Hoplitis (Alcidamea) occidentalis Müller, 2012, spec. nov.
Creators: name: Müller, Andreas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Megachilidae
Hoplitis
Hoplitis occidentalis

description: Hoplitis (Alcidamea) occidentalis spec. nov.
Holotype: Spain, Valencia: 80km SW of Valencia, Muela de Cortes reserv., 14.5.2003, ɗ (leg. J. Halada), [ETHZ].
Paratypes: Italy, Sardinia: Monti del Gennargentu, 3km N of Desulo, 30.6.2000, 2 Ψ, 7 ɗ (leg. J. Halada). France, Drôme: 6km E of Nyons, Condorcet env., 350m, 13.6.2003, 1 Ψ (leg. S. Risch). Vaucluse: 12km NE of Carpentras, 2km W of Bédoin, 23.5.1998, 1 Ψ (leg. C. Schmid-Egger); Bédoin, 13km NE Carpentras, Sanddünen, 31.5.2000, 1 Ψ (leg. J. van der Smissen); Bédoin, 13km NE of Carpentras, Sanddünen, 14.6.2001, 1 Ψ (leg. J. van der Smissen). Spain, Andalucia: Mini Hollywood, 3.5.2003, 2 Ψ (leg. M. Snizek); 65km SW of Sevilla, W of Matalascanas, 1 Ψ (leg. C. Schmid-Egger). Murcia: Pto. De Jumilla, 800m, 19.5.2003, 2 Ψ (leg. M. Halada). Valencia: 80km SW of Valencia, Muela de Cortes reserv., 14.5.2003, 3 Ψ (leg. J. Halada). Morocco: Ifkern, 25km E of Boulemane, 24.– 25.5.1995, 3 Ψ (leg. M. Halada); Oujda, Jbel Mekam, 1220m, 27.5.1996, 1 Ψ (leg. P. Rasmont); 3km SE of Oukaimeden, Assif n'Ait Irene, 6.6.1998, 1 Ψ (leg. P. Rasmont).
Diagnosis. The female is very similar to H. claviventris (THOMSON), from which it differs by the dark brown to black spurs of the hind leg tibia (yellowish to orange in H. claviventris), the longer ocellooccipital distance, which is longer than 2.5x the ocellar diameter (about 2.5x in H. claviventris), the yellowish-brown to dark brown pilosity on the inside of the hind leg basitarsus (yellowish-white in H. claviventris), the basal zone of the propodeum, which is shagreened only in its upper third (upper half or more in H. claviventris) and the more distinctly impressed base of tergum 2. The male is easily recognizable by the broadly truncated tergum 7, which has the shape of a regular trapezium (Fig. 11), the transversal and rather low swelling across the entire sternum 2 and the dense, short and yellowish hair band at the apical margin of sternum 5 (Fig. 12).
Description. Female: Body length: 6.5–8mm. Head: Second segment of the labial palpus about 1.2x as long as the first segment. Antennal segment 3 about 1.4x as long as broad. Clypeus medially bulged, its apical margin distinctly but rather shallowly emarginated. Punctation of clypeus very dense without any interspaces along a narrow transversal area between the broadly impunctate and polished apical zone and the bulging median part, less dense with interspaces reaching the diameter of half a puncture on the clypeal sides and only scattered on the mediobasal part of the clypeus with interspaces varying between the diameter of one puncture (mainly apically) and up to three or four punctures (basally). Head about 0.95x as long as broad. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge 2.6–3.2x as long as the ocellar diameter. Thorax: Scutum and scutellum densely punctate with interspaces varying between the diameter of one half and one puncture, on the scutellum medially up to two punctures. Basal zone of the propodeum shagreened along a narrow transversal basal area, which covers less than half of its length. Colour of the pilosity on the inner side of the hind leg basitarsus ranging from yellowish-brown to almost black. Spurs of the hind leg tibia dark brown to black, weakly tapering towards the apex and more or less straight except for the tip, which is slightly curved upwards. Metasoma: Apical margin of terga 1–4 with white hair bands, which are broadly interrupted on terga 1–2, often also on tergum 3. Punctation of disc of terga 1–5 moderately scattered with interspaces varying between the diameter of one and three punctures. Basal zone of tergum 2 distinctly impressed, basal impression on tergum 3 less distinct.
Male: Body length: 7–8mm. Head: Second segment of the labial palpus about 1.2x as long as the first segment. Head about 0.9x as long as broad. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge about 2.25x as long as the ocellar diameter. Thorax: Scutum and scutellum rather densely punctate with interspaces varying between the diameter of one half and one, rarely two punctures. Basal zone of the propodeum as in the female. Metasoma: Apical margin of terga 1–6 reddish. Terga 1–4 with white hair bands, which are interrupted on terga 1–3. Punctation of disc of terga 1–5 moderately scattered with interspaces varying between the diameter of one and three punctures. Apical margin of tergum 6 very shallowly emarginated medially and with a lateral tooth, which is about as long as broad. Tergum 7 with converging sides and a broadly truncated apex (Fig. 11). Sternum 2 very weakly emarginated medioapically and with a low and narrow transversal swelling, which is highest medially and almost reaches the sternal sides. Apical margin of sternum 3 distinctly emarginated with the incision being roughly half as deep as wide. Apical margin of sternum 4 more or less straight, ciliated with whitish hairs, which are longest and densest medially. Sternum 5 with a transversal subapical swelling, its apical margin covered with a dense, short and yellowish hair band (Fig. 12).
Specimens from Sardinia slightly differ from those of the mainland by the darker pilosity on the inside of the hind leg basitarsus, the shorter ocellooccipital distance and the more distinct swelling on male sternum 2.
Distribution. Known so far from Sardinia and from southern France southwards to central Morocco.
Host plants. Six pollen samples from five different localities revealed that H. occidentalis is polylectic. The five females collected pollen on Fabaceae, Cistaceae and Campanulaceae.
Etymology. occidentalis = occurring in the west, referring to the southwest-mediterranean distribution.
description: Published as part of Müller, Andreas, 2012, New European bee species of the tribe Osmiini (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Megachilidae), pp. 29-50 in Zootaxa 3355 on pages 38-39, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.281575