Leioproctus ( Minycolletes ), 2013

Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) subgen.n.

The subgenus Minycolletes is erected to accommodate 11 species of small, non-metallic, densely hairy Leioproctus in which the antennal scape does not reach the median ocellus. Lack of facial foveae and a smooth propodeal triangle distinguish them from 2 closely related subgenera, Protomorpha and Fragocolletes, both of which possess impressed facial foveae and an areolate propodeal triangle.

Minycolletes has a wide distribution throughout Australia, however it seems few occur in coastal areas.

Type species— Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) microsomus Michener, 1965 .

Description — Body— Length 5–9 mm; hair densely plumose; integument dark brown to black. Head— Vertex slightly curved above lateral ocelli; facial foveae absent; inner eye margins of males, straight, converging below; in females almost straight, converging slightly dorsally and ventrally; surface sculpture of dense, small, clearly defined punctures with polished interspaces; facial hair in males dense, semierect to erect, much branched; in females similar to males above and lateral to antennal sockets, elsewhere on face fine and sparse; male interantennal distance greater than width of paraocular area at level of antennal sockets; flagellum males usually short, F1,4–11 length about equal to width, F2,3 length less than width, in four species males F4–11 length greater than or equal to the width; female flagella F1,4–11 length about equal to width, F2–3 length less than width; epistomal suture weak; clypeus almost flat; malar space absent; labrum short polished, length less than 0.25 x width; width of gena less than eye width, when head viewed laterally. Mesosoma — Scutum and scutellum with small, clearly defined punctures and polished interspaces; hair of scutum and scutellum long, fine and sparse (males); hair short to long, moderately dense (females); metanotum short, not tuberculate; propodeal triangle without a defined basal area, smooth. Wings with stigma large, about 0.6 x length of costal margin of marginal cell; marginal cell broad, apex strongly divergent from costa; jugal lobe of hind wing narrow, reaching beyond cu-a; wing membrane clear. Female inner hind tibial spur with 6 or more long, fine, moderately spaced teeth; claws with inner ramus moderate to small; female hind basitibial plate about 0.25 x length of tibia covered in dense, simple hairs. Metasoma— Gradulus weak or absent; pregradular area with minute punctures with granular interspaces; postgradular area similar but with fewer punctures; females with at most very weak apical hair bands, apical margins of terga translucent, female pygidial plate usually narrowly rounded apically, granular; males with or without a bare median area on T7; females with long, fine, usually branched hair S2–4. Male genitalia with gonobase about 0.25 x length of genitalia and large gonofossa; gonoforceps unornamented; vosellae somewhat enlarged. S7 with very large apical lobes.

Notes. This subgenus is distinguished by the following characters: small body length ( 5–9 mm); non-metallic bees with scape not reaching median ocellus; facial fovea absent; propodeal triangle usually polished, strongly curved without defined basal area; metasoma with translucent apical tergal margins.

Etymology. Minys is Greek for little, small, or short, referring to small size of these species.

Key to species of Leioproctus ( Minycolletes)

1 Male (without scopa on hind tibia)....................................................................... 2

– Female (with scopa on hind tibia)........................................................................ 11

2 Propodeal triangle polished............................................................................. 3

– Propodeal triangle coriaceous........................................................................... 8

3 Male with apical fringe on S5........................................................................... 4

– Male without apical fringe on S5......................................................................... 7

4 Labial palp long with apical segment projecting beyond apex of extended glossa; flagellum long................................................................................ Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) pygmaeus Maynard, sp.n.

– Labial palp short, with apical segment not projecting beyond apex of glossa; flagellum short.......................... 5

5 Apical fringe of S5 with shortest hair medially...................... Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) finkei Michener, 1965 View in CoL

– Apical fringe of S5 with hair all the same length............................................................. 6

6 Anterior fore tibia black; hair of scutum white and sparse............. Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) insitus Maynard, sp.n.

– Anterior fore tibia yellow (in contrast to black femur); hair of scutum yellow, moderately dense.............................................................................. .. Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) helichrysi ( Cockerell, 1918) View in CoL

7 Supraclypeal area flat to shallowly depressed, polished; length of antennal flagellar segments less than width..................................................................... Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) microsomus Michener, 1965 View in CoL

– Supraclypeal area shallowly raised, polished; length of flagellar segments greater than width..................................................................................... Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) aquilus Maynard, sp.n.

8 Supraclypeal area flat.................................................................................. 9

– Supraclypeal area shallowly raised....................................................................... 10

9 Hair of T2–4 short, fine, appressed............................. .. Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) paulus Maynard, sp.n.

– Hair of T2–4 long, erect...................................... Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) exiguus Maynard, sp.n.

10 S5 with apical fringe...................................... Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) abnormis (Cockerell, 1916) View in CoL

– S5 without apical fringe................................. Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) wahlenbergiae Michener, 1965 View in CoL

11 Propodeal triangle polished............................................................................ 12

– Propodeal triangle coriaceous............................ Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) wahlenbergiae Michener, 1965 View in CoL

12 Supraclypeal area polished.............................................................................13

– Supraclypeal area punctate.............................................................................15

13 Supraclypeal area flat to shallowly depressed.................. Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) microsomus Michener, 1965 View in CoL

– Supraclypeal area shallowly raised...................................................................... 14

14 Hair of hind basitibial plate whitish; labial palps reaching beyond apex of glossa.............................................................................................. Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) eruditus Maynard, sp.n.

– Hair of hind basitibial plate black, thick; labial palps just reaching apex of glossa.............................................................................................. Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) aquilus Maynard, sp.n.

15 Scutum with short, white appressed hair........................... Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) finkei Michener, 1965 View in CoL

– Scutum with long, erect, brown hair.................................................................... 16

16 Basal labial palp segment long, slender, about twice length of second segment............................................................................................ .. Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) helichrysi ( Cockerell, 1918) View in CoL

– Basal labial palp segment little longer than second segment............ Leioproctus ( Minycolletes) insitus Maynard, sp.n.