Hoplitis (Hoplitis) prosii Müller 2022, spec. nov.

Hoplitis (Hoplitis) prosii spec. nov.

Holotype. MOROCCO: Drâa-Tafilalet: Dra valley, near Agdz, 900 m, 4.3.2006, ♂ (leg. A. Müller). Deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich.

Paratypes. MOROCCO: Marrakesh-Safi: Talmest, 10.5.1995, 1♀ (leg. M. Halada); Drâa-Tafilalet: 20 km SE Quarzazate, 30°47ʹN/6°43ʹW, 10.4.1996, 1♀ (leg. M. Schwarz); Tizi-n-Fedrhate, 60 km NE Quarzazate, 31°06ʹN/6°40ʹW, 1370 m, 11.4.1996, 2♀ (leg. J. Gusenleitner, M. Schwarz); Tizi-n-Tinififft, 25 km NW Agdz, 30°44ʹN/6°37ʹW, 1660 m, 12.4.1996, 1♀, 1♂ (leg. M. Schwarz); Foum Anagame, 40 km SE Zagora, 30°06ʹN/5°40ʹW, 1000 m, 13.4.1996, 2♀, 2♂ (leg. J. Gusenleitner, M. Schwarz); Quaouzagour, 30 km E Agdz, 30°41ʹN/6°08ʹW, 14.4.1996, 1♀, 1♂ (leg. J. Gusenleitner, M. Schwarz); 10 km N Tazenakht, 30°39ʹN/7°17ʹW, 16.4.1996, 2♀ (leg. J. Gusenleitner); 30 km N Zagora, 15.5.1997, 1♀ (leg. M. Halada); Dra valley, near Agdz, 900 m, 4.3.2006, 3♂ (leg. A. Müller); 10 km E Agdz, 1000 m, 20.4.2008, 2♀ (leg. A. Müller, C. Sedivy, M. Herrmann); Agdz, 700 m, 20.4.2008, 1♀, 1♂ (leg. F. Amiet); Tamegroute, 20 km SE Zagora, 950 m, 21.4.2008, 1♀ (leg. M. Herrmann); 40 km NW Zagora, 1000 m, 21.4.2008, 3♀, 1♂ (leg. A. Müller, C. Sedivy); N Tazenakht, 1500 m, 23.4.2008, 1♀ (leg. F. Amiet); Souss-Massa: 70 km E Tata, 29.3.1986, 2♀, 1♂ (leg. M. Schwarz); 50 km N Foum Zguid, 31.3.1986, 1♀ (leg. M. Schwarz); Tissint, 70 km E Tata, 28.4.1995, 1♀ (leg. M. Halada); 10 km SE Ait Baha, 30°02ʹN/9°05ʹW, 18.4.1996, 1♀ (leg. M. Schwarz); 30 km SWW Tata, Imitek, 29.656N / 8.260W, 13.4.2015, 1♀ (leg. C. SchmidEgger); Guelmim-Oued Noun: 2.75 km SW Ifrane Atlas Saghir, 29°12ʹ09ʹʹN/9°30ʹ19ʹʹW, 740 m, 17.4.2017, 5♀, 1♂ (leg. A. Müller). Deposited in the Entomological Collection of ETH Zurich and the private collections of C. Schmid-Egger (Berlin) and M. Schwarz (Ansfelden).

Additional records. MOROCCO: Drâa-Tafilalet: Zagora, 30°23.6’N / 5°51.3’W, 9.3.1992, 1♀ (leg. H. Flügel); 30 km N Zagora, 15.5.1997, 30°41’N / 6°08’W, 1♀ (leg. M. Halada); Agdz, 13.5.2003, 2♀ (leg. M. Halada); SoussMassa: 20 km N Foum-Zguid, 29.4.1991, 1♀ (leg. M. Halada); 14 km NW Icht, 11.4.2015, 1♀ (leg. C. SchmidEgger); Imitek, 30 km SWW Tata, 13.4.2015, 1♀ (leg. C. Schmid-Egger); Guelmim-Oued Noun: 10 km E Guelmim, 5.5.1995, 1♀ (leg. M. Halada).

