Amegilla ( Glossamegilla ) suzanneae Carion & Wood, 2025

Carion, Frédéric, Gérard, Maxence, Ghisbain, Guillaume & Wood, Thomas J., 2025, Unravelling Amegilla (Glossamegilla) diversity across the Wallace Line: new species, wing morphometrics, and biogeographic boundaries (Hymenoptera, Apidae), ZooKeys 1256, pp. 1-79 : 1-79

Amegilla ( Glossamegilla) suzanneae Carion & Wood sp. nov.

Fig. 7

Type material.

Holotype: Malaysia • ♀; South East Sabah, nr Danum Valley Field C. ; 150 m a. s. l.; 20–22 Nov. 1987; C. v. Achterberg leg.; Malaise trap; RMNH, RMNH.INS.1663138 . Paratypes: Malaysia • 1 ♀; Sabah, Kinabalu Park Head Q. ; 1600 m a. s. l.; 8–11 Mar. 1987; C. v. Achterberg leg.; Malaise trap; RMNH, RMNH.INS.1663139 - 1 ♀; Sarawak, Lio matu [Lio Mato, also known as Lio Matoh], Baram River ; 25 Oct. 1920; J. C. Moulton leg.; RMNH, RMNH.INS.1713955 .

Diagnosis.

Male: Unknown.

Female: Amegilla suzanneae sp. nov. is morphologically close to A. pendleburyi but differs by a less protruding clypeal carina (while the clypeal carina protrudes more in A. pendleburyi ), the scape anteriorly dark brown or ivory-white but never orange ( A. pendleburyi with scape anteriorly orange) and the presence of black hairs on tergal discs, placing it in the group of species displaying hair bands. In the key, A. suzanneae sp. nov. is artificially put close to A. feronia due to the presence of hair bands, the usually paler hind tibiae, and the fact that they are both closely morphologically related to A. pendleburyi . Amegilla suzanneae sp. nov. differs from A. feronia by the pale clypeal marks ivory-yellow to yellow (while these marks are clearly yellow or even slightly orange to orange on A. feronia ), the scape ivory-yellow to yellow also but sometimes dark brown ( A. feronia have anteriorly orange scape) and the hair bands less sharply defined basally with the pale pilosity more extended and the black pilosity more restricted ( A. feronia have wider black-haired areas on the tergal discs as well as narrower and basally more sharply defined hair bands on the apical margins). Amegilla suzanneae sp. nov. also generally have a less bright, fulvous to slightly orange, pilosity while A. feronia have a brighter, bright orange, pilosity.

Amegilla suzanneae sp. nov. can be distinguished from A. sumatrana and A. jacobi by the wider and more colourful (fulvous) hair bands, the tergal discs being less covered by black pilosity than in these species. Amegilla suzanneae sp. nov. can be distinguished from the trio A. floresiana sp. nov., A. gigas and A. vigilans dark form by being a smaller species of ~ 16 mm (while the trio is ~ 17–18 mm) and having a clypeus less protuberant, in profile view smaller than the width of the compound eye (while the trio have a clypeus more protuberant that, in profile view, equals or exceeds the width of the compound eye). Amegilla suzanneae sp. nov. differs from A. cyrtandrae by the ivory-yellow to orange pale marks that are slightly less extended (while A. cyrtandrae have ivory-white to pale ivory-yellow clypeal marks that cover a slightly larger surface of the clypeus), a scape usually ivory-yellow to yellow anteriorly but that can also be dark brown (while A. cyrtandrae have a dark / black scape anteriorly) and a dorsal pilosity of the mesosoma bright (bright fulvous to bright orange) with fewer dark hairs intermixed (while A. cyrtandrae have a dorsal pilosity of the mesosoma pale with many black hairs intermixed).

Description.

Male: Unknown.

Female: Length of 16–17 mm. Interalar width of ~ 3.9–4 mm (shorter distance between the base of the tegulae).

