Haetosmia ethiopiensis Müller & Griswold, 2017

Müller, Andreas & Griswold, Terry, 2017, Osmiine bees of the genus Haetosmia (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 4358 (2), pp. 351-364 : 357-359

Haetosmia ethiopiensis Müller & Griswold spec. nov.

Holotype. ETHIOPIA: Wachile env., 4°32'N 39°03'E, 1070 m, 22.5.– 31.5.2015, ♀ (leg. J. Halada). Deposited in the private collection of M. Schwarz (Ansfelden).

Paratypes. ETHIOPIA: Wachile env., 4°32'N 39°03'E, 1070 m, 22.5.– 31.5.2015, 11♀, 20♂ (leg. J. Halada) ; Oromia, Koka , 8°26'N 39°02'E, 6.10.2010, 1♀, 1♂ (leg. A. Pauly) . SOMALIA: Shbeellaha Hoose, Afgoye, 21.2.1980, 1♂ (leg. A. Mochi) . KENYA: Rift Valley, Samburu, Uaso Nyiro River, Archer’s Post , 12.12.1969, 1♀ (leg. M.E. Irwin, E.S. Ross) ; eastern Province, near Ewaso Ngiro River opposite Archer’s Post , 2– 8.12.2002, 1♀, 2♂ (leg. M.A. Prentice) . TANZANIA: Arusha, Kia Lodge , 5 km E of Kilimanjaro airport, 3.4218°S 37.0758°E, 26.1.2007, 1♀ (leg. Z. Nyiro). Deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich, the U.S. National Pollinating Insects Collection of the USDA-ARS Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Logan , Utah, and the private collections of M. Schwarz (Ansfelden), A. Pauly (Brussels) and the first author.

Diagnosis. The female of H. ethiopiensis differs from the other Haetosmia species by the lack of appressed white pilosity of thick plumose hairs on gena, metanotum and disc of tergum 4 as well as along the posterior margins of vertex, scutum and scutellum ( Fig. 10 ). Further separating characters are the distinctly sparser punctation of the scutum ( Fig. 11 ), the darker antenna and tergal margins, the punctate tegula and the only weakly bulged base of the clypeus. The male differs from the other Haetosmia species except for H. pakistaniensis and H. vechti by the numerous inwardly directed bristles on the underside of the gonoforceps ( Fig. 13 ). Compared to H. pakistaniensis and H. vechti , these bristles are apically much more strongly bent and of a darker colour in H. ethiopiensis . Further characters distinguishing the male of H. ethiopiensis from the two other species are the blackish antenna ( Fig. 12 ), the shorter flagellar segments ( Fig. 12 ), the lack of appressed white pilosity on the base of tergum 1 and the disc of tergum 4, the straight to very shallowly emarginate apical margin of sterna 4 and 5 ( Fig.

14) and the only narrowly separated tufts of yellowish-white hairs on sternum 6, which follow the sternal margin ( Fig. 14 ).

Description. FEMALE: Body length 5.5–6.5 mm. Head: Head 0.92–0.94x as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge 2.0–2.2x as long as ocellar diameter. Distance between inner margins of lateral ocelli as long as distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge or slightly shorter. Second segment of labial palpus about 2.5x as long as first segment and beset with numerous long, erect and apically capitate bristles. Maximal width of genal area about 0.6x as long as maximal width of compound eye. Mandible threetoothed, densely covered subapically with appressed yellowish pilosity. Base of clypeus weakly bulged, in profile only slightly surpassing surface of supraclypeal area. Apical half of clypeus with thin yellowish pilosity distinctly contrasting with the thick white pilosity of clypeal base, supraclypeal area, paraocular area and frons. Gena with sparse white pubescence not obscuring integument ( Fig. 10 ). Vertex without appressed white pilosity ( Fig. 10 ). Antenna dark brown to black. Mesosoma: Punctation of scutum scattered with interspaces varying in size between the diameter of one and the diameter of three, rarely more punctures ( Fig. 11 ). Punctation of scutellum dense with interspaces rarely exceeding the diameter of one puncture ( Fig. 11 ). Tegula yellowish, along its inner margin blackish ( Fig. 11 ). Tegula with several punctures in its posteriormost part. Lateral margins of scutum, pronotum, upper two thirds of mesepisternum and propodeum except for its basal area covered with rather dense white pilosity ( Fig. 10 ). Posterior margin of scutum and scutellum as well as metanotum without appressed white pilosity ( Fig. 11 ). Basitarsus of foreleg distinctly broadened. Posterior margin of tibia and basitarsus of foreleg with very long white hairs ( Fig. 10 ). Exterior surface of tibia of foreleg, of femur and tibia of middle leg and of coxa, femur and tibia of hind leg partly or entirely covered with appressed white pilosity ( Fig.10 ). Veins of forewing basally yellow and apically yellowish-brown; subcosta and lower margin of stigma brown. Metasoma: Punctation of terga 1 and 4 dense with interspaces rarely exceeding the diameter of one puncture, of terga 2 and 3 slightly more scattered with interspaces reaching the diameter of one to two, rarely more punctures. Marginal zones of terga 1–5 narrowly dark reddish-brown. Terga 1–4 with white apical hair bands but without appressed white pilosity on discs except for lateralmost parts of tergal disc 1 ( Fig.10 ). Terga 5–6 densely covered with appressed white pilosity. Scopa white.

