Size ~ 9mm

Colour: mesoscutum & scutellum orange/red; metanotum & propodeum black; head & metasoma dark metallic-blue; wings heavily infuscated brown

Forewing venation: 3 submarginal cells; stigma well-developed; apex of marginal cell on wing margin

Strong sculpturing on head and thorax

Colour: pronotum black; mesopleura orange/red

Scopae on hind legs (femora & tibia)

Facial fovea: linear

Mandibles broad, multidentate

Mandibles tridentate (arrows)

Propodeum enclosure not delineated laterally, except by shallow sulci. Remainder of dorsal propodeum gently rounded, dropping off abruptly at sides.

Propodeum enclosure not delineated laterally, except by shallow sulci. Remainder of dorsal propodeum gently rounded, dropping off abruptly at sides. The interface between dorsal and lateral surfaces might be considered a carina, or at least a ridge.

Pygidial plate: slender, parallel-sided.

Female (note 10 flagellomeres)

Size ~ 4mm

TI with long, median groove

Scopae: absent

Size ~ 4mm

Scopae: absent

Forewing: first recurrent vein basal to first submarginal cross-vein; marginal cell terminating acutely on anterior margin of wing

Head shape: quadrate

Eye shape: extends beyond anterior articulation of mandible

Clypeus: appears recessed, relative to supraclypeal region (not forming continuous arc)

Clypeus: appears recessed, relative to supraclypeal region (not forming continuous arc)

Hind femur and tibia (viewed anteriorly): basitibial plate edged by small tubercles

Hind tibia (viewed dorsally): basitabial plate not clearly defined

Tomentum: orange basal bands on T2 & T3; orange patches on mesoscutum, posterolaterally,and metanotum, medially

Forewing: 3 submarginal cells, SCIII much shorter than SCI, SCIII longer than SCII; basal vein strongly curved; first recurrent vein interstitial SCII & SCIII; marginal cell apex acute, situated on wing vein

Tomentum: orange basal bands on T2 & T3; orange patches on mesoscutum, posterolaterally,and metanotum, medially

Tomentum: orange patches on pronotal collar, laterally; white fringe on pronotal lobes

Scopae: well-developed on hind femur; shorter, less dense on hind tibia

Proboscis tip, viewed dorsally. Galea closely associated (‘applied’) to stipes.

Proboscis, showing relative length of cardo and prementum.

Proboscis: long prementum; short, acute glossa; 6-segmented maxillary palp

Proboscis, viewed ventrally, showing prementum and labial palps, flanked laterally by stipes.

Proboscis tip, viewed ventrally. Note that the glossa is curved upwards and so not visible in this image.

Size: 11-12mm, robust.

Body colour: dark metallic blue-green throughout.

Body colour: dark metallic blue-green throughout.

Long hairs over most of head, mesosoma, and legs.

Long hairs over most of head, mesosoma, and legs.

Long hairs over most of head, including genae

Forewing: 3 submarginal cells; stigma well-developed, tapering apically to marginal cell vein well inside marginal cell (see p. 105, Houston 2018)

Forewing: 3 submarginal cells; stigma well-developed, tapering apically to marginal cell vein well inside marginal cell (see p. 105, Houston 2018)

Female (note 10 flagellar segments)

Mandibles long. Labrum with transverse ridges.

Hind tibia (and base of basitarsus), viewed anteriorly

Hind tibia (viewed posteriorly): scopae long, particularly dense above (dorsally); hairs beneath include mixture, with some particularly long, and obviously plumose.

Front basitarsus: short, dense bristles (compare images p. 107 Houston 2018)

Pygidial plate: present

Head and thorax strongly sculptured.
Antennae: long; 11 flagellomeres (male)

Size: ~7mm

Head and thorax strongly sculptured.
Compare antennae and head shape with image e Houston (2018), page 101.

Forewing: 3 submarginal cells; basal vein not strongly arched; stigma well developed; apex of marginal cell on wing margin; strongly tinted brown, veins nearly black

Mid tibia (anterior view)

Front tibia and tarsus (anterior view)

Size: ~6mm

Scopae: absent

TI with long median groove.

Forewing: 2 submarginal cells; SCII about half as long as SCI; basal angle of SCI distinctly less than 90º; posterior vein of SCI sinuate; first recurrent vein joining SCII

Base of hind tibia, viewed dorsally

Base of hind tibia, viewed dorsally

Hind basitarsus

Apex of metasoma, viewed dorsally.

Apex of hind basitarsus, viewed anteriorly: penicillus present

T5: with hair fringe divided medially by a nearly hairless strip

T6: pygidial plate present

Facial marking consistent with Exley 1974, Figs. 9J-K

Antenna with 10 flagellomeres (female)

Pygidial plate: present

tibial spur of left hind leg (posterior view)

scutellum and dorsal enclosure of propodeum

propodeum, posteroventral view showing both dorsal surface (with enclosure) posterior face

Body length: 12mm. Note that the holotype male of Trichocolletes orientalis: 10.7mm

May be distinguished from sympatric males of T. venustus by “the extensive areas of dark brown on mid tibia” (it is clear orange-brown in T. venustus).

Description male holotype T. orientalis includes:
“femora and trochanters with much long pale hair”
“tarsi, tibiae and distal ends of femora orange-brown, fore and mid tibiae medially suffused with dark brown”

Forewing venation typical of Trichocolletes, with: “three submarginal cells; pterostigma short, parallel-sided; ending at, or slightly beyond, base of vein r.” (Batley & Houston 2012)

Key step 13: Metasoma with narrow silver or pale gold integumental bands –> Step 14

May be distinguished from sympatric males of T. fuscus by width of metasomal bands (they are gold and “not narrow” in T. fuscus).

Description male holotype T. orientalis includes:
“T1–5 with bands usually narrow, silver, sometimes of moderate width and occasionally gold”

Key step 1: Eyes hairy (cf ‘with minute setae only’) –> 2

Key step 2: Scape mostly orange-brown, occasionally dark brown (cf ‘scape mostly black’) –> 3

Key step 15: Scape clear orange brown (cf ‘with brown suffusions’) –> T. orientalis

May be distinguished from sympatric males of T. tenuiculus by scape colour (is has brown infusions in T. tenuiculus).

Description male holotype T. orientalis includes:
“Face densely and scutum closely covered with long, finely-branched, bright orange hair.”

Key step 1: Eyes hairy (not ‘with minute setae only’) –> 2

Key step 9: Gena with open to close hair (cf ‘Gena with dense white hair’) –> 12

Key step 15: Scape clear orange brown (cf ‘with brown suffusions’) –> T. orientalis

Key step 15: Fore basitarsal plume long, distinct (not short, weak) –> T. orientalis.

May be distinguished from sympatric males of T. aeratus by the presence of the plume (there is no such plume in T. aeratus), and from T. tenuiculus by the length and strength of the plume hairs (they are short and weak in T. tenuiculus).

Description male holotype T. orientalis includes:
“Fore basitarsus with tapered plume of golden hair”

Front leg, showing plume of basitarsus as viewed anteriorly

Mid tibia medially suffused with dark brown.

May be distinguished from sympatric males of T. venustus by “the extensive areas of dark brown on mid tibia” (it is clear orange-brown in T. venustus).

hind femora without the dense, long hair characteristic of T. capillosus

hind tibia, without the long fringe of hair characteristic of T. venustus

Apex of metasoma, showing T4-T7

Note 11 flagellomeres = male

Mouthparts, showing the proboscis characteristic of Colletidae, with its mop-like glossa