Seladonia orientana Pauly & Devalez

Pauly, Alain, Devalez, Jelle, Sonet, Gontran, Nagy, Zoltán Tamás & Boevé, Jean-Luc, 2015, DNA barcoding and male genital morphology reveal five new cryptic species in the West Palearctic bee Seladonia smaragdula (Vachal, 1895) (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae), Zootaxa 4034 (2), pp. 257-290 : 277-279

Seladonia orientana Pauly & Devalez sp. nov.

( Figs 16–17 , 23 e,f, 24f)

Halictus smaragdulus form D in Pauly & Rassell 1982: 144.

Diagnosis. The male of S. orientana differs from that of S. smaragdula and S. phryganica by the boomerangshaped underplate of the large projection of the gonocoxite ( Figs 16 , 23 e,f). It differs from S. submediterranea and S. gemmella by the thick, short, and more pubescent small projection of the gonocoxite ( Figs 16 , 24 f). The female of S. orientana cannot be distinguished from the other species of the S. smaragdula complex by morphological characters. Because this species overlaps with all others (except S. cretella ), the geographic distribution cannot be used to associate the female of this species.

Description. Male and female as described for S. smaragdula except as follows: underplate of large projection of male gonocoxite boomerang-shaped, distal plate very narrow at apex (length/width from 2.88 to 4.72) ( Figs 16 , 23 e,f). Small projection of gonocoxite thick and short, three quarts as long as large projection, apex with numerous long setae ( Fig. 24 f). Fourth antennal segment of the male relatively short (length/width = 1.12–1.14).

Variations. In populations from Central Asia ( Tajikistan, Kazakhstan) the underplate of the large projection is narrower at apex and the small projection is even shorter and thicker than those of the European specimens.

Holotype. CROATIA, Ugljan island, Preko, 100m, 22.VII.1989, Eryngium campestre , 1♂, leg. R. Wahis ( RBINS).

Paratypes (61 males, 4 barcoded females). SPAIN. Cadiz, Sendero Torreon, Sierra Grazalema (Benamahoma), 30STF 8270, 870m, 8.VII.2011, 1♂, leg. F.J. Ortiz-Sanchez.

ITALY. Valle d'Aosta, 6 km W Aosta, St Pierre, 800m, 16.V.1998, 1♀, leg. C. Schmid-Egger ( ZSM).—Valle d'Aosta, St Pierre, 45.716°N 7.235°E, 700m, 20.VII.2012, 2♀, leg. C. Schmid-Egger ( ZSM).—Sicily, Enna, Assoro, Sparagio, 348m, Origanum vulgare , 1♂, leg. M. Terzo (UMH).

CROATIA. Ugljan island, Preko, 100m, 2.VIII.1970, 1♂, 8.VIII.1970, 1♂, 22.VII.1989, 1♂, leg. R. Wahis ( FSAG).—Omis, near Split, 3.IX.1970, 1♂ leg. OWR ( BMNH).

GREECE. Makedonia, Edessa, 23.VIII.1965, 2♂, leg. Blommers ( RMNHL).— Makedonia, Kastoria, 40°33'N 21°15'E, 760m, 23–25. VII.1963, 1 ♂ ( RMNHL).— Makedonia, Chalkidiki, E and SW Arnaia, 40°30'N 23°36'E, 120–400m, 26–28. VII.1978, 1 ♂, H. & U. Aspöck et al., col. A. Ebmer.—Central Macedonia, Pieria, Mnt. Olympus, 40.1052N 22.4822E, 16.VIII.2013, Rubus sp., 1♂ ( UAEG n° 091193), leg. K. Minachilis ( UAEG).— Peloponnisos, 2 km N. Dhimitsana, 37°36'N 22°03'E, 900m, 20.VIII.1979, 1♂, leg. E. & J. Hüttinger, col. Ebmer.—Mt Likeo, 1300m, 25.VIII.1990, 1♂, leg. K. Warncke ( OOLM).—Thessalia, Portaria, Pelionpass, 39°23'N 23°02'E, 675–825m, 29–31. VII.1963, 1 ♂ ( RMNHL).—Sparta 30 km W, Gorani, 1000m, 27.VIII.1990, 1♂, leg. K. Warncke ( OOLM).—Evros, Dadia, 8 km W of Provatonas, 41.0398N 26.1699E, 11–13. VIII.2012, 1 ♂ ( UAEG n°036962), leg. P. Tsalkatis ( UAEG). Evros, Dadia, 8 km W of Kila, 40.9819N 26.0643E, 10– 12. VIII.2012, 1 ♂ ( UAEG n°034405), leg. P. Tsalkatis ( UAEG).—Samothrace, Panagia, 40.4055N 25.5818E, 6.VII.2012, Eryngium campestre , 1♂ ( UAEG n°044405), 1♀ ( UAEG n°044434), leg. M. de Courcy ( UAEG).— Samothrace, Dafnes, 40.4151N, 25.5518E, 4–6.VII.2012, Heliotropium europaeum , 1♂ ( UAEG n°043840), 1♂ ( UAEG n°043813), leg. M. de Courcy ( UAEG).—Lesvos, Ag. Marina, 39.0633N 26.5843E, 5.X.2014, Dittrichia viscosa , 1♂ ( UAEG n°124598), leg. J. Devalez ( UAEG).—Lesvos, Parakoila, 39.1781N 26.1378E, 5–9. VI.2012, 1 ♂ ( UAEG n°008560), leg. A. Chroni ( UAEG).—Lesvos, Mytilene, 39.0816N 26.5754E, 10.IX.2014, Foeniculum vulgare , 1♂ ( UAEG n°124109), leg. J. Devalez ( UAEG).—Lesvos, 3.8 km SSE Agiasos, 39°3'17"N 26°23'50"E, 760m, Chestnut Forest, 8.X.2005, 1♂ ( UAEG n°0023702), leg. T. Petanidou ( UAEG).—Corfou, 23.VII– 4. VIII.1954, 5 ♂, leg. P.M. Verhoeff ( RMNHL).

