Epeolus iranicus, Bogusch, 2021

Bogusch, Petr, 2021, The cuckoo bees of the genus Epeolus Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera, Apidae) from the Middle East and North Africa with descriptions of two new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 84, pp. 45-68 : 45

Epeolus iranicus sp. nov.

Figure 1

Material examined.

Holotype: ♀, Iran: Bazuft, Kuhre-Sefid, 1900, Escalera leg. (OLML).

Paratypes: 2 ♂, 1 ♀ with the same labels as holotype (BMNH); Kerman, 10 km W Rafsanjan , 26.5.1978 , 1 ♂, K. Warncke leg. and det. (OLML).

Differential diagnosis.

This species is most similar to E. transitorius and E. seraxensis , and all three species are characterised by the presence of apical (as opposed to submedial) labral tubercles (Figs 1d and 3d ) and yellowish to reddish antennal segments, especially F1 and F2 (Figs 1c and 3c ). The body is reddish in colour except the frons, vertex and the middle part of mesoscutum in females and entire mesoscutum in males, which are black (Fig. 1a and 1b ). Epeolus iranicus differs from E. seraxensis as follows: E. iranicus has sparser tomentum on the body, which does not cover the entire clypeus, frons, and mesopleura, shorter F1, and broken bands on the metasomal terga. Additionally, the frons is densely punctate but with shiny interspaces. The shape of male pygidium is much narrower with no emargination in the middle and differs from that of E. seraxensis (Figs 1i and 3i ). From E. transitorius , this species differs as follows: in E. iranicus most of body is brownish or reddish in colour (in E. transitorius it is mostly black), on most parts of body the punctation is sparser, and the metasomal terga and sterna are smooth and shiny.

Description.

Female. Body length: 7.7 mm (Fig. 1a ).

Head. Length to width ratio = 1.3 (Fig. 1c ). Mandible light reddish, mandibular apex and preapical tooth dark brown. Labrum light reddish, semi-transparent, shiny, coarsely and sparsely punctate, apically with pair of small teeth separated by medial shallow emargination, apex with prominent whitish hair, with sides convex (Fig. 1d ). Clypeus reddish, matt and with very fine and dense punctation, interspaces smaller than puncture diameters. Clypeus entirely covered by whitish tomentum. Frons black with basal part from clypeus to antennal tubercles reddish, with dense whitish hair around antennal socket, and with well-developed and sharp frontal keel. Vertex black, with sparse punctures, interspaces shiny and slightly greater than puncture diameters. Antenna reddish with flagellomeres dorsally partly brownish. Flagellomeres slightly longer than wide (L/W ratio = 1.05-1.1), F2 longer than other flagellomeres (L/W ratio = 1.35) (Fig. 1c ).

Mesosoma. Pronotum reddish-brown and entirely obscured by whitish tomentum. Mesoscutum reddish with wide black medial line and whitish tomentum laterally. Punctation coarse and dense, interspaces narrower than puncture diameters but shiny. Mesoscutellum reddish, round, densely and coarsely punctate, punctures twice as large as on mesoscutum, axillar tooth (free portion of axilla) long and acute but slightly shorter than mesoscutellum. Mesoscutellum with posterior margin extending over propodeum (Fig. 1e ). Propodeum brownish, very finely sculptured, matt, and laterally with whitish tomentum. Mesopleuron reddish, partly obscured with dense whitish tomentum, coarsely and densely punctate, with interspaces shiny and smaller than puncture diameters (but ill visible under the tomentum) (Fig. 1f ). Wings brownish with dark brown venation. Legs light reddish or orange, partly covered by whitish tomentum, only tarsal claws brown, tibial spurs on middle and hind legs yellow.

