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J. Env. Bio-Sci., 2018: Vol. 32 (1):113-114 ISSN 0973-6913 (Print), ISSN 0976-3384 (On Line)

A NEW SPECIES OF CLEPTO-PARASITIC BEE GENUS SPHECODES LATREILLE

(INSECTA : HYMENOPTERA) FROM ALMORA, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA
Rajiv K. Gupta and Jagdish Saini*
Dept. of Zoology, J. N. V. University, Jodhpur; *Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India

Received: 21-05-2018 Accepted: 26-05-2018

A new species of the clepto-parasitic bee genus Sphecodes latreille (Apoidea, Halictidae, Halictinae, Halictini) has been described
from GBPIHED, Kosi Kataarmal (Almora: Uttarakhand, India). The described female is the smallest (3.86 mm.) among all the known
species of this genus. It was collected on the flowering of Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) during the month of May in year 2012.
S. almoransis sp. nov. has some close affinities with S. sutor, S. hanuman and S. perplexus all described by Nurse, from neighbouring
state of Kashmir.
Key words: Clepto-parasitic, Sphecodes, Sunflower

Bees of the genus Sphecodes latreille are well known
cleptoparasites on other Halictinae. They are widely distributed
almost all over world except Australia. The following account
describe S. almoransis sp. nov. collected from Kosi Kataarmal
a suburb of Almora district in Uttarakhand state in India.
Sphecodes almoransis sp. nov.
Female:
Integument: Apices of mandibular teeth, clypeal apical half,
tegulae with redness; antennae black; abdomen largely
ferruginous red; tergum 6 with very slight blackness; sterma
resembling terga; integument in general with fine punctures
on face, supraclypeus, thorax above and complete abdomen;
punctures quite shallow on terga and scarce; middle of clypeal
surface protruding with very coarse punctures on the top of
the protuberance being wider apart and towards basal and
anterior margin of clypeus reduces in size as well as
interspaces; punctures on legs also quite coarse. Wings pale
hyaline, veins shining pale testaceous.
Pubescence: on abdomen and thorax cinereous-pale but on
pronotum, scutum, scutellum, metanotum, mese- and
metepisterna, legs and terga with golden cinereous sparse
mixed with plumose bristles; face with pale but erect hairs.
prominently broad, inner tooth very feebly markable, dentate
margin red shining; genae narrowed above. Radial cell in
forewing begins from half way at the base of cuboital cell.
Basal part of propodeum with quite strong longitudinal punctures
separated from each other by prominent carinae, followed by
strong transverse carinate margin posteriorly; tergal marginal
fasceae lacking, discs with sparse hairs little denser towards
lateral sides; tergum almost fully covered with black stiff setae
mixed with fine bristles. All sterna resemble tergal features in
textures however completely lacking in bristles or hairs.
Measurements: (In mm.) Total length 3.86; Head - median
length and maximum width of face 0.9, 1.15, Clypeus - basal,
apical widths 0.2, 0.28 median length 0.3; mandible - median
length 0.375, antennae - length of scape 0.1, pedicel 0.05,
width of scape 0.75, length and median width of apical flagellar
segment - 0.125, 0.5625; median length and maximum width
of scutum - 0.65, 0.825; median length of scutellum - 0.2; fore
wing - total length 2.5, length of radial cell 0.5.
Median width of terga first to sixth - 0.6, 1.5, 1.2, 1.1, 0.8 &
0.375.
Male: Not known.

Eyes strongly convergent below; supra-clypeus also Etymology: Named after the collection locality which is
protuberant separated from clypeus by a deep transverse situated in the district of Almora in Uttarakhand State.
concavity, supra-clypeal convexity with fine punctures, reaches
Material examined: Holotype 01 Female, Coll. Rajiv K.
up to middle of antennal sockets; distance between antennal
Gupta, 30.V.2012; GBPIHED, Kosi Kataarmal, District Almora;
sockets quite close as compare to eye margin and about less
on Helianthus annus L. No more Paratype; the Holotype shall
than half to the mid ocellus; bidentate mandibular apical tooth
be placed at the National Museum of Zoological Survey of
NAAS Rating (2017)-4.43
 GUPTA AND SAINI (114)

Fig. 1: Full insect dorsolateral view, 2: Head, front view, 3: Fore wing, venation, 4.
Thorax, posterior view. (Magnification as per measurements)

India, HQ Kolkata, India. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Remarks: Authors express thanks to the Director GBPIHED at Kosi
S. almoransis n. sp. resembles S. sutor (Nurse,1903) (size Kataarmal for allowing them to collect bees from their campus.
10-12 mm from Kashmir) in clypeal texture, however, differs Also wish to thanks the UGC, New Delhi for their financial
in clypeal surface with a median vertical groove, angled and help in preparing this manuscript.
carinate pronotal lateral corners, all tarsi black; first abdominal
REFERENCES
segment scarcely constricted; wings in S. sutor fuscous and
nervures and tegulae are black. S. hanuman (Nurse,1903) 1. Nurse, C. G. (1903). New species of Indian Aculeate Hymenoptera.
another large species (size 8-9 mm) also from Kashmir also LXXV. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History Ser. 7. Vol. xi:
has pronotal angles sharply carinate, black, abdomen red, 529-549.
scutum and scutellum shining and pubescence largely greyish.
S. perplexus was also another species (size 5-6.5 mm)
recorded from Kashmir by (Nurse,1903) differs in having red
tibia, tarsi and antennae.