Leioproctus (Leioproctus) nigrofulvus (Cockerell, 1914)

Maynard, Glynn Vivian, 2013, Revision of Goniocolletes and seven Australian subgenera of Leioproctus (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae), and description of new taxa, Zootaxa 3715 (1), pp. 1-114 : 46-48

Leioproctus (Leioproctus) nigrofulvus (Cockerell, 1914)

Paracolletes nigrofulvus * Cockerell 1914a: 137 ; 1934: 31.

Paracolletes franki * Cockerell 1929a: 5 ; 1934: 27.

Leioproctus (Leioproctus) frankiellus * Michener 1965: 50 . [Replacement name for Paracolletes franki Cockerell ]

Leioproctus (Leioproctus) nigrofulvus (Cockerell) . Michener 1965: 51.

The holotype of Paracolletes franki , which is female, is identical to those females associated with Paracolletes nigrofulvus by coincident collection data and morphological similarity.

Types

Paracolletes nigrofulvus — New South Wales: holotype ♂, Shoalhaven, 9.xi.1894, W.W. Froggatt ( BMNH 17 a.479) .

Paracolletes franki — South Australia: holotype ♀, Adelaide, 21.xi.1906, Frank ( AMNH 26840 )

Additional material examined: 68♀, 36♂, 354 larvae & pupae Queensland: S Eukey. New South Wales: Mt Clyde; Braidwood; 1.5km W Mongarlowe; Monga. Australian Capital Territory: nr Canberra; Five Crossings, Condor Ck; Coree Ck; near Canberra; Brindabella Ra., in red soil at base of large termite mound, dry sclerophyll, 2500ft; Piccadilly Circus , Brindabella Ra ; 1.39km Condor Ck bridge, Brindabella Rd ; Blundell's farm turnoff, Brindabella Road ; Cattle Grid , Warks Rd ; 3.19km SW Condor Ck bdg, Brindabella Rd. Victoria: Noorinbee .

Collection months: August, September, October, November

Floral visitations: Fabaceae : Davesia, Dillwynia .

Egg — White, ca 2 mm wide and 5 mm long, even diameter throughout, gently curved c-shape, matt and smooth when viewed under the light microscope or scanning electron microscope, no distinct micropyle apparent and it is laid on top of the pollen ball. (fig. 55).

Larva —Holopneustic and apodous with a well defined, but weakly sclerotised head capsule. In smaller larvae there is no sclerotisation; in larger larvae, the distal margin of the anal plate, the spiracles, the antennae and the apices of the mandibles are sclerotised. They have 10 spiracles, spiracles are absent on the first thoracic and last two abdominal segments (see figs 56–57 for detail of spiracle).

There is poor differentiation between segments in post-defeacating larvae. The spiracles are in line with the body wall and are simple, cup-shaped without any spines or other ornamentation in the atrium they open medially on each segment. The anus opens as a slit just below the apex of the last abdominal segment and there is a band of spicules ventrally (fig. 61). The head is evenly rounded to the level of the labrum; the antennae are produced, rounded and moderately sclerotised apically. There are no apparent spicules on the frons area. The clypeus is somewhat bulbous; the clypeo-labral suture poorly defined. The epistomal suture is weakly defined. The labrum is relatively narrow and covered with small, spicules. Apically the labrum is produced into two large lobes that project as far out as the mandibles and maxillary palps; these lobes are moderately sclerotised and spiculose (figs 58, 60)

The mandibles have a single, large curved, apical tooth that has serrations on the dorsal and ventral margins, the tooth is grooved on the inner surface; the base is broad with a sclerotised, spiculose cusp (fig. 59). The mouth is a transverse slit between the mandibles and beneath the labrum. The anterior tentorial pits are poorly defined and slightly medial to the inner dorsal articualtion of the mandibles, they are weakly sclerotised with slender posteriorly projecting arms. The posterior tentorial pits are deep, clearly defined and near the base of the postmentum. The hypohparynx is a large, fleshy, non spiculose lobe beneath the mouth; it is separated from the salivary opening. A small, slit-like salivary opening is situated dorsal to, but closely associated with the labium. On the dorsal margin of the salivary opening there is a small area of sclerotisation. The labium is fleshy, and non-sclerotised with a pair of small, lateroventral palps that do not project beyond the labium. The maxillae are large and produced beyond the labium. The maxillary palps are large with sclerotised apices, they are situated laterally and slightly ventral to the mid-line of the maxillae. There are a few spicules around the base of the palps.

