Sphecodes dissimilandus ( Cameron, 1897 )

Astafurova, Yulia & Proshchalykin, Maxim, 2020, New and little-known bees of the genus Sphecodes Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae) from the Himalayas, European Journal of Taxonomy 729, pp. 74-120 : 90-92

Sphecodes dissimilandus ( Cameron, 1897)

Fig. 8 A–D

Halictus dissimilandus Cameron, 1897: 95 , ♀ [♂].

Sphecodes dissimulandus – Blüthgen 1927: 90 (incorrect spelling).

Sphecodes dissimilandus – Ascher & Pickering 2020: map.

Diagnosis

The male of this species is similar to S. invidus owing to a similar shape of antennal tyloids (well developed, covering entire lateral flagellar surface and a part of ventral one), sculpture and coloration of the body, including hyaline wings, the areolate mesoscutum, the densely punctate T1 on the disc and the marginal zone. The species clearly differs from S. invidus by the weaker elevated vertex as seen in frontal view, with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus ca 1.5 lateral ocellar diameter (vs 2 in S. invidus ) and the finer punctate metasoma (10–20 μm vs 15–25 μm).

Material examined

Holotype INDIA • ♂; “Mussouri 74[Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India], Rothney [leg.]”; “ Sphecodes // 998. // Halictus dissimilandus Cameron , Type // Type Hyme 1957, Halictus dissimilandus Cameron, 1897 , Holotype, ♂, Hope Ent Coll.”; OUMNH.

Descriptive notes

Wings hyaline, without darkening; hind wing with the angle between basal (M) and cubital (Cu) veins ca 80°, costal margin with seven hamuli. Lateral preoccipital carina present.

Male

Total body length 7 mm. Head transverse, ca 1.2 times as wide as long ( Fig. 8D ); vertex elevated with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus ca 1.5 lateral ocellar diameter as seen in frontal view and ca 2 as seen in dorsal view ( Fig. 8A ); antennae attain mesoscutellum, flagellomeres (from F2 onward) 1.2–1.3 times as long as wide, tyloids well developed, covering entire lateral flagellar surface and most part (from F4 onward) of ventral one (with small medial glabrous spot); ocello-ocular area close to areolate, with dense punctures separated by at most a half puncture diameter; face with dense plumose pubescence, below antennal sockets obscuring integument. Mesoscutum areolate- punctate (30–50 μm), mesoscutellum with interspaces equal to at most 2 puncture diameters ( Fig. 8A ); propodeal triangle (metapostnotum) shorter than mesoscutellum, roughly rugose; mesepisternum coarsely reticulate-rugose; legs red. Metasomal terga finely punctate (10–20 μm / 1–4), T1 marginal zone punctured basally, T2–T5 marginal zones impunctate; metasoma entirely red ( Fig. 8B ).

Female

Unknown.

Distribution

Himalayas: India (Uttarakhand).

Figures

Fig. 8. Sphecodes dissimilandus (Cameron, 1897). Holotype, ♂ (OUMNH). A. Head and mesosoma in dorsal view. B. Metasoma in dorsal view. C. Labels. D. Head in frontal view. Scale bars = 1 mm.