MALE: Body length 5–6.5 mm. Head: Head 0.83–0.86x as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge 1.96-2.05x as long as ocellar diameter. Distance between inner margins of lateral ocelli as long as distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge or slightly longer. Second segment of labial palpus about 2.5x as long as first segment. Maximal width of genal area about 0.4x as long as maximal width of compound eye. Mandible two-toothed. Frons, paraocular area, supraclypeal area and clypeus covered with dense white pilosity. Gena with sparse white pubescence not obscuring integument. Vertex without appressed white pilosity. Antenna dark brown to black ( Fig. 12 ). Antennal segments 4–12 about 1.1x as long as wide ( Fig. 12 ). Mesosoma: Punctation of scutum and scutellum rather dense with interspaces rarely exceeding the diameter of one puncture except for the lateral parts of the scutum where the punctation is often slightly more scattered. Tegula yellowish, along its inner margin blackish. Pilosity of mesosoma and legs as well as colour of veins of forewing similar to female. Metasoma: Punctation and pilosity of terga similar to female. Marginal zones of terga 1–6(7) yellowishbrown. Tergum 6 with lateral tooth. Tergum 7 broadly truncate with preapical median swelling. Sternum 2 basally concave and in its apical third slightly raised and weakly swollen; its apical margin medially shallowly emarginate. Sternum 3 covered with short, dense and fine yellowish pilosity; its apical margin with wide and shallow emargination, which is densely beset with yellowish hairs. Apical margin of sternum 4 medially almost straight to very shallowly emarginate ( Fig. 14 ). Apical margin of sternum 5 medially very shallowly emarginate, densely punctured and ciliated with numerous short yellowish-white hairs ( Fig. 14 ). Sternum 6 deeply concave and with two distinct tufts of yellowish-white hairs, which follow its apical margin and are narrowly separated from each other ( Fig. 14 ). Underside of gonoforceps with numerous inwardly directed and rather weak bristles, which are dark yellowish-brown and apically bent at right angles ( Fig. 13 ). Longest hairs on underside of apical fifth of gonoforceps distinctly longer than width of gonoforceps ( Fig. 13 ).

Distribution. Eastern Africa from central Ethiopia and Somalia over Kenya to northern Tanzania ( Fig. 9 ). The type locality near Wachile in southern Ethiopia has an annual mean rainfall of about 440 mm ( Coppock 1994) and floristically belongs to the Acacia-Commiphora woodland and bushland ( Friis et al. 2010). This vegetation type, which consists mainly of dry woodlands and scrub on commonly sandy soils, is characterized by drought tolerant trees and shrubs (e.g. Acacia, Balanites, Commiphora, Euphorbia, Aloe ) with the understory mainly consisting of shrubby herbs less than one meter high (e.g. Acalypha, Barleria , Aerva ), perennial herbs and mainly annual grasses ( Demissev & Nordal 2010).

Pollen hosts. All eight pollen loads (from three different localities in Ethiopia and Kenya) exclusively consisted of pollen of Heliotropium , suggesting a probable exclusive preference for this plant genus as pollen source.

Nesting biology. Unknown.

Notes. The few data suggest that H. ethiopiensis might have two generations per year.

Etymology. The species epithet “ ethiopiensis ” means “from Ethiopia ”.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Distribution of the six Haetosmia species. Green squares = H. circumventa; blue circles = H.ethiopiensis; orange circles = H.vechti; red triangles = H. altera; blue diamonds = H. brachyura; light blue square = H. pakistaniensis. Made with Natural Earth (www.naturalearthdata.com).

FIGURES 10–14. Haetosmia ethiopiensis. 10: Female in lateral view. 11: Scutum and scutellum of female. 12: Antenna of male. 13: Genitalia of male in ventral view.14: Sterna 4–6 of male.