Pupa (figs 62–63)— Male — head has two protuberances either side of the mid-line of the median ocellus; frons is flat, with a median groove, and is depressed around the antennal bases. Antennal segmentation on the clear outer sheath is well defined. The clypeus is smooth and convex. The labium is triangular and convex. The mandible sheath has a large, lateroventral protuberance about two-thirds the distance from the base. The apical tooth of the mandible is clearly visible. Maxillae palpal sheath is without clear segmentation; broad basally, tapering to a narrow apex. Glossal sheath has a strong medial indent, and a broad, rounded paraglossal sheath. Labial palp sheath is broad basally and tapers to a narrow apex. Pronotum has a broad, smooth band dorsally with a dorsolateral protuberance on each side. Posterior and adjacent to the pronotal protuberance is a second protuberance about twice as large. The tegulae are clearly defined. The scutum is convex with a median groove. The scutellum also has a deep median groove and as well a large, lateral protuberance on each side. Lateral and immediately adjacent to the hind wing is a large spiracle opening. The wings are housed in broad lateral sheaths. The coxae, trochanters and tibiae (except the hind tibiae) have large, median, apical protuberances, the femora have a basal protuberance and the hind tibiae have one dorsal and two ventral apical protuberances. The second to sixth metasomal terga have an apical band of pustules. The first and seventh terga are weakly rugulose and lack an apical band of pustules. The third to fifth sternal apical margins have apical bands of pustules, are sinuous and project from the body. The margin of the sixth sternum is the same but entire; the first and second sternal margins are entire and have no pustules. The first sternum has a median, longitudinal ridge. The "hidden sterna" and the genitalia are projecting. Female —the same as the male pupae except that they are more robust and the third to fifth sternal margins are entire with a small, median indent, and the details of the genitalia are different.

Adults — Female — Length ca 12 mm. Body –hair whitish to brown; integument brown to black. Head — Ocellocular area flat; facial foveae absent; frons flat with dense, small, strong punctures and interspaces slightly granular; frontal line carinate; supraclypeal area shallowly raised, covered in yellowish hair; epistomal suture distinct; subantennal suture distinct; anterior tentorial pits distinct; clypeus with small, strong, moderately dense punctures and polished interspaces, except for a broad ventral margin which is glabrous; malar space glabrous, length ca. 0.3 x width of base of mandible; labrum large, glabrous, convex, length about 0.5 x width. Mandibles large, when new, mandible almost as long as lower interorbital distance; apical tooth nearly a third length of mandible, long and narrowly pointed; pollex almost unrecognisable, instead replaced with a broad dorsal flange on mandible, hair on mandible long and simple. Maxillary palp extending beyond apex of extended glossa; labial palp just extending to apex of glossa, all segments of both types of palps subequal in length; glossa grooved medially, apical fringe short; inner eye margins straight, parallel, converging slightly dorsally; gena about as wide as eye when head viewed laterally; hair yellowish, long, moderately dense, much branched. Mesosoma —Scutum and scutellum with small, weak, moderately dense punctures and coriaceous interspaces; hair black except yellow patches on humeral areas; metanotum not tuberculate, with moderately dense, yellow hair; propodeal triangle rounded imperceptibly onto vertical area, coriaceous, basal area longer than length of metanotum. Jugal lobe of hind wing just reaching cu-a; fore wing with pterostigma large, about two-thirds the length of the costal margin of the marginal cell, not parallel sided; apex of marginal cell strongly divergent from costa; first recurrent vein enters second submarginal cell medially. Foretibial spur with thick teeth; hind basitibial plate less 0.2 x length of tibia, apex acute, covered in thick, dense black hair; hind tibial scopa with coarse, long, monopodal hair with three to six, long, apical branches; inner hind tibial spur with about five, long, thick, widely spaced teeth; claws with a small, medial tooth. Metasoma —Coriaceous with weak punctures, without apical band of pustules on terga; hair brown, fine, short; prepygidial fimbria coarse, black; pygidial plate with long, dense, branched hair. Male — As for female except as follows: Length ca 9 mm; hair whitish to golden. Head —First and second flagellar segments with length less than width; third to eleventh flagellar segments with length greater than width; hair dense. Mesosoma — Foretibial spur with fine teeth; other spurs simple, legs slender without scopae. Metasoma —Pygidial plate and prepygidial fimbria absent, sixth and seventh tergal segments with coarse, long, black hair; seventh tergal segment bare medially; eighth sternum projects strongly beyond seventh sternum, lateral lobes seventh sternum with spines, eighth sternum with tuft of hair on median apical process; sterna with sparse hair except apex of fifth sternum, which has an apical fringe that is shortest medially. The male genitalia are strongly convex with a large spiny process ventrally on the gonostylus; the penis valves are strongly ventrally projected. For S7–8 and genitalia see figs 64–66.