Eucera (Eucera) wattsi Dorchin, 2019

Dorchin, Achik, 2019, Taxonomic revision of the aequata - group of the subgenus Eucera s. str. (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Eucerini), Zootaxa 4652 (3), pp. 457-472 : 469-471

Eucera (Eucera) wattsi Dorchin , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:77E90808-128C-4013-B384-004139A0955F

Distribution: Israel (and probably also Lebanon, see note below).

Notes: The type series is limited to a small geographical area, the central coastal plain of Israel, although I have seen a single conspecific male in the Baker collection, SEMC, which bears a label “Monteverde, Lebanon ” [likely Montiverdi, about 7 km east of Beirut in Lebanon]. The entire region of the type locality is threatened by ongoing urban and agricultural development, and only a small fraction of the sites is currently protected within nature reserves, other sites being subject to misuse such as illegal quarrying, garbage disposal, erosion by motorised vehicles, and unregulated intensive honey bee keeping.

Molecular sequence data was provided for this species in Dorchin et al. (2018a) as sample ad2.

Pollen hosts: This species is probably oligolectic, or associated mainly with Fabaceae . Pollen samples taken from six females from two sites in Israel, contained pure loads of pollen of the Trifolium - and Astragalus - type (both Fabaceae ). Floral records of females and males from the central coastal plain of Israel include Astragalus berytheus , Trifolium purpureum , T. argutum , T. dichroanthum , and Vicia villosa from the Fabaceae as well as Anchusa undulata , Echium angustifolium (both Boraginaceae ), and Leopoldia bicolor (Liliaceae) .

Diagnosis: This species is smaller on average, and with darker vestiture comparing to the two other species, most evidently hairs of the upper mesepisternum of females being bright ferruginous ( Figs 3, 6 ) comparing to pale or darker fulvous. The females differentiate by their stronger surface sculpture, including the mesonotum with comparatively deeper punctures and inconspicuous area of smaller, shallower punctures posteromedially, and the scutellum with no wide puncture interspaces, at most with shallower punctures medially ( Fig. 23 ). Females of the other species have sparser punctures posteromedially on their mesonotum, with smooth interspaces usually 1–2 puncture diameters wide or with wide smooth surfaces; and the scutellum with wide smooth interspaces or almost impunctate (in E. aequata ). The marginal zone of T1 has narrow smooth margin as in E. dafnii sp. nov. but not well defined as in that species ( Fig. 26 ) as indicated in the key. The apical fasciae are comparatively narrow, that of T2 largely interrupted medially as indicated in the key, that of T4 slightly narrower medially even in fresh specimens ( Fig. 26 ), comparing to uniformly wide or at most indistinctly narrower in the two other species. In addition to the characteristics mentioned in the key, males of E. wattsi sp. nov. differ from the two other species by the completely matt surface of mesonotum, whereas the mesonotum is slightly or conspicuously shiny posteromedially in the other species.

Etymology: The new species name is proposed in honour of Stella Watts, a talented pollination ecologist, who collected much of the type series and contributed important floral observation and palynological data for this study.

Holotype: ♂, ISRAEL, Yaqum , 17 m, 32°15‘19‘‘N / 34°50‘40‘‘E, at Astragalus berytheus , 2.3.2011, A. Dorchin leg. ( SMNH).

