Megachile rufomandibularis Praz, 2021

Praz, Christophe, Al-Shahat, Ahmed M. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2021, Taxonomic revision of the subgenus Eutricharaea Thomson in Egypt, with a key to the species and the description of two new species (Hymenoptera, Anthophila Megachilidae, genus Megachile Latreille), Zootaxa 5032 (3), pp. 301-330 : 309-312

Megachile rufomandibularis Praz sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ 9E1549D9-3795-4F37-9F70-DB88B26FBE80

Figs 11–19 .

Type material: Holotype ♂ ( Figs 11–15 ): UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Wadi Wurayah , 25.40N 46.28E, 11– 19.iii.2009, leg. C. Schmid-Egger uae8 ( ZSM) . Paratypes: 14 ♂ 13 ♀: EGYPT : 1 ♂, Sharm El-Sheikh (South Sinai), 6.iv.2018, sweep net, leg. A. Al-Shahat ; 2 ♂, Wadi Khoshb (Sharm El Sheikh, South Sinai), 16–18.iv.2016, sweep net, leg. A. Al-Shahat ( EFC) ; ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: 1 ♂ 5 ♀, Southern D. 2 km N Ein Yahav, 30°40’39’’N 35°14’17’’E, 28–29.iv.2010, leg. Sedivy & Praz ( CPCN, SMNH) ; 1 ♀, Southern D. 6 km SE Zafit, 31°01’12’’N 35°15’00’’E, 26.iv.2010, leg. Sedivy & Praz ( CPCN) ; 1 ♂, Hazeva Field School , 30°43N 35°15E, 24.vii.1997, Malaise trap, leg. A. Maklakov ( SMNH) ; 1 ♀, En Yahav , 18.iv.2010, leg. A. Gotlieb, 58298 ( SMNH) ; JORDAN: 1 ♂, Al Mamova , 18.iii.2008, leg. M. Turki, 21766 ( SMNH) ; OMAN: 1 ♀ 2 ♂, Tanuf , 23°03’18’’N 57°27’05’’E, 621 m, 29.ii.2008, leg. D. Michez & S. Patiny DM11 ( CPCN, BMNH) ; 1 ♀, Nakhl , 23°22’15’’N 57°41’09’’E, 367 m, 28.ii.2008, leg. D. Michez & S. Patiny DM02 ( CPCN) ; 2 ♀, Nakhl, Hubrah , 23°23’11’’N 57°47’26’’E, 308 m, 8.iii.2008, leg. D. Michez & S. Patiny DM47 ( BMNH, CPCN) ; 1 ♀, Mahalil , 23°22’27’’N 57°41’28’’E, 380 m, 9.iii.2008, leg. D. Michez & S. Patiny DM52 ( CPCN) ; 1 ♀, Al Jaylah , 23°20’46’’ 58°00’43’’E, 370 m, 1.iii.2008, leg. D. Michez & S. Patiny DM14 ( CPCN) ; 2 ♂, Al Batinah pr. Wadi Awf env., 630 m, 23°14N 57°26E, 4.4.2013, leg. J. Halada ( OLML, CPCN) ; 1 ♂, Al Batinah pr. Al Lajal , 170 m, 23°30N 57°56E, leg. J. Halada ( OLML) ;

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 1 ♂, 10 km SW Ras Alkhaymah Airport , 25.56N, 55.88E, 5.i.2011 leg. C. Schmid- Egger uae11, CES DNA 287 ( CSE) ; 2 ♂, Ain Al Waal , Al Ain, Jebel Hafeet W, 24.0677N, 55.75E, 47b, 15.iv.2015, leg. H. Roberts ( HRCA, SDEI) .

Diagnosis: Female: Easily recognizable among all Eutricharaea species by the following combination of morphological traits: integument dark brown ( Figs 16, 17 ), including legs (apical tarsal segments often brown-orange), except mandible and labrum, which are orange ( Fig. 19 ); scopa white, dark on S5 and S6 ( Fig. 16 ); T6 largely covered by appressed, white vestiture ( Fig. 17 ); body length 7–8 mm.

Male: Easily recognizable by the shape of the genitalia, with the gonostylus apically weakly bifid ( Fig. 14 ), and the shape of the front tarsi ( Fig. 15 ). Integument dark brown (except front tarsi, see below; apical tarsal segments of mid and hind leg sometimes orange-brown), except mandibles and labrum, which are orange ( Fig. 13 ). Front legs modified, front femur partly orange ( Fig. 12 ), front tarsi slightly enlarged, whitish yellow, segment 2 with a clearly delimited dark spot ventrally; a typical feature is the length of the posterior fringe of hairs of the front tarsi: the fringe is dense, very short and almost absent on tarsal segment 1, then conspicuously longer on tarsal segments 2–4 ( Fig. 15 ); only M. opacifrons Pérez 1897 has a somewhat similar feature, although in that species, the fringe is also short on tarsal segment 2. Megachile opacifrons is a member of the rotundata- group of species, with different gonostylus.

