Stelis tuberculata Cockerell, 1911

Belavadi, Vasuki V., 2017, The Resin and Carder bees of south India (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Anthidiini), Zootaxa 4317 (3), pp. 436-468 : 465

Stelis tuberculata Cockerell, 1911

Stelis tuberculata Cockerell, 1911: 103 .

Description. Female. Body length 6 mm. Head: Black; paraocular area, clypeus laterally, narrow interantennal stripe laterally, vertex with submedial spot, stripe on gena off-white; eyes strongly converging below; clypeus with pair of strong tubercles on apical margin; anterior tentorial pit on epistomal sulcus below intersection with subantennal sulcus; juxtantennal carina present; flagellum with F1 and F2 broader than long.

Mesosoma: Black; pronotal lobe, anterior margin except medially and lateral margin with stripe, axilla mostly, posterior margin of mesoscutellum, fore tibia stripe off-white; mesoscutellum overhanging metanotum, apical margin a broad semicircle; omaulus carinate, fore and mid tibiae each with two apical spikes; mid tibia moderately expanded apically.

Metasoma: Black; T1–T5 with transverse bands interrupted medially; T1 with strong carina separating anterior and dorsal faces; terga with narrow impunctate apical margins.

Male: Unknown.

Flight period: April.

Distribution. Endemic to south India.

Comments. Stelis are rarely encountered in tropical environments. This rare species is known only from the unique female holotype. The subgeneric placement for Stelis tuberculata is unclear. It is possible that it belongs in Pseudostelis Popov based on the laterally carinate mesoscutellum and its small size (body length 6 mm).