14 T 
Batley & Houston: Australian bee genus Trichocolletes 
35 
length stigma / length prestigma 
Fig. 28. Number of species versus ratio of length stigma to length prestigma in forewing of Trichocolletes females. 
The ratio for T. pucherrimus is indicated by the arrow. 
Diagnosis 
Eyes not hairy; metasomal bands gold; metasoma usually with 
large areas of orange-brown on Tl,2; malar space very short. 
Male metasoma noticeably slender; S7 with sinuate posterior 
margin (Fig. 72). Female clypeus usually flattened sagittaly. 
Variation 
The species is rather variable in colour. A long series of 
specimens collected near Norseman contained examples 
with and without orange-brown on the metasoma while all 
eight specimens collected at Kalamunda National Park were 
without orange-brown and had silver metasomal bands. The 
body lengths of the latter specimens were on average 1 mm 
greater than for the former. Females from Bullfinch and Fake 
Gilles had red-brown rather than orange-brown markings 
and the clypeus was not flattened. When associated males 
are available, the last two may warrant classification as a 
separate species or subspecies. Variation in the shape of the 
posterior margin of S7 of males was also observed between 
specimens having of the typical colour form. 
Descriptions 
Male (holotype).— Head width 3.65 mm, body length 11.6 
mm. Relative dimensions: HW 50, HF 39, UID 30, UFW 31, 
FID 28, DMA 26, HVO 5, WOC 13, MOD 4, OOD 9, IAD 9, 
ASD 3, AOD 8, MF 19, BMW 7, MSF 0.5, SF 14, SW 3, FF 
c. 51.— Eyes not hairy; head broad, inner orbits converging 
ventrally; malar area short (length c. O.lx basal mandibular 
width); flagellum as long as head width; middle flagellomeres 
c. 1.6x as long as wide. Fegs slender; hind tarsus 1.2x as long 
as hind tibia; length basitarsus 4.8x width. Genital capsule like 
that for T. orientalis n.sp., but penis valves slightly shorter and 
broader (Fig. 39); S7 (WAM 13971) lateral lobes triangular 
with strongly rounded corners and sinuate posterior margin, 
basal teeth obsolete (Fig. 72). —Lab mm, scape, large part of 
clypeus ventrally, mandible, anterior and posterior regions 
of Tl, anterior half T2, anterior quarter of T3, distal ends 
of femora and all of tibiae and tarsi orange-brown; coxae, 
trochanters and most of femora dark brown; flagellum mid to 
dark brown, F2-8 paler ventrally. Tl-5 with gold bands; T7 
red-brown medially.— Scutum dull with strong pit-reticulation 
almost obscuring punctures.— Face densely covered with long, 
erect, bright orange hair; scutum with thin cover of long, dull 
orange, finely-branched hair; fore basitarsus without plume; 
other legs with sparse hair. 
Female (WAM 13975), not previously described.— Head 
width 3.85 mm, body length 11.5 mm. Relative dimensions: 
HW 50, HF 39, UID 30, UFW 32, FID 30, DMA 28, HVO 
5, WOC 14, MOD 4, OOD 8, IAD 8, ASD 3, AOD 9, MF 
19, BMW 7, MSF 0.5, SF 15, SW 3, FF c. 33 .—Eyes not 
hairy; head broad, orbits slightly convergent ventrally; 
clypeus sagittaly flattened; supraclypeal area prominent; malar 
space short (length c. O.lx basal mandibular width); middle 
flagellomeres slightly longer than wide; inner hind tibial 
spur with c. 9 teeth; tarsal claws with large, triangular inner 
ramus; pygidial plate entire or with minute apical emargination 
and broad, low medial elevation.— Labrum, ventral rim of 
clypeus, most of mandible, anterior half of Tl,2 orange-brown; 
posterior half Tl,2 and legs dark brown; S2 yellow-brown; 
remaining sterna brown. T1 —4 with pale gold bands.— Clypeus 
reticulate with close to dense, large punctures, supraclypeal 
area densely punctate; scutum with strong pit-reticulation 
obscuring punctures.— Paraocular areas and frons covered 
with long, plumose, orange hair, paler ventrally and tipped 
with dark brown near ocelli. Scutum openly covered with 
short, plumose, orange-brown hair with dark tips; hind tibial 
scopa brown to dark brown, with a little white along anterior 
margin; prepygidial fimb ria dark brown. 
Remarks. The holotype is smaller than average, with most 
males slightly over 12 mm in length. This species closely 
resembles T. soror (see below). 
This species is referred to as F271/M237, F255/M229 
and F263/M234 in Houston (2000). 
Distribution. Southwestern Australia (AW, COO, GAW, 
GS, JF, MAF, MUR, SWA, YAF) (Fig. 112). 
