Pseudoanthidium tropicum Litman, Jessica R., Fateryga, Alexander V., Griswold, Terry L., Aubert, Matthieu, Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., Divelec, Romain Le, Burrows, Skyler & Praz, Christophe J., 2022

Litman, Jessica R., Fateryga, Alexander V., Griswold, Terry L., Aubert, Matthieu, Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., Divelec, Romain Le, Burrows, Skyler & Praz, Christophe J., 2022, Paraphyly and low levels of genetic divergence in morphologically distinct taxa: revision of the Pseudoanthidium scapulare complex of carder bees (Apoidea: Megachilidae: Anthidiini), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 195 (4), pp. 1-51 : 35

PSEUDOANTHIDIUM TROPICUM ( WARNCKE, 1982) , STAT. NOV.

( FIGS 23D , 25B, D, F )

Anthidium lituratum tropicum Warncke, 1982: 172–173 , ♀ ♂. Type locality: ‘ Pass E Rudan /V Minab , Bandar Abbas in 570 m, 23-V-1978, an Centaurea spec.’ (holotype ♀) ( OLML) . Paratypes: ‘ Bandar Abbas: Pass E Rudan /N Minab in 570 m, 23-V-1978, an Centaurea spec’ (7♂, 3♀) ; ‘ Fars: Daria Namak / 27 km E Shiraz, 7-VII-1965, S’ (1♀) ( OLML) ; ‘ Fars: Persepolis in 1570 m, 16-V-1978, W’ (1♂) ( OLML) .

Material examined: Eight females, four males (see Supporting Information, Table S1 for material examined).

Distribution: Iran ( Fig. 22D ).

Host-plant associations: A steraceae Bandar Abbas Centaurea sp. ( Warncke 1982) .

Remarks: This taxon was originally described as a subspecies of P. nanum (as P. lituratum tropicum ). However, an examination of the type series indicates that this taxon is the most morphologically distinct of all the members of the P. scapulare complex, namely in its small size, its light coloration and the rounded apex of the male gonostylus, the last trait shared only with P. canariense in this species complex. Although we were unable to obtain genetic data for this taxon, we consider it morphologically divergent enough to elevate it to species status.

Diagnosis female: The female of P. tropicum may be distinguished from other members of this complex by the following combination of characters: punctation on terga comparatively fine, less wide than diameter of punctation on mesonotum; fourth antennal segment less than half as long as fifth (proportionally longer in all other taxa); metasoma brown with pale yellow maculations; comparatively small (~ 5 mm) ( Fig. 25B ).

Diagnosis male: The male of P. tropicum may be distinguished from other members of this complex by the following combination of characters: very small size (≤ 5 mm), gonostylus approximately parallel-sided with apex almost square and unnotched ( Fig. 23D ); lateral comb on S5 small, with longest teeth shorter than maximal width of hind basitarsus and no wider than basal comb; posterior, premarginal brush on S3 with hairs hooked at tips; posterior margin of S2 gently emarginate medially, S2 otherwise covered in dense, velvety pilosity except for a more or less hairless posterior margin.

Figures

Figure 22. Distribution of A, Pseudoanthidium palestinicum; B, P. cribratum; C, P. canariense; D, P. tropicum.

Figure 23. Gonostyli. A, Pseudoanthidium palestinicum (Nahal Keziv, Israel); B, P. cribratum (Karatau, Kazakhstan); C, P. canariense (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands); D, P. tropicum (Bandar Abbas, Iran); E, P. kaspareki (Side, Turkey); F, P. rozeni (Hanna, Pakistan).

Figure 25. A, Pseudoanthidium canariense, female (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands); B, P. tropicum, female (Bandar Abbas, Iran); C, P. canariense, male (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands); D, P. tropicum, male (Bandar Abbas, Iran); E, T7, P. canariense (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands); F, T7, P. tropicum (Bandar Abbas, Iran).