Hoplitis (Micreriades) fuscospina Müller & Wood, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Müller, Andreas
name: Wood, Thomas J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Megachilidae
Hoplitis
Hoplitis fuscospina

description: Hoplitis (Micreriades) fuscospina sp. nov.
Holotype. SPAIN: Madrid: Velilla de San Antonio, 40.35741°N / 3.48137°W, 2.6.2013, ♂ (leg. W.H. Liebig). Holotype deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich.
Paratypes. SPAIN: Granada: N Lanjaron, Rio de Lanjaron, 1200 m, 24.4.1999, 1♂ (leg. B. Pohl); Sierra Nevada, Bco. las Mimbres (Monachil), 1700 m, 17.6.2007, 1♀ (leg. F.J. Ortiz); Jaén: Cambil, 23.6.1988, 1♀ (leg. M. Schwarz); Málaga: Andalusia, Colmenar, Carrasco, 36°52'27"N / 4°18'22"W, 9.6.2016, 1♀ (leg. J. Smit); Salamanca: Villar de Ciervo, Las Coronas, 40.740922°N / 6.743543°W, 680 m, 31.5.– 9.6.2003, 1♀ (leg. Tschorsnig); Sevilla: Aznalcazar, S Pinares de Aznalcazar, 37.2622°N / 6.2216°W, 21.5.2021, 1♀ (leg. T. Wood); Toledo: Hormigos, 22.5.2022, 1♂ (leg. J.I. Pascual). Paratypes deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich.
Diagnosis. Among the European and North African Hoplitis species of the subgenus Micreriades, Hoplitis fuscospina is the only species, which has in both sexes (light) brown to dark brown rather than yellowish tibial spurs of the middle and hind leg (Fig. 33). The females (Fig. 31) are additionally characterised by the following characters, which however can be found also in other H. (Micreriades) species: i) head 1.11–1.13× as long as wide; ii) frons between anterior ocellus and antennal sockets without or with at most single apically wavy to corkscrew-like pollen-collecting hairs (Fig. 34); iii) punctation of scutum between parapsidal line and median longitudinal furrow dense with interspaces not exceeding the diameter of one puncture; and iv) toothlike projection at apex of tibia of fore leg dark brown to black. The males (Fig. 32) additionally possess the following non-exclusive characters: i) antennal segment 3 about as long as maximally wide; ii) antennal segment 13 cylindrical and apically not distinctly curved downwards; iii) apical margin of sternum 3 with dense median patch of long whitish to yellowish hairs distinctly surpassing tergal margin and covering about two fifths of entire sternal width; iv) sternum 6 lateroapically with distinct and well-stepped albeit weak callosity, which slopes rather abruptly towards tergal centre (Fig. 35); shortest distance between inner margins of callosities shorter than to maximally as long as maximum width of callosity (Fig. 35); and v) sternum 8 apically triangularly incised.
Description. FEMALE (Fig. 31): Body length 5–6 mm. Head: Head 1.11–1.13× as long as wide. Distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 1.5–1.7× as long as ocellar diameter. Maximum width of genal area 0.7–0.8× as long as maximum width of compound eye. Second segment of labial palpus 2.1– 2.3× as long as first segment and 0.75–0.85× as long as compound eye. Mandible three-toothed and blackish except for preapical reddish zone. Clypeus medially moderately bulged with foremost point in a distance of about one third of clypeal length from lower margin of supraclypeal area. In lateral view, transitional zone between bulging part and marginal zone of clypeus straight. Punctation of clypeus dense with interspaces reaching diameter of half a puncture to rarely one puncture except for narrow apical zone, which is unpunctured and polished. Clypeal punctures oblong rather than circular. Apical margin of clypeus medially sharp and almost straight. Pilosity of paraocular area white, rather dense and predominantly appressed. Clypeus densely covered with rather long and apically wavy to corkscrew-like pollen-collecting hairs. Punctation of supraclypeal area very dense with only linear interspaces except for medioapical zone, where punctation may be more scattered; punctures smaller than those on clypeus. Punctation of frons dense with interspaces rarely exceeding diameter of half a puncture except medially, where interspaces may reach up to one puncture; punctures slightly smaller than those on clypeus. Pilosity of frons similarly dense but slightly shorter than that of clypeus and without or at most single apically wavy to corkscrew-like hairs (Fig. 34). Antenna blackish except for anterior side of flagellum, which is more or less brownish. Antennal segment 3–9 distinctly wider than long, segments 10–11 almost as long as wide and segment 12 about 1.75× as long as wide. Mesosoma: Parapsidal line long-linear. Punctation of scutum and scutellum dense with interspaces not exceeding diameter of one puncture, punctures on scutum smaller than those on frons. Punctation of mesepisternum more scattered with interspaces reaching diameter of up to one to one and a half punctures. Basal area of propodeum polished to superficially shagreened except for narrow transverse zone at its base, which is more strongly shagreened. Posterior surface of propodeum adjacent to basal area predominantly polished, its punctation varying in density from scattered beside propodeal pit to very dense on lateral parts. Tegula yellowish-brown on posterior half and more or less blackish on anterior half. Tibial spur of fore leg yellowish to light brown, its apex extended into well stepped tip, which is as long as to slightly longer than basally wide. Toothlike projection at apex of tibia of fore leg dark brown to black. Tibial spurs of middle and hind leg (light) brown to dark brown, long, slender and apically weakly curved. Pilosity on inner side of basitarsus of hind leg yellowish-white. Veins of fore and hind wing brown to dark brown. Stigma of fore wing brown in centre and dark brown along margins. Metasoma: Punctation of tergal discs dense with interspaces varying in size between diameter of less than half a puncture on lateral tergal sides and diameter of up to one puncture on median tergal parts, punctures of about same size as those on scutum. Marginal zones of terga 1–5 dark reddish. Marginal zones of terga 1–4 with short white hair bands, which are medially interrupted on terga 1–2 and decrease in length and density from tergum 1 to tergum 4 (Fig. 31). Scopa white (Fig. 31).
