Amegilla (Asaropoda) albiceps (Rayment, 1951)

Leijs, Remko, Dorey, James & Hogendoorn, Katja, 2020, The genus Amegilla (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Anthophorini) in Australia: a revision of the subgenus Asaropoda, ZooKeys 908, pp. 45-122 : 45

Amegilla (Asaropoda) albiceps (Rayment, 1951) Figure 2A-M

Asaropoda albiceps Rayment, 1951: 71.

Asaropoda dentiventris Rayment, 1951: 73, syn. nov.

Asaropoda meltonensis Rayment, 1951: 74, syn. nov.

Asaropoda victoriensis Rayment, 1951: 77, syn. nov.

Specimens examined

(22 males, 5 females).

Types.

Holotype of A. albiceps : male, Studley Park, N40, VIC, MV T-11866.

Holotype of A. dentiventris : male, Broadmeadows, N50, VIC, donated by FP Spry, Oct. 1922, MV T-20875, the specimen is lacking terga and sterna from S5 onwards.

Holotype of A. meltonensis : female, Melton, VIC, FE Wilson 21 Jun. 1920, on flowers of Loranthus , MV T-11867.

Holotype of A. victoriensis : male, Broadmeadows, N32, VIC, donated by FP Spry, 5 Oct. 1922, MV T-11868.

Decision for synonymy.

The emargination and hair patches of the sterna of the males of A. dentiventris and A. victoriensis are not different from those of A. albiceps . The female diagnostic characters of A. albiceps , including the colour of the pubescence on the tibial scopa, pale marks on paraclypeal areas and presence of black hairs on the anterior margin of T2, are also present on the holotype of A. meltonensis .

Diagnosis.

Male with triangular patch of black bristles on S4 and shallow emarginated apicomedial area of S5. Female with narrow yellow paraclypeal mark along clypeus, supraclypeal mark present, tibial scopa orange, T2 with black hairs anteriorly, process on S6 irregularly striate, not well defined posteriorly (Fig. 2L ).

Redescription.

Male (AM K470111): Body length 14 mm, forewing length 9.7 mm, head width 5.0 mm.

Structure: Inner orbits of eyes diverging above; head wider than long; clypeal protuberance in profile 0.53 × eye width; mandible with subapical tooth; F1 equal to combined length of next 2.5 flagellomeres; F1 0.96 × as long as scape; F2 0.57 × as long as F3; F3-F10 1.25 × as long as wide; last flagellomere 0.77 × as long as F1; marginal cell length 0.85 distance from apex of cell to wing tip; cu-v of hind wing 0.87 × length of second abscissa of M+Cu; S5 with apicomedial emargination round, 2.9 × as wide as deep; posterior lateral corners drawn into short spine; S6 with apicomedial emargination more than six times as wide as deep.

Genitalia: penis valves with well extended shoulders; volsella slightly elongated with circa 12 setae (Fig. 2H ); gonocoxa laterally with a few short setae; apex of gonocoxa with rounded dorsal and ventral lobes; outer gonostylus robust, with strong setae on inner surface; inner gonostylus very small, reduced to transparent membrane with a few setae (Fig. 2G ); S7 (Fig. 2E ); S8 narrowed towards apex, slightly emarginate (Fig. 2F ).

Pubescence: Head white, apart from some dark hairs on vertex, lower ocellocular area and upper supraclypeal area; scutum, scutellum and metanotum with pale orange hairs intermixed with dark hairs; mesosoma laterally and ventrally with pale orange hairs under the wing base, remaining hairs white; fore leg with white hairs on femur and pale orange hairs on tibia and tarsus; mid and hind legs orange on outer surfaces, brown-black on inner surfaces; metasomal terga with pale orange hairs; T2 anteriorly with wide band of black hairs; S1-S5 with fringes of pale brown hairs near premarginal line and longer brown hairs on disks; S4 apicomedial area with triangular patch of black anteromedial directed bristles, laterally with plumes of long grey hairs; S5 with area preceding the emargination covered in long branched posteromedial directed hairs; S5 laterally with plumes of long orange hairs; S6 with small patch of orange hairs posterior to rounded ridge, longer hairs in the emargination.

Colouration: Integument of head, mesosoma and anterior metasomal terga black; posterior margins of metasomal terga translucent orange; sterna orange-brown; legs: coxa, trochanter and femur and inner surface of tibia brown, remaining parts orange; scape pale yellow below; flagellum dark brown; labrum yellow with vague brown dots near dorsolateral corners; clypeus yellow, supraclypeal area yellow; paraclypeal area yellow; mandible yellow at base, black-brown at tip; proboscis orange.

Female (WAM 5440): Body length 14 mm, forewing length 10.2 mm, head width 5.5 mm.

Structure: Inner orbits of eyes diverging above; head wider than long; clypeal protuberance in profile 0.49 × eye width; mandible with subapical tooth; F1 equal to combined length of next 2.8 flagellomeres; F1 as long as scape; F2 0.83 × as long as F3; F3-F10 slightly longer than wide; last flagellomere 0.54 × as long as F1; marginal cell length 0.83 distance from apex of cell to wing tip; cu-v of hind wing 0.89 × length of second abscissa of M+Cu; S6 with small rounded raised transverse median ridge (Fig. 2L ).

Pubescence: Head white, with some dark hairs on vertex, lower ocellocular area and upper supraclypeal area; scutum, scutellum and metanotum with pale orange hairs intermixed with dark hairs; mesosoma laterally and ventrally with pale orange hairs under the wing base, paler below, remaining ventral hairs dark brown; fore leg with pale orange hairs; mid and hind legs orange on outer surfaces, brown-black on inner surfaces; metasomal terga with pale orange hairs intermixed with scattered erect black hairs; T2 anteriorly with narrow band of black hairs; T5 with brown prepygidial fimbria; T6 with strong orange-brown hairs flanking the pygidial plate; S1-S5 with brown-black hairs.

Colouration: Integument of head black, apart from: scape orange-brown, flagellum brown below, black above; labrum pale yellow with translucent dots near dorsolateral corners; clypeus pale yellow with large brown dorsolateral patches resulting in narrow pale yellow midline; supraclypeal area pale yellow; paraclypeal area pale yellow; mandible yellow at base, black-brown at tip; proboscis orange; mesosoma and anterior metasomal terga black; posterior margins of metasomal terga translucent orange; sterna orange-brown; legs: coxa, trochanter and femur and inner surface of tibia brown, remaining parts orange.

Flower records.

Loranthus preissi , Amyema sp. ( Loranthaceae ), Eremophila sp. ( Scrophulariaceae ).

Distribution.

Figure 2I .

Figures

Figure 2. Amegilla (Asaropoda) albiceps (Rayment, 1951).