Stenoheriades

Müller, Andreas & Trunz, Vincent, 2014, Palaearctic osmiine bees of the genera Hofferia and Stenoheriades (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species, Zootaxa 3765 (2), pp. 175-186 : 185

Key to the Palaearctic species of Stenoheriades

Females

1 Apical margin of clypeus straight or medially projecting ( Figs. 8 , 10 )............................................. 2

1* Apical zone of clypeus with median impression ( Figs. 13, 14 )................................................... 3

2 Interantennal area with two raised carinae ( Fig. 8 ). Preoccipital ridge raised to a carina. Paraocular area, pronotal lobe and base of tegula covered with dense, rather short and appressed white pilosity ( Fig. 8 ). Apical margin of clypeus straight, medially with three more or less distinct short teeth ( Fig. 8 ). Clypeus weakly and evenly rounded. Mandible short and broad with three distinct apical teeth ( Fig. 8 ). Labrum short, projecting for less than half of its length beyond closed mandibles, its apical zone not edged longitudinally and more than half as wide as basal width of labrum. Punctation of head and thorax coarse except for clypeus, where minute punctures are intermixed with large punctures ( Fig. 8 ); largest punctures on supraclypeal area larger than largest punctures on clypeus. Body length 7–8mm .................................... Stenoheriades eingeddica

2* Interantennal area without raised carinae ( Fig. 10 ). Preoccipital ridge edged, but not raised to a carina. Paraocular area, pronotal lobe and base of tegula covered with sparse, long and erect whitish pilosity ( Fig. 10 ). Apical margin of clypeus medially with short and narrowly rectangular projection ( Fig. 10 ), which is apically straight or bears up to three weak protuberances. Clypeus distinctly bulged in its basal half. Mandible long and slender with two distinct apical teeth and small tooth-like projection along upper margin ( Fig. 10 ). Labrum long, projecting for almost half of its length beyond closed mandibles, its apical fourth sharply edged longitudinally and less than half as wide as basal width of labrum. Punctation of head and thorax rather fine; largest punctures on supraclypeal area smaller than largest punctures on clypeus ( Fig. 10 ). Body length 6–7.5mm ....................................................................................... Stenoheriades maroccana

3 Mandible with three teeth ( Fig. 11 ); the two preapical teeth are separated by a shallow emargination and moved upwards, so that the upper margin of the mandible is nowhere straight. Mandible basally distinctly swollen, with strong roundish tubercle at its upper margin and with two small, more or less distinct roundish projections positioned on the mandibular inside slightly below the upper margin ( Fig. 11 ). Body length 6–7mm .................................... Stenoheriades coelostoma

3* Mandible with two teeth ( Fig. 12 ), upper margin straight above preapical tooth. Mandible basally not distinctly swollen, with weakly developed tubercle at its upper margin and without projections on the mandibular inside below the cutting edge ( Fig. 12 ).................................................................................................. 4

4 Median impression at apical margin of clypeus shallow, indistinctly limited and not regularly semicircular ( Fig. 13 ). Base of labrum with distinct, more or less triangular tubercle ( Fig. 13 ). Body length 5–7mm ............... Stenoheriades asiatica

4* Median impression at apical margin of clypeus deep, clearly limited and regularly semicircular ( Fig. 14 ). Base of labrum flat, rarely with very small roundish tubercle ( Fig. 14 ). Body length 5–7mm ........................ Stenoheriades levantica

Males

1 Transverse preapical ridge of tergum 6 with several acute teeth ( Fig. 9 ). Paraocular area, clypeus, pronotal lobe and base of tegula covered with dense, rather short and appressed white pilosity. Base of terga 2–4 distinctly constricted. Punctation of head and thorax coarse; punctures on supraclypeal area larger than punctures on clypeus. Body length 6–7mm ............................................................................................. Stenoheriades eingeddica

1* Transverse preapical ridge of tergum 6 with two median teeth separated from each other by a roundish or triangular incision ( Fig. 15 ). Paraocular area, clypeus, pronotal lobe and base of tegula covered with sparse, long and erect whitish pilosity. Base of tergum 2 weakly, of terga 3–4 barely perceivably constricted. Punctation of head and thorax rather fine; punctures on supraclypeal area and clypeus of about the same size.............................................................. 2

2 Medioapical part of clypeus slightly protruding and raised, with three, rarely more short teeth. Antennal segments 3–4 quadrate to slightly longer than wide. Hypostomal area sparsely covered with long whitish hairs. Base of mandible without roundish impression. Sternum 1 slightly bulged. Hair fringe at apical margin of sternum 4 about half as long as hair fringe at apical margin of sternum 3. Sternum 5 with large and roundish incision; lateral lobes of sternum 5 with narrow fringe of short bristles along apical margin. Apex of gonoforceps bent inwards at almost right angles. Body length 5.5–7mm .................................................................................................... Stenoheriades maroccana

2* Medioapical part of clypeus neither protruding nor raised, without teeth or sometimes with median protuberance. Antennal segments 3–4 shorter than wide. Hypostomal area covered with dense whitish pilosity. Base of mandible with roundish impression. Sternum 1 strongly bulged. Hair fringe at apical margin of sternum 4 more than half as long as hair fringe at apical margin of sternum 3. Sternum 5 with rather small and triangular incision; lateral lobes of sternum 5 apically with fringe of short bristles only at their inner edge. Apex of gonoforceps slightly bent inwards. Body length 5–7mm. No morphological characters are known to distinguish the following three species in the male sex. To the present knowledge, the species have an allopatric distribution:................................................ Stenoheriades coelostoma : southeastern Europe to central Turkey............................................. Stenoheriades asiatica : central to easternmost Turkey, northern Syria...................................... Stenoheriades levantica : southern Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine, Jordan

Figures

FIGURE 4 – 9. 4: Hofferia mauritanica, head of female. 5: Hofferia schmiedeknechti, head of female. 6: Hofferia mauritanica, sternum 1 of male. 7: Hofferia schmiedeknechti, sternum 1 of male. 8: Stenoheriades eingeddica, head of female. 9: Stenoheriades eingeddica, terga 5 – 7 of male.

FIGURE 10 – 15. 10: Stenoheriades maroccana, head of female. 11: Stenoheriades coelostoma, mandibles of female. 12: Stenoheriades levantica, mandibles of female. 13: Stenoheriades asiatica, clypeus and labral base of female. 14: Stenoheriades levantica, clypeus and labral base of female. Figure 15: Stenoheriades levantica, terga 5 – 7 of male.