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Extracted from: Gardner, J. and J. Gibbs. 2020. The ‘red-tailed’ Lasioglossum (Dialictus) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)
of the western Nearctic. European Journal of Taxonomy 725: 1–242
Diagnosis
Females of Lasioglossum kunzei are easily recognized by the head and mesosoma shiny and very finely, sparsely punctate (i = 1–6 pd), metapostnotum smooth and shiny, pronotal ridge strongly carinate, and head often large with mandibles elongate and gena with a ventral tubercle. They resemble many socially parasitic L.(Dialictus)in these characters, but the well-developed scopa on the hind legs readily identifies L. kunzei as a pollen-collecting species. They are extremely similar to Lasioglossum semibrunneum(Cockerell, 1895) and may be indistinguishable in some cases. Lasioglossum kunzei has a red, non-metallic metasoma (black with metallic green reflections in L. semibrunneum), and the postgena tends to be duller and more extensively lineate (shiny with no microsculpture in L. semibrunneum).Males of L. kunzei can be recognized by the same characters as for females, except the characters of the head. The head of male L. kunzei is unremarkable except that the compound eyes are only weakly convergent below. They are most similar to L. semibrunneum and may be indistinguishable in some cases. Males of L. kunzei have the discs of the metasomal terga black to brown without metallic reflections, and the rest of the metasoma orange (all brown to black with metallic green reflections in L. semibrunneum).
Rediscription
Female
Colouration. Head and mesosoma blue-green; clypeus apical colour reddish brown to orange; labrum reddish brown to orange; mandible orange with black basal spot and red tip; flagellum reddish brown dorsally, orange ventrally; pronotal lobe reddish brown to orange; metasoma orange to reddish brown with basal half of T1 often reddish brown and discs of T4–5 often black, sometimes weakly metallic green, and dark spiracular spots on T2–4; legs mostly dark reddish brown to mostly orange; tegula pale amber to brown; wing membrane hyaline, veins with subcosta dark brown, otherwise light brown.
Pubescence. Body hair colour white. Tomentum dense on pronotal collar and lobe, space between pronotal lobe and tegula, axilla, scutum anterolateral margin, metanotum, preëpisternum, metepisternum, T2–3 basolaterally, and T4 throughout; sparse on paraocular area and gena. Scutum hair thin. Wing hairs dark, short and dense. Acarinarial fan absent or sparse and incomplete with narrow gap. T2 fringes dense, T3 fringes dense.
Surface Sculpture. Clypeus punctures sparse (i = 1–4 pd), sculpture shiny; supraclypeal area punctures dense marginally (i ≤ 1 pd), sparse medially (i = 1–3 pd), sculpture shiny; paraocular area punctures dense dorsally (i < 1 pd), becoming moderately sparse ventrally (i = 1–2 pd), sculpture shiny; frons punctures dense (i < 1 pd), sculpture shiny; vertex punctures moderately dense (i = 1–2 pd), sculpture shiny; gena punctures moderately dense (i = 1–2 pd), often obscure, sculpture ruguloso-lineate; postgena sculpture ruguloso-lineate to tessellate; tegula punctures absent; scutum punctures sparse (i = 1–6 pd), sculpture shiny; scutellum punctures dense in narrow marginal band and median line (i < 1 pd), otherwise impunctate, sculpture shiny; metanotum sculpture minutely, densely punctate (i ≤ 1 pd); metapostnotum rugae absent or very short, not reaching halfway to margin, sculpture tessellate; preëpisternum sculpture shiny with crowded punctures (i = 0 pd); hypoepimeron punctures moderately dense to sparse (i = 1–2 pd), sculpture shiny; mesepisternum punctures moderately dense to sparse (i = 1–2 pd), sculpture shiny; metepisternum sculpture ruguloso-lineate dorsally, imbricate ventrally; propodeum lateral face sculpture imbricate on anterior margin, otherwise tessellate; propodeum posterior face sculpture tessellate; T1 anterior face sculpture shiny; T1 dorsal surface punctures minute, sparse (i = 1–3 pd), becoming impunctate medially and apically, sculpture shiny; T2 disc punctures dense and distinct (i ≤ 1 pd) to minute and sparse (i = 1–4 pd), disc sculpture shiny, rim punctures minute and sparse (i = 1–3 pd) or absent, rim sculpture shiny.
Structure. Face length/width ratio 0.78 (± 0.04 SD). Clypeus projecting weakly or strongly below suborbital tangent; clypeal area length/width ratio 0.32 (± 0.04 SD); apicolateral denticles normal; supraclypeal area length/width ratio 0.65 (± 0.07 SD). Gena often with ventral tubercle. Forewing with 3 submarginal cells; pronotal angle acute, forming strong dorsoventral ridge; tegula shape normal. Intertegular distance 0.93 (± 0.06 SD) mm. Scutum length/width ratio 0.77 (± 0.04 SD); scutum/scutellum length ratio 2.7 (± 0.18 SD); scutellum/metanotum length ratio 1.61 (± 0.14 SD); metanotum/metapostnotum length ratio 0.72 (± 0.11 SD). Propodeum lateral carinae not reaching dorsal margin; oblique carina absent. T2 depressed apical rim length 50% or less of segment. (n = 10)
Male
Colouration. Head and mesosoma blue to olive green; clypeus apical colour black to reddish brown; labrum reddish brown; mandible yellow with black basal spot and red tip; flagellum reddish brown dorsally, yellow-orange ventrally; pronotal lobe reddish brown; metasoma black to orange, sometimes weakly metallic green, with dark spiracular spots on T2–4; legs reddish brown with femur-tibia joints, base and apex of tibiae, and tarsi orange; tegula orange; wing membrane hyaline, veins with subcosta dark brown, otherwise pale amber to brown.
