Tarsalia Morawitz, 1895

Engel, Michael S., Michener, Charles D. & Boontop, Yuvarin, 2017, Discovery of the Bee Tribe Tarsaliini in Arabia (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with the Description of a New Species, American Museum Novitates 2017 (3877), pp. 1-28 : 8-10

Genus Tarsalia Morawitz, 1895

Tarsalia Morawitz, 1895: 9 . Type species: Tarsalia hirtipes Morawitz, 1895 , by monotypy. Friese, 1896: 211; Baker, 1998: 837; Michener, 2000: 666; Michener, 2007: 686.

Ancyla (Tarsalia) Morawitz ; Warncke, 1977: 58; Warncke, 1979: 192.

DIAGNOSIS: As for tribe (above).

COMMENTS: The genus currently includes two rather distinct groups, one with three species in northeastern Africa, Arabia, and Iran, while the other has five species in Western and Central Asia, south into India, and west on the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Sardinia (table 1).

2017 ENGEL ET AL.: ARABIAN TARSALIA 9

10 AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES NO. 3877

Key to Subgenera of Tarsalia

1.Metasoma and mesosoma dark reddish brown to black (fig. 1); metatibial scopa open (fig. 2A); subtriangular patch of distinctive, squamiform setae on outer surface of metatibia apical to metabasitibial plate (Sardinia, Cyprus, Western and Central Asia, India)......................................................................... Tarsalia s. str.

—Metasoma and majority of mesosoma light castaneous to testaceous (figs. 3, 4); metatibial scopa densely closed (fig. 2B); outer surface of metatibia apical to metabasitibial plate without patch of distinctive setae, area similar to remainder of scopal setae (northeastern Africa, Arabia, Iran)...................................... Astibomelissa , n. subgen. closed (fig. 2B); outer surface of metatibia apical to metabasitibial plate without patch of distinctive setae, area similar to remainder of scopal setae. Metasomal tergum I with or without carina at angle of anterior- and dorsal-facing surfaces (all species of Tarsalia s. str. with carina, albeit sometimes weakly so).