MALE (Fig. 32): Body length 4.5–6 mm. Head: Head as long as wide. Distance between posterior margin of lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 1.3–1.4× as long as ocellar diameter. Maximum width of genal area 0.5–0.6× as long as maximum width of compound eye. Second segment of labial palpus 2.2–2.3× as long as first segment and about 0.8× as long as compound eye. Mandible two-toothed and black except for reddish preapical zone. Clypeus very finely and densely punctured with only linear interspaces except for narrow marginal zone, which is polished and unpunctured. Apical margin of clypeus straight to very shallowly emarginate and with three to five minute teeth. Lower half of frons, paraocular area, supraclypeal area and clypeus covered with dense yellowish-white pilosity, which is erect on frons and supraclypeal area, appressed on paraocular area and semierect on clypeus. Hypostomal area with moderately dense and rather long whitish pilosity, which increases in length towards foramen magnum. Punctation of frons very dense with interspaces varying in size between diameter of less than half a puncture on lateral parts to diameter of up to one puncture in front of anterior ocellus. Antenna dark brown to black except for ventral and posterior side of segments (8)9–13, which are more or less yellowish-brown. Antennal segment 3 as long as wide and slightly longer than segment 4, which is slightly shorter than wide, segments 5–11 roughly as long as wide, segment 12 slightly longer than wide and segment 13 about 2× as long as wide. Antennal segment 13 cylindrical and apically not curved downwards. Mesosoma: Parapsidal line long-linear. Punctation of scutum and scutellum dense with interspaces hardly exceeding diameter of one puncture, punctures on scutum slightly smaller than those on frons. Punctation of mesepisternum more scattered with interspaces reaching diameter of up to one to one and a half punctures. Basal area of propodeum polished to superficially shagreened except for narrow transverse zone at its base, which is more strongly shagreened. Posterior surface of propodeum adjacent to basal area predominantly polished, its punctation varying in density from very scattered beside propodeal pit to very dense on lateral parts. Tegula predominantly yellowish-brown. Tibial spur of fore leg yellowish, its apex extended into short tip, which is about as long as basally wide. Toothlike projection at apex of tibia of fore leg dark brown to black. Tibial spurs of middle and hind leg (light) brown to dark brown, long, slender and apically weakly curved. Veins of fore and hind wing (light) brown to dark brown. Stigma of fore wing (light) brown in centre and dark brown along margins. Metasoma: Punctation of tergal discs 1–5 dense with interspaces varying in size between diameter of less than half a puncture on lateral tergal sides and diameter of up to one puncture on median tergal parts, punctures of about same size as those on scutum. Marginal zones of terga 1–6 reddish. Marginal zones of terga 1–4(5) with short white hair bands, which are medially interrupted on terga 1–2 (Fig. 32). Tergum 6 with very short lateral tooth, its marginal zone slightly raised. Tergum 7 with roundish median pit at its base and medioapically elongated into narrowly triangular tip. Sternum 1 slightly convex. Apical margin of sternum 2 evenly rounded. Apical margin of sternum 3 medially emarginate and with dense patch of long whitish to yellowish hairs distinctly surpassing tergal margin and covering about two fifths of horizontal sternal width. Sternum 4 medioapically more deeply and more widely emarginate than sternum 3, emargination lined with yellowish-white hairs, which are similarly long as hair patch of sternum 3. Apical margin of sternum 5 medially very shallowly emarginate and inconspicuously ciliated with short whitish hairs. Sternum 6 basally with pair of translucent membraneous flaps and lateroapically with distinct and well-stepped albeit weak callosity, which slopes rather abruptly towards tergal centre (Fig. 35); shortest distance between inner margins of callosities shorter than to maximally as long as maximum callosity width (Fig. 35). Sternum 8 apically triangularly incised. Gonoforceps apically rounded and evenly tapering, without stepped tip (Fig. 36).
Distribution. Central and southern Spain.
Etymology. The species epithet refers to the diagnostic character of both sexes, i.e. the brown to dark brown tibial spurs of middle and hind legs (lat. “fuscus” = brown, lat. “spina” = spine).
description: Published as part of Müller, Andreas & Wood, Thomas J., 2025, Still undescribed bees in Europe-description of nine new European osmiine bee species (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), pp. 83-102 in Zootaxa 5631 (1) on pages 96-97, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5631.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/15326665