Austrothurgus malgaru Gonzalez, Engel, & Griswold, 2013

Gonzalez, Victor H., Engel, Michael S. & Griswold, Terry L., 2013, The lithurgine bees of Australia (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), with a note on Megachile rotundipennis, Journal of Melittology 2013 (11), pp. 1-19 : 5-9

Austrothurgus malgaru Gonzalez, Engel, & Griswold , new species

ZooBank urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2F73CCBD-E6D3-4DB7-99EB-52BA9253EABA

( Figs. 11–16 )

DIAGNOSIS: This species is known only from the male. It can be distinguished easily from A. cognatus and A. rubricatus by the metasomal terga with black to dark brown setae on their discs ( Figs. 11, 12 , 16 ) and the inner surface of the metabasitarsus with a low projection near the apex ( Fig. 15 ). In both A. cognatus and A. rubricatus the distal terga have light reddish brown setae on their discs and the metabasitarsi have a strong, high carina projecting near basitarsal midlength ( Figs. 5 , 10 ).

DESCRIPTION: ♂: Body length 14.4 mm; forewing length 8.7 mm. Head 1.3 times broader than long; inner orbits of compound eyes slightly diverging ventrally ( Fig. 13 ); intertorular distance 1.8 times torular diameter, 1.2 times torulorbital distance; interocellar distance 2.4 times median ocellar diameter, 1.4 times ocellocular distance; ocelloccipital distance 2.8 times median ocellar diameter; vertex rounded in frontal view; preoccipital border rounded, weakly concave in dorsal view; compound eye 2.5 times longer than wide; gena about as wide as compound eye in profile, widest medially; clypeus about twice as broad as long, distinctly protuberant on basal half; scape about 3.2 times longer than broad, reaching upper margin of median ocellus in repose, pedicel about as long as broad, first flagellomere 1.7 times longer than broad, about twice as long as pedicel, 1.8 times longer than second flagellomere, second flagellomere broader than long, remaining flagellomeres progressively increasing in length towards apex. Metabasitarsus with anterodistal margin projecting into spine, with inner glabrous surface projecting as low carina near apex ( Fig. 15 ). Pygidial plate as in figure 16.

Body color black throughout, except dark reddish brown on pretarsal claws of all legs and antenna (except yellowish on dorsal surface of third to eleventh flagellomeres). Wing membrane dark brown, except bases of hind wings translucent; veins dark brown including prestigma and pterostigma.

Integument generally smooth and shiny between punctures, except strongly imbricate on propodeum and weakly imbricate on tegula, pro- and metafemora, metatibia, and metasomal sterna and terga. Clypeus with minute, contiguous punctures on distal half, punctures becoming larger towards base; inferior paraocular and supraclypeal areas minutely punctate as on distal half of clypeus, punctures slightly larger; superior paraocular and subocellar areas largely impunctate, smooth and shiny; interocellar area with minute, contiguous punctures, dull; vertex with larger punctures than on face, about one-sixth median ocellar diameter, punctures separated by at most a puncture width; gena with punctures slightly shallower and sparser than on vertex, punctures coarser, contiguous on postgena. Mesosoma with punctures strong, contiguous, larger than those on vertex, except as follows: mesoscutum with punctures on posterior third of disc forming weak rugulae ( Fig. 14 ); punctures absent from most of metepisternum; sides and posterior surface of propodeum with punctures small, separated by at least a puncture width; tegula with minute punctures separated by at least two puncture widths. Metasomal terga finely punctate, punctures smaller, sparser than on vertex, punctures becoming larger and denser towards apical terga; sterna with punctures coarser, sparser than on terga.

Pubescence in general long, dense, white, minutely branched, except: vertex, metabasitarsus, and discs of metasomal terga and second to sixth sterna with dark brown setae; apical margins of first, second, and sixth metasomal terga, apicolateral margins of third to fifth terga, and distal margins of second to fifth sterna with white fasciae; setae short (about as long as median ocellar diameter) and sparse on discs of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum; those on clypeus apically directed, obscuring integument except basally; setae longer (three to four times median ocellar diameter) on gena, ventral margin of mandible, sides of propodeum, and first tergum; discs of metasomal terga with short (about as long as median ocellar diameter), sparse, semi-erect, simple dark brown setae, setae increasing in length and density towards apical terga; metabasitarsus and second metatarsomere with distinct, glabrous inner surfaces.

♀: Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: ♂, Australia: Western Australia, Kennedy Range NP [National Park], Temple Gorge , 24°39.7’S, 115°10.4’E, 300m, 26 April-3 May 03 [2003], F.D. Parker, M.E. Irwin ( WAM).

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet honors the Malgaru, an aboriginal Australian tribe that formerly occupied the Kenney Range National Park, the type locality of the species.

Figures

Figures 11–12. Photomicrographs of holotype male of Austrothurgus malgaru, new species. 11. Lateral habitus. 12. Dorsal habitus.

Figures 13–16. Photomicrographs of holotype male of Austrothurgus malgaru, new species. 13. Facial view. 14. Detail of sculpturing on mesoscutum and mesoscutellum. 15. Metatarsus, depicting modification of metabasitarsus. 16. Apex of metasoma.

Figures 1–5. Photomicrographs of lectotype female (1–4) and male (5) of Austrothurgus rubricatus (Smith). 1. Lateral habitus. 2. Dorsal habitus. 3. Lateral view of head. 4. Facial view. 5. Male metatarsus, depicting modification of metabasitarsus.

Figures 6–10. Photomicrographs of lectotype female (6–9) and male (10) of Austrothurgus cognatus (Smith). 6. Lateral habitus. 7. Facial view. 8. Lateral view of head. 7. Detail of vertex. 10. Male metatarsus (apex missing), depicting modification of metabasitarsus.