Lipotriches (Lipotriches) guihongi Zhang & Niu, 2022

Zhang, Dan, Niu, Ze-Qing, Pauly, Alain, Da, Wa & Zhu, Chao-Dong, 2022, A new species and a newly recorded subgenus of Lipotriches Gerstaecker, 1858 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Halictidae, Nomiinae) from China, ZooKeys 1090, pp. 103-111 : 103

Lipotriches (Lipotriches) guihongi Zhang & Niu sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2

Type material.

Holotype: China: 1♂, Xizang, Jilong County, Jilong Town, Jipu Village, 28°37'N, 85°32'E, 2744 m, 9 Aug. 2019, Dan Zhang, Qing-Tao Wu leg. Paratypes: 5♀21♂, Jilong County, Jilong Town, Jipu Village, 28°37'N, 85°32'E, 2744m, 7-9 Aug. 2019, Dan Zhang, Qing-Tao Wu leg.; 16♀1♂, Xizang, Jilong County, Jilong Town, Xinjiang Village, 28°22'N, 85°21'E, 2727m, 6 Aug. 2019, Dan Zhang, Qing-Tao Wu leg.

Diagnosis.

Males of L. guihongi sp. nov. differ from other species of subgenus Lipotriches Lipotriches by the following combination of features: mesoscutum, metapostnotum and center disc of metasomal terga with dense and large punctures (Fig. 1c, d ), S4 with dense short white hairs (Fig. 1f ); S5 with a pair of circular protruding thickness on the disc, a pair of triangular feathery bristles connected on the apical margin (Fig. 1g ); L. guihongi is most similar to Lipotriches yasumatsui Hirashima, 1961 and Lipotriches ceratina (Smith,1857), however, the male of the new species can be distinguished from the two latter by a pair of large, dense, erect and brownish longitudinal tufted hairs on S5. In addition, S5 structure of L. guihongi sp. nov. is similar to L. acanthospermi Pauly, 2014b. We have found that the both species have dense tomentum on S4 and a pair triangular feathery bristles on the apical margin of S5, while the latter lacks a pair of circular protruding thickness on the disc of S5, and has only been found in Africa.

Description.

Male (measurements are only from the holotype). BL = 8 mm (Fig. 1a ), body black. Head. HL: HW = 0.89, head broader than long (Fig. 1b ); clypeus broader than long (Fig. 1b ); paraocular area with dense large punctures (i = 0.1-0.2d; Fig. 1b ); vertex with sparser large punctures (i = 0.5-1d; Fig. 1b ); vertex behind shiny; posterior margin of vertex rounded (Fig. 1a, b ); mandible blackish-brown; frons with dense and minute punctures, medial frontal line smooth (Fig. 1b ); antenna reaching the posterior margin of T1; F1-11 almost equal in length, nearly 2.3 times as long as broad (Fig. 1a, b ); ocelli normal (Fig. 1b ). Mesosoma. Mesoscutum, scutellum, and metanotum dull, without reflections (Fig. 1c ). Mesoscutum with large and mostly confluent punctures (i = 0.2-0.3d; Fig. 1c ); metanotum normal, without process, with large punctures which are sparser than punctures on the mesoscutum (Fig. 1c ); posterior surface of propodeum with more larger and denser (i = 0.1-0.2d) punctures than those on the mesosoma (Fig. 1d ); metapostnotum shiny, with broad longitudinal wrinkles (Fig. 1d ); fore wing with three submarginal cells, the 1st and 3rd submarginal cell nearly equal in length, almost two times as long as 2nd submarginal cells; tegula oval, yellow-brown, not enlarged (Fig. 1c ); femur and tibia black (Fig. 1a ); basitarsus, mediotarsus yellow-brown with tarsal claw (Fig. 1f ); hind femur and tibia normal, not enlarged (Fig. 1c ). Metasoma. Surface of metasomal terga shiny, center of disc with dense punctures (i = 0.2-0.3d), apical of disc with sparser punctures than on the center (i = 0.5-1d); apical margin of T1-5 transparent (Fig. 1e, f ); S5 with a pair of circular protruding thickness on the disc, a pair triangular feathery bristles on the apical margin connected (Fig. 1g ); gonostylus as shown in Fig. 1h (in dorsal view) and Fig. 1i (in lateral view). Pubescence. Clypeus, supraclypeal area and frons with white setae (Fig. 1a, b ); scutellum with sparse long yellowish hairs (Fig. 1c ); metanotum with dense pale tomentum (Fig. 1c ); upper lateral surface of propodeum with sparse long white hairs (Fig. 1d ); legs with sparse white hairs (Fig. 1a, d-f ); apical area of metanotum with sparse long hairs (Fig. 1c ); apical margin of T1-4 with white hair band, interrupted in middle (Fig. 1e ); S4 covered with dense pale tomentum (Fig. 1f ).

Female. BL = 10-12 mm. Similar to male, except the following: metapostnotum with punctures sparser (i = 0.4-0.5d) and smaller than male’s (Fig. 2d ); head, mesosoma and metasoma with sparse yellowish hairs (Fig. 2b ); T1-2 with densely and minutely punctures (i = 0.2-0.3d; Fig. 2d ).

Etymology.

The name " guihongi " is dedicated to Prof. Hong Gui. He is a famous entomologist in China, who advised and encouraged Chao-Dong Zhu to continue his study on insects.

Floral association.

Unknown.

Distribution.

China (Xizang).

Figures

Figure 1. Lipotriches (Lipotriches) guihongi Zhang & Niu sp. nov., male a habitus in lateral view b head in frontal view c mesoscutum in dorsal view d propodeum in posterior view e metasoma in dorsal view f metasoma in lateral view g S 5 in dorsal view h genitalia in dorsal view i genitalia in lateral view. Scale bars: 1 mm (a-f); 0.5 mm (g-i).

Figure 2. Lipotriches (Lipotriches) guihongi Zhang & Niu sp. nov., female a habitus in lateral view b head in frontal view c mesoscutum in dorsal view d propodeum in posterior view. Scale bars: 1 mm.