Chlidoplitis Griswold, 1998

Müller, Andreas, 2014, Palaearctic Hoplitis bees of the subgenera Chlidoplitis and Megahoplitis (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 3765 (2), pp. 161-174 : 163-172

Subgenus Chlidoplitis Griswold, 1998

The subgenus Chlidoplitis is confined to the Palaearctic region. Its distributional range is split into three widely separate areas: i) southern Spain and Maghreb, ii) Greece eastwards to Iran and southwards to the Levant, and iii) southeastern Central Asia. It contains nine species assigned below to three species groups, which are based on male characters only due to the close similarity among females of the H. (Chlidoplitis) species. The taenioceras species group and the heinrichi species group combined form a monophyletic clade based on both molecular ( Sedivy et al., 2013) and morphological characters, such as the flattened antenna with segments 4–9 distinctly wider than long ( Fig. 5 ), spine-like processes at the midtarsal segments ( Fig. 6 ), longitudinal keel or protuberance on sternum 5 and dense fringe of yellowish hairs at the apical margin of sternum 5. The onychophora species group is sister to the clade consisting of the taenioceras and the heinrichi species groups ( Sedivy et al., 2013), while the phylogenetic position of the morphologically deviating Central Asian species H. haplophylli remains unclear.

Key to the species of Hoplitis (Chlidoplitis)

Females

1 Distribution: Spain, Maghreb............................................................................. 2

1* Distribution: Greece, Turkey, Iran, Levant.................................................................. 4

1** Distribution: Central Asia............................................................... Hoplitis haplophylli

2 Proboscis very short, first and second segment of labial palpus of about equal length. Clypeus densely punctured without unpunctured longitudinal area; base of clypeus sometimes medially with small unpunctured area of triangular shape, which does not reach clypeal centre. Body length 6–7.5mm .......................................... Hoplitis taenioceras

2* Proboscis longer, second segment of labial palpus distinctly longer than first segment. Clypeus with unpunctured longitudinal area, which is broadest at clypeal base, tapers towards apical margin and often reaches beyond clypeal centre............. 3

3 Clypeus in profile virtually flat medially. Second segment of labial palpus about 1.4x as long as first segment. Apex of inner spur of hind tibia bent at right angles, blunt. Unpunctured area of clypeus more extended and basally usually more than half as wide as width of lower margin of supraclypeal area. Body length 6.5–7.5mm ........................ Hoplitis loreicornis

3* Clypeus in profile distinctly albeit moderately bulged medially. Second segment of labial palpus about 1.7x as long as first segment. Apex of inner spur of hind tibia less strongly bent, pointed. Unpunctured area of clypeus less extended and basally often less than half as wide as width of lower margin of supraclypeal area. Body length 6–7mm ................ Hoplitis teucrii

4 Clypeus with unpunctured longitudinal area, which is broadest at clypeal base, tapers towards apical margin and often reaches beyond clypeal centre. Clypeus almost flat medially. Supraclypeal area more sparsely punctured with interspaces reaching the diameter of up to one, rarely one and a half punctures. Apex of inner spur of hind tibia blunt. Body length 6–7mm ................................................................................................. Hoplitis lysholmi

4* Clypeus without unpunctured area, or unpunctured area is very small and restricted to clypeal base, or unpunctured area is narrow and parallel-sided. Clypeus moderately to distinctly bulged medially. Supraclypeal area more densely punctured, interspaces usually smaller than the diameter of half a puncture except medially where interspaces may reach the diameter of one puncture. Apex of inner spur of hind tibia pointed............................................................ 5

5 Inner spur of hind tibia thin and nearly straight, only very slightly curved at its apex. Second segment of labial palpus about 1.7–1.8x as long as first segment. 6

5* Inner spur of hind tibia thicker, its apex strongly curved or bent upwards at right angles. Second segment of labial palpus about 1.4–1.5x as long as first segment.......................................................................... 7

6 Marginal zones of terga 1–5 dark to narrowly reddish-brown. Body length 6.5–7.5mm .............. Hoplitis onychophora

6* Marginal zones of terga 1–5 broadly yellowish-white to yellowish-brown. Body length 6.5–7.5mm ............ Hoplitis allii

7 Inner spur of hind tibia strongly curved at its apex. Antennal segment 4 almost twice as long as antennal segment 5. Body length 7.5–9.5mm ........................................................................ Hoplitis heinrichi

7* Inner spur of hind tibia with short and pointed apex bent upwards at right angles. Antennal segment 4 less than twice as long as antennal segment 5. Body length 6.5–8mm ...................................................... Hoplitis illustris

