km ESE Dzhambeyta);

Atyrau: 3 ♂ (Abas; 30 km W Miyaly, Uil River); Mangystau : 1 ♀ (120 km E Aktau ,

Ushtagan, Sauskan sands); Aktobe: 3 ♀, 3 ♂ (Bolshiye Barsuki desert, near Chelkar

[Shalqar]; Malye Barsuki desert); Kyzylorda: 1 ♂ (Baygakum); Akmola: 12 ♀, 22 ♂

(Borovoye, Kokshetau; Kokshetau Mts, Tersakkan River; 10 km N Zharkol Lake);

Karagandy: 2 ♀, 7 ♂ ( Bayzhanzhal Mts ; Koksengir S Zhana-Arka [Atasu]; AkTau; Karzhal); South Kazakhstan : 9 ♀, 4 ♂ (15 km SE Suzak, Karatau Mts ; 40 km

N Tashkent, Darbaza; Achisai; Karatau Mts; Aksu Valley; Altyn-Ilmen Nature

Park; Kokseit, Kyzykkumskiy canal); Zhambyl: 5 ♀, 2 ♂ (5 km E Kurday; Aidarli ,

Ili River ; 10 km E Dzhambul; NW Tatti, Muyunkum desert); Pavlodar: 5 ♀, 2 ♂

(Dzhambul env., Kara Tau; 60 km, Akir Tobe; 50 km, Bjelikol Kara Tau; 15 km

Dzhambul, Assa; Irtysh River , 13 km NW Lebyazhye); East Kazakhstan: 8 ♀, 44 ♂

(Semipalatinsk[Semey]; 15 km N Nikitinka; 18 km SE Zaysan, Temir-Su; 15 km

ENE Targyn, Altay Mts; 20 km ENE Charsk; 55 km WNW Saryzek; Ayaguz River,

40–45 km SE Targabatay; Cherdoyak River, 45 km NE Kurchum; Kedrovka River,

10 km S Leninogorsk [Ridder], Ulba Mts ; 5 km S Zharma ; 40 km SW Ayaguz [Ayagöz]; Talmenka River , 30 km Kokpety ; 20 km SE Aksay ; Georgievka); Almaty: 51 ♀ ,

44 ♂ (Almaty; 50 km S Bakanas; Iliysk [Kapchagay]; Bakanas , Ili River ; Chamgan ,

Ala-Tau Ridge; Talgar River; Axaj; Ayaksu River, 25 km SSE Dzhansugurov [Zhangsügirov]; Dzhansugurov; SE Tchilik [Shelek] env.; 144 km N Alma-Ata, Malaysari;

3 km S Issik; 40 km E Alma-Ata, Fabrichny; Lepsi; Alakol Lake, Koktuma; Mataidesert; Panfilov [Zharkent]; 40 km W Panfilov; 3 km NE Barandysy, 30 km E Shelek;

Almaatinskoe Lake; 45 km W Kapshagay [Qapshaghay], Ili River; 45 km NW Kapchagay).

PUBLISHED RECORDS. The species was recorded from South Kazakhstan by

Meyer (1919: 105, as S. nigripennis ), Popov (1951: 167), and Warncke (1992: 30,

as S. gibbus nigripennis ). Morawitz (1876: 257, as S. nigripennis Morawitz, 1876 ),

Meyer (1922: 1, as S. gibbus var. turcestanicus Meyer, 1919 ) and Popov (1967: 46)

recorded the species from Kyzylorda, while Popov (1933: 53) gave locality records for Akmola. Mitai (2012: 97, as Sphecodes tadauchi Mitai, 2012 ) recorded the species from South Kazakhstan, Zhambyl and Almaty.

DISTRIBUTION. Kazakhstan (* West Kazakhstan, * Atyrau, *Mangystau, *Aktobe, Kyzylorda, Akmola, *Karagandy, South Kazakhstan, Zhambyl, *Pavlodar,

*East Kazakhstan, Almaty), Central Asia, Russia (east to Yakutia), Pakistan, Mongolia, China (Xinjiang), Europe (north to 63° latitude), Turkey, Israel, North Africa,

India.

Figures

Figs 8–13. Genitalia, males, dorsal view. 8 – Sphecodes ephippius; 9 – S. ferruginatus;