Paratypes: ISRAEL: ♀, Bene Ziyyon NR, 26.3.2009, A. Dorchin leg. ( ADC); ♂, Bene Ziyyon NR, 25.2.2009, A. Dorchin leg. ( ADC); ♂, Bene Ziyyon 1.3 km NW 25 m, 32°13‘31‘‘N / 34°51‘23‘‘E, at Anchusa undulata , 13.3.2010, A. Dorchin leg. ( SMNH); ♀, Haruzim NR, 30.3.2009, A. Dorchin leg. ( ADC); ♂, Tel Yizhaq S NR, 20 m, 32°14’34’’N / 34°51’53’’E, at Anchusa undulata , 13.3.2011, A. Dorchin leg. ( ADC); 2♂, Tel Yizhaq S NR, 20 m, 32°14‘34‘‘N / 34°51‘53‘‘E, at Anchusa undulata , 14.3.2011, A. Dorchin leg. ( ADC); ♀ 2♂, Tel Yizhaq S NR, 20 m, 32°14‘34‘‘N / 34°51‘53‘‘E, at Anchusa undulata , 16.3.2011, A. Dorchin leg. ( ADC, ♀ ♂; SMNH, ♂); ♀, Yaqum 0.75 km N, 12 m, 32°15’20’’N / 34°50’33’’E, 5.3.2010, A. Dorchin leg. ( ADC); ♀, Yaqum 0.75 km N, 12 m, 32°15’20’’N / 34°50’33’’E, 9.4.2010, A. Dorchin leg. ( SMNH); ♀, Yaqum, 17 m, 32°15’19’’N / 34°50’40’’E, 11.4.2011, A. Dorchin leg. ( ADC); 3♂, Yaqum, 17 m, 32°15’19’’N / 34°50’40’’E, at Astragalus berytheus , 2.3.2011, A. Dorchin leg. ( ADC, 2♂; SMNH, ♂); ♂, Yaqum, 13 m, 32°15‘22‘‘N / 34°50‘41‘‘E, 18.3.2016, A. Dorchin leg. ( ADC); 3♂, Yaqum, at Vicia villosa , Astragalus sp., 1.3.2011, S. Watts leg. ( SMNH); ♀ ♂, Yaqum, at Vicia villosa , 3.3.2011, S. Watts leg. ( SMNH); 2♂, Yaqum, at Vicia villosa , 12.3.2011, S. Watts leg. ( ADC); ♂, Yaqum, at Trifolium purpureum , 31.3.2011, S. Watts leg. ( SMNH); ♀, Yaqum, at Echium angustifolium , 2.5.2011, S. Watts leg. ( SMNH); ♀, Yaqum, 17m, 32°15’19’’N / 34°50’40’’E, at Vicia villosa , 21.3.2011, S. Watts leg. ( ADC); 2♂, Yaqum, at Leopoldia bicolor , Trifolium purpureum , 28.3.2011, S. Watts leg. ( SMNH); ♂, Yaqum, 17m, 32°15’19’’N / 34°50’40’’E, at Leopoldia bicolor , 29.3.2011, S. Watts leg. ( SMNH); ♀, Yaqum, at Trifolium argutum , 30.3.2011, S. Watts leg. ( ADC); ♀ ♂, Yaqum, at Trifolium purpureum , 12.4.2011, S. Watts leg. ( SMNH); ♀, Yaqum, at Trifolium dichroanthum , 13.4.2011, S. Watts leg. ( SMNH); ♀, Yaqum, at Trifolium purpureum , 14.4.2011, S. Watts leg. ( ADC).

Description: Female: as in E. aequata except the following. Smaller, body length 11.5–13.5 mm; forewing length 8.0– 8.5 mm; head 1.3 times broader than long on average; inner margins of compound eye parallel sided or even slightly converging below, thus upper and lower interocular distance subequal, or at most with ratio 0.98 ( Fig. 15 ); vertex very short, ocelloccipital distance about 2/3 lateral ocellus diameter; galea long, 1.5–1.6 times as long as compound eye in profile.

Integument black and shiny, with tarsal segments 2–5 ferruginous as in E. aequata , but metasoma less shiny due to stronger microreticulation on T1 and denser punctation on following tergites ( Fig. 26 ). Surface overall with dense to confluent shallow punctures, but punctures comparatively coarser, better defined; mesonotum with comparatively small, inconspicuous area of smaller, shallower punctures posteromedially ( Fig. 23 ); scutellum densely punctate, without wide puncture interspaces, at most with shallower punctures medially, with clear larger punctures posteromedially ( Fig. 23 ); T1 with margin narrow as in E. dafnii sp. nov. but margin less well defined due to comparatively sparser punctation, and irregular puncture distribution and boundary with microreticulate surface anteriorly ( Fig. 26 ); discs of T2–5 densely striopunctate with interspaces mostly one puncture diameter or less on T2, and progressively denser punctures on following tergites.

Vestiture comparatively dark, bright ferruginous on mesonotum, upper mesepisternum, and preoccipital ridge, lighter ferruginous to fulvous on lower mesepisternum propodeum and T1 ( Fig. 3 ); modified unbranched hairs posteromedially on ventral side of mesosoma apically bent as in E. dafnii sp. nov. but less conspicuous due to concolourous nearby branched hairs; apical fascia of T2–4 fulvous (fading to white in worn specimens) not strongly contrasting with light ferruginous prepygidial fimbria in fresh specimens; apical fascia comparatively narrow on T2–4, widely interrupted medially on T2, and not completely hiding underlain margin of tergite on T3 even in fresh specimens ( Fig. 26 ); tibia and tarsi as in E. aequata but scopal hairs slightly darker.