Note: This species is probably closely related to M. naevia Kohl 1906 , restricted to the Socotra Archipelago ( Yemen), in which the male has similarly shaped genitalia; the male of M. naevia shows marked sculptural differences with that of M. rufomandibularis sp. nov.: the front tarsal segment 1 is enlarged, slightly larger than the maximal width of the front tibia (in M. rufomandibularis sp. nov., front tarsal segment 1 narrower than maximal width of tibia); the fringe of hairs is present and long along the posterior margin of front tarsal segment 1 (in M. rufomandibularis sp. nov., the fringe is absent or very short along the margin of segment 1: Fig. 15 ); in particular, the front coxal spine is conspicuously broad and modified in M. naevia , with its apex enlarged and with a weak longitudinal carina along its interior side (not enlarged apically and without carina in M. rufomandibularis sp. nov.). The female of M. naevia is sculpturally similar to M. rufomandibularis sp. nov.; differences include the size (length 8–9 mm in M. naevia , 7 mm in M. rufomandibularis sp. nov.), the color of the scopa (orange on S3-S 6 in M. naevia , white on S3-S4 and black on S5-S 6 in M. rufomandibularis sp. nov.) and the colour of the integument (apical parts of tibia, all tarsi orange red in M. naevia , tibia and basal parts of tarsi brown in M. rufomandibularis sp. nov.). A lectotype is designated here for M. naevia , a male specimen labelled as follows: “Ras Shaob, Sokotra, I. 1899 ”; and “ Lectotype M. naevia des. Baker” (NMW). Since this lectotype designation has not been published, it is accepted here. A female from the same locality, with a label “ Paralectotype M. naevia des. Baker” (NMW), is designated as a paralectotype.

Description: Male: Body length approximately 7 mm; ocelloccipital distance approximately 1.5 times diameter of ocellus ( Fig. 11 ). Integument dark brown, except front legs (see below), mandibles and labrum orange ( Fig. 13 ).

Structure: Mandible as in regular-looking Eutricharaea , 3-toothed, upper tooth slightly larger than inferior teeth ( Fig. 13 ), inferior margin basally with triangular projection. T2 with rounded fovea laterally. Preapical carina of T6 with 7–10 irregular teeth, usually with emargination between the median two teeth ( Fig. 11 ). Front legs modified as follows: front coxal spine slightly longer than basally wide, rounded, apically with small spot of orange setae; anterior surface of front coxa nearly glabrous, with shiny, impunctate surface and a spot of short, orange setae anteriorly to the coxal spine; dorsal, posterior and anterior surface of front femur partly orange (margins brown); front tibia brown, posterior surface partly orange; anterior tarsal segments yellowish-white, as broad as tibia anteriorly, segments 2–4 but not segment 1 with a conspicuous fringe of white hairs posteriorly, hairs as long as the width of tarsal segment 2 ( Fig. 15 ); segment 2 with conspicuous black dot on its ventral surface. Last antennal segment only slightly broadened apically. Gonostylus apically weakly bifid ( Fig. 14 ), densely covered with short hairs.

Vestiture: Nearly entirely snow-white, T1-T5 with conspicuous apical fringe of hairs; disc of T2-T4 with short, erect dark hairs; S2-S4 with apical fringe of hairs, fringe interrupted medially; first tarsal segment of mid-leg with fringe of long hairs along posterior margin, hairs more than twice as long as width of tarsal segment; tibia and first tarsal segment of hind leg with conspicuous fringe of hairs along anterior margin, hairs along anterior margin of tibia equal to half the width of tibia, hairs on tarsal segment 1 1.5 times as long as width of tarsal segment.

Female: Body length approximately 7 mm; ocelloccipital distance approximately equal to one ocellus diameter. Integument dark brown ( Figs 16, 17 ), except mandibles and labrum, orange, and apical margin of clypeus and apical part of antennae, orange-brown ( Fig. 19 ).

Structure: Mandible 4-toothed with upper tooth acute, unlike most other Eutricharaea , partial cutting edge in interspace 2, complete cutting edge in interspace 3, both partly hidden behind margin and little visible in front view ( Fig. 19 ). T2 with rounded fovea laterally. Apical margin of clypeus very narrowly emarginate, impunctate, premarginal area comparatively wide, approximately equal to 2 diameters of clypeal punctures ( Fig. 19 ); clypeus densely punctate with little developed impunctate middle line ( Fig. 19 ). Vertex very finely punctate, punctures smaller than on mesonotum, interspaces much shorter than diameters of punctures ( Fig. 18 ). Mesonotum densely and finely punctate, interspaces mostly narrow and smaller than puncture diameter ( Fig. 18 ). Tergites with punctation fine, dense and little visible on T2, becoming gradually sparser on discs of T3-T5 (T4: interspaces 1.0–1.5 puncture diameters; T5: 1.5–2.0 puncture diameters).

Vestiture: Entirely snow-white, except: yellow on interior sides of all tarsal segments; some yellowish white hairs on vertex, hairs partly appressed, but not obscuring cuticula; very short yellowish-brown vestiture on disc of T2-T5; scopa dark on S5 and S6 ( Fig. 16 ). Tergal fasciae forming dense and continuous bands of white hairs on T1-T5 ( Fig. 17 ). Disc of T6 densely covered with white, appressed vestiture not forming two separated spots, with isolated, erect dark hairs ( Fig. 17 ). S2-S4 apically with apical fringe of short white hairs beneath scopa.

Etymology: rufomandibularis , with a red mandible, referring to an important diagnostic trait of this species.

Distribution: UAE, Oman, Israel and Palestine, Jordan, Egypt (Sinai).

Figures

FIGURES 11–19. Megachile rufomandibularis sp. nov. 11. Dorsal view of male holotype. 12. Lateral view of male holotype. 13. Front view of male holotype. 14. Male genitalia. 15. Front tarsus. 16. Lateral view of female. 17. Dorsal view of metasoma of female. 18. Dorsal view of mesosoma and head of female. 19. Front view of female.