Literature records. This species was attributed to Hoplitis brunnescens (Benoist) by Warncke (1992), who included it in a key to the western mediterranean representatives of the Hoplitis adunca species group. However, the examination of the female holotype revealed that H. brunnescens belongs to the subgenus Stenosmia rather than Hoplitis, rendering a formal description necessary. Warncke (1992) lists the following records: MOROCCO: DrâaTafilalet: 30km W Quarzazate; Ait Saoun, 10km N Agdz; 30km NW Agdz; 20km SE Erfoud; Souss-Massa: 10km SW Akka; 50km S Akka; 30-60km N Foum-Zguid; 20km N Agadir; Guelmim-Oued Noun: N Tagmout.

Diagnosis. Among the North African representatives of the Hoplitis adunca species group, H. prosii is easily recognizable in both sexes by the relatively short second segment of the labial palpus, which is only 1.05–1.15x as long as the first segment (Fig. 41), and by the orange coloured marginal zones of the terga 1–5 (Fig. 40). Additional characters of the 6.5–8.5 mm long female are the dense punctation of the clypeus medially lacking a distinct impunctate longitudinal line, the partly orange coloured antennal segments (5)6-11(12) and the shape of sternum 6, which is lateroapically carinate and medioapically prolonged into a longer or shorter spine, a character, however, that is less obvious in small individuals. Additional characters of the 7–8.5 mm long male are the partly orange coloured antennal segments (3)4–12(13), the V-shaped membraneous appendage of sternum 6 consisting of two slender and strongly diverging lobes (Fig. 42) and the form of the gonoforceps, which is apically narrowed and bent downwards (Fig. 43).

Description. FEMALE (Fig. 38): Body length 6.5–8.5 mm. Head: Head about 0.85x as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin 1.65–1.8x as long as ocellar diameter. Maximum width of genal area 0.65–7x as long as maximum width of compound eye. Mandible three-toothed and of black colour except sometimes for dark reddish-brown apical teeth. Clypeus medially bulged, very densely punctured with usually only linear interspaces except sometimes for very small impunctate zone at its base and lacking distinct impunctate longitudinal line; apical margin of clypeus with 7–9 teeth. Punctation of supraclypeal area in size and density similar to that of clypeus. Pilosity of frons, supraclypeal area, paraocular area and gena whitish, rather long, moderately dense and erect to suberect, of clypeus distinctly sparser and shorter except for its apical margin, which is beset with long yellowish-white hairs distinctly surpassing clypeal margin. Proboscis of medium length; second segment of labial palpus about 0.65x as long as compound eye and 1.05–1.15x as long as first segment (Fig. 41). Antennal segments (5)6-11(12) more or less orange coloured on anterior side; antennal segment 3 1.8–1.9x long as wide and about 2x as long as segment 4, segments 4–11 shorter than wide and segment 12 about 1.4x as long as wide. Mesosoma: Parapsidal line linear. Punctation of scutum, scutellum and mesepisternum very dense with interspaces usually not exceeding diameter of half a puncture. Basal area of propodeum shagreened. Pilosity of mesosoma laterally whitish and dorsally yellowish-white. Tegula yellowish except for black inner and anterior margin; its anterior half and inner margin rather densely punctured, its posterior half usually almost impunctate. Stigma and veins of fore wing dark brown to black. Tibial spur of fore leg apically extended into a moderately long tip, which is 1–1.5x as long as basally wide. Tibial spurs of hind leg yellowish and almost straight; inner spur about 0.45x as long as maximum inner length of tibia of hind leg. Pilosity of inner surface of basitarsus of hind leg yellowishwhite. Metasoma: Punctation of tergal discs 1–5 basally and laterally rather dense with interspaces rarely exceeding diameter of one puncture and medially more scattered with interspaces reaching diameter of up to two or three punctures. Punctation of tergum 6 very dense with usually only linear interspaces. Marginal zones of terga 1–5 distinctly yellowish to orange, finer and more densely punctured than discs and covered with short white hair bands, which are medially interrupted in older specimens (Fig. 40). Longest hairs on median half of tergum 1 almost as long as maximal length of lateral hair tuft. Terga 5–6 covered with appressed, short and moderately dense whitish pilosity. Sternum 6 medioapically prolonged into longer or shorter spine; its apical margin with well-developed submarginal carina, which is medially widely interrupted; in small specimen, the apical spine is often very short and the submarginal carina low. Scopa whitish.

