Leioproctus (Leioproctus) platycephalus (Cockerell, 1912)

Maynard, Glynn Vivian, 2013, Revision of Goniocolletes and seven Australian subgenera of Leioproctus (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae), and description of new taxa, Zootaxa 3715 (1), pp. 1-114 : 49-51

Leioproctus (Leioproctus) platycephalus species-group

Five species are recognised in this group, all are very similar, and in several cases the intraspecific variation is almost as great as the variation between species.

Diagnosis— Frons rugulose; scutum surface granulose with weak punctures; propodeal triangle with transverse carina, basal area rugulose, about equal in length to vertical area; jugal lobe of hind wing not reaching cu-a; S7 with 2 simple, flat, apical lobes bearing branched hairs; apices of gonoforceps tapering to a blunt point.

Description— Length ca 7–10 mm; head and mesosoma black, metasoma non-metallic, black, brown or reddish. Head— Vertex sparse, erect, open-branched hair; eyes protuberant; inner eye margin almost parallel; facial fovea not depressed, marked by change in surface sculpture; scape black, reaches median ocellus or beyond; flagellum black, in males F1 length about 0.5 width, F2 length about equal to width, F3–11 length about 1 and half width, in female F1–10 length less than width; frons flat, rough, rugulose; supraclypeal area strongly raised, polished with a few punctures; clypeus polished with a few punctures; epistomal suture usually distinct; malar space polished, short, length less than 0.5 x width of base of mandibles. Mesosoma — Surface granular with weak punctures, hair erect, sparse, usually black on scutum and scutellum; propodeal triangle usually with a strong transverse carina marking basal area and a few weak longitudinal ridges in basal area. Wings: first recurrent vein enters second submarginal cell apically; jugal lobe of hind wing not reaching cu-a. Legs: female usually with large basitibial plate greater than 0.2 x length hind tibia; tibial scopa with coarse, monopodal hair. Metasoma— T2 usually with clearly defined lateral foveae; female caudal fimbria coarse, dark; female pygidial plate rounded apically, slightly raised medially, coriaceous; S2– 4 female, with broad, apical band of branched hairs; male S2–6 with only sparse, short hair. Male S7 lobes rounded and ventral branched hair patch; S8 median apical process about equal in length to basal area; genitalia: gonoforceps acute apically with spine medially on inner margin; volsella small; penis valves with apices ventrally directed.

Key to species of Leioproctus (Leioproctus) platycephalus species-group

[Note: The separation of females without inner ramus of claws is difficult]

1 Mid tibial spur strongly hooked................................. Leioproctus (Leioproctus) nasutus Houston, 1990

– Mid tibial spur straight, or almost so...................................................................... 2

2 Male (without hind tibial scopa)......................................................................... 3

– Female (with hind tibial scopa)........................................................................... 5

3 Hair of clypeus fine and branched........................... Leioproctus (Leioproctus) maculatus (Rayment, 1930)

– Hair of clypeus thick, twisted, somewhat flattened........................................................... 4

4 Inner margin of gonoforceps expanded to overlap penis valve, rarely with a small spine at apex of protuberance, not known from coastal south-east Queensland ........................ Leioproctus (Leioproctus) platycephalus (Cockerell, 1912)

– Inner margin of gonoforceps almost straight, with large median spine, only known from coastal south-east Queensland .......................................................... Leioproctus (Leioproctus) cyaneorufus ( Cockerell, 1930)

5 Claws with inner ramus absent or small.................................................................... 6

– Claws with large inner ramus............................................................................ 7

6 Body length about 7 mm; claw occasionally with small inner ramus; only known from coastal south-east Queensland ........................................................... .. Leioproctus (Leioproctus) cyaneorufus ( Cockerell, 1930)

– Body length about 8 mm; claw never with inner ramus; not known from coastal south-east Queensland ....................................................................... Leioproctus (Leioproctus) platycephalus (Cockerell, 1912)

7 Basitibial plate 0.2 x length hind tibia............................. Leioproctus (Leioproctus) rubellus (Smith, 1862)

– Basitibial plate 0.25–0.3 x length tibia........................ Leioproctus (Leioproctus) maculatus (Rayment, 1930)