Megachile (Pseudomegachile) yezidica Dorchin & Praz, 2018

Dorchin, Achik & Praz, Christophe J., 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Western Palaearctic bees of the subgenus Pseudomegachile (Hymenoptera, Apiformes, Megachilidae, Megachile), Zootaxa 4524 (3), pp. 251-307 : 289-291

Megachile (Pseudomegachile) yezidica Dorchin & Praz , sp. nov.

Distribution: Iran, Turkey.

Pollen hosts: unknown.

Nesting biology: unknown.

Diagnosis: This is a second Mediterranean species closely related to M. saussurei ; it is larger in size and shares some morphological characteristics with M. syriaca sp. nov. described above, most evidently the presence of a facial comb in the female, comprising modified, unbranched, apically curved hairs, and no branched hairs on the clypeus ( Fig. 151 ). It can be distinguished from M. syriaca sp. nov. by the slightly larger body, 13–15 mm long, and forewing, 9–9.5 mm long, and by the following characteristics: the female metasomal tergites 2–5 clothed with basal as well as apical bands of pale, appressed scale-like hairs ( Fig. 149 ), and similar hairs are abundant basally on T6 as normally in the cyanipennis species group; in M. syriaca sp. nov., the basal band of hairs is lacking, and light hairs are absent basally on T6; surface sculpture irregular with larger and sparser punctures on both gena and clypeus: gena with puncture interspaces up to 2–3 puncture diameters wide ( Fig. 140 ), and clypeus basally with smooth shiny areas, 1–2 large puncture diameters wide ( Fig. 151 ); vertex coarsely, irregularly punctate, the largest punctures up to three times larger than the smallest punctures ( Fig. 152 ); T2 uniformly punctate with dense, small punctures that contrast with the irregular, larger and sparser punctures on following tergites. The male is characterized by the modified front basitarsus, lighter fulvous to light brown, with relatively short posterior hair fringe, half as long as the basitarsus maximal width ( Fig. 155 ); unlike M. syriaca sp. nov. the front basitarsus abruptly broadens near its base, the basal width being less than half the maximal width ( Fig. 155 ), compared to more than half as wide in that species ( Fig. 144 ); the middle basitarsus with short posterior fringe of pale yellowwhite hairs, much shorter than in M. saussurei and M. syriaca sp. nov., about as long as the basitarsus maximal width ( Fig. 157 ); small lateral spine absent on T6, compared to present although inconspicuous in M. saussurei and M. syriaca sp. nov..

Description: Female: as described for M. syriaca sp. nov. (above) except as mentioned. Body length 13–14.5 mm; forewing length about 9.75 mm; head 1.1 times broader than long; inner margins of compound eye weakly converging below, slightly sloping mesad above ( Fig. 150 ); interocellar distance 2.9 lateral ocellus diameters; ocellocular distance 2 lateral ocellus diameters; ocelloccipital distance 2.85 lateral ocellus diameters, about as long as interocellar distance; compound eye about 3 times longer than wide in profile; first flagellomere about as long as broad, slightly broader than pedicle.

Integument and wings as described for M. syriaca sp. nov., except: vertex irregularly punctate with dense punctures up to three times larger posteriorly than anteriorly, absent along preoccipital ridge half way before middle of vertex, leaving a large, puncture-free area, 2–3 puncture diameters long and 8–12 puncture diameters wide ( Fig. 152 ); clypeus irregularly punctate, posteriorly with large punctures and large puncture interspaces, 1–2 large punctures wide, punctures decreasing in size anteriorly, and fading before margin, leaving wide puncture-free belt, about 2 large punctures wide ( Fig. 151 ); gena with larger, shallower punctures than on clypeus and some particularly large, smooth surfaces, up to 3 punctures wide ( Fig. 140 ); tergite 2 uniformly punctate with dense, small punctures clearly contrasted with the irregular, larger and sparser punctation of following tergites; tergites 3 and 4 intermediate in puncture density relative to related species: sparser than in M. syriaca sp. nov., denser than in M. saussurei , with most interspaces smaller than one puncture diameter.

Vestiture color and form much as described for M. syriaca sp. nov.: metasomal tergites 2–5 with complete apical bands of pale, short appressed scale-like hairs, completely covering the underlying integument; apical bands expanded anteriorly along tergite midline and lateral extremities and forming less dense basal hair bands ( Figs 148, 149 ); middle of discs with fine dark hairs, intermixed with sparse, semi-erect, short thickened setae; T6 covered with comparable dark hairs and short setae, basomedially intermixed with some pale appressed, scale-like hairs.

