Lasioglossum bernhardti, Walker, 2025

Walker, Kenneth L., 2025, The “ weak-veined ” Lasioglossum in Australia, New Zealand and West New Guinea, with descriptions of three new subgenera (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae), Zootaxa 5651 (1), pp. 1-94 : 41-43

Lasioglossum . ( Cnephalictus ). bernhardti new species urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0432BAA9-031F-408C-8CAA-7C288E2D2F05

( Figures 12, 24C–D, F, 34)

Diagnosis. Females of L. bernhardti can be recognised by the combination of: Body length 8.27 (± 0.32 SD) mm. ITS = 1.54 (± 0.02 SD) mm. Median ocellus width/ocellocular distance ratio [MOW:OOD ratio 0.54 (± 0.2 SD)]. Face round (FL/HW ratio 0.81 (± 0.03 SD) Fig. 24C). Head and mesosoma black. Pronotal lobe bright yellow. Tegulae bright yellow ( Figs. 24D, 34). Legs dark brown except yellow mark running down protibia ( Fig. 34). Mesoscutum medially with sparse punctures (IS = 3–6 PD), diversopunctate with a few larger, rounded punctures, inside of parapsidal line with sparse punctures (almost impunctate) (IS = 5–7 PD), outer margin of parapsidal line impunctate, parapsidal area with minute, sparse punctures (IS = 3–5 PD), posteriorly with minute, sparse punctures (IS = 1–4 PD) ( Fig. 24D). Metapostnotum sculpture striate across entire surface ( Fig. 24D). Propodeum lateral carina present but basally only, oblique carina absent ( Fig. 24F). Inner metatibial spur with two rows of teeth, each row with c. 30 denticulate-serrate, oblique and overlapping teeth, teeth about width of rachis. Stigma large, 1.13 mm long, 0.38 mm wide (ratio ~2.97 (± 0.02 SD)).

Comments. Plant host visitation records include: Lordhowea amygdalifolia ( ASTERACEAE ) is a perennial herb or shrub found in wet sclerophyll forest, often near rainforest or in rainforest regrowth; Trimenia moorei ( TRIMENIACEAE ) is woody climber vine found on the margins of temperate rainforest; and, Leucopogon affinis ( ERICACEAE ) is a bushy shrub found in open forests and sometimes in moist gullies (PlantNET NSW 2024d, e, f). The low median ocellus width/ocellocular distance ratio [MOW:OOD ratio 0.54 (± 0.2 SD)] indicates this is not a dim-light species. The colour of pronotal lobe and tegula is bright yellow which is unique in the Australian “weak-veined” Lasioglossum species. Without a male specimen to examine the genitalia, the species placement of L. bernhardti in Cnephalictus is tentative and is based on the large body size (length 8.27 (± 0.32 SD) mm), the shape of the female inner metatibial spur with denticulate-serrate and oblique, c. 30+ teeth, all teeth about half width of rachis and the rainforest habitat. This species is a “short-range endemic” worthy of significant conservation efforts.

The Holotype label has the location as “ Boulder Flat Road ”. Bernhardt et al. (2003) better defined that location as “ 0.9 km ENE of Forest Way, Cunnawarra National Park, - 30.5705S 152.2694E, altitude 1040 m ” which has been added to the Holotype type label in square brackets .

Dr Michael Batley ( AM, pers. comm.) informed the author of an additional three female specimens he collected from “Point Lookout” (specimens lodged in AM). Dr Batley provided an image of one of these three specimens to verify they were conspecific .

Etymology. This species is named to honour Peter Bernhardt who is a retired Professor of Biology at St. Louis University and a research associate at both the Missouri Botanical Garden of St. Louis and the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Australia. Peter completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne and has contributed much to the knowledge of Victorian pollination syndromes. Peter also collected the type specimen of this species. The species epithet is a noun in apposition.

Holotype of “ Lasioglossum bernhardti ”. AUSTRALIA. New South Wales. ♀: Boulder Flat Road, [0.9 km ENE of Forest Way, Cunnawarra National Park , - 30.5705S 152.2694E, altitude 1040 m], 12 Oct 2001, P. Bernhardt ex. Trimenia moorei (HYM-99597. NMV).

Paratypes of “ Lasioglossum bernhardti ”. AUSTRALIA. New South Wales. (2 ♀) Point Lookout, 8 Oct 2002, M. Batley, ex. Senecio amygdalifolius (now Lordhowea amygdalifolia ) ( AM).

Additional non-type specimens cited but not examined. (2 ♀) New South Wales. Point Lookout, 6 Oct 2007, M. Batley, ex. Lordhowea amygdalifolia (AM) ; (1 ♀) Point Lookout, 5 Oct 2015, M. Batley, ex. Leucopogon lanceolatus (now Leucopogon affinis ) ( AM).

Description

Female. Body length 8.27 (± 0.32 SD) mm. ITS = 1.54 (± 0.02 SD) mm. Head length 1.87 (± 0.04 SD) mm. Head width 2.11 (± 0.05 SD) mm. Wing length 6.75 (± 0.18 SD) mm. (n=3).

