Rhynostelis multiplicata ( Smith, 1879 )

Parizotto, Daniele R. & Melo, Gabriel A. R., 2020, Revision of the rare anthidiine bee genus Rhynostelis Moure & Urban (Hymenoptera, Apidae), Revista Brasileira de Entomologia (e 20190029) 64 (2), pp. 1-7 : 6-7

Rhynostelis multiplicata ( Smith, 1879)

( Figs. 11-21 )

Anthidium multiplicatum Smith, 1879: 87. Holotype female, Brazil: Amazonas, São Paulo de Olivença ( NHMUK, examined through photographs).

Rhynostelis xavieri Mahlmann, 2020: 2 . Holotype female, Brazil: Amazonas, Benjamin Constant ( INPA , not examined). New synonym

Comments. The identity of the type species of Rhynostelis is interpreted here based on the type specimen ( Figs.16-21 ). Smith (1879) described this species from a single specimen collected by Henry Bates in São Paulo de Olivença, Amazonas, in northern Brazil. He assumed that it was a male, probably because of lack of a metasomal scopa .

Moure and Urban (1995) proposed their genus Rhynostelis based on Smith’s species and corrected the information on the sex of the type specimen. Moure had studied the specimen in his visit to the Natural History Museum, London, in 1957. His notes are quite detailed and in reality were made in the form of a description of a new genus (named under a slightly different spelling; see photography of his label in Fig.21 ). The formal proposal of the new genus, however, was published only many years later and was based on a female specimen collected in Manaus (see above), instead of Moure’s own original manuscript description. Had Moure and Urban used the manuscript description, they could have realized that the specimen from Manaus was not conspecific with the type specimen. For this reason, we present here a diagnosis and a redescription for Rhynostelis multiplicata based on the photos of the holotype of Anthidium multiplicatum, on Moure’s notes and on study of an additional female from Suriname ( Figs. 11-15 ).

Diagnosis. Rhynostelis multiplicata is most similar to R. plesiognatha sp. nov., both exhibiting a bifurcated condylar carina, but differs by a beak-shaped protuberance on supracypeal area and a large horn-shaped projection on the base of mandible ( Figs 11-13, 15-18 ).

Redescription of female.

Color. Head predominantly yellow except for following black areas: distal margin of mandible;labrum;band above antennal sockets extending upwards,including ocelli and merging with the black maculae of the vertex ( Figs.11, 12 , 16 and 17 ). Antenna ferruginous with dorsal surface of scape yellowish tinged. Pronotal lobe light yellow; scutum black with reverse U-shaped yellow maculae; scutellum with two large yellow spots, axillae yellow; metanotum black; propodeum yellow except by a medial black band. Mesepisternum yellow. Tegula amber with the margin yellowish tinged;wing membrane mostly infumated brown,darker at base and along costal margin ( Fig. 13 ). Legs predominantly yellow; mid leg with a black spot on coxae and a small spot on ventral area of tibiae; hind tibia with darkish macula on inner surface( Fig.15 ). Terga black with yellow maculae; yellow band on T1 continuous; yellow bands on T2-T3 wider medially, in particular on T2, and with a narrow medial interruption; yellow band on T4-T5 narrower and with a wider interruption medially; T6 with two median yellow spots ( Figs. 14 and 19 ). Pubescence. As in R. chrysogaster sp. nov. except for brown hairs on terga ( Fig. 14 ). Sculpturing. Head with shallow punctures, sparser on supraclypeal area; disc of clypeus smooth. Mesoscutum, scutullem and axillae with smaller and deeper punctures, sparser on gibbous areas.Mesepisternum and metepisternum with larger, shallower and sparser punctures than mesoscutum. T1-T5 with dense punctures, anterior half with larger and deeper punctures and posterior half finely punctate; punctures on T4 and T5 sparser and deeper than those on T3; T6 with deeper and denser punctures than T5. Structure. Mandible with bifurcated condylar carina elevated and with a large horn-shaped projection near anterior articulation; supraclypeal area and upper margin of clypeus with a large beak-shaped protuberance( Figs.11and 12 ). Scutellum with a shallow medial emargination posteriorly ( Figs.13 and 19 ).

Male unknown.

Type material. The holotype of Anthidium multiplicatum, examined through photographs ( NHMUK), bears the labels ( Figs.16-21 ): “St.\Paulo” “Anthidium\multiplicatum\(Type) Sm.” “Type” “B.M.TYPE\HYM.\17a.1919” “Rhinostelis\ multiplicata \ (Sm.)\ Det.J.S.Moure 1957” “ BRAZIL, pre-1870\ presented by\ H.W.Bates \B.M. 1870-16” “NHMUK 013379531” .

Additional material examined. One female ( HNHM), “Amer. mer.\ Surinam ” “ Hungarian Natural \ History Museum \ Hymenoptera Coll \ Budapest ” .

Distribution. The only three known records are from São Paulo de Olivença and Benjamin Constant, southwestern Amazonas, in Brazil, and from Suriname, in northern South America.

Figures

Figures 11-15. Rhynostelis multiplicata, female specimen from Suriname. 11, head, anteroventral view; 12, head, posterodorsal view; 13, habitus, dorsal view; 14, metasoma, dorsal view; 15, habitus, lateral view. Scale line = 2.0 mm (Figs. 11, 12 and 14). Scale line = 5.0 mm (Figs.13 and 15).

Figures 16-21. Anthidium multiplicatum Smith, 1879, holotype female. 16, head, frontal view; 17, head, frontolateral view; 18, habitus, lateral view; 19, habitus, dorsal view; 20, detail of left wings; 21. Specimen labels.