Trichocolletes maximus (Cockerell)

Batley, Michael, 2012, Revision of the Australian Bee Genus Trichocolletes Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Paracolletini), Records of the Australian Museum (Rec. Aust. Mus.) 64 (1), pp. 1-50 : 28-29

Trichocolletes maximus (Cockerell)

Figs 10 , 20 , 24 , 67 , 105

Paracolletes maximus Cockerell, 1929 b, p. 9 (female). Trichocolletes (Trichocolletes) maximus .— Michener, 1965,

p. 80.

Specimens examined. New South Wales: 6♀, 7 km W Walgett , 15 Sep. 1988, N. W. Rodd, ex Swainsona procumbens, AM (K.316701–06) ; 3♀, 10 km N Mungindi (28.9108°S 148.9461°E), 25 Aug. 2007, M. Batley, ex Swainsona procumbens, AM (K.316524–25, 31) ; 3♂, 2♀, 32 km NNW Mungindi (28.7092°S 148.8825°E), 25Aug. 2007, M. Batley, ex Swainsona procumbens, AM (K.316526–30) ; ♀, 5 km E Condobolin (33.0770°S 147.1975°E), 26 Sep. 2010, M. Batley, ex Swainsona procumbens, AM (K.316532) . Victoria: 2♀, Ellmore-Mitiano Road (36.2920°S 144.3130°E), 2009, A. H. Murphy, ex Swainsona procumbens, AM (K.316708–09) ; ♂, Terrick Terrick NP, (36.0920°S 144.2620°E), 24 Aug. 2009, A. H. Murphy, ex Swainsona procumbens, AM (K.316707) .

Diagnosis

Length 13–14 mm; eyes hairy; scutal hair dense, ferruginous; metasomal bands silver-white; labrum black or dark brown; scape black in both sexes. Female clypeus weakly protuberant.

Descriptions

Male (AM K.316525), not previously described.— Head width 4.65 mm, body length 12.6 mm. Relative dimensions: HW 50, HL 35, UID 33, UFW 34, LID 31, DMA 29, HVO 7, WOC 13, MOD 3, OOD 10, IAD 9, ASD 3, AOD 9, ML 20, BMW 7, MSL 0.8, SL 16, SW 3, FL c. 46.— Eyes hairy; inner orbits ventrally convergent; length malar space c. 0.15× basal mandibular width; gena broad, almost as wide as eye viewed laterally; middle flagellomeres c. 1.5× as long as wide; hind tibia with angular, densely setose ridge from basitibial area to distal margin; hind tarsus as long as hind tibia; hind basitarsus 3.8× as long as wide; hind basitibial area with posterior carina to apex ( Fig. 24 ). Genital capsule similar to that for T. orientalis n.sp. (Fig. 37); S7 with rectangular lateral lobes and short posterior projections ( Fig. 67 ). Distitarsi and flagellomeres F2–6 ventrally, orange-brown; mandible medially, dark brown. T1–5 with silver bands.— Vertex and scutum noticeably dull with strong pit-reticulation.— Face densely covered with long, erect, plumose, orange hair; gena closely covered with long, white hair. Scutum closely to densely covered with long, plumose, ferruginous hair; fore basitarsus and all trochanters with long plumes of white hair; anterior margin of hind tibia with fringe of close, long, white hair. T1,2 openly covered with long, erect, white hair, shorter on T2; T3–6 openly covered with short, semi-adpressed hair mostly matching underlying integument, but with some pale hair extending onto dark areas anterior to silver bands.

Female (AM K.316527).— Head width 4.90 mm, body length 13.8 mm. Relative dimensions: HW 50, HL 37, UID 32, UFW 34, LID 33, DMA 34, HVO 4, WOC 14, MOD 3, OOD 10, IAD 8, ASD 3, AOD 10, ML 20, BMW 9, MSL 1.5, SL 16, SW 3, FL c. 29.— Face broad; inner orbits subparallel; malar space short (length c. 0.2× basal mandibular width); gena about 2/3 as wide as eye, viewed laterally; vertex elevated; clypeus transversely convex laterally, but strongly flattened medially; middle flagellomeres c. 1.3× as long as wide; inner hind tibial spur with c. 6 strong teeth; basitibial area not elevated above surroundings ( Fig. 20 ); tarsal claws simple; pygidial plate entire, without medial elevation, strongly sculptured.— Labrum, mandible medially dark brown; distitarsi orange-brown. T1–4 with narrow silver-white bands.— Clypeus and paraocular areas reticulate, closely punctate; supraclypeal punctures contiguous, merging to form irregular grooves.— Clypeus sparsely covered with long, finely-branched, white hair; paraocular areas and frons densely covered with long, plumose hair, white below antennal sockets, becoming pale orange above.— Scutum densely covered with short, erect, finely-plumose, bright ferruginous hair; hind tibial scopa white except dark brown near basitibial area; pubescence of metasomal terga as for male; prepygidial fimbria off-white or pale brown.

Remarks. In Cockerell’s original description, it is clear from references to the pygidial plate and hind tibial scopa that he was describing a female, but erroneously reported that it was male. Dr Ascher of the American Museum of Natural History provided photographs of the holotype and has confirmed that the holotype is female and has the diagnostic features described above.

Distribution. Inland areas from southern Queensland to northern Victoria (DRP, NSS, RIV) ( Fig. 105 ).

Figures

Figs 10–13. Faces of female Trichocolletes with elevated (10 and 11) or normal (12 and 13) vertex.

Figs 20–23. Basal area of hind tibia of Trichocolletes females: (20) T. maximus, (21) T. brachytomus n.sp., (22) T. pulcherrimus, and (23) T. dives. Setae were removed from the T. maximus and T. brachytomus n.sp. specimens, but shortened by wear in the other cases.

Figs 24–27. Basal area of hind tibia of Trichocolletes males: (24) T. maximus, (25) T. brachytomus n.sp., (26) T. pulcherrimus, and (27) T. lacaris n.sp.

Figs 56–67. Seventh sternum of Trichocolletes males.

Figs 104–115. Known distribution of Trichocolletes species.