New and little-known bees of the genus Sphecodes Latreille, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae) from the Himalayas Author Astafurova, Yulia E0C904B0-6727-4F5C-8F5D-3CD1BFF32F3B Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences (ZISP), Saint Petersburg, Russia. & Yulia. Yulia.Astafurova@zin.ru Author Proshchalykin, Maxim 6B6EEC64-E26C-4E34-A0C9-8DC198B881ED Federal Scientific Centre for East Asian Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FCBV), Vladivostok, Russia. proshchalikin@biosoil.ru text European Journal of Taxonomy 2020 2020-12-28 729 74 120 journal article 3508 10.5852/ejt.2020.729.1195 c4ddeab6-e087-4585-99d7-ac9f7dc4a102 2118-9773 5705318 2FA17849-A224-4B0B-8894-EDB6ECBE029B Sphecodes lasimensis Blüthgen, 1927 Figs 12 , 13 A–C Sphecodes lasimensis Blüthgen, 1927: 40 , fig. 6a–e, ♀ , ♂ ( syntypes : ♀ , ♂, N India : Simla, 7000 ft , Annandale leg. 16./5/1909 ; Simla Hills, 9000 ft , Annandale u. Kemp leg. 18–21./5.1916;?The Indian Museum, Calcutta; not examined). Sphecodes lasimensis – Ascher & Pickering 2020 : map. Diagnosis The female is closest to that of S. gibbus by the shape of the head and sculpture of the body, but differs from this species by the less elevated vertex with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus approximately two lateral ocellar diameters as seen in frontal view (vs ca 3), the sparser punctate metasoma with almost impunctate marginal zones on T1 and T2 (distinctly punctate in S. gibbus ) and on average smaller body length 7.5–10 mm (vs 7–15 mm ). We have not studied the male, but according to the description of Blüthgen (1927) it is similar to that of the Palaearctic S. alternatus Smith, 1853 and S. reticulatus Thomson, 1870 owing to similar sculpture, shapes of antennal tyloid area and gonostylus (tyloids of S. lasimensis are more developed and semicircular across basal 1/5–⅓ of ventral flagellar surface vs 1/7–1/ 5 in S. alternatus and S. reticulatus ). Material examined NEPAL • 2 ♀♀ ; Kali-Gandaki-Kola , Tatopani , 50 km SW of Pokhara ; 1100–1400 m a.s.l. ; 12–15 May 1984 ; C. Holzschuh leg.; PCMS . Fig. 12. Sphecodes lasimensis Blüthgen, 1927 , ♀ (PCMS). Habitus in lateral view. Scale bar = 1 mm. Descriptive notes Wings with brownish darkening; hind wing with the angle between basal ( M ) and cubital ( Cu ) veins ca 70°, costal margin with eight, nine or ten hamuli. Female Total body length 7.5–10 mm ( Fig. 12 ). Head transverse, ca 1.25 times as wide as long ( Fig. 13A ); vertex elevated with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus approximately two lateral ocellar diameters as seen in frontal view; labrum trapezoidal, 0.7 times as long as basal width; ocello-ocular area and vertex irregularly punctate with punctures separated by 0.5–4 puncture diameters; Fig. 13. Sphecodes lasimensis Blüthgen, 1927 , ♀ (PCMS). A . Head in frontal view. B . Mesosoma in dorsal view. C . Metasoma in dorsal view. Scale bars = 1.0 mm. paraocular area with dense adpressed white pubescence, but not obscuring integument, gena with sparser pubescence. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum sparsely punctate (30–50 μm / 1–7); propodeal triangle (metapostnotum) and mesepisternum reticulate-rugose ( Fig. 13B ). Metasomal terga sparsely punctate, on discs with shallow tiny punctures separated by a few diameters ( Fig. 13C ); T1 marginal zone indistinctly punctate with a few tiny punctures; T2–T4 marginal zone smooth and impunctate; pygidial plate 0.5 times as wide as metabasitarsus; T1–T4 red, T5 partially brownish. Male (according to Blüthgen 1927 ) Head weakly transverse, ca 1.15 times as wide as long; vertex elevated with distance from top of head to upper margin of lateral ocellus approximately two lateral ocellar diameters as seen in frontal view. Tyloids (from F4 onward) weakly developed, semicircular across basal 1/5–⅓ of ventral surface of flagellomeres. Distribution Himalayas: India ( Himachal Pradesh ), * Nepal .