Sphecodes howardi Cockerell, 1922

Astafurova, Yulia V., Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu. & Schwarz, Maximilian, 2020, New and little-known species of the genus Sphecodes Latreille (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) from Southeast Asia, ZooKeys 937, pp. 31-88 : 31

Sphecodes howardi Cockerell, 1922 Figures 69 , 71

Sphecodes howardi Cockerell, 1922: 12, ♀ (holotype: ♀, Canton [= Guangdong], China, C.W. Howard Collection, Type No 24885USNM; USNM, http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3129f6c5d-578d-446f-bdc7-f59ccb6213e0).

Diagnosis.

This species is most close to Sphecodes kershawi and also resembles S. formosanus Cockerell, 1911, S. takaensis Blüthgen, 1927, and S. binghami owing to similar structure, sculpture, and coloration of the body, including a densely punctate disc and marginal zone of T1 (differences between females of these species are outlined in Table 2 ). Structurally and sculpturally the species is also close to S. distinctus and S. sibuyanensis Cockerell, 1925 and one of these species may possibly be the unknown male of S. howardi , especially S. sibuyanensis which has the same brown wing coloration (lighter and yellowish in S. distinctus ).

Descriptive notes.

Wings with brownish darkening; hind wing with angle between basal (M) and cubital (Cu) veins ca. 70°, costal margin with seven or eight hamuli. Lateral preoccipital carina present. Female. Total body length 8.5-9.5 mm. Head transverse, ca. 1.25 times as wide as long; vertex elevated with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus approximately a lateral ocellar diameter as seen in frontal view; labrum semi-oval, 0.4 times as long as basal width; face and vertex areolate-punctate; paraocular (below and above the antennal sockets), supraclypeal areas and gena with adpressed white pubescence obscuring integument. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum mostly with areolate punctures (40-75 μm), but medially with a few shining interspaces of approximately a puncture diameter (Fig. 69 ); propodeal triangle (metapostnotum) reticulate-rugose (sculpture formingone or two rows of large deep cells); mesepisternum reticulate-rugose. Metasomal T1 on disc and marginal zone finely and densely punctate (10-15 μm / 0.5-3), remaining terga similarly punctate, but with impunctate marginal zones; T4 marginal zone finely tessellate (Fig. 71 ); T1-T3 red, T4 variable; pygidial plate 0.7 times as wide as metabasitarsus. Male unknown.

Material examined.

Malaysia: 1 ♀, Titi Serong Perak, 29.III.1930, H.T. Pagden (NHMUK 013380439); Myanmar: 1 ♀, Upper Burma, Nam Tamai Valley, 3000 ft, 12.VIII.1938, R. Kaulback, 27°42'N, 97°54'E (NHMUK 013380337); China: 1 ♀, Canton, 1916-1918, H. Weigold (ZMHB).

Distribution.

*Malaysia, *Myanmar, China (Guangdong).

Figures

Figures 69 - 74. Sphecodes howardi Cockerell (69, 71), S. kershawi Perkins (70, 72 - 74), females 69, 70 mesosoma, dorsal view 71, 72 T 4 - T 6, dorso-lateral 73 head, frontal view 74 metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.