Osmia gulmargensis Nurse, 1903

Sardar, Sayan, Kazmi, S. I. & Rameshkumar, A., 2024, First report of Osmia (Pyrosmia) Tkalců from India with description of a new species and redescription of Osmia gulmargensis Nurse, Zootaxa 5551 (1), pp. 186-196 : 193-195

Osmia gulmargensis Nurse, 1903

Osmia gulmargensis Nurse, 1903 , Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. 7, xi (66). p.545–546. (♀, Kashmir).

Subgenus: Uncertain, but most likely should be assigned to Osmia (Helicosmia) Thomson due to the females bearing a broad and robust mandible, almost of same width medially and basally, and separated from the base by a distinct depression; clypeus modified (convex apically) with two apical tufts of orange hair laterally; mandibles highly modified, apical tooth broad, cutting edge transverse; surface of the propodeum is matte and hind coxa is devoid of strong carina along the inner ventral angle (although a weak carina is present along the outer angle).

Material examined: 2♀♀, INDIA: Himachal Pradesh, Arla , 32.0834°N, 76.4929°E, 2286 m, vii.1971, Sweep Netting, Collector unknown, NZC .

Diagnosis: This bee can be easily recognized due to the highly unusual shape of the mandible, where the apical tooth is greatly expanded, plate-like with a transverse edge and the integument metallic blue on head and mesosoma and golden green on metasoma.

Redescription: Female: Body length 12–13 mm; integument metallic blue on head and mesosoma, goldengreen on metasoma; pubescence white on head and mesosoma, pale yellow on metasoma ( Figs. 5a, 5b ).

Head: Head almost 0.93× as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 2.89× as long as ocellar diameter. Ocello-ocular distance 0.65 mm. Maximal width of genal area about 1.3× as long as maximal width of compound eye. Compound eyes converging upwards. Punctation of vertex and genae fine and dense, interspaces at most one puncture diameter; punctation denser around the ocelli, antennal sockets and paraocular regions with linear interspaces; punctation of clypeus coarse on apical half, laterally impunctate and polished zone. Clypeus elevated and bulging apically, with two tufts of yellow hairs apicolaterally ( Fig. 5c ). Mandibles with erect pale yellow hairs, not narrowed much medially than basally, four-toothed, upper tooth broad and smooth, cutting edge transverse, appearing like lamina ( Fig. 5d ). Hypostomal cavity bordered by large and distinct carina. Malar space linear. Frons, paraocular region, clypeus and gena with with long whitish pilosity. Antennae dark brown, A3 1.48× longer than A4, A4 and A5 subequal.

Mesosoma: Punctation of scutum, scutellum, axillae and mesepisternum very dense with linear interspaces. Metanotum apically and propodeum entirely distinctly shagreened ( Fig. 5e ). Pilosity of mesosoma pale whitish. Tegulae brown, punctuation dense apically and laterally, scattered medially. Wings sub-hyaline, veins brown. Legs brown, claws black. Coxa of fore leg with carina ( Fig. 5f ). Hind coxa with a weak carina along the outer ventral angle ( Fig. 5g ). Tibia apically and tarsi with golden bristles. Hind tibial spurs yellow, inner spur less than half as long as hind basitarsus and straight except for the apex, which is bent upwards at an angle of 25–30°.

Metasoma: Punctation of T1–T3 fine but scattered, interspaces more than 2× puncture diameter. Punctation of T4–T6 dense, interspaces rarely reaching the diameter of one puncture. T1–T2 with whitish pilosity on disc. T3–T4 with pale yellowish erect hairs on disc. Apical hair bands on terga yellowish; T5 and T6 with appressed yellowish pilosity which almost completely covers the cuticular surface ( Fig. 5h ). Scopa golden; sternal fasciae absent.

Comments: The type material deposited in NHMUK was examined via photographs (see https://data.nhm. ac.uk/dataset/56e711e6-c847-4f99-915a-6894bb5c5dea/resource/05ff2255-c38a-40c9-b657-4ccb55ab2feb/ record/9139712).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Osmia gulmargensis Nurse, 1903. Female (in NZC): a: Habitus, lateral view; b: Habitus, dorsal view; c: Head, frontal view; d: Mandibles; e: Mesosoma, dorsal view; f: Carina on fore coxa; g: Carina on outer ventral angle of hind coxa; h: Metasoma, dorsal view. (Scale bars: a, b, c, d, e, h: 1mm; f, g: 0.5mm)