Colouration. Head and mesosoma black, metasoma dark brown. Labrum brown. Mandible brown with dark reddish apically. Pedicel dark brown. Flagellum dark brown dorsally, dark brown ventrally but slightly lighter than dorsally. Pronotal lobe bright yellow. Tegula bright yellow. Wing membrane hyaline, faintly dusky, veins with subcosta light brown, otherwise brown to dark brown. Legs dark brown except yellow mark running down protibial. Legs dark brown. ( Figs. 24C–D, F, 34).

Pubescence. Frons, paraocular area and vertex with a sparse cover of short, erect white setae, gena with moderate cover of short, appressed white hair, supraclypeal area almost bare, clypeus with sparse hair medially, with longer translucent hair apicolaterally ( Fig. 24C). Pronotal angle extended and lobe glabrous ( Fig. 24B). Mesepisternum in front of episternal groove with a few, erect white hair, remainder of mesepisternum and metepisternum almost bare. Mesoscutum with sparse cover of short, erect white hair except some dense hair in anterolateral corners and weaker hair along lateral margins. Mesoscutellum with some long hairs posterolaterally. Metanotum with some long hairs posterolaterally ( Fig. 24D). Lateral surface of propodeum with sparse cover of long, erect hair, posterior surface with spare cover of short, erect hair. Metafemoral scopa with dense plumose hairs ( Fig. 34). T1–T2 almost bare, with a few short hairs laterally. T3–T6 with increasing amount of hair but still sparse.

Surface sculpture. Clypeus dull, imbricate over entire surface, midline impressed, with sparse punctures (IS = 1–2 PD). Supraclypeal area imbricate, with dense punctures (IS ≤ 1 PD). Paraocular area smooth and shining and impunctate. Frons imbricate and with dense punctures (IS ≤ 1 PD). Ocellocular area imbricate and with dense punctures (IS ≤ 1 PD) ( Fig. 24C). Vertex imbricate, with moderately sparse punctures (IS = 2–4 PD). Gena imbricate, with sparse punctures (IS = 2–4 PD). Tegula mostly shining, impunctate. Mesoscutum dull, covered with imbricate pattern, anteriorly impunctate, medially with sparse punctures (IS = 3–6 PD), diversopunctate with a few larger, rounded punctures, inner margin of parapsidal line with sparse punctures (almost impunctate) (IS = 5–7 PD), outer margin of parapsidal line impunctate, parapsidal area with moderate minute, sparse punctures (IS = 3–5 PD), posteriorly with moderate minute, sparse punctures (IS = 1–4 PD) ( Fig. 24D). Mesoscutellum shining, with moderately sparse punctures (IS = 1–3 PD). Metanotum dull, with sparse punctures (IS = 2–4 PD). Metapostnotum sculpture striate across entire surface, striae almost reaching posterior margin medially, laterally striae extend onto dorsolateral slope, posterior margin rounded ( Fig. 24F). Propodeum lateral carina present but basally only, oblique carina absent ( Fig. 24F), lateral face dull, finely imbricate, posterior face dull, finely imbricate. Mesepisternum shining, weakly imbricate, with sparse punctures (IS = 3–5 PD). Metepisternum imbricate, impunctate, with a few striae dorsally. Hypoepimeron inflated, dull, glabrous, weakly imbricate and impunctate.T1 anterior face coriarious– imbricate, mesobasally with moderately sparse punctures (IS = 2–4 PD), apically impunctate. T2 anterior face shining, coriarious–imbricate, mesobasally with moderately sparse punctures (IS = 2–4 PD), apically impunctate.

Structure. Face round (FL/HW ratio 0.81 (± 0.03 SD) Fig. 24C). Eyes subequal [UOD/LOD ratio 1.00 (± 0.04 SD)]. Inner eye margins weakly emarginate. Median ocellus width/ocellocular distance ratio [MOW:OOD ratio 0.54 (± 0.2 SD)]. Clypeus projecting ~40% below suborbital tangent, clypeus length/width ratio 0.66 (± 0.02 SD) ( Fig. 24C). Clypeus with apicolateral denticles. Gena narrower than eye. Mandible short, not reaching opposing clypeal angle. Protibial spur with minutely pectinate serrations except apically longer than width of malus. Inner metatibial spur with two rows of teeth, each row with c. 30 denticulate-serrate, oblique and overlapping teeth, teeth about width of rachis. Distance between parapsidal line (at the starting point) 1.10 (± 0.02 SD) mm. Pronotal angle obtuse. Mesoscutum length/width ratio 0.86 (± 0.03 SD), mesoscutum/mesoscutellum length ratio 3.16 (± 0.03 SD). Mesoscutellum/metanotum length ratio 1.72 (± 0.25 SD). Stigma large, 1.13 mm long, 0.38 mm wide (ratio ~2.97 (± 0.02 SD)), margin in marginal cell convex, marginal cell 1.70 mm long, 0.48 mm wide, free portion about 2X that subtended by submarginal cells (1.20 mm: 0.6 mm), 1m-cu meets second submarginal cell almost at 1rs-m, stigma perpendicular goes about middle of third submarginal cell.

Male. Unknown.

Range. Occurs in New South Wales and is known from two close by locations (Boulder Flat Road and Point Lookout–see Fig. 12).

Flight period. This species appears seems to have a short flight period in spring and has only been collected in the month of October ( Table 1).

Floral hosts. ASTERACEAE : Senecio amygdalifolius . ERICACEAE : Leucopogon affinis . TRIMENIACEAE :

Trimenia moorei .