Colletes fasciatus Smith, 1853

Kuhlmann, Michael, 2007, Revision of the bees of the Colletes fasciatus-group in southern Africa (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), African Invertebrates 48 (2), pp. 121-166 : 141-143

Colletes fasciatus Smith, 1853

Figs 22, 23 , 41

Colletes fasciata: Smith 1853: 4 . Type locality: South Africa, Cape.

Colletes hirsutissimus: Cockerell 1945 (1946) : 837–838. Type locality: South Africa, Lion’s Head, Cape Town .

Diagnosis: The very broad, conspicuous, orange posterior tergal hair bands of female are similar to C. aureocinctus and C. latefasciatus , but it differs from the former in lacking broadly translucent apical tergal depressions on T1–T3 with narrow red margins on posterior parts of discs, and from latter by orange-brown instead of yellowish brown posterior tergal hair bands. Male has a uniquely shaped S7 ( Fig. 22 ).

Description:

Female.

Length 12–13 mm.

Vestiture: Face white to greyish white with blackish hairs intermixed on vertex; mesonotum with short, yellowish white hairs intermixed with numerous longer, blackish hairs; mesosomal sides and legs yellowish to greyish white, scutellum and metanotum with short, yellowish brown hairs on scutellum, intermixed with longer, blackish hairs; scopa dark brown dorsally and yellowish brown ventrally; T1 relatively densely covered with short, erect, yellowish white hairs; disc of T2 very densely covered with very short yellowish brown hairs; discs of T3–T5 with successively longer, short, erect, blackish hairs; very broad orangish to orange-brown posterior tergal hair bands on T2–T4, on T1 and T5 they are a bit narrower and consist of very fine, dense pilosity; T2 without basal tomentum; S2 with thin fringe of longer yellowish white hairs, S3–S4 with shorter, less developed fringes laterally that comprise longer hairs medially, S5 covered with long, reddish hairs.

Integument: Completely black, except tarsi sometimes slightly brownish and T1 broadly translucent posteriorly; malar area short, length about 1/2 width of mandibular base; clypeus with dense (0.2 pd) medium-sized punctures that strongly elongate forming long, more or less U-shaped carinae on lower part of clypeus; integument between punctures glabrous; facial fovea very narrow, maximum width about 1/2 antennal diameter; disc of mesonotum with dense (0.5 pd), relatively coarse punctation, integument glabrous, surrounded by dense (<0.5 pd) punctation; upper sloping part of propodeal triangle with short longitudinal carinae, vertical part superficially shagreened, slightly dull, anteriorly with 1–2 weakly developed largely transverse carinae; disc of T1 with distinct, fine, dense (0.5–1 pd) punctation, punctures becoming a bit finer, more shallow and denser towards posterior tergal depression; disc of T2 with very fine, dense (<0.5 pd) punctation; integument between punctures glabrous.

Male.

Length 12–13 mm.

Vestiture: Face greyish white to white with interspersed brown hairs on vertex; mesonotum with long, greyish white to white hairs with few dark brown hairs on posterior margin; mesosomal sides and legs white, scutellum and metanotum with long, yellowish brown hairs on scutellum intermixed with dark brown hairs; T1 densely covered with long, erect, yellowish brown hairs; disc of T2 and T3 with successively shorter hairs, those on T2 concolorous, and on T3 darker brownish; T4–T6 with long, erect, blackish hairs; posterior tergal hair bands missing or very weakly developed; S2 emarginate posteriorly and with short, dense fringe, S3 with a triangular shaped patch of anteriorly directed, velveteen hairs, S4 with indistinct fringes.

Integument: Completely black, except tarsi sometimes slightly reddish brown, terga narrowly translucent posteriorly; malar area long, about as long as width of mandibular base; clypeus with very dense (<0.2 pd) small punctures; facial fovea very narrow, maximum width about 1/2 antennal diameter; disc of mesonotum with medium-sized punctures, dense punctate (0.5–1 pd), integument glabrous, surrounded by dense punctation (<0.2 pd); upper sloping part of propodeal triangle with short longitudinal carinae anteriorly, vertical part superficially shagreened and shiny; tibiae partly and femora entirely strongly swollen, hind basitarsus slightly curved and a bit broadened apically, with prominent long, reddish bristles on dorsal apical edge; discs of T1 and T2 with distinct fine and dense (0.5–1 pd) granulation, granulation absent on posterior tergal depression, integument indistinctly and superficially shagreened and shiny. S6

basolaterally with short, stout spine and a small tuft of short hairs at tip of spine; shape of S7 as in Fig. 22 and shape of gonostylus as in Fig. 23 .

Type material examined: Colletes fasciatus , ^lectotype: ‘B.M. Type Hym. 17.a.341, Colletes fasciata Sm. (Type) , Cape, Sm. Coll. 79.22’ (BMNH).

Colletes hirsutissimus , ơ holotype: ‘ B.M. Type Hym. 17.a.1417, Colletes hirsutissimus Ckll. Type, S. Africa, R . E. Turner, 1920-342, Lion’s Head , Cape Town. Aug. 1920 ’ ( BMNH) .

Additional material examined: 13^3ơ. SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape: 1^Okiep, ix.1890 ( SAMC) ; 2ơ Nieuwoudtville, Willemsrivier, 28.viii.1994, V. B. Whitehead ( SAMC, CMK) ; Western Cape: 1^Vanrhynsdorp, 2 km N, 27.viii.1985, V. B. Whitehead, on pink mesem ( SAMC) ; 1^Clanwilliam, 6.2 km S on the old Citrusdal road, 10.ix.1984, V. B. Whitehead, on pink mesem ( CMK) ; 4^Worcester, 30.ix.1966, C.D. Michener ( SEMC, CMK) ; 2^Worcester, 8.x.1966, C.D. Michener ( SEMC, CMK) ; 1^Ladismith, 26.ix.1948, C. Jacot-Guillarmod ( AMGS) ; 1^Ladismith, 24.ix.1948, C. Jacot-Guillarmod ( AMGS) ; 1ơ Seven Weeks Poort, 10.ix.1948, C. Jacot-Guillarmod ( CKM) ; 1^dam near Oudtshoorn , 10.x.1972, C. Jacot-Guillarmod, on Pelargonium myrrhifolium (AMGS) ; Eastern Cape: 1^Willowmore, 5.ix.1920, Dr Brauns ( SAMC) .

Distribution: Widespread, scattered records from northern Namaqualand (near Springbok) to the southern Cape (south-western Cape eastwards to Willowmore) ( Fig. 41 ).

Flower visiting: Mesem ( Aizoaceae ), Pelargonium myrrhifolium (Geraniaceae) .

Phenology: First record 27 th August, last record 10 th October.

Figures

Figs 18–27. Shapes of male S7 and gonostylus: (18, 19) C. albohirtus; (20, 21) C. aureocinctus; (22, 23) C. fasciatus; (24, 25) C. laticaudus; (26, 27) C. schultzei. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 41. Distribution of C. denudatus, C. eardleyi, C. fasciatus, C. genalis, C. gessi and C. infracognitus.