Male: as E. aequata except for the following. Body length 12–14 mm; forewing length 8.0–9.0 mm; inner margins of compound eyes weakly converging below, such that ratio of upper to lower interocular distance equals 0.93 ( Fig. 18 ); vertex short, ocelloccipital distance about 3/4 lateral ocellus; clypeocular distance comparatively short, about 2/3 malar distance and 1/5 of mandible width at base; antenna comparatively short ( Fig. 9 ), 3.27 times longer than compound eye on average; second flagellar segment twice as long as first on average ( Fig. 20 ); S6 simple, flattened, without carinae and anterolateral marginal projections ( Fig. 31 ); S7 with posterior lobe of lateral process comparatively slender, with apex sharp, rising posteromedially to anterior lobe ( Fig. 34 ); anterior lobe with posterior margin transverse ( Fig. 34 ); S8 with apicomedial ventral process reduced but more conspicuous than in E. aequata ( Fig. 37 ); genitalia much as in E. aequata except that posterodorsal projection of gonocoxa shorter, and gonostylus spatulate, more strongly expanded apically in dorsal view ( Fig. 40 ); penis valve with anterior processes oblique, not distinctly curved above spatha in dorsal view ( Fig. 40 ), and with inconspicuous basomedial lobe below spatha as seen in posterior view; lateromedial spine of penis valve absent ( Fig. 40 ).

Integument colour black with weak metallic reflection as in female; T1 and T2 concolourous with mesosoma, following tergites darker as in E. dafnii sp. nov. ( Fig. 29 ); tarsal segments 2–5 ferruginous or segments 2 and 3 darker reddish amber. Surface of mesosoma finely shagreen, only head and metasoma shinier; mesosoma areolate, uniformly punctured with no visible interspaces between punctures, except that punctures becoming weaker and sparser, or irregular in some specimens posteromedially on mesonotum, but surface not distinctly shinier; scutellum with few interspaces or with briefly irregular punctation anteromedially; T1 and T2 with asymmetrical punctures on disc and striopunctate on marginal zone, and T3–5 striopunctate with smaller and denser punctures on disc as in E. aequata .

Vestiture uniform with ferruginous to fulvous erect hairs on head, mesosoma, T1 and disc of T2; marginal zone of T2 and T3–7 with dark brown hairs, not forming apical bands ( Fig. 29 ); T5 and T6 additionally with light brown hairs medially as on pygidial plate ( Fig. 29 ); stipes as in E. dafnii sp. nov., with modified, unbranched hairs long and strongly curved along lower margin.

Figures

FIGURES 1–12. Habitus of species of the aequata-group. Females in dorsal (1–3) and lateral view (4–6), and males in dorsal (7–9) and lateral view (10–12) of 1, 4, 7, 10: E. aequata; 2, 5, 8, 11: E. dafnii sp. nov.; and 3, 6, 9, 12: E. wattsi sp. nov.; (8, 9, 11, 12: Holotypes). (Pictures: Oz Rittner.)

FIGURES 21–29. Mesosoma and metasoma in dorsal view. Female mesosoma (21–23) and metasoma (24–26), and male metasoma (28, 29) and S7 (27) of 21, 24, 27: E. aequata; 22, 25, 28: E. dafnii sp. nov.; and 23, 26, 29: E. wattsi sp. nov. (28, 29: Holotypes). M: mesonotum, S: scutellum, MZ: marginal zone of T1, AF: apical fascia, PHB: posterior hair band.

FIGURES 13–20. Facial views and antenna of males. Facial view of females (13–15) and males (16–18) of 13, 16: E. aequata; 14, 17: E. dafnii sp. nov.; and 15, 18: E. wattsi sp. nov.. Length of first to second flagellar segment of male 19: E. dafnii sp. nov., and 20: E. wattsi sp. nov. (17–20: Holotypes). F1, F2: flagellar segment 1 and 2, respectively.

FIGURES 30–43. Sternites 6–8 and genitalia of males. Ventral view of S6 (30–32), S7 (33–35), and S8 (36–38), and dorsal (39–41) and lateral view of genitalia (42, 43) of 30, 33, 36, 39: E. aequata; 31, 34, 37, 40, 42: E. wattsi sp. nov.; and 32, 35, 38, 41, 43: E. dafnii sp. nov.. BAA: blunt anterolateral angle, PC: posterolateral carina, LPPL: posterior lobe of lateral process, LPAL: anterior lobe of lateral process, MP: medial process, AL: apical lobe, AVP: apicomedial ventral process, MC: medial convexity, MG: medial groove, MR: medial ridge, PP: posterodorsal projection of gonocoxa, G: gonostylus, AP: anterior process of penis valve, BL: basomedial lobe of penis valve, LS: lateromedial spine of penis valve.