Hoplitis (Anthocopa) clypeoincisa, Müller, 2022

Müller, Andreas, 2022, New Moroccan bee species of the tribe Osmiini (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Megachilidae), Zootaxa 5188 (3), pp. 233-263 : 235-236

Hoplitis (Anthocopa) clypeoincisa spec. nov.

Holotype. MOROCCO: Oriental: 40 km S Guercif , 15.– 17.5.1995, ♀ (leg. M. Halada). Deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich.

Diagnosis. The female of H. clypeoincisa is well characterized by the semicircular median incision at the apical margin of the clypeus ( Fig. 4 ), the dark brown metasomal scopa ( Fig. 3 ) and the small body length of 7.5 mm. The medioapical clypeal incision is similar to that of H. simula (Gribodo) , which, however, has an orange scopa and is distinctly larger with a body length of 9–10 mm. The male of H. clypeoincisa is unknown.

Description. FEMALE ( Fig. 3 ): Body length 7.5 mm. Head: Head about 0.9x as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin about 2.4x as long as ocellar diameter. Maximum width of genal area about as long as maximum width of compound eye. Mandible three-toothed and of black colour except for very narrow dark reddish-brown preapical zone. Clypeus medially slightly bulged and very densely punctured with only linear interspaces; its apical margin medially with two short teeth enclosing a semicircular incision, which is about twice as wide as maximally deep ( Fig. 4 ). Head with rather dense whitish pilosity, which is suberect on frons, supraclypeal area and clypeus and more or less appressed on paraocular area and gena. Ventral side of mandible and gena beset with moderately long whitish to yellowish bristles forming a weakly developed basket on underside of head. Proboscis short; second segment of labial palpus about 0.7x as long as compound eye and 2.3x as long as first segment. Antenna dark brown to black; antennal segment 3 about as long as wide and slightly longer than segment 4, segments 4–11 shorter than wide and segment 12 about 1.5x as long as wide. Mesosoma: Parapsidal line linear. Punctation of scutum, scutellum and mesepisternum very dense with usually only linear interspaces except for median part of scutellum, where the interspaces may reach diameter of one puncture. Basal area of propodeum polished except for basal half, which is distinctly shagreened. Pilosity of mesosoma laterally whitish and dorsally yellowish. Tegula yellowish except for black inner margin and rather densely punctured over its entire surface except for impunctate central part. Stigma and veins of fore wing predominantly dark brown. Tibial spur of fore leg apically prolonged into long tip, which is 2–2.5x as long as basally wide. Tibial spurs of hind leg yellowish, long and straight. Metasoma: Punctation of tergal discs dense with interspaces rarely exceeding diameter of one puncture. Marginal zones of terga 1–5 dark reddish-brown, finer and more densely punctured than discs and covered with uninterrupted white hair bands. Terga 2–3 basally constricted. Tergum 6 covered with sparse and appressed white pilosity. Scopa dark brown and not plumose ( Fig. 3 ).

MALE: Unknown.

Distribution. Known so far only from the type locality in the Oriental region in northeastern Morocco.

Pollen hosts. Unknown.

Nesting biology. Unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the typical character of the female, i.e. the semicircular incision at the apical margin of the clypeus (incisus = lat. incised).

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Hoplitis (Alcidamea) herrmanni: 1: Male, 2: Terga 5–7 and genitalia of male.Hoplitis (Anthocopa) clypeoincisa: 3: Female, 4: Marginal zone of clypeus and mandibles of female. Hoplitis (Anthocopa) convolvuli: 5: Female, 6: Male, 7: Marginal zone of clypeus and mandibles of female, 8: Terga 5–7 of male, 9: Genitalia of male (oblique view from above).