Head: Labrum rectangular, wider than long (17: 20–19: 20, 1.7 × 2 mm – 1.9 × 2 mm, thus sometimes hardly visible), with two not really protruding brownish to almost black areas at the base, remaining labrum variable from entirely ivory-yellow to orange except for the black transverse carina at the apex of the labrum and sometimes a dark brown to black band that can vary in width just before the labral carina. Labrum entirely, evenly, and densely punctate with interspaces of approximately or less than the diameter of a puncture (the colouration of the labrum makes it sometimes difficult to see). Labrum entirely covered by relatively dense ochraceous pubescence, the setae are approximately or slightly longer than the diameter of an ocellus. Mandibles bidentate but take care that the second tooth is sometimes blunt and / or partially covered by the labrum leading to an hardly visible character. Mandibles pale (ivory-yellow to orangish yellow) on the basal 1 / 2 and black on the apical 1 / 2 (sometimes only black on the apical 1 / 3). Clypeus mainly black to reddish brown with dark clypeal marks compound of two large sub-rectangular areas, the pale clypeal marks on the clypeus are resumed to an ivory-yellow to yellow-orange inverted T-shape that is more extended on the area between the paraocular area and the labrum. Clypeus entirely, finely, and relatively densely punctate with interspace of at least the diameter of a puncture. Clypeal carina only slightly protruding, rather blunt (but not as much as in A. gigas ) and impunctate (vertical bar of the pale T). Clypeus entirely, evenly, and relatively densely covered by an ochraceous pubescence with some black hairs intermixed (length of the hairs variable). Paraocular areas not protruding and pale (ivory-yellow to yellow) only on the apical 1 / 2, near the clypeus. Paraocular areas evenly, entirely, and densely punctate with interspaces of ~ 1 / 2 the diameter of a puncture (sometimes hardly visible through the pubescence). Clypeus not strongly protuberant, in lateral view protuberance of the apical margin of the clypeus less than the diameter of the eye. Scape pale on the anterior surface, sometimes with an ivory-yellow to yellow area surrounded by a dark brown integument or only a dark brown integument but never black and posteriorly dark with a black integument. Scape anteriorly with a carina around the centre of the anterior surface. Scape entirely covered by fulvous pubescence of at most the width of the scape, the pilosity is denser while going towards the sides of the scape but less dense on the anterior surface. A 2 entirely black or sometimes at least partly brownish reddish anteriorly. Anterior surface of A 3 basally black and paler (brown) on the apical 1 / 3, sometime presence of a very narrow ivory-white line at the apex of the article, posterior surface black. A 4-12 brown-orange on anterior surface and posterior surface black. A 3-12 entirely and evenly covered by very small, hardly visible, white pilosity. A 2 anteriorly and apically with a small tuft of very small (but larger than the pilosity on the other articles) ochraceous to fulvous hairs. A 3 longer than wide, equal to slightly longer than 4 + 5 + 6. A 4-5 shorter than wide. A 6-11 squared, approximately as long as wide. A 12 not cylindrical, obliquely truncated at the apex. Frons to gena black (except an ivory-yellow to yellow-orange triangle or inverted T at the margin of the frons) and rather evenly covered by an ochraceous to fulvous pubescence of various length that is denser near the antennal insertions. Some long black hairs intermixed in the pale pubescence near the ocelli. Presence of a relatively shallow depression that goes from the middle ocellus to the pale mark of the frons, width of approximately the diameter of a surrounding puncture, the carina hardly showing through the pubescence. Genae with very long white to slightly yellow hairs.

Mesosoma: Mesosoma entirely covered by fulvous-orange pubescence, with some to many black hairs intermixed in the pilosity of the dorsum. Scutum and scutellum entirely, finely, and closely punctate with interspaces generally ≤ 1 / 2 the diameter of a puncture. Presence of a depression, the width less than the diameter of a surrounding puncture, on the centre of the scutum that does not go to the end of the scutum. Cuticle of the mesosoma deep black under the pilosity. Tegulae hyaline ochraceous to hyaline deep brown, sparsely and shallowly punctate with interspaces of at least one diameter of a puncture. Tegulae sparsely and entirely covered by ochraceous or black pubescence. Wings sparsely covered by dark hairs on the veins and inside the cells with a denser pilosity on the veins (the apical part of the cells is covered by hairs generally). Apex of the wings covered with very sparse and dark brown protuberances that are not similar to the hairs. Wings translucent but slightly yellow. Colours of the cuticle of the legs variable from brown to dark brown, some parts sometimes even black. All legs exteriorly covered by bright orange-fulvous pubescence and interiorly covered with a slightly darker to black pubescence. Tarsal claws of all the tarsi bidentate with the second tooth situated on the middle of the main claw. Tarsal claws very sharp, the secondary fore-claw is very long, 1 / 3 less than the main one while the other secondary claws are only 1 / 3 of the main one. Main claws arched, with a small tubercle on the ventral surface just above the secondary claw. Apex of mid tibia with one long and thick black spine which is crenulate on one both sides; the spine is curved at the apex. Apex of hind tibia with two long and thick black spines which are crenulate on both sides; spines curved at the apex.

