Sphecodes pesenkoi Astafurova et Proshchalykin, sp., 2018

Astafurova, Yu. V., Proshchalykin, M. Yu. & Engel, M. S., 2018, The cuckoo bee genus Sphecodes Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) in Kazakhstan, Far Eastern Entomologist 369, pp. 1-48 : 28-30

Sphecodes pesenkoi Astafurova et Proshchalykin, sp. n.

DIAGNOSIS. The new species most closely approximates S. rubicundus Hagens,

1875 and S. ruficrus (Erichson, 1835) owing to a similar gonostylar shape (elongate,

spoon-shaped), but differs from these species by sparser punctation of mesoscutum separated by 1–3 puncture diameters (versus areolate) and T1 with a few fine punctures (versus coarsely and densely punctate in S. rubicundus and S. ruficrus ).

DESCRIPTION. Male. Total body length 6.0 mm. Head black (expect reddish mandibles) ( Fig. 22 ); transverse, 1.15 times as wide as long; vertex not elevated,

distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus about 1.5 lateral ocellar diameters as seen in dorsal view; antenna attain middle of mesoscutum; F1 transverse,

0.6 times as long as wide; F2 1.4 times as long as wide; tyloids deep, covering (from

F4 onward) about a half ventral surface of flagellomeres; face densely punctate,

with contiguous punctures, ocello-ocular area with punctures separated by 0.5–2

puncture diameters; face with dense, appressed, snow-white, plumose pubescence obscuring integument; vertex and gena rugose.

Mesosoma black; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with fine punctures (20–25

μm) separated by 1–3 puncture diameters ( Fig. 23 ); mesepisternum densely rugose

( Fig. 20 ), ventrally finer rugose, with long, appressed, plumose pubescence;

propodeal triangle shiny with coarsely longitudinal-winding wrinkles; remainder of propodeum similarity sculptured (coarsely reticulate-rugose); legs dark brown except mediotarsus yellow. Hind wing with basal vein strongly curved; costal margin with

5 hamuli.

Metasoma red; T1 with a few fine punctures; T2–T4 with fine (10–20 μm), but numerous punctures separated by 1–4 puncture diameters ( Fig. 21 ); marginal zones impunctate, smooth on T1–T3 and delicately tesselateon T4–T6; sterna finely tessellate; S1–S2 with fine punctures (5–10 μm) separated by 3–6 puncture diameters;

remainding sterna densely punctate with puncture (10–15 μm) separated by 1–3

puncture diameters; gonocoxite without dorsal depression; gonostylus elongate,

spoon-shaped ( Figs 24, 25 ).

habitus, lateral view; 21 – metasoma, dorsal view; 22 – head, frontal view; 23 – mesosoma,

dorsal view; 24 – genitalia, dorsal view; 25 – gonostylus, dorsal view.

Female. Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: ♂, Kazakhstan: Kyzylorda Prov. , Perovsk, Syr Darja [Kyzylorda],

15.V 1928, leg. N. Olenev, VP [ZISP].

PARATYPE: 1♂, same label as holotype [ZISP].

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is dedicated to Yuri Andreevich Pesenko

(1944–2007), a renowned melittologist and during his life one of the leading experts on the systematics of halictid bees.

DISTRIBUTION. Kazakhstan (Kyzylorda).

Figures

Figs 20–25. Sphecodes pesenkoi Astafurova et Proshchalykin, sp. n., male, holotype. 20 –