Sphecodes rubicundus Hagens, 1875

Astafurova, Yulia V., Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu. & Schwarz, Maximilian, 2019, The distribution of the genus Sphecodes Latreille (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) of the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding countries with description of hitherto unknown female of S. atlanticus Warncke, 1992 and male of S. dathei Schwarz, 2010, ZooKeys 872, pp. 13-40 : 28

Sphecodes rubicundus Hagens, 1875

Sphecodes rubicundus Hagens, 1875: 318 (syntypes: ♂♂, ♀♀, Germany;? Dominican monastery, Venlo, Nederland).

Sphecodes rubicundus altisilesiacus Torka, 1927 (Synonyms).

Diagnosis.

The female of this species as well as S. ruficrus is most close to S. pellucidus and S. ephippius owing to a densely punctate head and mesosoma, relative wide pygidial plate and impunctate T1, but differs by having a distinctly elevated vertex with the distance between vertex and upper margin of lateral ocellus at least a lateral ocellar diameter as seen in frontal view (versus 0.2-0.5). S. rubicundus differs from S. ruficrus by white pubescence of head and mesosoma (with brown setae in S. ruficrus ) and a less curved basal (M) vein in hind wing. The male most closely resembles S. pesenkoi Astafurova & Proshchalykin, 2018 and S. ruficrus (Erichson, 1835) owing to a similar gonostylar shape (elongate, spoon-shaped). The male of S. rubicundus differs from S. pesenkoi by an areolate mesoscutum (versus punctures separated by 1-3 puncture diameters) and coarsely and densely punctate T1 (a few fine punctures in S. pesenkoi ).

According to the phylogenetic analysis ( Habermannová et al. 2013) Sphecodes rubicundus , S. ruficrus , S. pellucidus , and S. ephippius belong to the same clade. Relationship between these species also is well supported by morphological characters.

Material examined.

ISRAEL, 2 ♂♂, Jerusalem, 800 m, 20.III.1975, K.M. Guichard (NHMUK 1975-154, 013380388, 013380386); 1 ♀, Tiberias, 200 m, 22.III.1975, K.M. Guichard (NHMUK 1975-154, 013380384); 1 ♀, Jerusalem, 20.III.1993, D. Ahal (OLBL/PCMS).

Distribution.

*Israel; Europe (north to 56°), Russia (south of the European part), Turkey, Caucasus, Iran.