Hoplitis (Anthocopa) convolvuli Müller 2022, spec. nov.

Hoplitis (Anthocopa) convolvuli spec. nov.

Holotype. MOROCCO: Drâa-Tafilalet: Tizi-n-Bachkoum, 10 km N Tazenakht, 1600 m, ♀, 23.4.2008 (leg. A. Müller, C. Sedivy). Deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich.

Paratypes. MOROCCO: Drâa-Tafilalet: Ksar-es-Souk, 2.4.1980, 1♂ (leg. K. Warncke); Ait Saoun, 10 km W Agdz, 6.4.1980, 1♀ (leg. K. Warncke); 10 km N Erfoud, 10.4.1995, 6♀, 1♂ (leg. M. Halada); 20 km SE Quarzazate, 30°47ʹN/6°43ʹW, 10.4.1996, 1♂ (leg. J. Gusenleitner); Imi-n’Kem, 50 km E Agdz, 30°52ʹN/5°58ʹW, 15.4.1996, 1♀, 1♂ (leg. M. Schwarz); Dra valley, near Agdz, 900 m, 4.3.2006, 2♂ (leg. A. Müller); Tizi-n-Bachkoum, 10 km N Tazenakht, 1600 m, 2♀, 5♂, 23.4.2008 (leg. A. Müller, M. Herrmann, C. Sedivy); Ait Saoun, 30.77014N / 6.68700W, 7.4.2013, 1♂ (leg. N.Vereecken). Deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich, the Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum Linz and the private collection of M. Schwarz (Ansfelden).

Diagnosis. The 7–8 mm long female of H. convolvuli is characterized by the serrate apical margin of the black clypeus (Fig. 7) in combination with the reddish marginal zones of terga 1–5. Among the other 27 Hoplitis species of the subgenus Anthocopa recorded in Morocco, a distinctly serrate clypeus only occurs in H. batyamae (Zanden), H. cristatula (Zanden), H. grumi (Morawitz), H. rugidorsis (Pérez), H. saundersi (Vachal) and H. zaianorum (Benoist). In these species, however, the marginal tergal zones are black except for H. batyamae. The latter species differs from H. convolvuli by the predominantly yellow to orange mandibles, mid and hind femora, which are all predominantly black in H. convolvuli. The 7–8 mm long male of H. convolvuli can be recognized by the shape of tergum 7 ending in two lobes, which are about as long as wide and separated by an interspace not wider than the lobal width (Fig. 8), the long penis valves distinctly projecting over the apex of the gonoforcipes (Fig. 9) and the more or less reddish marginal zones of terga 1–5. This combination of characters is unique among the Moroccan H. (Anthocopa) species.

Description. FEMALE (Fig. 5): Body length 7–8 mm. Head: Head about 0.85x as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 1.5–1.65x as long as ocellar diameter. Maximum width of genal area 1.1–1.2x as long as maximum width of compound eye. Mandible four-toothed (basalmost tooth very small) and of black colour except for narrow reddish preapical zone. Clypeus medially slightly bulged and very densely punctured with only linear interspaces; its apical margin polished and medially beset with 5–7 short teeth of triangular shape, between which narrow tufts of rather long yellowish bristles arise (Fig. 7). Head with long whitish to yellowish pilosity, which is (sub)erect on vertex, frons, supraclypeal area and clypeus and more or less appressed on paraocular area and gena. Ventral side of mandible and gena beset with long, curved and whitish to yellowish bristles forming a basket on underside of head; similar bristles also arise from dorsal side of mandible. Proboscis of medium length, when folded reaching posterior margin of coxa of fore leg; second segment of labial palpus about 1.05x as long as compound eye and 2.7–2.8x as long as first segment. Antenna black to dark brown; antennal segment 3 slightly longer than wide, segments 4–11 shorter than wide and segment 12 about 1.5x as long as wide. Mesosoma: Parapsidal line linear. Punctation of scutum, scutellum and mesepisternum very dense with usually only linear interspaces. Basal area of propodeum polished except for basal half, which is distinctly shagreened. Pilosity of mesosoma laterally whitish and dorsally yellowish. Tegula orange except for black inner margin and rather densely punctured over its entire surface. Stigma and veins of fore wing predominantly dark brown. Median third of fore wing yellowish. Tibial spur of fore leg apically prolonged into long tip, which is 2–3x as long as basally wide. Tibial spurs of hind leg yellowish, long and straight. Metasoma: Punctation of tergal discs basally and laterally rather dense with interspaces rarely exceeding diameter of one and a half punctures and medially more scattered with interspaces reaching diameter of up to three, rarely more punctures. Marginal zones of terga 1–5 reddish, distinctly finer and more densely punctured than discs and covered with uninterrupted white hair bands. Terga 2–3 basally constricted. Scopa white and plumose.