Metasoma: T 1 entirely covered by short ochraceous to fulvous pubescence except on the sides and on the base of the discs where there are longer hairs of the same colour. T 2 almost entirely covered by short ochraceous to fulvous pubescence with at least a small zone of black hairs at the basal centre of the disc (that can be almost all the width of the tergum sometimes), leading to more or less hair bands at the apex of the tergum. T 3-4 with wide ochraceous to fulvous short pubescence, pale pubescence a little bit more expanded on the sides of these terga, disc of the terga generally mainly black haired (with some pale hairs intermixed) except sometimes on the T 4 where the centre of the tergum is widely covered by the pale pubescence (with some black hairs intermixed). T 5 generally black haired, sometimes with ochraceous pubescence widely intermixed. T 1-5 entirely, evenly, and sparsely punctate with shallow punctation and interspaces of at least the diameter of one puncture. Integument of the terga mainly black but the apical margin sometimes slightly paler or ochraceous on T 1-4 it is therefore highly probable that the apical margins were originally deep brown to ochraceous in fresh specimen (similarly to A. pendleburyi and A. feronia ) but the integument decoloured with the time. All sterna with hair bands on the apical margin, pilosity ochraceous on S 1-5, black on S 6 and brownish and very dense on S 7. Sides of S 3-5 with ochraceous hair tufts. Integument of S 1-2 ochraceous-yellow, S 3-5 brown, basal 1 / 2 of S 6 brown, apical 1 / 2 and S 7 black. All the sterna can also be deep brown to black with apical margin pale (ochraceous) or not. S 1-2 mainly impunctate with only some small areas with very close and shallow punctation on the centre of the sterna. Sides and apex of S 3-4 densely and evenly punctuate with interspaces of approximately the diameter of a puncture (but sometimes more and sometimes less), basal 1 / 2 of these sterna very sparsely punctuate with interspaces generally several times the diameter of a puncture. S 5 densely punctuate but with some interspaces larger than the diameter of a puncture. S 6-7 more densely, entirely, and evenly punctuate with interspaces of at most the diameter of a puncture.

Remarks.

This description is based on three specimens, workers should therefore consider that intraspecific variation could occur for this species, especially for some characteristics like the clypeal marks and the colouration, or even the morphology of the mandibles. These three specimens show some variations (especially in colouration, which mainly differs for the two first antennal articles and slightly differs for the pale mark of the clypeus) but also very slight differences in punctation (mainly on the clypeus, slight changes in term of density of punctation).

The male of this species is currently unknown but this species is, based on the currently recorded specimens, restricted to northern Borneo. As A. suzanneae sp. nov. is closely related to A. pendleburyi , workers should be careful concerning the identification of this group of closely related species in this region.

Amegilla suzanneae sp. nov. is currently considered to be closely related to A. celineae sp. nov. and A. pendleburyi due to the morphological and biogeographical proximity (Fig. 26 ). New collection and genetic studies should be performed in order to characterise the relationship between these three species and maybe also with A. feronia which is also morphologically closely related to A. pendleburyi . Moreover, new expeditions would allow us to gain a better understanding of A. suzanneae sp. nov., either biogeographically or ecologically as little is known due to the small number of specimens (only the three type specimens) currently available.

Etymology.

Based on the name of FC’s goddaughter, Suzanne.

Distribution.

Amegilla suzanneae sp. nov. is distributed in the Malaysian part of Borneo (northern Borneo), in the regions of Sabah and Sarawak.

Figures

Figure 7. Holotype of A. suzanneae Carion & Wood, sp. nov. (RMNH). A. Labels of the specimen; B. Habitus in profile view; C. Face in frontal view; D. Labrum in ventral view; E. Protuberance of the clypeus in profile view; F. Terga in dorsal view.

Figure 26. Distribution map for four morphologically close species in the Indo-Australian Archipelago: A. celineae Carion, sp. nov. (blue points), A. feronia (Lieftinck, 1944) (red points), A. pendleburyi (Cockerell, 1929) (green points), and A. suzanneae Carion & Wood, sp. nov. (orange points). The empty points represent specimens collected before and in 1950 while the full points represent specimens collected in 1951 and after.