Colletes rothschildi Vachal 1909

Kuhlmann, Michael & Pauly, Alain, 2013, The bee genus Colletes Latreille 1802 in Ethiopia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae), Zootaxa 3693 (2), pp. 267-292 : 278-280

Colletes rothschildi Vachal 1909

( Figs 3 , 10 , 11 )

Colletes rothschildi Vachal 1909: 534 , Ƥ holotype (type locality: “Afrique Orient. Angl., Sud du Lac Rodolphe, Entre le chemin de fer et le Lac”).

The male of C. rothschildi is here described for the first time.

Diagnosis. Colletes rothschildi belongs to the same species-group as C. langano (see above). Both sexes of C. rothschildi are easily separated from other Afrotropical Colletes species by the propodeum that is laterally densely covered with short appressed hairs and T1 completely and densely covered with yellowish to orange short appressed hairs ( Figs 10 d, 11b).

Description. Female. Bl = 9.5–10.5 mm. Head. Head wider than long. Integument black except parts of mandible that is dark reddish-brown. Face except clypeus densely covered with long, yellowish-white, erect hairs, on vertex some hairs blackish. Clypeus convex without median depression, supraclypeal area convex in profile. Clypeus densely punctate (i <0.5d); surface between punctures shiny ( Fig. 10 b). Malar area medially less than ¼ as long as width of mandible base, finely striate. Antenna black. Mesosoma. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures smooth and shiny; disc sparsely punctate (i = 2.0–3.0d). Scutellum anteriorly impunctate with denser punctation apically, surface smooth and shiny ( Fig. 10 c). Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with relatively short yellowish-white erect hairs, on mesoscutum and scutellum intermixed with some dark brownish hairs ( Fig. 10 a, c). Wings. Slightly yellowish-brown; wing venation brown. Legs. Integument dark reddish-brown. Vestiture whitish, scopa white. Metasoma. Integument black except apical margins of terga partly brownish translucent. T1 anteriorly sparsely covered with long, erect yellow hairs and like anterior half of T2 completely covered with short appressed, orange hairs; T2 medially on disc with narrow bare strip; discs of following terga with a few short, erect, black hairs; apical tergal hair bands broad and white, on T1 inconspicuous and hidden by orange appressed hairs ( Fig. 10 a, d). Terga very densely (i <0.5d) and finely punctate ( Fig. 10 d).

Male. Bl = 9.0–10.0 mm. Head. Head wider than long. Integument black except most of mandible partly dark reddish-brown. Face densely covered with long, yellowish-white, erect hairs. Malar area medially less than ¼ as long as width of mandible base, finely striate. Antenna black. Mesosoma. Integument black. Mesoscutal disc between punctures smooth and shiny; disc densely punctate (i = 0.5–1.0d). Scutellum anteriorly impunctate with denser punctation apically, surface smooth and shiny. Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with relatively short, yellowish-white, erect hairs ( Fig. 11 a). Wings. Slightly yellowish-brown; wing venation brown. Legs. Integument dark reddish-brown. Vestiture whitish. Metasoma. Integument black except discs of T1–T4 apicomedially dark red; apical margins of terga yellowish-brown translucent ( Fig. 11 b). T1 and disc of T2 sparsely covered with long, erect yellowish-white hairs and like base of T2 completely covered with short appressed, yellowish-brown hairs; discs of T3–T5 with a few short, erect, black hairs ( Fig. 11 b); apical tergal hair bands broad and white ( Fig. 11 a, b). Terga very densely and finely punctate (i <d), between punctures smooth and shiny ( Fig. 11 b). Terminalia. Genitalia and S7 as illustrated ( Figs. 11 c–d).

Material examined (40 specimens). Holotype, female, KENYA: Sud du Lac Rodolphe [E36.35 N02.20], 1905, Maurice de Rothschild (MNHN).

Additional material: ETHIOPIA: 13 Ƥ, Araba-Minch, Lake Chamo [E37.32 N05.55], 1138m, 19.ix.2012, A. Pauly, Lamiaceae (RBINS, RCMK); 9 3, Oromia, Abijata Shala Nat. Park [E38.39 N07.28], 1635m, 15.ix.2012, A. Pauly, Brassica (RBINS, RCMK); 1 Ƥ, Langano [E38.41 N07.38], 8.x.1974 (USNM). KENYA: 1 Ƥ, 8 mi. NE Magadi [E36.19 S01.49], 800m, 16.vi.1967, C.D. Michener (SEMC); 2 Ƥ, 5 3, Eastern Province, 5 km NNE Isiolo [E37.35 N00.24], 18.xii.2002, W.J. Pulawski (CASC, RCMK); 3 Ƥ, 4 3, Archer´s Post [E37.39 N00.39], 30.xi.1982, T.L. / T.R. Griswold (EMUS); 4 Ƥ, 1 3, Tsavo Nat. Park, Kitani Lodge [E38.22 S03.23], 800m, 29.xii.1969, M.E. Irwin & E.S. Ross (CASC, RCMK); 2 3, Voi (Tsavo) [E38.34 S03.22], 23.iii.-4.iv.1997, M. Halada (OÖLM, RCMK); 1 Ƥ, 2 3, Rift Valley, Samburu, Buffalo-Springs, 15.-18.vii.1987, H.R. Feijen (ZMAN). TANZANIA: 1 Ƥ, Tarangire N.P., Bwawa Mbili [E36.10 S03.50], 21.iii.1995, Lesio & Liseki (AMNH).

General distribution. Found in desert regions of East and Northeast Africa ( Fig. 3 ). Floral hosts. Brassica sp. ( Brassicaceae ), Lamiaceae spp.

Seasonal activity (first–last observations). III–XII.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Colletes abessinicus Friese, C. rothschildi Vachal and C. senkelensis Kuhlmann sp. n.

FIGURE 10. Colletes rothschildi Vachal, female: a. specimen, lateral view; b. head; c. scutum and scutellum; d. metasomal terga 1 and 2. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 11. Colletes rothschildi Vachal, male: a. specimen, lateral view; b. metasomal terga 1 and 2; c. metasomal sternum 7 (dorsal view); d. gonostylus (lateral view). Scale bar: 1 mm.