Colletes pseudolaevigena Kuhlmann, 2002

Niu, Ze-Qing, Zhu, Chao-Dong & Kuhlmann, Michael, 2014, The Bees of the Genus Colletes (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae) from China, Zootaxa 3856 (4), pp. 451-483 : 465-467

Colletes pseudolaevigena Kuhlmann, 2002

( Figs. 4 a–f)

Colletes pseudolaevigena Kuhlmann 2002b: 1158 –1159.

The female of C. pseudolaevigena has been unknown and is here described for the first time.

Diagnosis. Within the C. foveolaris -group the female of C. pseudolaevigena is characterized by a moderately elongate malar area ( Fig. 4 c), that is about as long as width of base of mandible or slightly shorter (distinctly shorter in C. brumalis , C. foveolaris , C. gandhi , C. luzhouensis ; distinctly longer in C. annapurnensis , C. laevigena ) similar to that of C. reinigi and the western Palaearctic C. coriandri , C. escalerai , C. judaicus and C. moricei . From these species C. pseudolaevigena can be differentiated by the much denser punctation of the abdominal terga ( Fig. 4 e, 4f) that most closely resembles C. annapurnensis , but in the latter the apical tergal hair bands of T2–3 are about 1/3 broader. The tergal punctation of C. gandhi and C. luzhouensis is denser and coarser than in C. pseudolaevigena .

Description: Female, BL=9.0–9.5mm; head obviously broader than long, HW:HL=61:50 ( Fig. 4 b); gena nearly as broad as eye in lateral view, GW:EW=9:11 ( Fig. 4 c); width of metasoma slightly narrower than that between tegulae, MtW:TW=68:70. Clypeus nearly as long as broad, with coarse and dense oblique spine-shaped punctation basially, apical punctation slightly sparser ( Fig. 4 b); disc of scutum and scutellum shiny, with round and dispersed punctation, i=1.5–2.0d ( Fig. 4 d); disc of scutellum medially smooth ( Fig. 4 d); malar area long, medially nearly as long as width of mandible base ( Fig. 4 c); facial fovea narrow and shallow, nearly 1/2 times wide as width of antennal flagellum; propodeum laterally covered with sparse erect long paler hairs, integumental sculpture completely visible; disc of T1 finely and densely punctate, i=0.5–1.0d; T1 with large lateral white hair pathes, T2 with basal white hair band, T2–T5 with narrow white apical hair bands, and the apical hair band on T2 about 1/4–1/ 5 times broad as exposed tergum of T2 ( Figs. 4 e, 4f); sloping anterior sparsely and lateral anterior parts of T1 slightly densely covered with erect long white plumose hairs. Antennal flagella ventrally black ( Figs. 4 a, 4d); all legs black. Face, vertex, pronotal lobe, scutum and scutellum covered paler yellowish white plumose hairs, and sparsely intermixed with long black hairs ( Figs. 4 a, 4c, 4d).Gena, mesepisternum covered with long paler white plumose hairs.

Material examined: China, Xizang: 2♂♂, Kyishong, 4500 m, 10.VII.1924, Maj. R.W.G. Hingston, Mt. Everest Exp. ( NHML, RCMK); 1♀, Zêtang (91º42′E 29º12′N), 3553 m, 13.VI.1981, Tai-Lu Chen; 1♀, Zêtang (91º42′E 29º12′N), 3553 m, 22.VI.1981, Tai-Lu Chen; 12♀♀, Damxung Xian, Yangbajain (90º30′E 30º00′N), 4200 m, 21.IX.1975, Zi-Qing Wang; 2♀♀, Xigazê Xian (88º48′E 29º12′N), 3800 m, 9.VI.1961, Lin-Yao Wang; 1♀, Qüxü Xian (90º42′E 29º18′N), 9.VII.1966, Shu-Yong Wang.

Floral association: no record.

General distribution: China (Xizang).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Colletes pseudolaevigena Kuhlmann, female. a: Body in lateral view; b: Head in frontal view; c: Head in lateral view; d: Scutum in dorsal view; e: Metasoma in dorsal view; f: T 1 – T 2 in dorsal view. Scale bar: 1 mm.