Review of the Epeolus julliani species group (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Epeolus Latreille, 1802), with descriptions of two new species Author Astafurova, Yulia V. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0557-7792 Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg 199034, Russia Author Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7870-8226 Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690022, Russia proshchalikin@biosoil.ru text Journal of Hymenoptera Research 2022 2022-12-20 94 191 213 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.94.96429 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.94.96429 1314-2607-94-191 8DFD8F1263C746B4BD26C498A83BBF6F E10151B7766B5E728A0EEF94DB01F42C Epeolus kyzylkumicus Astafurova sp. nov. Figs 1 , 2 , 3 , 8D , 9G, H Material examined. Holotype : ♀ , Uzbekistan , Kyzyl-kum [Kyzylkum desert], 10 km SW Arnasay [Lakes], 27.VIII.1979 , Yu. Pesenko [ZISP] . Paratypes : 3 ♂ , the same label as in the holotype ; 1 ♀ , Kazakhstan , Perowsk [=Qyzylorda], Syr-Darja Geb., 17.VII.1909 , W. Nikolsky [ZISP] ; 1 ♀ , Tajikistan , Farap , NW Bukhara , 5.VII.1928 , V. Gussakovskij [ZISP] . Diagnosis. This species is most similar to Epeolus iranicus , especially with regard to the extensive red integument coloration, but can be separated from it by the uninterrupted apical bands on the metasomal terga, dense pubescence of sterna, and longer antennae (flagellomeres distinctly longer than wide in both sexes vs slightly longer than wide in females and slightly shorter than wide in males of E. iranicus ). The differences between E. kyzylkumicus sp. nov. and other species of the Epeolus julliani group are outlined in Table 1 . Description. Female. Total body length 8.0 mm (Figs 1A , 2A ); forewing length (without tegula) 6.0 mm. Figure 1. Epeolus kyzylkumicus Astafurova, sp. nov., holotype, female ( A ), paratype, male ( B ) A, B habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm. Structure and sculpture: Head (Fig. 2B ) 1.3 times as wide as long. Labrum (Fig. 2D ) 1.65 (holotype) to 1.75 times (paratypes) as wide as long, angulated basally, rounded laterally and weakly concave medially, apical margin straight without medial tooth; close to apex (but not directly) with two well-visible teeth (tubercles); integument shiny, densely punctate (10-30 μm / confluent-2). Clypeus densely and finely punctate (10-15 μm / confluent-0.5), narrowly impunctate along apical margin. Frons with developed frontal keel. Frons and vertex areolate punctate (15-30 μm ). Flagellomeres long, F1 1.5 times as long as wide, succeeding flagellomeres ca 1.3-1.4 times as long as wide. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum coarsely and densely punctate (30-70 μm / confluent-0.5), small interspaces between punctures shiny and smooth. Axilla convex, apically with distinct short tooth. Mesoscutellum with deep medial longitudinal impression distinctly divided mesoscutellum on two slightly convex lobes; poste-rior margin scarcely extending over propodeum. Mesepisternum areolate-punctate (sculpture not visible under pubescence). Propodeal triangle shagreened. Metasomal terga densely and finely punctate (10-15 μm / 0.5-1), interspaces shiny and smooth; marginal zones (apical impressed area) wide, equal to length of discs. Pseudopygidial area triangular. Pygidial plate trapezoidal, apically truncate (Fig. 2C ). Processes on sides of S6 normal, with short projections (Fig. 8D ). Metasomal terga and sterna with punctures more or less equally dense. Figure 2. Epeolus kyzylkumicus Astafurova, sp. nov., holotype, female A habitus, dorsal view B head, frontal view C S6, ventral view D labrum, frontal view E metasoma, ventral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm ( A, E ); 0.5 mm ( B, C ); 0.3 mm ( D ). Integument coloration: Body mostly reddish, but paraocular and genal areas, frons and vertex black. Pubescence: Body with dense and mostly white tomentum (brownish only on medial part of tergal discs). Labrum with mixed thin and plumose setae. Face and genal area with dense tomentum obscuring integument, vertex with sparser and short setae. Pronotum dorsally with tomentum obscuring integument. Mesoscutum with dense tomentum peripherally and with wide paramedial strips. Metanotal integument entirely obscured by tomentum. Lower and lateral parts of thorax and propodeum laterally entirely obscured by tomentum. Legs with dense tomentum. T1 with wide basal band of tomentum connected with apical band laterally; margs of T1-T4 with uninterrupted bands of tomentum. T1-T4 discs with tomentum dense and laterally similar to that on apical margins, but somewhat sparser and brownish medially. T5 entirely obscured by tomentum. Pseudopygidial area with golden pubescence. Sterna entirely obscured by tomentum, moderate on discs and distinctly denser and longer on margins (Fig. 2E ). Male. Structure, sculpture, coloration and pubescence are similar to those of the female (Figs 1B , 3A ). Total body length 6.0-7.0 mm; forewing length (without tegula) 5.5 mm. Head (Fig. 3B ) ca 1.2 times as wide as long. Labrum flatter and wider than in female, 1.9 times as wide as long. F1 ca 1.3 times as long as wide, succeeding flagellomeres ca 1.2 times as long as wide. Clypeus with dense tomentum obscuring integument. Mesoscutum entirely covered by plumose setae, denser peripherally and in anterior half. Hind basitarsus boarded by sparse fringe of pale short setae (Fig. 3E ). Pygidial plate (T7) shiny, coarsely and densely punctate, 1.05-1.1 times wider than long, slightly narrowed toward apex; apical margin rounded (Fig. 3D ). Margins of S2 and S3 with dense uninterrupted white tomentum bands; S4 and S5 normal, with cream long setae (Fig. 3C ). Genitalia as in Fig. 9C, D . Figure 3. Epeolus kyzylkumicus Astafurova, sp. nov., paratype, male A habitus, dorsal view B head, frontal view C metasoma, ventral view D T7, dorsal view E hind basiratsus, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm ( A, C ); 0.5 mm ( B, E ); 0.3 mm ( D ). Etymology. The specific name " kyzylkumikus " is an adjective in the nominative singular and refers to the occurrence of this species in Kyzylkum desert of Central Asia. Distribution. Kazakhstan (Qyzylorda Prov.), Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan.