Leioproctus (Lamprocolletes) chalybeatus ( Erichson, 1842 )

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 : 82-83

Leioproctus (Lamprocolletes) chalybeatus ( Erichson, 1842)

Andrena chalybeatus * Erichson 1842: 268 .

not Lamprocolletes chalybeatus Smith 1853: 11 ; Dalla Torre 1896: 47.

not Lamprocolletes chalybeatus Sichel 1867: 144 .

Lioproctus vigilans (sic = Leioproctus ) *Smith 1879: 7; Dalla Torre 1896: 47.

not Paracolletes chalybeatus (Smith) . Cockerell 1905a: 344, 346.

Paracolletes vigilans (Smith) . Cockerell 1905a: 348; 1910a: 199, 206; 1934:37. syn.n.

Paracolletes diodontus * Cockerell 1929c: 206 ; Rayment 1931a: 166, 167, pl.xix figs 6, 6a, 6b. syn.n.

Nodocolletes dentatus * Rayment 1931a: 165–166 pl. xix, figs 1–5, 8, 8a, 8b; Cockerell 1934: 25.

Nodocolletes subdentatus * Rayment 1931a: 166–167 , pl. xix, figs 7, 7a, 7b; Cockerell 1934: 36. syn.n.

Not Leioproctus (Leioproctus) chalybeatus (Erichson) . Michener 1965: 50 placement based on misidentified specimens.

Leioproctus (Nodocolletes) dentatus (Rayment) . Michener 1965: 63.

Leioproctus (Nodocolletes) diodontus (Cockerell) . Michener 1965: 63.

Leioproctus (Nodocolletes) subdentatus (Rayment) . Michener 1965: 63.

Leioproctus (Nodocolletes) vigilans (Rayment) . Michener 1965: 63.

The holotypes of Nodocolletes dentatus , Paracolletes diodontus , Nodocolletes subdentatus and Leioproctus vigilans , are all females from south Western Australia and show no significant difference from the holotype of Andrena chalybeatus .

The identity of this species has been misunderstood because specimens in the British Museum of Natural History and the Hope Entomological museum were misidentified and subsequent identifications relied on comparison with these specimens. No one apparently referred to the holotype. Additional confusion has resulted from its distribution. The type locality is "Van Diemensland" (Tasmania), but all subsequent specimens have been collected in Western Australia.

The species was named by Erichson from a collection of insects sent to him by Adolphus Schayer from Woolnorth (north west corner of Tasmania). There are several species in various orders of insects that have Woolnorth as a type locality.

Types

Andrena chalybeatus — Tasmania: holotype ♀, Woolnorth, Van Diemensland, Schayer ( ZMB 2304 ) .

Nodocolletes dentatus — Western Australia: holotype ♀, Moora, L. Newman ( WADA) ; paratype, same data as holotype ( ANIC) .

Paracolletes diodontus — Western Australia: holotype ♀, Eradu nr Geraldton, 8.ix.1926, Nicholson ( AM) .

Nodocolletes subdentatus — Western Australia: holotype ♀, Quairading ( ANIC) .

Leioproctus vigilans — Western Australia: holotype ♀, Swan River ( BMNH 17 a.496) .

Additional material examined: 31♀, 5 ♂ Western Australia: Yarloop; 60 miles (96 k) N Bullfinch; 30 miles (48 k) E Southern Cross, 350 m; Deep Dene, Karridale; Peak Charles NP, 102 k SW Norseman; Boorabbin Rock, 98 k E Southern Cross (31°23' 118°45'); 29 k ne Bullfinch; 75 k E Hyden, Forestania Corners; 10 k S Collie; 29 k SE Perth; 28 k WSW Leinster (27°55'S 20°41'E); 8 k S Yellowdine; 126 miles (200.2 k) N Geraldton; 35 miles (56 k) W Esperance; 4 miles (6.4 k) NE Menzies; Stirling Ra; Pingering.

Months collected: August, September, October, November, December

Floral visitations: Ericaceae : Leucopogon ; Fabaceae : Acacia ; Goodeniaceae : Scaevola spinescens ;

Myrtaceae : Bakaea pentagonantha , Eucalyptus sp. , Verticordia picta ; Proteaceae : Grevillea biformis .

Female — Medium-sized robust bees, strongly punctate with smooth interspaces, metanotal protuberance double pronged; length about 13 mm; dark brown to metallic blue-green, entirely covered with dense, strong, large punctures. Head— Facial fovea vaguely indicated by smoother non-metallic area; apex of supraclypeal area raised to a small pustule; lower face covered in moderately dense, long, white, open-branched hair; clypeus flat; hair on scape short sparse, thick branched on median edge; mandibles broad; labrum shallowly depressed medially; ventral glossa covered in minute hairs; gena narrower than eye viewed laterally, hair of gena like that of lower face. Mesosoma — Scutum and upper lateral mesosoma have sparse, long, black, open-branched hair; upper surface of protuberance of metanotum, pronotal lobe, area lateral to propodeal triangle and lower lateral mesosoma with white hair; metanotum with a strongly produced, bifid, median nodule; tegula smooth and shiny. Wings, membrane brown, densely covered in macrotrichia; pterostigma about 0.5 x length of costal margin of marginal cell; jugal lobe of hind wing broad sinuous reaching only half way to cu-a. Hind legs with long, plumose white hair on coxa, trochanter and ventral tibia; dorsal tibia and tarsi black; basitibial plate moderate size (about 0.2 x length of tibia), pointed apex, integument obscured by thick, black hairs; inner hind tibial spur straight with 4–6 straight, thick, widely spaced teeth; inner ramus of claws large. Metasoma— T1 with sparse, long, fine, short branched hairs; T2 with metasomal foveae indicated by lateral non metallic integument covered with dense patch of hair; hair of dorsal metasoma sparse, short, white; prepygidial fimbria coarse, dense, black, much branched; pygidial plate flat, narrowly rounded apically with a few basal ridges; S1–4 with broad band of white branched hair, hair dark on S5– 6. Male — As for female except as follows: Length ca 10 mm. Head— Lower face densely covered in long, simple, appressed hair; frons and gena depressed below eye level. Mesosoma — Legs simple, if body non metallic then colour orange, if metallic then legs black; basitibial plate small, not obscured by hair; metanotal protuberance more slender than in female. Metasoma— Hair dorsally moderately dense, long, fine; T7 broad, bare; S4–5 long white apical fringes. For details of S7–8 and genitalia see figs 148–150.