Sphecodes laticeps Meyer, 1920

Astafurova, Yulia V., Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu. & Schwarz, Maximilian, 2020, New and little-known species of the genus Sphecodes Latreille (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) from Southeast Asia, ZooKeys 937, pp. 31-88 : 31

Sphecodes laticeps Meyer, 1920 Figures 86-88 , 89-93

Sphecodes laticeps Meyer, 1920: 121, ♀, ♂ (lectotype (designated here): ♂, Formosa, Takao, H. Sauter S.G., 8.12.09 // Sphec. laticeps Meyer det. n. spec.,!Type // Lectotypus, Sphecodes laticeps Meyer, 1920, design. Astafurova et al. 2020 <red label>; ZMHB); Paralectotypes: 2 ♀♀, Formosa, Taihorinsho, Sauter S.V., VIII. // Sphec. laticeps Meyer det. n. spec., Type, ZMHB, SDEI; 3 ♀♀, Taihorin, Formosa, H. Sauter, 1911 // 7.VI // Sphec. laticeps Meyer det. n. spec., Type; ZMHB.

Sphecodes candidius Meyer, 1925: 10, ♀ (holotype: ♀, Taiwan, "Lake Candidius 25./9/-10./10/ 1907"; HNHM). Synonymized by Blüthgen 1927: 85.

Sphecodes biroi mariae Cockerell, 1930: 162, ♂ (holotype: ♂; Thailand, "Siam, Nam, Jan. 8, 1928 (Cockerel)"; USNM, http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3e3daca86-a75f-458d-b994-6723b995dccd). Syn. nov.

Diagnosis.

This species resembles Sphecodes biroi Friese, 1909 and S. samarensis Blüthgen, 1927 owing to a similar structure, sculpture and coloration of the body, including the shape of the male gonostylus. S. laticeps differs from S. samarensis by the shining and more elevated vertex with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateralocellus ca. one and a half or two lateral ocellar diameters as seen in frontal view (versus dull, areolate vertex with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus half or one ocellar diameter. The female of S. samarensis is unknown, but these features are suitable for both sexes). The male of S. laticeps differs from S. biroi in having less developed tyloids and a glabrous spot on the ventral surfaces of flagellomeres (versus tyloids usually covering entire ventral flagellar surface or sometimes with small non-setae spot on basal flagellomeres). The females of S. laticeps and S. biroi are difficult to distinguish, but S. laticeps has T2 usually more distinctly punctate.

Descriptive notes.

Wings with brownish darkening; hind wing with angle between basal (M) and cubital (Cu) veins almost 90°, costal margin with seven hamuli. Lateral preoccipital carina present. Female. Total body length 7-7.5 mm. Head strongly transverse (Fig. 86 ), ca. 1.3 times as wide as long; vertex elevated with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus ca. one and a half of a lateral ocellar diameter as seen in frontal view; labrum trapezoidal, 0.6 times as long as basal width; ocello-ocular area shining with shallow punctures separated by 0.5-2 puncture diameters; face (below and above the antennal sockets) with adpressed white pubescence obscuring the paraocular and supraclypeal integuments, gena with sparser pubescence. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum (Fig. 87 ) mostly with confluent punctures (30-40 μm) and medially with a few shining interspaces equal at most to one or two puncture diameters. Propodeal triangle (Fig. 87 ) roughly reticulate-rugose (sculpture forming one or two rows of large deep cells); mesepisternum reticulate-rugose. Metasomal T1 impunctate, T2 with minute and sparse punctures on medial part of disc, coarser and denser on lateral areas (10-15 μm / 2-4); marginal zones impunctate; pygidial plate as wide as metabasitarsus; T1-T3 red or darkish (Fig. 88 ). Male. Total body length 7-8 mm. Head transverse (Figs 90 , 92 ), ca. 1.2 times as wide as long; vertex elevated with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus ca. one and a half of a lateral ocellar diameter as seen in frontal view; antennae reach posterior margin of mesoscutum, F2 1.6-1.7 times as long as wide. Tyloids well developed, covering the entire lateral flagellar surfaces and peripheral part of ventral surface (with variable in size medial glabrous spot, Figs 90 , 92 ). Mesoscutum (Fig. 89 ) mostly areolate-punctate, medially with a few shining interspaces equal at most to a puncture diameter. Propodeal triangle roughly reticulate-rugose; lateral parts of propodeum rugose with large smooth shining interspaces. Metasomal terga (Fig. 91 ) with minutely punctate (10-15 μm), variable in density; marginal zones impunctate; T1-T3 red; gonocoxite dorsally without impression; gonostylus as on Fig. 93 .

Material examined.

Vietnam: 4 ♂♂, Gia Prov., Lai-Contum, Tran Lap, 20 km N Buon Luoi, 22-25.XI.1988, Sharkov (ZISP); 2 ♀♀, 50 km W Thanh Hoa, 9.I.1989, B. Korotyaev (ZISP); 1 ♀, Hanoi, 30.I.1989, Yanushev (ZISP).

Published records.

Cockerell 1930: 162 (Thailand, as S. biroi mariae ); Ascher and Pickering 2019 (Thailand, as S. biroi mariae ).

Distribution.

Thailand, *Vietnam, China (Taiwan).

Figures

Figures 86 - 88. Sphecodes laticeps Meyer, female 86 head, frontal view 87 mesosoma, dorsal view 88 metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figures 89 - 93. Sphecodes laticeps Meyer, male, lectotype (90) 89 mesosoma, dorsal view 90, 92 head, frontal view 91 metasoma, dorsal view 93 genitalia, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.