Male: As described for M. syriaca sp. nov. (above) ( Figs 153, 154 ) except for the following. Body length 14– 15 mm; forewing length 9.0– 9.5 mm; ocelloccipital distance 2.6 lateral ocellus diameters, about as long as interocellar distance; compound eye about 2.4 times longer than wide in profile; scape 2.6 times longer than broad; terminal flagellomere longest, about 1.9 times longer than broad. Front and middle tibiae with sharp premarginal carina extending along posterior margin for 2/3 of apical portion of tibia (carina less well discerned in M. syriaca sp. nov.); front tarsi modified, lighter fulvous to light brown; front basitarsus abruptly broaden near base, its basal width less than half its maximal width ( Fig. 155 ), with black spot on ventral side surrounded by hairs, occupying about 1/6 of total ventral length of basitarsus ( Fig. 156 ); front and middle basitarsus with short posterior hair fringe, that of front basitarsus snow-white, hardly extending beyond posterior margin, inconspicuous apically ( Fig. 155 ), that of middle basitarsus with pale yellow-white hairs, about as long as maximal width of basitarsus ( Fig. 157 ). T6 without small lateral tooth; T7 as in M. syriaca , produced into short, often blunt apicomedian spine. Gonoforceps and penis valve as described for M. syriaca sp. nov.: gonoforceps slender, strongly angular in cross section, preapically laterally compressed in dorsal view, but with apical portion short.

Vestiture of T2–5 comprising complete apical bands of appressed light hairs as in female ( Fig. 153 ) but discs without short, semi-erect, thickened setae, disc of T5 and sometimes also T4 with longer unbranched semi-erect light hairs; T6 covered with unbranched hairs intermixed with very finely branched hairs of the same color ( Fig. 158 ), also abundant on T7.

Etymology: The new species name is an adjective and is proposed in honor of the Yezidi people and their tradition, maintained for generations in the region of the type species, and who have recently suffered brutal persecution.

Holotype: ♂, TURKEY: Muradiye , 3.7.2000, M. Halada leg. ( MSCA).

Paratypes: IRAN: 3♀, Fars Daria Namak, Steppe presso lago salato 27km E Shiraz, 7.7.1965, G. Soika- Mavromoustakis leg. ( MSCA, OLML, CPCN) ; TURKEY: 4♀, 2♂, 15km N Yüksekova Hakkari, 11.8.1979, K. Warncke leg. ( OLML, 2♀ 1♂; SMNH, 1♀ 1♂; CPCN, 1♀) ; 1♂, 5kmE Oramar / Hakkari, 11.8.1979, K. Warncke leg. ( CPCN) ; 1♂, Hakkari, Esendere , 21.7.1988, C. Schmid-Egger leg. ( OLML) ; 2♂, Hakkari, Stadtrand , 24.7.1988, C. Schmid-Egger leg. ( OLML, CPCN) ; 1♀, Kokarsu , 27.7.1978, H. Özbek leg. (collection B. Tkalců, OLML) ; 3♂, Muradiye , 3.7.2000, M. Halada leg. ( MSCA, CPCN, SMNH) ; 1♀, östl. Ercis / Van 1650m, 9.8.1982, K. Warncke leg. ( OLML) ; 1♀, 2♂, Patnos , 28.7.1978, H. Özbek leg. ( OLML) ; 4♂, Urfa 500m 20kmSO Harran , 19.6.1981, K. Warncke leg. ( OLML, 2♂; CPCN, 2♂) .

Figures

FIGURES 148–152. Diagnostic traits of M. yezidica sp. nov., females. Habitus in 148: lateral view, 149: dorsal view, 150: facial view. 151: clypeus. 152: vertex.

FIGURES 134–141. Diagnostic traits of M. syriaca sp. nov., females. 134: habitus (lateral view). 135: habitus (dorsal view). 136: habitus (facial view). 137: clypeus. 138: vertex. 139: genal surface sculpture compared with that of, 140: M. yezidica sp. nov. and, 141: M. saussurei.

FIGURES 153–158. Diagnostic traits of M. yezidica sp. nov., males. 153: holotype (lateral view). 154: holotype (facial view). Front basitarsus, 155: exterior surface, 156: interior surface. 157: middle basitarsus (exterior surface). 158: metasoma (dorsal posterior view). PHF: posterior hair fringe, PAC: preapical carina.

FIGURES 142–147. Diagnostic traits of M. syriaca sp. nov., males. 142: holotype (lateral view). 143: holotype (facial view). Front basitarsus, 144: exterior surface, 145: interior surface. 146: middle basitarsus (exterior surface). 147: metasoma (dorsal posterior view). PHF: posterior hair fringe, PAC: preapical carina.