Sphecodes lasimensis Blüthgen, 1927

Astafurova, Yulia & Proshchalykin, Maxim, 2020, New and little-known bees of the genus Sphecodes Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae) from the Himalayas, European Journal of Taxonomy 729, pp. 74-120 : 98-100

Sphecodes lasimensis Blüthgen, 1927

Figs 12 , 13 A–C

Sphecodes lasimensis Blüthgen, 1927: 40 , fig. 6a–e, ♀, ♂ (syntypes: ♀, ♂, N India: Simla, 7000 ft, Annandale leg. 16./5/1909; Simla Hills, 9000 ft, Annandale u. Kemp leg. 18–21./5.1916;?The Indian Museum, Calcutta; not examined).

Sphecodes lasimensis – Ascher & Pickering 2020: map.

Diagnosis

The female is closest to that of S. gibbus by the shape of the head and sculpture of the body, but differs from this species by the less elevated vertex with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus approximately two lateral ocellar diameters as seen in frontal view (vs ca 3), the sparser punctate metasoma with almost impunctate marginal zones on T1 and T2 (distinctly punctate in S. gibbus ) and on average smaller body length 7.5–10 mm (vs 7–15 mm). We have not studied the male, but according to the description of Blüthgen (1927) it is similar to that of the Palaearctic S. alternatus Smith, 1853 and S. reticulatus Thomson, 1870 owing to similar sculpture, shapes of antennal tyloid area and gonostylus (tyloids of S. lasimensis are more developed and semicircular across basal 1/5–⅓ of ventral flagellar surface vs 1/7–1/ 5 in S. alternatus and S. reticulatus ).

Material examined

NEPAL • 2 ♀♀; Kali-Gandaki-Kola , Tatopani , 50 km SW of Pokhara; 1100–1400 m a.s.l.; 12–15 May 1984; C. Holzschuh leg.; PCMS .

Descriptive notes

Wings with brownish darkening; hind wing with the angle between basal (M) and cubital (Cu) veins ca 70°, costal margin with eight, nine or ten hamuli.

Female Total body length 7.5–10 mm ( Fig. 12 ). Head transverse, ca 1.25 times as wide as long ( Fig. 13A ); vertex elevated with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus approximately two lateral ocellar diameters as seen in frontal view; labrum trapezoidal, 0.7 times as long as basal width; ocello-ocular area and vertex irregularly punctate with punctures separated by 0.5–4 puncture diameters;

paraocular area with dense adpressed white pubescence, but not obscuring integument, gena with sparser pubescence. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum sparsely punctate (30–50 μm / 1–7); propodeal triangle (metapostnotum) and mesepisternum reticulate-rugose ( Fig. 13B ). Metasomal terga sparsely punctate, on discs with shallow tiny punctures separated by a few diameters ( Fig. 13C ); T1 marginal zone indistinctly punctate with a few tiny punctures; T2–T4 marginal zone smooth and impunctate; pygidial plate 0.5 times as wide as metabasitarsus; T1–T4 red, T5 partially brownish.

Male (according to Blüthgen 1927)

Head weakly transverse, ca 1.15 times as wide as long; vertex elevated with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus approximately two lateral ocellar diameters as seen in frontal view. Tyloids (from F4 onward) weakly developed, semicircular across basal 1/5–⅓ of ventral surface of flagellomeres.

Distribution

Himalayas: India (Himachal Pradesh), * Nepal.

Figures

Fig. 12. Sphecodes lasimensis Blüthgen, 1927, ♀ (PCMS). Habitus in lateral view. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 13. Sphecodes lasimensis Blüthgen, 1927, ♀ (PCMS). A. Head in frontal view. B. Mesosoma in dorsal view. C. Metasoma in dorsal view. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.