TURKEY. Constantinople (Istanbul), 1919, 4 ♂, leg. J. De Gaulle ( MNHNP).—Eskisehir, Inönu, 800m, 1.VIII.1991, 2♂, leg. K. Warncke ( OOLM).—Ankara 10 km S, 1100m, 26.VIII.1991, 2♂, leg. K. Warncke ( OOLM).—Tarsus, 29–31.V.1965, leg. J. Gusenleitner, col. M. Schwarz.—Konya, N Taskent, 1800m, 6.VIII.1991, 1♂, leg. K. Warncke ( OOLM).—Mut, 23.V.1970, 1♂, leg. J. Gusenleitner ( OOLM).—Hakkari, 1250m, südl. Beytussebap, 10.VIII.1983, 1♂, leg. K. Warncke (col. M. Schwarz), 4♂ ( OOLM).—Hakkari, Beytussebap 22 km S, 1200m, 26.VI.1985, 1♂, leg. E. Schacht ( OOLM).—Hakkari, Semdinli, 1350m, 9.VIII.1985, 1♂, leg K. Warncke, col. M. Schwarz.—Adana Province, Feke env., 21–24. VII.2000, 2 ♂, leg. M. Oboril ( OOLM).—Harbie, Antakya, 17.VI.2000, 1♂, leg. M. Halada ( OOLM).—Sirnak Prov., 25 km NW Sirnak, 37.67°N 42.31°E, 1600m, 23.VI.2010, 9♂, leg. Mi Halada ( OOLM).

KAZAKHSTAN. (Mer.) Georgievka, 43.2°N 75.6°E, 16.VI.1995, 1♂, leg. J. Halada, col. M. Schwarz.—Alma Ata, 35 km zap. Aksaj, 16.VII.1981, 3♂, leg. Kocourek ( OOLM).

TAJIKISTAN. Pendzikend 20 km W, Resen Pojom, 29.VI.1981, 3♂, leg. Kocourek ( OOLM).

IRAN. Fars, Daria Namak, "steppo presso lago salato", 27 km E Shiraz, 7.VII.1965, 1♂, leg. G. Soika ( MNHNP).—Elburs, 50 km S (" 90 km strasse") Chalus, 2800m, 26.VII.1977, 2♂, leg. J. Gusenleitner ( OOLM).— Elburs, Damavand-Gebiet, Polur, 2000m, 23.VII.1977, 1♂, leg. J. Gusenleitner ( OOLM).

Distribution. Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. A specimen from Cadiz in Southern Spain bears the same short, small gonostylus and it may represents an isolated population ( Fig. 17 ).

Visited plants. Recorded on Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter ( Asteraceae ), Foeniculum vulgare L., Eryngium campestre L. ( Apiaceae ), Heliotropium europaeum (Boraginaceae) and Rubus sp. ( Rosaceae ).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the oriental distribution of this species. The more correct Latin adjective " orientalis " is already being used.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Seladonia orientana sp. nov., male (= form D) (Greece, Samothrace Island, Dafnes), ventral view of the projections of the gonocoxites.

FIGURE 17. Geographic distribution of Seladonia orientana sp. nov. (males with genitalia form D and barcoded females).

FIGURE 23. Ventral view of the large projection of the male gonocoxite of Seladonia gemmella sp. nov., S. submediterranea sp. nov. and S. orientana sp. nov. Left photographs are reproduced from Pauly & Rassel (1982), at right new photographs by Pauly & Cillis; a, S. gemmella (Spain, Alicante); b, S. gemmella (Spain, Almeria); c, S. submediterranea (Romania, Bucarest); d, S. submediterranea (France, Deux-Sèvres); e, S. orientana (Croatia, Ugljan); f, S. orientana (Greece, Samothrace).

FIGURE 24. Contour of the small projection, in lateral view, of the male gonocoxite in the species of the Seladonia smaragdula complex; a, S. smaragdula (Spain, Almeria); b, S. phryganica sp. nov. (Greece, Anafi); c, S. gemmella sp. nov. (Spain, Almeria); d, S. cretella sp. nov. (Greece, Crete); e, S. submediterranea sp. nov. (France, Deux-Sèvres); f, S. orientana sp. nov. (Greece, Lesvos).