Tarsalia (Astibomelissa), Engel & Michener & Boontop, 2017

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 : 12

Key to Species of Astibomelissa

1.Mesoscutum with numerous appressed to decumbent, plumose setae (usually missing on central disc, presumably due to abrasion), setae longer, not squamiform; outer surface of probasitarsus with fine, erect to suberect setae with distinctly sinuate or wavy apices (= type IV of Pasteels and Pasteels, 1974); inner setae of metabasitarsus white to pale yellow and similar to setae of scopa; metasomal tergum I without transverse carina at angle of anterior- and dorsal-facing surfaces; smaller species, 5.5–7.5 mm in total length ( Saudi Arabia; northeastern Africa ).................................................... 2

—Mesoscutum tomentose, with dense covering of appressed, minute (typically about 0.50× ocellar diameter), squamiform setae; outer surface of probasitarsus with fine, subdecumbent setae tapering to straight apices; inner setae of metabasitarsus fuscous, contrasting with surrounding white to pale yellow setae of scopa; metasomal tergum I with transverse carina at angle of anterior- and dorsal-facing surfaces; larger species, 7.9–8.8 mm in length [ Iran]............................................... T. persica (Warncke)

2.Female with yellow facial maculation confined to labrum, clypeus, and supraclypeal area (fig. 3C); metasomal scopa dense, with setae greatly elongate and subdecumbent to suberect; small species, approximately 5.5–6.5 mm in length (male unknown) [ Egypt, Sudan].................................................... T. mimetes (Cockerell)

—Female with yellow facial maculation extending to paraocular area and scape (fig. 6C); metasomal scopa not so dense, with setae long and largely decumbent to subdecumbent; moderate-sized species, approximately 6.7–7.5 mm in length (central Saudi Arabia)........................................................... T. kindahensis Engel, n. sp.