Protosmia (Nanosmia) montana, Müller, Andreas, 2012

Müller, Andreas, 2012, New European bee species of the tribe Osmiini (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Megachilidae), Zootaxa 3355, pp. 29-50 : 49

Protosmia (Nanosmia) montana spec. nov.

Holotype: Greece, Taygetos mountains: Toriza - Profitis Ilias, 1700–2000m, 12.7.2007, ɗ (leg. W. Arens), [ ETHZ].

Paratypes: Greece, Erymanthos mountains: Michas, 1300–1700m, 5.7.2001, 1 Ψ (leg. W. Arens); Michas, 1600–2220m, 7.7.2006, 1 Ψ, 1 ɗ (leg. W. Arens). Killini mountains: Ano Trikala, 1600–1900m, 24.6.2008, 1 ɗ (leg. W. Arens). Panahaikon mountains: Patras, 1000–1950m, 4.7.2001, 1 Ψ, 1 ɗ (leg. W. Arens). Taygetos mountains: Toriza - Profitis Ilias, 1600–2400m, 16.7.2006, 1 Ψ, 1 ɗ (leg. W. Arens); Toriza - Profitis Ilias, 1600–2200, 9.7.2007, 2 ɗ (leg. W. Arens); Toriza - Profitis Ilias, 1700–2000m, 12.7.2007, 2 ɗ (leg. W. Arens); Toriza - Profitis Ilias, 1600–2000m, 15.7.2008, 1 Ψ, 2 ɗ (leg. W. Arens).

Diagnosis. Protosmia montana is a rather distinct species among the members of the subgenus Nanosmia due to the pilosity and shape of male sternum 2. The female can be separated from the other species of Protosmia by the presence of a narrow, longitudinal and impunctate area on the clypeus, which extends along the whole clypeal length except for a short apical zone, which is as densely punctate as the lateral parts of the clypeus ( Fig. 29 ). The male is distinctive due to the very large and sparsely haired sternum 2, which is not emarginated apically, but evenly rounded to slightly truncated ( Fig. 30 ).

Description. Female: Body length: 4–5mm. Head: Second segment of the labial palpus about 2.2x as long as the first segment. Clypeus densely punctate with interspaces of less than the diameter of half a puncture except for a longitudinal, impunctate and polished area, which is one to three punctures wide and extends over about four fifths of the clypeal length ( Fig. 29 ). Punctation of supraclypeal area and frons as dense as on the clypeus, but distinctly coarser on the frons. Head as long as broad. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge about 1.5x as long as the ocellar diameter. Thorax: Scutum and scutellum densely punctate with interspaces only rarely reaching the diameter of one puncture. Basal zone of the propodeum about as long as the metanotum, declivous and displaying weak longitudinal carinae. Metasoma: Apical margin of terga 1–5 reddish and with whitish hair bands, which are broadly interrupted on tergum 1 and narrowly interrupted on tergum 2. Punctation of terga 1–3 rather dense with interspaces usually of the diameter of one puncture, punctation of terga 4–6 denser with interspaces of less than one puncture.

Male: Body length: 4–5mm. Head: Second segment of the labial palpus about 2.2x as long as the first segment. Antenna and gena unmodified. Clypeus, supraclypeal area, basal half of paraocular area and lower face densely covered with a whitish to yellowish pilosity. Head nearly as long as broad. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge about 1.5x as long as the ocellar diameter. Thorax: Punctation of scutum and scutellum dense with interspaces varying between the diameter of less than one half and one puncture. Basal zone of the propodeum as in the female. Metasoma: Apical margin of terga 1–6 reddish. Apical whitish hair bands on terga 1–2 distinct and partly interrupted, on terga 3–5 only poorly developed. Punctation of terga 1–4 rather dense with interspaces usually of the diameter of one puncture, punctation of terga 5–6 denser with interspaces of the diameter of less than one puncture. Tergum 6 slightly bulging basally and displaying a shallow transversal depression along the apical margin, which is more or less truncated. Tergum 7 invisible. Sternum 1 slightly projecting downwards, regularly convex, evenly rounded and reddish apically. Sternum 2 flat, very large with the apex of sternum 1 not reaching its middle, inconspicuously beset with scattered and short white hairs, its apical margin rounded to slightly truncated, reddish and slightly thickened ( Fig. 30 ). Sternum 3 hidden below sternum 2, its median part covered with a dense whitish pilosity, its apical margin slightly emarginated and with long and inwardly curved hairs. Sternum 4 sparsely beset with conspicuously long whitish hairs both on the basal half and along a narrow median zone on the apical half, its apical margin slightly rounded to truncated with two narrow and converging tufts of whitish hairs. Apical margin of sternum 5 deeply incised, sides of the incision beset with long yellowish bristles. Apical margin of sternum 6 with a yellowish membraneous appendage, which is roundish, slightly emarginated apically and densely beset with short and apically bent bristles. Gonoforceps distinctly angled in its apical part ( Fig. 31 ).

Distribution. Known so far only from a few mountain ranges on the Peloponnes between 1000m and 2400m.

Host plants. Three pollen samples from three different localities revealed that P. m o n t a n a is polylectic. The three females collected pollen on Lamiaceae , Cichorioideae (Asteraceae) and Fabaceae .

Etymology. montanus = living in mountainous areas.

Figures

FIGURE 25 – 31. 25: Hoplitis lithodorae spec. nov., galeae of proboscis of Ψ. 26: Hoplitis lithodorae spec. nov., antenna of ɗ. 27: Hoplitis lithodorae spec. nov., appendage of sternum 6 and tergum 7 of ɗ. 28: Hoplitis manuelae spec. nov., terga 6 – 7 of ɗ. 29: Protosmia montana spec. nov., head of Ψ. 30: Protosmia montana spec. nov., sterna 1 – 6 of ɗ. 31: Protosmia montana spec. nov., genitalia of ɗ.