Hylaeus (Deranchylaeus) melanosoma ( Cockerell, 1920 )

Dathe, Holger H., 2014, Studies on the systematics and taxonomy of the genus Hylaeus F. (8) Revision of the Afrotropic subgenus Hylaeus (Deranchylaeus) Bridwell (Hymenoptera: Anthophila, Colletidae), Zootaxa 3874 (1), pp. 1-84 : 53-54

Hylaeus (Deranchylaeus) melanosoma ( Cockerell, 1920)

Figures 20 , 41 , 104–107

Prosopis melanosoma Cockerell, 1920: 305–306 . ♀ ♂, South Africa: Durban, Knysna (Cape Colony ). Typus ♀ NHM London , no. 17.a.33, paratypus ♂ .

Hylaeus melanosoma (Cockerell) : Cockerell 1932e: 172; Cockerell 1936e: 4–6, 7–8, 10–11; Cockerell 1942: 2, 4–5, 8, 11, 13; Eardley & Urban 2010: 32.

Hylaeus (Deranchylaeus) melanosoma (Cockerell) : Snelling 1985: 8 (as melanosomus).

Diagnosis

The terminalia of the male are characteristic in that the apical lobi of S7 are stretched distally, as in H. paulyi sp. n. and H. eardleyi sp. n. The female is similar to H. perater , but with the metasoma significantly more finely sculptured.

Characteristic features

Male. TL 5.0–5.6 (5.29) mm, WL 3.4–3.5 (3.53) mm.

Head. Proportions HL:HW 0.93, UFW:LFW 1.86, outline short trapezoid. Scapi black, short conical, slightly wider than flagella, SL:SW 1.5; flagella long, yellow, dark above. Mask yellowish white, complete, side marks exceed scapi bases, tapering to orbits; foveae faciales short. Clypeus CL:CW 1.63, silky shining, dispersed punctuate. Frons and vertex densely punctate. Labrum and mandibles black.

Mesosoma prolonged, depressed. Pronotum, calli and tegulae black. Pronotum little expanded forward; anterior margin edged, dorsolateral angles blunt. Mesonotum and scutellum silky shining, punctation moderate, close. Legs black, with bright marks on foretibiae in front, basitarsi and tarsi, otherwise legs dark; wings hyalin, venation brown. Propodeum edged, medial area with a row of meshes, distal limited by a transverse ridge, terminal area roughly punctate, medial furrow deep.

Metasoma slender spindle-shaped, black. T1 shagreen, punctation fine, sparse, T2 and following terga with punctation either minute, scattered or altogether absent; side fringes missing. Terminalia ( Fig. 20 ): gonoforcipes expanded and pointed, S8 distally blunt, S7 with apical lobi expanded and stretched, basal lobi shortened, with numerous bristles.

Female. TL 5.5–6.0 (5.75) mm, WL 4.8–5.3 (5.06) mm.

Head. Proportions HL:HW 0.95, UFW:LFW 1.33, outline rounded. Flagella yellow brown below. Face black or with small white spots near orbits above scapi bases, formed partly as interrupted lines; foveae faciales short. Clypeus CL:CW 1.04, slightly shining, at anterior margin slightly expanded, but not bent up ( Fig. 41 ).

Mesosoma. Pronotum, calli and tegulae black. Pronotum expanded forward, edged, dorsolateral angles blunt. Mesonotum and scutellum matt, punctation moderate, dense to subcontiguous; mesopleurae shallow punctate, punctation strong, dense to close. Legs entirely black. Propodeum angle-rounded, terminal area at sides with sharp ridge, extending into lower edges of lateral areas; medial area distally with transverse median ridge.

Metasoma slender spindle-shaped, black. T1 finely shagreen, punctation sparsely and fine to scattered minute, silky shining; T1 with narrow white lateral fringes.

Distribution

South Africa ( Eardley & Urban 2010); Burundi, Zimbabwe.

Specimens examined: 4 ♂, 4 ♀ coll. NHML, OLBL, SANC.

BURUNDI. Ruvubu National Park, Ruvubu River, 02.59.20S 30.28.12E, 1401 m.

SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal: Durban.— Western Cape: Knysna.

ZIMBABWE. Chimanimani National Park.

Remarks

Apical lobi of S7 stretched distally, forming either a group with H. paulyi sp. n. and H. eardleyi sp. n., or, considering the shape of S8, belonging to the tinctulus-group.

Figures

FIGURES 20–22. Male terminalia in species of melanosoma-group.—20 H. melanosoma (Cockerell).—21 H. paulyi sp. n. (typus).—22 H. eardleyi sp. n. (typus). Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 40–41. Structure of female clypeus.—40 H. tinctulus Cockerell.—41 H. melanosoma (Cockerell).

FIGURES 104–107. H. (Deranchylaeus) melanosoma (Cockerell): head in frontal view and surface structure of basal terga.—104, 105 Paratypus male.—106, 107 Typus female. Scale 0.5 mm.