Colletes cyanonitidus Kuhlmann 2007, sp. n.
Creators: name: Kuhlmann, Michael
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Colletidae
Colletes
Colletes cyanonitidus

description: Colletes cyanonitidus sp. n.   Figs 5, 30, 31, 40  
Etymology: Named for the characteristic bluish shine on the terga.  
 Diagnosis: Among the species with a reduced scopa C. cyanonitidus is unique in that it has an intense bluish shine on T1 and T2 (this is less intense in the very similar C. obscurus) and the short plumose hairs on the scutellum and metanotum (Fig. 5) (this is less developed in C. obscurus). The male is best identified by the unique shape of the S7 (Fig. 30) and the narrow, very elongate, 2 nd hind tarsomere. This trait C. cyanonitidus shares only with a male of an undescribed species.   
Description:  
 Female.   
Length 10–11 mm.  
Vestiture: Face short greyish white with long dark brown hairs on vertex; mesonotum with short yellowish brown hairs intermixed with numerous longer blackish hairs; mesosomal sides with longer and legs with white to yellowish white hairs that are shorter than face, scutellum and metanotum with short and medially plumose brownish orange hairs (Fig. 5), scutellum intermixed with longer, blackish hairs; T1 very sparsely covered with moderately long, erect, white hairs, shorter posteriorly; disc of T2 sparsely covered with very short, depressed, whitish hairs; discs of T3–T5 with successively longer, erect, blackish hairs; moderately broad white posterior tergal hair bands on T1– T4, slightly narrowed medially on T1, very narrow on T5; T2 with weak and very narrow basal tomentum medially; S2–S4 with very short and indistinct white hair fringes laterally; discs of sterna very sparsely covered with very short hairs.  
Integument: Mainly black, antenna brown ventrally, legs and tarsi partly with a reddish shine and terga posteriorly very narrowly translucent reddish brown; T1–T3 with bluish shine, more intense on T1; malar area narrow, length about 1/2 width of mandibular base; clypeus slightly depressed medially, with dense (0.2–0.5 pd), small punctures that are slightly elongate; integument between punctures glabrous; facial fovea narrow, maximum width about antennal diameter; disc of mesonotum with relatively dense (0.5–1 pd), fine punctation, surrounded by dense (<0.5 pd) punctation, integument between punctures glabrous; upper sloping part of propodeal triangle with short longitudinal carinae, vertical part distinctly shagreened and dull; disc of T1 with very fine, indistinct, sparse (1–2 pd) punctation, punctures becoming slightly finer and less distinct towards posterior tergal depression; punctation on disc of T2 similar but dense (0.5–1 pd); integument between punctures glabrous.  
 Male.   
Length 9–10 mm.  
Vestiture: Face white; mesonotum with long, yellowish white hairs; mesosomal sides and legs white to yellowish white, scutellum and metanotum with long yellowish to yellowish brown hairs, scutellum intermixed with few brown hairs; T1 densely covered with long, erect, greyish white hairs; disc of T2 with shorter hairs of same colour as T1; discs of T3–T6 with long, erect, blackish hairs; narrow and indistinct white posterior tergal hair bands on T1–T4, very narrow on T5; S1–S5 with short, dense fringes, laterally longer than medially; S6 laterally with a patch of short, very dense velvet-like hairs.  
Integument: Completely black, except antenna dark brown ventrally, tarsi often brown and terga narrowly translucent posteriorly; T1–T5 with relatively intense bluish shine; malar area long, length about 3/4 width of mandibular base; clypeus with very dense (<0.2 pd) small punctures; facial fovea narrow, maximum width about 3/4 antennal diameter; disc of mesonotum with relatively small, scattered punctures (1 pd), integument glabrous, surrounded by dense (<0.2 pd) punctation; upper sloping part of propodeal triangle with short, longitudinal carinae, vertical part distinctly shagreened with some weakly developed more or less transverse carinae; hind femora ventrally swollen with a rounded edge medially that is covered with a brush of hairs; basitarsus of hind leg modified, slightly convex apically, with a prominent rounded tip dorsally that is apically beset with long, reddish bristles; basitarsus ventrally densely covered with long, reddish bristles; discs of T1 and T2 with relatively densely granular (0.5–1 pd) punctation, granulation becoming slightly finer and indistinct towards posterior tergal depression; integument between punctures glabrous. Shape of S7 as in Fig. 30 and shape of gonostylus as in Fig. 31.  
 Holotype: ơ SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape: Grahamstown, ix.1915, J. Hepburn (AMGS).   
 Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: 2^Kommetjie, 13.x.1972, J.G. Rozen, R. McGinley, C. Thompson (AMNH); 5^12.x.1972, (AMNH, CMK), idem; 1^Kommetjie, 6.xi.1968, J.G. Rozen, E. Martinez (AMNH); 1ơ Cape of Good Hope, 29.x.1966, C.D. Michener (SEMC); 1ơ same data as holotype (AMGS); 2ơ 1^Eland’s Bay, Baboon Point, 26.ix.1978, V. B. Whitehead (SAMC); 2ơ Vermont Dune, 1.x.1978, V. B. Whitehead (SAMC, CMK); 2ơ Vermont, 10.x.1978, V. B. Whitehead (SAMC, CMK); 1ơ 3^Pearly Beach, Bredasdorp, ix.1959 (SAMC); 6ơ Blouberg Strand, 22.viii.1978, V. B. Whitehead, on Carpobrotus sauerae (SAMC, CMK); 2ơ Milnerton, ix. 1965, F. Gess (SAMC); 1ơ 2^Vermont, 8.x.1977, V. B. Whitehead, on pink Carpobrotus edulis (SAMC, CMK); 3ơ Onrus, 8.x.1977, V. B. Whitehead, on Carpobrotus edulis (SAMC); 1ơ 1^Vermont, 10.x.1977, V. B. Whitehead (SAMC); 1^Brandfontein Reserve, Strandveld, 16–18.x.1992, S. van Noort (SAMC); 1^Eland’s Bay, 12.x.1979, V. B. Whitehead (SAMC); 1ơ Cape of Good Hope Nat. Res., Olifantbosbaai, 30.ix.2001 (CUIC); Eastern Cape: 1ơ Grahamstown, 9.viii.1958, D.H. Cumming (CMK); 1ơ Grahamstown, 30.viii.1964, D.J. Brothers (AMGS); 1ơ 2^Algoa Bay, 23.viii.1897, Dr Brauns (TMSA); 3^30.viii.1896, idem.   
Distribution: The species seems to have a strong preference for coastal sites of the southern Cape region (Fig. 40).  
 Flower visiting: Carpobrotus edulis, C. sauerae (= C. quadrifidus) (Aizoaceae).   
 Remarks: This species is treated as Colletes sp. B in Kuhlmann (2006).
description: Published as part of Kuhlmann, Michael, 2007, Revision of the bees of the Colletes fasciatus-group in southern Africa (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), pp. 121-166 in African Invertebrates 48 (2) on pages 136-139, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7667881