Pubescence. Body hair colour white. Tomentum dense on face below ocelli, gena anteriorly, pronotal angle, preëpisternum, and metepisternum; sparse on gena posteriorly, pronotal lobe, mesepisternum, T1 laterally, T2–4 basolaterally, and T5 throughout. Scutum hair thin to densely plumose. Sterna hair short (0.5–1.25 OD), moderately plumose, sparse and erect. Wing hairs dark or light, short and dense.
Surface Sculpture. Clypeus punctures irregularly sparse (i ≤ 2 pd), sculpture shiny; supraclypeal area punctures dense (i < 1 pd), sculpture shiny; paraocular area punctures dense (i < 1 pd), sculpture shiny; frons punctures moderately dense (i = 1–2 pd), sculpture shiny; vertex punctures moderately sparse (i = 1–2 pd), sculpture shiny; gena punctures sparse (i = 1–3 pd), sculpture shiny; postgena sculpture shiny, becoming weakly tessellate to weakly lineate laterad of hypostomal carina; tegula punctures absent; scutum punctures sparse (i = 1–6 pd), sculpture shiny; scutellum punctures dense marginally and on median line (i ≤ 1 pd), sparse submedially (i = 1–6 pd), sculpture shiny; metanotum sculpture shiny and sparsely punctate (i = 1–3 pd); metapostnotum rugae weak, anastomosing, not reaching margin, sculpture shiny to imbricate; preëpisternum sculpture areolate-rugulose; hypoepimeron punctures moderately dense (i = 1–2 pd), sculpture shiny; mesepisternum punctures sparse (i = 1–3 pd), sculpture shiny; metepisternum sculpture ruguloso-lineate dorsally, smooth and shiny ventrally; propodeum lateral face punctures sparse (i = 1–3 pd), sculpture shiny to weakly rugulose; propodeum posterior face sculpture shiny and sparsely punctate (i = 1–3 pd), becoming ruguloso-punctate laterally; T1 anterior face sculpture shiny; T1 dorsal surface punctures minute, sparse (i = 2–4 pd), very sparse or absent in large apicolateral oval patches and on rim, sculpture shiny; T2 disc punctures minute, sparse (i = 2–4 pd), disc sculpture shiny, rim punctures minute, very sparse (i = 2–6 pd), absent laterally, rim sculpture shiny.
Structure. Face length/width ratio 0.87 (± 0.01 SD). F1:pedicel length ratio 1.27 (± 0.05 SD); F2:F1 length ratio 1.31 (± 0.1 SD); F2 length/width ratio 1.23 (± 0.09 SD); F9 length/width ratio 1.27 (± 0.11 SD). Forewing with 3 submarginal cells; pronotal angle acute, forming strong dorsoventral ridge; tegula shape normal. Intertegular distance 0.8 (± 0.03 SD) mm. Scutum length/width ratio 0.91 (± 0.04 SD); scutum/scutellum length ratio 2.53 (± 0.19 SD); scutellum/metanotum length ratio 1.92 (± 0.39 SD); metanotum/metapostnotum length ratio 0.74 (± 0.16 SD). Propodeum lateral carinae not reaching dorsal margin; oblique carina absent. (n = 3)
Genitalia. Not examined.
Range
Baja California north to Nevada and east to Utah (Fig. 51A).
Floral Records
AIZOACEAE Martinov: Sesuvium L. S. portulacastrum (L.) L. (MH87) • S. verrucosum Raf. (MH87) • AMARANTHACEAE Juss. Salsola L. S. kali L. (MH87) • Suaeda Forssk. ex J.F. Gmel. (MH87) • APOCYNACEAE Juss. Nerium L. N. oleander L. • ASTERACEAE Giseke: Baccharis: B. salicina Torr. &A.Gray (MH87) • Dieteria: D. asteroides Torr. D. a. var. asteroides Torr. (MH87) • Pectis: P. papposaHarv. & A.Gray (MH87) • BORAGINACEAE Juss. Heliotropium L. H. curassavicum L. (MH87) • BRASSICACEAE Burnett: Lepidium L. L. virginicum L. (MH87) • Sinapis L. S. alba L. • CLEOMACEAE Bercht. & J. Presl: Cleomella DC. C. obtusifolia Torr. & Frém. • CONVOLVULACEAE Juss. CressaL. C. truxillensis Kunth (MH87) • FABACEAE Juss. Medicago: M. sativa L. • Prosopis: P. glandulosaTorr. P. g. var. torreyana (L.D. Benson) M.C. Johnst. • MALVACEAE Juss. Gossypium L. • MalvellaJaub. & Spach: M. leprosa (Ortega) Krapov. (MH87) • POACEAE Barnhart: Zea L. Z. mays L. • POLYGONACEAE Juss. Rumex L. (MH87) • SALICACEAE Mirb. Salix L. S. exigua Nutt. S. e. var. hindsiana (Benth.) Dorn (MH87) • SOLANACEAE Adans. Lycium L. L. brevipes Benth. (MH87) • L. fremontii A.Gray • TAMARICACEAE Link: Tamarix L.
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