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

description: Hoplitis (Hoplitis) hilbera spec. nov.
Holotype: Spain, Murcia: Alhama de Murcia, 24.4.1993, ɗ (leg. M. Schwarz), [ETHZ].
Paratypes: Spain, Andalucia: San José, 21.6.2002, 1 Ψ (leg. S. Kaluza); Sierra Filabres, 9km E of Albanchez, 23.4.2003, 2 ɗ (leg. J. Halada); 20km N of Almeria, 3.5.2003, 1 Ψ, 1 ɗ (leg. M. Halada). Cataluna: Ermita Mare de Deu de la Roca, 10km W of Cambrils, 5.5.2000, 1 Ψ, 1 ɗ (leg. E. Scheuchl); Flix, 60km W of Tarragona, Ebro, 6.5.2000, 1 Ψ (leg. E. Scheuchl). Murcia: Alhama de Murcia, 24.4.1993, 7 Ψ, 1 ɗ (leg. M. Schwarz). Valencia: Moraira, 15km SSW of Xabia, 3.5.2001, 1 ɗ (leg. E. Scheuchl); 80km SW of Valencia, Muela de Cortes reserv., 14.5.2003, 3 Ψ (leg. J. Halada).
Diagnosis. H. hilbera belongs to the adunca group of the subgenus Hoplitis (Sedivy et al., submitted). The female is very similar to other species of this group and cannot be reliably identified by a single character. Among the Spanish species of the subgenus Hoplitis, it can be separated from H. adunca (PANZER), H. benoisti (ALFKEN), H. fertoni (PÉREZ), H. lepeletieri (PÉREZ) and H. mucida (DOURS) by the distinctly smaller body size, from H. anthocopoides (SCHENCK) and H. marchali (PÉREZ) by the shorter and less slender hind tibial spurs, from H. insularis (SCHMIEDEKNECHT) by the orange-coloured and apically curved hind tibial spurs, from H. loti (MORAWITZ) by the less dense punctation of the scutum, from H. ochraceicornis (FERTON) by the apically less curved inner hind tibial spur and from H. ravouxi (PÉREZ) by the lack of a distinct longitudinal keel on the clypeus. The male can be differentiated from the other species of the adunca group by the following combination of characters: antenna parallelsided along its whole length (Fig. 23); antennal segments 4–13 all of about the same size except for segments 4 and 13, which are slightly longer; antenna dark, its anterior side often slightly reddish-brown; the two lobes of the membraneous appendage of sternum 6 extended to a roundish tip laterally, evenly rounded apically and separated from each other by a triangular incision (Fig. 24).
Description. Female: Body length: 6.5–7.5mm. Head: Second segment of the labial palpus about 1.4x as long as the first segment. Clypeus convex and with seven to nine teeth along its apical margin. Clypeus, supraclypeal area and lower frons very densely punctate with interspaces of usually less than the diameter of half a puncture. Punctation of upper frons and vertex less dense with interspaces reaching the diameter of one to rarely one and a half punctures. Basal half of the galea beset with bristles, which are not distinctly curved apically. Antennal segment 3 2x as long as segment 4. Head about 0.9x as long as broad. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge slightly more than 2x as long as the ocellar diameter. Thorax: Scutum and scutellum densely punctate with interspaces varying between the diameter of less than one half and one, rarely two punctures. Basal zone of the propodeum entirely shagreened except for the lateral parts, which are often more or less polished. Hind tibial spurs long, slender and orange coloured with their tip being slightly curved upwards. Outer spur about as long as maximal tibial width, inner spur slightly longer. Pilosity on the inner side of the hind leg basitarsus yellowish-white. Metasoma: Apical margin of terga 1–5 black to slightly light-coloured. Terga 1–5 with narrow whitish hair bands, which are more or less interrupted in older specimens. Tergum 1 laterally with a long, erect and whitish pilosity, which is about twice as long as the pilosity on the median part of its disc. Punctation of terga rather dense with interspaces of the diameter of one to two punctures. Sternum 6 with an elevated carina along the whole apical margin.
Male: Body length: 6.5–8mm. Head: Second segment of the labial palpus about 1.4x as long as the first segment. Antenna parallel-sided along its whole length (Fig. 23) and dark, its anterior side often slightly reddishbrown ligthened. Antennal segments 5–12 all of about the same size, segments 4 and 13 slightly longer. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital ridge about 1.8x as long as the ocellar diameter. Thorax: Scutum and scutellum densely punctate with interspaces varying between the diameter of less than one half and one, rarely one and a half punctures. Basal zone of the propodeum as in the female. Metasoma: Apical margin of terga 1–6 black to slightly light-coloured. Terga 1–5 with narrow whitish hair bands. Punctation of terga 1–5 rather dense with interspaces varying between the diameter of one and two punctures, on tergum 6 denser. Apical margin of tergum 6 denticulate and with a lateral tooth, which is nearly as long as broad. Apical margin of tergum 7 slightly rounded to truncate and very shallowly emarginated medially (Fig. 24), with a sharp edge ventrolaterally and with long whitish hairs along its sides. Apical margin of sterna 2–4 straight and inconspicuously ciliated with long whitish hairs. Apical margin of sternum 5 very weakly emarginated medially and shortly ciliated. Membraneous appendage of sternum 6 bilobed; these lobes, which are separated from each other by a triangular incision, are rather short, densely haired, rounded apically and extended laterally to a roundish tip (Fig. 24).
Distribution. Known so far only from western Spain, from Cataluna southwards to Andalucia.
Host plants. Ten pollen samples from six different localities revealed that H. hilbera is mesolectic collecting pollen mainly on Fabaceae and Echium (Boraginaceae) as many species of the subgenus Hoplitis do (Sedivy et al., submitted). One pollen sample contains small amounts of Brassicaceae pollen, indicating that flowers of this family might occasionally serve as pollen source as well.
Etymology. hilberus = from Spain.
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 46-47, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.281575