Colletes Latreille 1802

Key to the Colletes species of West Africa Females The female of C. aragorn sp. nov. is unknown. 1 Antennal flagellum ventrally brown to blackish (Fig. 4E); T2 medioapically distinctly depressed with clearly defined, truncated premarginal line (Fig. 4F); T1 and T2 apically with conspicuous transverse band of orange appressed hairs, contrasting with the lighter hair of the rest of the metasoma (Fig. 3E, 4F)...................................... C. microdontus Cockerell - Antennal flagellum ventrally bright yellowish (Figs 4A, C); T2 medioapically either not or only slightly depressed, without or only with weakly defined premarginal line (Figs 4B, D); T1 and T2 without conspicuous transverse band of orange appressed hairs, not contrasting with white to cream-colored pilosity of the rest of the metasoma (Figs 3A, C, 4B, D).............. 2 2 Malar area longer than width of the base of the mandible; clypeus densely and finely punctate (Fig. 4C).................................................................................................... C. diodontus Benoist - Malar area about ½ as long as width of the base of the mandible; clypeus sparsely and coarsely punctate (Fig. 4A).......................................................................................... C. bytinskii Noskiewicz Males For a reliable identification of males, it is essential to dissect genitalia and S7. 1 Antennal flagellum ventrally brown to blackish (Figs 1A, 3F); discs of T1 and T2 either without short appressed hair (Figs 1–D) or only partially covered so that the surface sculpture remains visible (Fig. 5E).................................... 2 - Antennal flagellum ventrally bright yellowish (Figs 3B, 3D); discs of T1 and T2 at least partly densely covered with short appressed hair hiding the surface sculpture (Figs 5A, C)....................................................... 3 2 Body hair yellowish to orangish brown (Fig. 1A); T1 and T2 apically slightly depressed, premarginal line not truncated (Figs 1C, D); S7 as in Figs 2A, B..................................................... C. aragorn Kuhlmann sp. nov. - Body hair whitish to cream-colored (Fig. 3F); T1 and T2 apically deeply depressed with clearly defined, truncated premarginal line (Fig. 5E); S7 as in Fig. 5F. ....................................................... C. microdontus Cockerell 3 Malar area about twice as long as width of the base of the mandible; T7 apically narrowly rounded, with a pair of short, backward-facing spines, which may be partially covered by hair; S7 as in Fig. 5D.................. C. diodontus Benoist - Malar area about as long as width of the base of the mandible; T7 apically broadly rounded, without spines; S7 as in Fig. 5B.................................................................................. C. bytinskii Noskiewicz