Sphecodes holgeri Astafurova & Proshchalykin sp. nov.

Figures 1, 2

Material examined.

Holotype: ♀, China: Yunnan, Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve, Guomenshan (22.2452N, 100.6011E), 1107 m, 26.III.2009, leg. Ling-Zeng Meng [IZCAS].

Diagnosis.

From others small Sphecodes species with bidentate female mandibles this new species differs by combination of characters including scarcely and finely punctuation of the body, smoother propodeal sculpture and the short 2nd submarginal cell (Figs 1, 2).

Female. Total body length 5 mm (Fig. 1), fore wing 4.0 mm (Fig. 2F). Head black with brownish antenna and mandible (Fig. 2A); transverse, about 1.25 times as wide as long; preoccipital carina not developed; vertex not elevated as seen in frontal view; distance from top of head to upper margin of a lateral ocellus ca. 1.5 lateral ocellar diameters as seen in dorsal view; F1 0.8 times as long as wide, F2 and F3 as long as wide, remaining flagellomeres slightly longer than width; mandible bi-dentate; supraclypeal area weakly bulging; labrum trapezoidal, 0.7 times as long as basal width; face, vertex and gena finely (5-10 μm) punctate, sparser on clypeus and supraclypeal area, with shiny interspaces; face and gena with sparse tiny pubescence.

Mesosoma black, legs brownish with yellowish tarsi. Pronotum, between dorsal and lateral surfaces, with sharp angle. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum smooth and shiny (Fig. 2C), with sparse and tiny setae punctures (5-10 μm). Hypoepimeral area shiny, smooth with microscopical punctures; mesepisternum smoother on upper half and rugulose below, with tiny setae punctures (Fig. 2D). Propodeal triangle (metapostnotum) shiny with a few coarse longitudinal wrinkles and large smooth shining interspaces (Fig. 2E); vertical part of propodeum smooth and shiny, with a few weak wrinkles; lateral parts of propodeum similar to mesepisternum, rugulose. Metafemur weakly enlarged medially, maximum width 0.32 times its length. Wings hyaline, weakly yellowish, with brown stigma and veins; 2nd submarginal cell short, 0.3-0.4 times as long as high (Fig. 2F); hind wing with the angle between basal (M) and cubital (Cu) veins 80°, costal margin with five hamuli.

Metasoma (Fig. 2B) red-brownish (on T2 more reddish), terga almost impunctate (including marginal zones), only with a few tiny setae punctures on T3-T5 discs; pygidial plate dull, rounded apically, wide, 1.2 times as wide as metabasitarsus; sterna tessellate with sparse setae punctures.

Male unknown.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is a patronym honoring our colleague and friend Prof. Holger Dathe (Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Müncheberg, Germany) on the occasion of his 75th birthday and in recognition of his many contributions to the study of Hymenoptera diversity and that of the bees in particular.

Distribution.

Only known from the type locality in Yunnan (China).