Hylaeus pictus ( Smith, 1853 )

Straka, Jakub & Bogusch, Petr, 2011, Contribution to the taxonomy of the Hylaeus gibbus species group in Europe (Hymenoptera, Apoidea and Colletidae), Zootaxa 2932, pp. 51-67 : 65-66

Hylaeus pictus ( Smith, 1853)

(Tabs1–2; 4, 11, 12, 18, 25, 26, 33, 34)

Prosopis picta Smith, 1853 : p. 25.

= Prosopis scutata Lichtenstein, 1877 : p. 141. = Prosopis stigmorhina Pérez, 1895 : p. 63. = Prosopis purpurissata Vachal, 1895 : p. 332.

Material examined. France: PROVENCE: Le Lavandou, 1930, 27 ƤƤ, J. Obenberger lgt., NMPC; VAUCLUSE: Roussillon 5 km N, Lioux, 9. vi.1997, 1 Ƥ, Ch. Schmid-Egger lgt., CSEC; Italy: TOSCANA: Grosseto 30 km W, Punte Ala, 6. v.1995, 1 Ƥ, Ch. Schmid-Egger lgt., CSEC; Turkey: ADANA: Adana 10 km N, Karaömerli env., 2 3, M. Fikáček, J. Hájek, J. Straka lgt., JSPC; Catalan, prov. Adana, 4.–8. iv.2002, 1 3, P. Bogusch lgt., coll. PBHC; Payas env., prov. Hatay, 10. iv.2002, 2 ƤƤ, P. Bogusch lgt., coll. PBHC; det. P. Bogusch & J. Straka.

Redescription of male. Body length: 6.0–7.0 mm.

Coloration. Large part of mandibles, labrum, lower part of scapus, clypeus, supraclypeal area and lower part of paraocular area, inner and dorsal part of foretibia, base of mesotibia, distal half of metatibia, mid- and hind-metatarsi, pronotum and pronotal lobe, in most specimen spot on tegula and in some specimens scutellum, metanotum and axilla yellow. Lower part of flagellum reddish. Other body parts all black.

Head. Width: 1.58–1.80 mm; length: 1.60–1.75 mm; width/length: 1.00–1.03. Clypeus, supraclypeal area and lower half of paraocular area sparsely punctated, punctures shallow, but distinct in all parts, one to four diameters apart, interspaces microsculptured, slightly shiny to dull. Frons above antennae with small free unpunctated space, about as long as diameter of antennal socket; rest of frons and vertex distinctly and densely punctated, punctures well-developed, interspaces small, less than half diameter apart in all parts (fig. 11). Malar area longer than in H. confusus , microridged. Gena punctated and weakly microridged, punctures ill-defined, distinct. Preoccipital ridge developed, with distinct ledge, in some specimens well-developed (cf. fig. 14). Antennae long; antennomere III wider than long, IV quadratic, V distinctly longer than wide.

Mesosoma. Scutum densely and uniformly punctated, punctures well-developed, less than half diameter apart, interspaces microsculptured, slightly shiny to dull. Mesopleuron less densely punctated than scutum, punctures larger than on scutum; in central part, punctures well-defined, one to less than one diameter apart, interspaces slightly microsculptured, shiny; on hypoepimeral area, punctures smaller than on central part, well-defined, about half to two diameters apart, interspaces microridged, slightly shiny (cf. fig. 18). Central part of propodeum variably rugose, with ill-defined lamella separating anterior (roughly sculptured) and posterior (smoothly sculptured) parts. Legs not modified, densely micropunctated, punctures ill-defined.

Metasoma. Terga distinctly hairy, first tergum with distinct apicolateral bands. Tergum I densely punctated, punctures well-defined, large, about half to three diameters apart on distal half, interspaces distinctly microsculptured, shiny (fig. 25). Other terga more distinctly, densely and roughly sculptured. Sternum III flat. Sterna II to V uniformly densely punctated, punctures large, well-defined, in most parts two to less than one diameter apart, interspaces shiny. Sternum VII with apical lobes L-shaped, apex acute (fig. 33). Sternum VIII with distinct medial process, process broad, about one and half as long as wide (fig. 34).

Description of female. Body length: 5.5–7.5 mm.

Coloration. Paraocular area between eye, clypeal margin and antennal socket (fig. 4), in some specimens apical part of clypeus, base of all tibiae, pronotal lobe, pronotum dorsally and spot on tegula are yellow. Apical part of clypeus red in some specimens. Lower part of flagellum dark reddish in some specimens. Other body parts all black.

Head. Width: 1.50–1.90 mm; length: 1.60–1.90 mm; width/length: 0.94–1.00. Clypeus, supraclypeal area and lower half of paraocular area sparsely punctated, punctures distinct, but shallow, ill-defined, less than one to four diameters apart, interspaces strongly microsculptured, dull. Frons above antennae with small free unpunctated space, not longer than diameter of antennal socket; rest of frons and vertex densely punctated, punctures welldeveloped, less than half diameter apart, interspaces slightly shiny (fig. 12). Malar area variable, microridged; in some specimens distinctly longer than malar area in H. confusus (fig. 4). Gena punctated and microridged, punctures distinct. Preoccipital ridge developed, with well-developed ledge in most specimens. Antennae short, antennomeres III and V about as long as wide, IV transverse.

Mesosoma. Scutum densely and uniformly punctated, punctures well-developed, less than half diameter apart, interspaces microsculptured, slightly shiny to dull. Mesopleuron less densely punctated than scutum; in central part, punctures well-defined, one to less than one diameter apart, interspaces slightly microsculptured, shiny; on hypoepimeral area, sculptures similar to that on central part, but punctures smaller (fig. 18). Central part of propodeum rugose; dorsal part roughly sculptured and posterior part smoothly sculptured. Legs not modified, densely micropunctated, some punctures well-defined.

Metasoma. Terga distinctly hairy, first tergum with distinct apicolateral bands. Tergum I finely and sparsely punctated, punctures distinct, small, but laterally well-defined, about one to five diameters apart, interspaces indistinctly microsculptured, shiny (fig. 26). Other terga more distinctly and densely sculptured. Sterna II to V uniformly punctated, punctures large, well-defined, one to three diameters apart, interspaces shiny.

Distribution and ecology. Hylaeus pictus is a thermophilous, Mediterranean species that is distributed in southern Europe. This species is rarer and seemingly more thermophilic than H. gibbus . This species does not reach central Europe.