MALE (Fig. 6): Body length 7–8 mm. Head: Head about 0.75x as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 1.7–1.8x as long as ocellar diameter. Maximum width of genal area about 0.95x as long as maximum width of compound eye. Mandible three-toothed and predominantly black. Apical margin of clypeus medially serrate. Face and ventral side of gena covered with dense white pilosity, which surpasses clypeal margin. Proboscis of medium length, when folded reaching posterior margin of coxa of fore leg; second segment of labial palpus about 1.05x as long as compound eye and 2.6–2.7x as long as first segment. Antenna black to dark brown; antennal segments 3–12 of similar length and slightly longer than wide to as long as wide; segment 13 about 1.5x as long as wide. Mesosoma: Parapsidal line linear. Punctation of scutum, scutellum and mesepisternum very dense with only linear interspaces. Basal area of propodeum polished except for basal half, which is distinctly shagreened. Pilosity of mesosoma laterally whitish and dorsally yellowish. Tegula orange except for black inner margin and usually rather densely punctured over entire surface. Stigma and veins of fore wing predominantly dark brown. Median third of fore wing yellowish. Tibial spur of fore leg apically prolonged into long tip, which is 2–3x as long as basally wide. Tibial spurs of hind leg yellowish, long and straight. Metasoma: Punctation of tergal discs rather dense with interspaces rarely exceeding diameter of one and a half punctures except medially, where the interspaces may reach diameter of two to three punctures. Marginal zones of terga 1–5 reddish, finer and more densely punctured than discs and covered with white hair bands, which are longer, sparser and interrupted on tergum 1 and shorter, denser and continuous on terga 2–5. Terga 2–3 basally constricted. Apical margin of tergum 6 reddish, medially evenly rounded to slightly emarginate and laterally with short tooth (Fig. 8). Tergum 7 with two lobes, which are about as long as wide and separated by interspace not wider than lobal width (Fig. 8). Apical margins of sterna 1–2 straight. Apical margin of sternum 3 shallowly emarginate and sparsely beset with long and rather straight whitish hairs. Apical margins of sterna 4–5 widely emarginate and densely beset with long yellowish and inwardly directed hairs, which are twice as long on sternum 4 than on sternum 5. Sternum 6 apically rounded and medioapically with shallow oval impression, its base with pair of translucent flaps. Apical third of gonoforceps laterally flattened and apically slightly widened towards truncate apex. Penis valve roughly parallel-sided over entire length, medially slightly narrower than both basally and apically and distinctly projecting over apex of gonoforceps (Fig. 9).

Distribution. Drâa-Tafilalet region in southern Morocco.

Pollen hosts. Three pollen samples from two different localities exclusively contained pollen of Convolvulaceae (Tab. 1), suggesting a distinct or possibly even exclusive preference for this plant family. In fact, flowers of Convolvulus trabutianus were visited by females and patrolled by males of H. convolvuli near the Tizi-n-Bachkoum pass in spring 2008.

Nesting biology. Unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet refers to the flowers of Convolvulus visited by this species.