MALE (Fig. 39): Body length 7–8.5 mm. Head: Head about 0.8x as long as wide. Distance between lateral ocellus and preoccipital margin about 1.6x as long as ocellar diameter. Maximum width of genal area 0.55–0.6x as long as maximum width of compound eye. Mandible two-toothed and of black colour except sometimes for dark reddish-brown apical teeth. Apical margin of clypeus denticulate. Face and gena including ventral side covered with long, dense and erect to suberect whitish pilosity, which surpasses clypeal margin. Proboscis of medium length; second segment of labial palpus 0.55–0.6x as long as compound eye and 1.05–1.15x as long as first segment. Antennal segments (3)4–12(13) more or less orange coloured, particularly on their lower half; antennal segment 3 about as long as wide and about 1.1x as long as segment 4, segments 4–11 shorter than wide, segment 12 about as long as wide and segment 13 almost 2x as long as wide. Mesosoma: Parapsidal line linear. Punctation of scutum, scutellum and mesepisternum very dense with interspaces usually not exceeding diameter of half a puncture. Basal area of propodeum shagreened. Pilosity of mesosoma laterally whitish and dorsally yellowish-white. Tegula yellowish except for black inner and anterior margin; its anterior half and inner margin rather densely punctured, its posterior half almost impunctate. Stigma and veins of fore wing brown to black. Tibial spur of fore leg apically extended into moderately long tip, which is 1–2x as long as basally wide. Tibial spurs of hind leg yellowish and almost straight; inner spur 0.3–0.35x as long as maximum inner length of tibia of hind leg. Metasoma: Punctation of tergal discs 1–5 basally and laterally rather dense with interspaces rarely exceeding diameter of one puncture and medially more scattered with interspaces reaching diameter of up to two or three punctures. Marginal zones of terga 1–5 distinctly yellowish to orange, finer and more densely punctured than discs and covered with short white hair bands, which are medially interrupted in older specimens. Tergum 6 more coarsely punctured than preceding terga, its apical margin irregularly crenulated to dentated, medially emarginate and laterally with distinct tooth. Tergum 7 apically evenly rounded, its lateral margin ventromedially with small angular projection. Apical margins of sterna 1–4 almost straight und beset with long and sparse whitish pilosity. Sterna 2–4 with sparsely punctured transversal swellings, which are medially more or less divided by longitudinal groove. Sternum 5 very sparsely punctured to almost impuncate on disc and more densely and finer punctured along its marginal zone; its apical margin medially very shallowly emarginate (Fig. 42). Sternum 6 at base with pair of large translucent flaps. Membraneous appendage of sternum 6 V-shaped, its lateral lobes slender, distinctly wider than long and separated from each other by angle of 90–100 (Fig. 42). Gonoforceps in apical third abruptly narrowed and strongly bent inwards and downwards, its apex obtuse and beset with very short and dense tuft of white hairs (Fig. 43). Penis valve dorsoventrally flattened and much wider than gonoforceps, its rounded outer margin with long whitish bristles and ending in sharp apex, which barely reaches apex of gonoforceps (Fig. 43).

Distribution. Southern Morocco from the Marrakesh-Safi region and the Drâa-Tafilalet region in the north over the Souss-Massa region to the Guelmim-Oued Noun region in the south.

Pollen hosts. Mesolectic on Trichodesma and Echium (Boraginaceae), Antirrhineae (Plantaginaceae) and Loteae (Fabaceae) (Sedivy et al., 2013, as Hoplitis brunnescens).

Nesting biology. A female was observed in southern Morocco in spring 2017 searching the surface of a rock outcropping for a suitable nesting site suggesting that the species nests in holes, fissures or surface irregularities of rock and stones.

Etymology. The species is dedicated to the German bee expert Rainer Prosi, who participated in two excursions to southern Morocco, where “his” species was found.