New and little-known species of the genus Sphecodes Latreille (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) from Southeast Asia

Abstract

The available information about the cleptoparasitic bees of the genus Sphecodes in Southeast Asia is summarized. Thirty-one species are currently known from this area. Four new species are described: Sphecodes discoverlifei Astafurova & Proshchalykin, sp. nov. (Laos), S. engeli Astafurova & Proshchalykin, sp. nov. (Laos, Vietnam), S. ilyadadaria Astafurova, sp. nov. (Indonesia), and S. pseudoredivivus Astafurova & Proshchalykin, sp. nov. (Laos). Nine species are newly recorded from South East Asia: S. chaprensis Blüthgen, 1927 (Laos), S. howardi Cockerell, 1922 (Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand), S. kershawi Perkins, 1921 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand), S. laticeps Meyer, 1920 (Thailand, Vietnam), S. montanus Smith, 1879 (Laos), S. sauteri Meyer, 1925 (Laos), S. sikkimensis Blüthgen, 1927 (Laos, Myanmar), S. simlaensis Blüthgen, 1924 (Laos), and S. turneri Cockerell, 1916 (Laos). Based on type specimens, new synonymies have been proposed for Sphecodes kershawi Perkins, 1921 = S. javanensis Blüthgen, 1927, syn. nov.; S. simlaensis Blüthgen, 1924 = S. simlaellus Blüthgen, 1927, syn. nov.; S. laticeps Meyer, 1920 = S. biroi mariae Cockerell, 1930, syn. nov. Lectotypes are designated for Sphecodes biroi Friese, 1909, S. simlaellus Blüthgen, 1927, and S. laticeps Meyer, 1920. The female of Sphecodes sauteri Meyer, 1925, and the male of S. turneri Cockerell, 1916 are described for the first time.