Epeolus productuloides, Bogusch, 2018

Bogusch, Petr, 2018, Three new species and new records of cuckoo bees of the genus Epeolus in Turkey (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Nomadinae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 58 (1), pp. 127-135 : 132-133

Epeolus productuloides sp. nov.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: TURKEY: HAKKARI:, Beytüşşebap , 1250 m a. s. l., 10.viii.1983, K. Warncke lgt. ( OLML). PARATYPES: TUR- KEY: BITLIS: Bitlis env., Nemrut Daği, 2300 m a. s. l.., 15.viii.1991, 2

, K. Warncke lgt. ( OLML). HAKKARI: Beytüşşebap, 1250 m a. s. l., 10.viii.1983, 1, K. Warncke lgt. ( OLML).

Description. Male. Size: Body length: 6.3 mm.

Head: Length to width ratio = 1.24. Mandible reddish, mandibular apex and preapical tooth darker than rest of mandible. Labrum reddish and flat, coarsely and densely punctate, with two prominent teeth not in the middle but positioned in 2/3 of the length of clypeus from the base, apex straight with short whitish hair. Clypeus black, not very shiny and with very fine punctation throughout, with whitish tomentum on whole surface. Frons with dense whitish hair around antennal socket, with well-developed frontal keel. Vertex finely and sparsely punctate, interspaces shiny and wider than puncture diameters, punctation behind ocelli denser. Antenna light brownish, only scape reddish. Flagellomeres slightly shorter than wide (L:W ratio = 0.9–0.95), F2–F3 equal in length to width.

Mesosoma. Pronotum entirely obscured by yellowish tomentum. Mesoscutum black with dense coarse punctation, interspaces of similar width as puncture diameters. Basal part of mesoscutum with yellowish tomentum and very short maculae-like paramedian band. Mesoscutellum black, round, densely and very coarsely punctate, punctures greater than on mesoscutum, axillar tooth (free portion of axilla) short and acute, reddish at the end. Mesoscutellum with posterior margin extending over propodeum. Propodeum very finely sculptured, dull, lower part of propodeum shiny with yellowish tomentum laterally. Mesopleuron in upper half with dense yellowish tomentum, in lower half coarsely and densely punctate, shiny interspaces narrower than puncture diameters. Wings slightly brownish with dark brown venation. Legs reddish, only basal parts of front coxae dark, tibial spurs on middle and hind legs reddish.

Metasoma. T1 finely and densely punctate, interspaces matt and narrower than puncture diameters. T1 with band of tomentum connected together and forming C-shaped mark on each side. T1–T2 medially with apical impressed area with light brown or reddish-brown tomentum. T2–T5 densely punctate with shiny interspaces with ill-developed depressions. T2–T4 with two spots of yellowish tomentum laterally and T5 with one spot of yellowish tomentum laterally, depressions well-developed and semitransparent. T6 shiny with very fine and dense punctation, with sparse whitish tomentum on whole surface. T7 elongate, round, reddish, with matt surface, ill-developed fine punctures and narrow brownish margin. S2 quite coarsely and densely punctate, interspaces similar to width of puncture diameters. Other sterna more finely and densely punctate. S1–S3 with white tomentum on apex, S4–S5 with prominent thick yellowish hair on apex.

Differential diagnosis. This species is in the E. variegatus group, and is most similar to E. productulus because of the tubercles on the labrum positioned not in the middle but nearer to the apex, straight labral apex, shiny mesoscutum and dense punctures on T2. Males of E. productuloides differ in that they have very fine and sparse punctation on the metasoma contrasting with rough punctation on the mesosoma, uninterrupted apical bands of tomentum on T2–T5 and a red pygidial plate. All specimens have a red labrum, antenna and legs (all these structures are completely or partly black or brownish in most specimens of E. productulus ).

Etymology. The species is very similar in morphology and certainly closely related to E. productulus . The species epithet is derived using the Greek suffix – oides, meaning ʻresemblingʼ.

Ecology. Host and floral associations are unknown.

Distribution. Only four males were recorded at two localities in east Turkey. The localities are not far away from each other. However, it is not possible to write anything more about its distribution and occurrence.