46 
Records of the Australian Museum (2013) Vol. 65 
Pollen examination 
Pollen was removed from the scopae of four female 
specimens: two L. latifrons collected from Scaevola 
parvibarbata Carolin, one L. gibber collected from 
Scaevola depauperata R.Br. and one L. gurneyi collected 
from Lechenaultia divaricata F. Muell.. Bees collected 
from Scaevola species carried tricolporate pollen 
indistinguishable by light microscopy from pollen taken 
from the flowers. The L. gurneyi specimen was carrying 
pollen tetrads indistinguishable from that taken from 
flowers and that illustrated in the Australasian Pollen and 
Spore Atlas (APSA 2013). 
Discussion 
Comparison of photographs of females of the above species 
with specimens of the unnamed species A to D (Maynard, 
1991) by Dr Terry Houston, indicated that none of the new 
names applies to species A to D. 
All five new species have the major characteristics that 
distinguish Protomorpha from other Leioproctus. small 
size (5-9 mm long); metasomal terga with strong, dense 
punctures and apical hair bands; females with impressed 
facial foveae and sparse, weakly branched hair on the 
metasomal sterna; and males with modified hind tibiae 
and basitarsi and elaborately shaped seventh sterna. The 
addition of new species will help any future redefinition of 
the diagnostic characteristics of the subgenus. Although the 
carinate labrum and preapical tooth on the mandibles are 
common features, they are absent in one or more species, 
just as it was previously demonstrated (Maynard, 1991) that 
the pygidial plate of the female was occasionally not striate. 
The newly described males consistently have strong apical 
hair fringes on S3 and S4, which suggests that this feature 
may be more common than previous thought. 
The presence of several species of L. (Protomorpha) in a 
relatively limited area was unexpected. The specimens were 
collected from 5 locations in sand dune country with a total 
area of approximately 3,000 km 2 . In addition to the five new 
species, females of two other species, L. (P) alloeopus and 
L. (P.) tarsalis, were found in the area. Together with the 
known distributions of previously described species, this 
suggests that the subgenus is strongly adapted to life in arid 
environments with highly variable rainfall. 
Females of four of the new species described herein have 
distinctive setae on the vertex or frons, a feature not 
previously found in the subgenus, but the integument of the 
head was not modified (Gonzalez & Griswold, 1913). The 
setae were well separated and quite unlike the fine combs 
found on oil-collecting bees (Michener, 2007). Specialized 
facial hairs have been suggested (Muller, 1996) as adapt¬ 
ations for collecting pollen from flowers that deposit pollen 
on dorsal areas of visitors. The small number of specimens 
and absence of behavioural observations (Muller, 1996; 
Gonzalez & Chavez, 2004) prevent the drawing of similar 
conclusions for our species, but the limited information 
available is consistent with this explanation for the facial 
setae. (1) Only females carry the modified setae. (2) Flowers 
visited by L. gibber, L. gurneyi and L. latifrons , the species 
with stiff facial setae, are members of the Goodeniaceae 
family which present pollen to the backs of visitors (Figs. 
18,19). Pollen removed from the scopae of all three species 
was indistinguishable by light microscopy from the pollen 
of the flowers they were visiting. (3) Flowers visited by 
L. crispus do not have specialized pollen presenters (Fig. 
20), but are zygomorphic and present pollen where insect 
visitors would normally have their backs. (4) The flowers 
visited by L. (Protomorpha) species without special setae 
are more varied and less specialized (Table 1). Leioproctus 
tarsalis specimens were collected from Tribulus terrestris 
L. a few meters from where L. gurneyi were collected from 
Lechenaultia divaricata F.Muell. 
Rainfall in the Lake Eyre Basin, in which these bees were 
found, is more variable and dry periods last longer than in 
any other part of the World (McMahon et al. 2008). Study of 
these morphologically similar species of L. (Protomorpha) 
could provide interesting insights into the effect of such 
“boom-bust” conditions on the evolution of and interactions 
between species. 
Table 1 . Flowers visited by Leioproctus (Protomorpha) species. 
species 
females with 
flowers from which bees were collected 
modified setae 
family 
species 
Leioproctus alloeopus Maynard 
no 
Proteaceae 
Grevillea stenobotrya F.Muell. 
Goodeniaceae 
Scaevola depauperata R.Br. 
Fabaceae 
Sennapleurocarpa (F.Muell.) Randell 
Euphorbiaceae 
Euphorbia drummondii Boiss. 
Zygophyllaceae 
Tribulus terrestris L. 
Leioproctus crispus Batley n.sp. 
yes 
Scrophulariaceae 
Eremophila gilesii F.Muell. 
Plantaginaceae 
Stemodia glabella W.R. Barker 
Fabaceae 
Petalostylis labicheoides R.Br. 
Leioproctus gibber Batley n.sp. 
yes 
Goodeniaceae 
Scaevola depauperata R.Br. 
Goodeniaceae 
Scaevola parvibarbata Carolin 
Leioproctus gurneyi Batley n.sp. 
yes 
Goodeniaceae 
Lechenaultia divaricata F.Muell. 
Leioproctus latifrons Batley n.sp. 
yes 
Goodeniaceae 
Scaevola depauperata R.Br. 
Leioproctus nix Batley n.sp. 
no 
Araliaceae 
Trachymene glaucifolia (F.Muell.) Benth. 
Lamiaceae 
Dicrastylis costelloi F.M.Bailey 
Goodeniaceae 
Brunonia australis Sm. ex R.Br. 
Leioproctus tarsalis (Rayment) 
no 
Zygophyllaceae 
Tribulus terrestris L. 