Males

1 Distribution: Spain, Maghreb............................................................................. 2

1* Distribution: Greece, Turkey, Iran, Levant.................................................................. 4

1** Distribution: Central Asia............................................................... Hoplitis haplophylli

2 Upper margin of antennal segments (10)11–12 projecting upwards ( Fig. 5 ). Proboscis very short, first and second segment of labial palpus of about equal length. Body length 7–9mm ....................................... Hoplitis taenioceras

2* Upper margin of antennal segments 10–12 not projecting upwards and parallel with lower margin. Proboscis longer, second segment of labial palpus distinctly longer than first segment.................................................... 3

3 Antennal segment 4 very large, distinctly longer than antennal segment 3. Apical margin of sternum 2 medially with small protuberance. Second segment of labial palpus about 1.4x as long as first segment. Body length 7–8mm ..... Hoplitis loreicornis

3* Antennal segment 4 distinctly smaller, about as long as antennal segment 3. Apical margin of sternum 2 medially without small protuberance. Second segment of labial palpus about 1.7x as long as first segment. Body length 6–7.5mm .................................................................................................... Hoplitis teucrii

4 Tergum 7 laterally with two long and slender processes ( Figs. 11, 12 ). Base of hind coxa with short tooth. Apex of last antennal segment bent downwards ( Fig. 13 )....................................................................... 5

4* Tergum 7 rounded to subtruncate, without lateral processes ( Fig. 3 ). Base of hind coxa without tooth. Apex of last antennal segment not bent downwards............................................................................. 6

5 Sternum 1 flat to weakly concave in its apical half ( Fig. 15 ). Apical margin of tergum 7 between lateral processes broadly convex to subtruncate ( Fig. 12 ). Posterior side of basitarsus of middle leg basally not distinctly expanded. White hair band along apical margin of sternum 3 distinctly shorter medially than laterally. Body length 8–10mm ........... Hoplitis onychophora

5* Sternum 1 bulged in its apical half ( Fig. 14 ). Apical margin of tergum 7 between lateral processes with rounded projection ( Fig. 11 ). Posterior side of basitarsus of middle leg basally with a small but distinct projection of roundish to triangular shape. White hair band along apical margin of sternum 3 of about equal length along the whole sternal width. Body length 8–10mm ............................................................................................ Hoplitis allii

6 Last antennal segment without buttonlike projection. Body length 7–8mm ............................ Hoplitis lysholmi

6* Last antennal segment with buttonlike projection ( Figs. 7, 8 ).................................................... 7

7 Buttonlike projection arises from the middle of the apical margin of the last antennal segment ( Fig. 7 ). Curved apical part of inner spur of hind leg long. Longitudinal keel on sternum 5 strongly developed, elevated to toothlike projection in its apical part. Apical margin of sternum 4 deeply emarginated. Transition from anterior surface of mandible to its lower surface distinctly keeled only apically, proximally rather rounded. Body length 8.5–10mm ....................... Hoplitis heinrichi

7* Buttonlike projection arises from slightly above the middle of the apical margin of the last antennal segment ( Fig. 8 ). Curved apical part of inner spur of hind leg short. Longitudinal keel on sternum 5 weakly developed, not elevated to toothlike projection in its apical part. Apical margin of sternum 4 shallowly emarginated. Transition from anterior surface of mandible to its lower surface distinctly keeled over the whole length. Body length 8–9.5mm .......................... Hoplitis illustris

Figures

FIGURE 1 – 9. 1: Hoplitis haplophylli, clypeus of female. 2: Hoplitis haplophylli, sterna 3 – 6 of male. 3: Hoplitis haplophylli, terga 4 – 7 of male. 4: Hoplitis haplophylli, antenna of male. 5: Hoplitis taenioceras, antenna of male. 6: Hoplitis heinrichi: tarsus of middle leg. 7: Hoplitis heinrichi: last antennal segment of male. 8: Hoplitis illustris: last antennal segment of male. 9: Hoplitis heinrichi: brood cell in preexisting insect burrow in the ground, which is entirely constructed from chewed leaves; below the cell, a partition of chewed leaves has been built, separating the cell from the lower part of the burrow.

FIGURE 10 – 15. 10: Hoplitis allii, clypeus of female. 11: Hoplitis allii, terga 4 – 7 of male. 12: Hoplitis onychophora, terga 4 – 7 of male. 13: Hoplitis allii, antenna of male. 14: Hoplitis allii, sterna 1 – 2 of male. 15: Hoplitis onychophora, sterna 1 – 2 of male.