Colletes eardleyi, Kuhlmann, 2007

Kuhlmann, Michael, 2007, Revision of the bees of the Colletes fasciatus-group in southern Africa (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), African Invertebrates 48 (2), pp. 121-166 : 140-141

Colletes eardleyi sp. n.

Fig. 41

Etymology: Named for Connal Eardley, Pretoria, who greatly facilitated bee systematic work in southern Africa.

Diagnosis: Among the species with a reduced scopa the following combination of characters is unique: tibiae completely orange-brown to red and width of facial fovea about diameter of antennal flagellum.

Description:

Female.

Length 10–11 mm.

Vestiture: Face short, greyish white with long, dark brown hairs at vertex; mesonotum with short, yellowish brown hairs intermixed with numerous longer, blackish hairs; mesosomal sides with longer, and legs with shorter, white to yellowish white hairs, scutellum and metanotum with short, yellowish brown hairs, those on scutellum intermixed with longer, blackish hairs; T1 densely covered with moderately long, erect, white hairs, shorter posteriorly; disc of T2 with very short, erect, whitish hairs; discs of T3–T5 with short, yet successively longer, erect, blackish hairs; relatively broad white posterior tergal hair bands on T1–T4, slightly narrowed medially on T1, and very narrow on T5; T2 with very weakly developed and very narrow basal tomentum; S2–S4 with very short, thin white hair fringes laterally; discs of sterna loosely covered with very short hairs.

Integument: Mainly black, antenna brown ventrally, legs red, except trochanter and basal parts of femora, terga narrow and indistinctly translucent reddish brown posteriorly, discs of T2–T5 sometimes with a narrow transverse red stripe posteriorly; T1–T3 with slight bluish shine; malar area long, length about 3/4 width of mandibular base; clypeus convex medially, with dense (0.2 pd) small punctures that only very slightly elongate; integument between punctures glabrous; facial fovea narrow, maximum width about 3/4 antennal diameter; disc of mesonotum with relatively sparse (1 pd), coarse punctation, surrounded by dense (<0.5 pd) punctation, integument between punctures glabrous; upper sloping part of propodeal triangle with short, longitudinal carinae, vertical part superficially shagreened and shiny, anteriorly with 2–4 more or less transverse carinae; disc of T1 with distinct, fine, dense (0.5 pd) punctation, punctures becoming much denser, finer and shallow towards posterior tergal depression; disc of T2 with very fine, dense (<0.5 pd) punctation; integument between punctures glabrous.

Male. Unknown.

Holotype: ^SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: Lamberts Bay , 4.x.1974, R. Watmough ( SANC).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: 6^same data as holotype (SANC, CMK); 2^Remhoogte, plain, 6.x.2002, C. Mayer, on Aizoaceae , Ruschia sg. Tumidula , pink (CMK); 1^14.x.2001, idem; 1^Vanrhynsdorp, 20 km N, 21.ix. 2001, 211 m (CMK).

Distribution: Known from only three locations in Namaqualand ( Fig. 41 ).

Flower visiting: Ruschia (Tumidula) sp. ( Aizoaceae ).

Phenology: First record 21 st September, last record 14 th October.

Remarks. This species is treated as Colletes sp. C in Kuhlmann (2006).

Figures

Fig. 41. Distribution of C. denudatus, C. eardleyi, C. fasciatus, C. genalis, C. gessi and C. infracognitus.