Colletes aragorn Kuhlmann, 2025

Kuhlmann, Michael & Goergen, Georg, 2025, The bee genus Colletes Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae) in West Africa, Zootaxa 5661 (2), pp. 249-260 : 250-252

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5661.2.6
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5723FAEB-1615-46F8-9E40-D3FF44F70AAF
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16604620
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F23E87B0-FF89-FFF0-3EDF-FB70FABAF969
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Colletes aragorn Kuhlmann
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Colletes aragorn Kuhlmann sp. nov.

( Figs 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 )

Diagnosis. Colletes aragorn belongs to the taxonomically challenging and species-rich C. rufitarsis species-group. As defined by Kuhlmann & Pauly (2013) and Kuhlmann (2020), the group comprises nine described species, namely (in alphabetical order) C. abessinicus Friese , C. aethiopicus Kuhlmann , C. fascicularis Cockerell , C. gorillarum Cockerell , C. marleyi Cockerell , C. michaelis Cockerell , C. opacus Friese , C. rufitarsis Friese and C. senkelensis Kuhlmann. Species of this group are mainly found in tropical to subtropical regions.

Females and males in the C. rufitarsis species-group are predominantly dark orange-brown and densely hairy. Apical tergal hair bands are broad and relatively dark yellowish-white to orange-brown. Terga, especially T1, are densely (i <d) and finely to very finely punctate (in females of C. abessinicus and C. fascicularis punctation very shallow and indistinct, terga with oily bluish shine). Additional features of the males are as follows: T1 completely and T2 at least anteriorly on the disc covered with long erect hairs; S7 mostly roundish (e.g. Kuhlmann & Pauly, Fig. 2c View FIGURE 2 ), in some species very large and membranous (Kuhlmann & Pauly, Fig. 5c View FIGURE 5 ), or partially shortened and apically with curved / wavy end margin (e.g. Kuhlmann 2020, Fig 2c View FIGURE 2 ); gonostylus slightly longer to about twice as long as wide.

The male of C. aragorn differs from the other described species of the group by the following character combination: unique shape of S7 ( Figs 2C–D View FIGURE 2 ), gonostylus as in Figs 2A–B View FIGURE 2 (most similar with C. opacus , C. marleyi ), mesoscutum with orange-brown hair (intermixed with dark blackish hairs in C. rufitarsis , C. gorillarum ), lack of an oily bluish shine on the metasomal terga ( Figs 1B–D View FIGURE 1 ).

Description.

Female. Unknown.

Male. Body length = 9.0–11.0 mm. Head. Head wider than long (width to length ratio: 1.3–1.4: 1). Integument black except tip of mandible partly dark reddish-brown. Face densely covered with long, yellowish-brown, erect hairs; on vertex partly darker brown ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Malar area medially about half as long as width of mandible base, finely striate. Antenna dorsally dark blackish-brown to black, ventrally slightly lighter; F1 shorter than wide (length to width ratio: 0.9: 1). Mesosoma. Integument black. Dorsolateral angle of pronotum with a short, sharp point. Mesoscutal disc densely punctate (i = 0.5–1d), interspace smooth and shiny. Scutellum anteriorly almost impunctate, smooth and shiny, posteriorly densely punctate. Mesoscutum, scutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum and propodeum covered with long, yellowish-brown, erect hair ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Wings. Transparent, membrane light yellow; wing venation brown to blackish. Legs. Integument dark reddish-brown; tarsi yellowish-brown. Hind basitarsus about four times as long as wide. Vestiture yellowish-white ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ). Metasoma. Integument black; depressed apical tergal margins yellowish to dark reddish translucent ( Figs 1B–D View FIGURE 1 ). T1 and T2 anteriorly sparsely covered with long, erect yellowish-brown hairs; apical tergal hair bands dense and broad ( Figs 1B–D View FIGURE 1 ). Terga dense and finely punctate (i ≤ 0.5d), interspace smooth and shiny ( Figs 1C, D View FIGURE 1 ). Terminalia . Genitalia and S7 as illustrated ( Figs 2A–D View FIGURE 2 ).

Type material (19 specimens).

HOLOTYPE: ♂. NIGERIA: “ Nigeria : 13 mi. SW Bukuru [E08.50 N09.44], 925 m, 16-IX-1966, E.S. Ross & K. Lorenzen ” ( RCMK). GoogleMaps

PARATYPES: TOGO: 9♂ “TOGO / Kloto [E00.34 N06.57], sweep netting: forest, Sep. 2008, Col.: G. Goergen ” (3♂ IITA, 6♂ RCMK) GoogleMaps ; 9♂ “TOGO / Kloto , forest area [E00.34 N06.57], Sep. 2008, Col.: G. Goergen ” (2♂ IITA, 7♂ RCMK) GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The species is dedicated to the Ranger of the North, Aragorn II, a fictional character and protagonist in J.J.R. Tolkien´s novel The Lord of the Rings. Noun in apposition.

General distribution. Only known from the type locality in Nigeria and in the Kloto-Missahohe area of Togo, both of which are located in the highlands ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ) .

Floral hosts. Unknown.

Seasonal activity. September.

Morphological variation. The male from Nigeria and those from Togo show some slight morphological variation in outer morphology, while S7 ( Figs 2A, B View FIGURE 2 ) and genitalia ( Figs 2C, D View FIGURE 2 ) are identical. The specimen from the Jos Plateau ( Nigeria) has a denser punctation on the metasomal terga ( Figs 1B, C View FIGURE 1 ) than any of the males from Togo ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ) and its apical sternal hair fringes are slightly longer and denser. However, on the basis of a single Nigerian specimen, it is not possible to assess whether the deviations are due to individual or geographical variation.