Epeolus warnckei, 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 : 130-132

Epeolus warnckei sp. nov.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: TURKEY: VAN: ♀, Van env., Erçek , 10.viii.1979, K. Warncke lgt. ( OLML) . ALLOTYPE: TURKEY: VAN: Van env., Erçek , 10.viii.1979, 1, K. Warncke lgt. ( OLML) .

Description. Female. Size: Body length: 5.9 mm.

Head. Length to width ratio = 1.25. Mandible reddish, mandibular apex and preapical tooth darker than rest of mandible. Labrum slightly concave, reddish, coarsely and densely punctate, with two small teeth near apex, apex with prominent hair, only slightly curved. Clypeus reddish, not very shiny and with very fine punctures throughout, basal part of clypeus with white tomentum. Frons with whitish tomentum around antennal socket, and with well-developed frontal keel. Vertex with fine and sparse punctures, interspaces shiny and bigger than puncture diameters, all is hardly visible under sparse yellowish tomentum. Antenna reddish, flagellomeres slightly longer than wide (L:W ratio = 1.05–1.1), F2–F3 longer than other flagellomeres (L:W ratio = 1.15–1.2).

Mesosoma. Pronotum reddish and entirely obscured by creamy whitish tomentum. Mesoscutum black with marginal parts reddish, and with dense coarse punctation, interspaces usually narrower than puncture diameters, in front and central part of similar size to puncture diameters. Mesoscutum around anterior and posterior margins with creamy whitish tomentum, well-developed paramedian band and similar band also on side of mesoscutum. Mesoscutellum reddish, round, densely and very coarsely punctate, punctures bigger than on mesoscutum. Axillar tooth (free portion of axilla) longer than mesoscutellum and acute. Mesoscutellum with posterior margin extending over propodeum. Propodeum very finely sculptured, dull, lower part shiny with creamy whitish tomentum laterally. Mesopleuron on whole surface with dense whitish tomentum, in lower half reddish and very coarsely and quite densely punctate, shiny interspaces narrower than puncture diameters, small upper part of mesopleuron black. Wings slightly brownish with dark brown venation. Legs reddish, only basal part of front coxa darker, tibial spurs on middle and hind legs yellow.

Metasoma. Whole metasoma reddish. T1 finely and densely punctate, interspaces shiny and narrower than puncture diameters. T1–T2 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. T3–T4 densely punctate with shiny interspaces and ill-developed depressions. T3–T4 with apical band of yellowish tomentum interrupted medially, ends of terga semitransparent. T5 shiny with very fine and dense punctation, with sparse whitish tomentum on whole surface, pseudopygidial area short with silver-like pubescence. T6 reddish with slightly curved apex, bearing reddish and wide pygidial plate with dense short yellowish hair. S2 coarsely and densely punctate, interspaces similar in width to puncture diameters. Other sterna more finely and densely punctate. S5 straight and wide. Processes on sides of S6 normal, with short projections. All sterna with creamy whitish tomentum.

Male. Size. Body length: 5.3 mm.

Head. Length to width ratio = 1.2. Mandible reddish, mandibular apex and preapical tooth darker than rest of mandible. Labrum concave, reddish, coarsely and densely punctate, with two small teeth near the apex, apex with prominent hair, only slightly curved. Clypeus black with reddish apex, not very shiny and with very fine punctures throughout, basal part with white tomentum. Frons with whitish tomentum around antennal socket, and with well-developed frontal keel. Vertex with fine and sparse punctures, interspaces shiny and wider than puncture diameters, all is hardly visible under sparse whitish tomentum. Antenna reddish, scape brown on base. Flagellomeres shorter than wide (L:W ratio = 0.85), F2–F3 longer than other flagellomeres (L:W ratio = 1.1).

Mesosoma. Pronotum entirely obscured by creamy whitish tomentum. Mesoscutum black with sparse and coarse punctation, interspaces usually wider than puncture size, in front and central part similar width to puncture diameters. Mesoscutum black, along anterior and posterior margins with creamy whitish tomentum, well-developed but short paramedian band and similar band also on sides. Mesoscutellum black, round, sparsely and very coarsely punctate, punctures wider than on mesoscutum, axillar tooth (free portion of axilla) longer than mesoscutellum and acute, reddish on apex. Mesoscutellum with posterior margin extending over propodeum. Propodeum very finely sculptured, dull, lower part shiny and laterally with yellowish tomentum. Mesopleuron on whole surface with dense whitish tomentum, in lower half coarsely and densely punctate, shiny interspaces narrower than puncture diameters. Wings slightly brownish with dark brown venation. Legs brownish, only tibiae and tarsi reddish, tibial spurs on middle and hind legs yellow.

Metasoma. T1 finely and densely punctate, interspaces shiny and of similar width to puncture diameters. T1–T2 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. T3–T5 densely punctate with shiny interspaces and ill-developed depression. T3–T5 with apical band of yellowish tomentum interrupted medially, ends of terga semitransparent. T6 shiny with very fine and dense punctation, with sparse whitish tomentum on the whole surface. T7 short and broad, round, reddish, with matt surface with ill-developed fine punctures. 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 brownish hair on apex.

Differential diagnosis. This species is very similar to E. flavociliatus , and both species can be distinguished from all other Epeolini in Turkey by the elongate and distinctly hooked axillae. Unlike E. flavociliatus , in which the labrum does not have tubercles, E. warnckei has well-developed labral tubercles near the apex of the labrum. Punctation on whole body is much denser and coarser than in E. flavociliatus . Most of the body is red in females and with whitish tomentum. Male is black with red legs, scape, pedicel and F1 partly red. Similar is also E. subrufescens, but it differs by typical darkened and sc- lerotized apical tubercles in the middle of mesoscutellum.

Etymology. Both specimens of this species were collected on the same day and at one locality by German specialist Klaus Warncke to whom I dedicate the species.

Ecology. Host and floral associations are unknown.

Distribution. Known from only one male and one female recorded at one locality near Lake Van, east Turkey. This species is probably rare and it is not possible to write anything more about its distribution and occurrence at this time.