Metasoma. Metasoma entirely reddish. T1 finely and sparsely punctate, interspaces shiny and larger than puncture diameters. T1 with lateral spots of whitish tomentum at the base and near the apex, T2-T4 with apical bands of tomentum, which are broken in the middle. T2-T4 densely but finely punctate with shiny interspaces and ill-developed depressions. T5 shiny with very fine and dense punctation, whitish tomentum on sides, pseudopygidial area short, with silvery pubescence (Fig. 1g ). T6 reddish with slightly curved apex, bearing wide reddish pygidial plate, with long yellowish hair. S2 finely and sparsely punctate; interspaces wider than puncture diameters. Other sterna more finely and densely punctate. S5 wide and straight (see from side) (Fig. 1h ). Processes on sides of S6 normal, with short projections, reddish.

Male. Body length: 7.6 mm (Fig. 1b ).

Head. Length to width ratio = 1.2. Mandible light reddish, mandibular apex and preapical tooth dark brown. Labrum similar to that of female. Clypeus reddish, matt and with very fine and dense punctation, interspaces smaller than puncture diameters. Clypeus entirely covered by whitish tomentum. Frons black with basal part from clypeus to antennal tubercles reddish, with dense whitish hair around antennal socket, and with well-developed and sharp frontal keel. Vertex black, with sparse punctures, interspaces shiny and slightly greater than puncture diameters. Antenna reddish with flagellomeres dorsally partly brownish. Flagellomeres slightly shorter than wide (L/W ratio = 0.9), F3 a little longer than other flagellomeres (L/W ratio = 1.05), F2 longer (L/W ratio = 1.3).

Mesosoma. Pronotum black and entirely obscured by whitish tomentum. Mesoscutum black and with whitish tomentum laterally. Punctation coarse and dense, interspaces narrower than puncture diameters but shiny. Mesoscutellum reddish, round, densely and coarsely punctate, punctures slightly larger than on the mesoscutum, axillar tooth (free portion of axilla) long and acute but slightly shorter than mesoscutellum. Mesoscutellum with posterior margin extending over propodeum. Propodeum brownish, very finely sculptured, matt, and laterally with whitish tomentum. Mesopleuron reddish, partly obscured with dense whitish tomentum, coarsely and densely punctate, with interspaces shiny and smaller than puncture diameters (but ill visible under tomentum). Wings brownish with dark brown venation. Legs light reddish or orange, partly covered by whitish tomentum, only tarsal claws brown, tibial spurs on middle and hind legs yellow.

Metasoma. Metasoma entirely reddish. T1 finely and sparsely punctate, interspaces shiny and larger than puncture diameters. T1 with lateral spots of whitish tomentum at the base and near the apex, T2-T4 with apical bands of tomentum, which are broken in the middle. T2-T4 densely but finely punctate with shiny interspaces and ill-developed depressions. T5 shiny with very fine and dense punctation, whitish tomentum on sides, pseudopygidial area short, with silver pubescence. T6 reddish, bearing reddish pygidial plate, with long yellowish hair (Fig. 1i ). S2-S3 finely punctate with interspaces larger than puncture diameter, with white tomentum on apex, S4-S5 with prominent thick yellowish hair on apex.

Etymology.

All known specimens were collected in Iran: Epeolus iranicus (- a, - um).

Ecology.

Host and floral associations are unknown.

Distribution.

Recently known only from two nearby localities in Iran and several specimens from other localities (however, not properly localised) from the same country.

Figures

Figure 1. Epeolus iranicus sp. nov. a, c-h holotype, female b, i paratype, male a, b habitus, dorsal view c head, frontal view d labrum, frontal view e mesosoma, dorsal view f mesopleuron, lateral view g metasoma, dorsal view h ventral view i pygidium, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (a-c, e-h); 0.1 mm (d, i).

Figure 3. Epeolus seraxensis stat. nov. a, c-h lectotype, female b, i syntype, male a, b habitus, dorsal view c head, frontal view d labrum, frontal view e mesosoma, dorsal view f mesopleuron, lateral view g metasoma, dorsal view h ventral views i pygidium, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm (a-c, e-h); 0.1 mm (d, i).