Amegilla (Asaropoda) bombiformis (Smith, 1854)

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) bombiformis (Smith, 1854) Figure 7A-M

Saropoda bombiformis Smith, 1854: 318.

Asaropoda anomala Cockerell, 1929: 15, syn. nov.

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

Asaropoda punctata Rayment, 1931: 182, syn. nov.

Asaropoda rubricata Rayment, 1951: 76, syn. nov.

Asaropoda rubricata dentata Rayment, 1951: 76, syn. nov.

Asaropoda rufa Rayment, 1931: 181, syn. nov.

Specimens examined.

149 males, 340 females

Types.

Lectotype of bombiformis : female, Richmond River, NSW, BMNH 99-303.

Holotype of A. anomala : male, Brisbane, AMNH.

Holotype of A. imitata : female, New South Wales, ANIC.

Holotype of A. punctata : male, Sydney, NSW, whereabouts unknown.

Holotype of A. rubricata : male, Lismore, NSW, whereabouts unknown.

Holotype of A. rubricata dentata : male, Sydney, 7.2.43, O. Dawson, No 702, ANIC, the specimen is lacking terga and sterna from S5 onwards.

Holotype of A. rufa : female, Enoggera, QLD, whereabouts unknown.

Decision for synonymy was based on examination of the type specimens, when available, combined with original descriptions and diagnostic characters.

Diagnosis.

Both sexes with orange iridescent metasomal pubescence. Male with small triangular patch of black bristles on S4 and wide triangular emarginated apicomedial area of S5. Female paraclypeal and supraclypeal marks absent, tibial scopa orange, T2 with black hairs anteriorly, process on S6 reticular striate, broadly defined posteriorly (Fig. 7L ).

Redescription.

Male (AM 361432): Body length 12.5 mm, forewing length 9.7 mm, head width 4.7 mm.

Structure: Inner orbits of eyes diverging above; head wider than long; clypeal protuberance in profile 0.70 × eye width; mandible with subapical tooth; F1 equal to combined length of next 1.6 flagellomeres; F1 0.7 × as long as scape; F2 0.63 × as long as F3; F3-F10 1.5 × as long as wide; last flagellomere 1.3 × as long as F1; marginal cell length 0.81 distance from apex of cell to wing tip; cu-v of hind wing 0.75 × as long as second abscissa of M+Cu; S5 with apicomedial emargination triangular, circa 2.3 × as wide as deep, with wide translucent posterior margins; S6 with apicomedial emargination circa 4.4 × as wide as deep, emargination preceded by smooth median area widening posteriorly.

Genitalia: penis valves slender, with well extended shoulders; volsella slightly rectangular with 6 short setae (Fig. 7H ); gonocoxa laterally with a few short setae; apex of gonocoxa broadened without extended lobes; outer gonostylus small and narrow, with few small setae; inner gonostylus a slightly longer than outer gonostylus, directed inwards with a few scattered setae (Fig. 7G ); S7 (Fig. 7E ); S8 emarginated, with few setae (Fig. 7F ).

Pubescence: Head with genae white, vertex pale yellow intermixed with black hairs, labrum white, clypeus and paraclypeal area black, face pale orange with black hairs around median ocellus and ocellocular area; scutum, scutellum and metanotum orange intermixed with black hairs; mesosoma laterally and ventrally orange, paler towards ventral side; fore and mid legs pale orange, mid femur, mid and hind tibia and tarsus pale orange on outer surfaces, femur, and tibia and tarsus on inner surfaces black-brown; hind leg outer surface of femur, tibia and metatarsus orange; hind leg inner surface of femur, tibia and metatarsus black; metasomal terga orange, T1 intermixed with black hairs, T2-T6 with adpressed hairs with metallic shine; T2 anteriorly with wide band of black hairs; S2-S4 with fringes of pale yellow branched hairs on posterior margins; S4 apicomedial area with small triangular patch of ventrally directed black bristles circa 1/5 of sternal width; S5 with area preceding the emargination with a sparse row of pale orange branched hairs, lateral corners with plumes of long orange hairs; S6 with dense patches of erect branched hairs flanking the median smooth area.

Colouration: Integument of head, mesosoma and metasomal terga including posterior margins black apart from scape brown above, yellow below; flagellum black; labrum yellow with translucent dots near dorsolateral corners; clypeus yellow with two brown longitudinal patches on either side of the midline; supraclypeal area yellow; paraclypeal area yellow; mandible yellow at base, black at tip; proboscis orange; sterna and legs orange, apart from hind femur brown.

Female redescription (WAM 5466): Body length 15 mm, forewing length 11.3 mm, head width 5.8 mm.

Structure: Inner orbits of eyes diverging above; head wider than long; clypeal protuberance in profile 0.65 × eye width; mandible with subapical tooth; F1 equal to combined length of almost next three flagellomeres; F1 circa as long as scape; F2 0.85 × as long as F3; F3-F10 1.14 × as long as wide; last flagellomere 0.62 × as long as F1; marginal cell length 0.9 distance from apex of cell to wing tip; cu-v of hind wing 0.82 × as long as second abscissa of M+Cu; S6 with broad parabolically raised area (Fig. 7L ).

Pubescence: Head with genae grey-white, vertex pale yellow intermixed with black hairs, labrum pale orange, clypeus and paraclypeal area black, face pale orange with black hairs around median ocellus and ocellocular area; scutum, scutellum and metanotum orange intermixed with black hairs; mesosoma laterally and ventrally orange, paler towards ventral side; fore and mid legs pale orange, mid femur and hind leg outer surface of femur, tibia and metatarsus orange; hind leg inner surface of femur, tibia and metatarsus black; metasomal terga orange intermixed with black hairs on T1; T2-T5 adpressed hairs with metallic shine; T2 anteriorly with wide band of black hairs; T2-T4 with dark hairs laterally below the gradulus; T5 with orange-brown prepygidial fimbria; T6 with strong light-brown hairs flanking the pygidial plate; S1-S5 with fringes of pale branched hairs on posterior margins of S2-S4, S3 and S4 laterally denser and brown.

Colouration: Integument of head black, apart from: scape orange, flagellum brown below and black above; labrum orange yellow; clypeus orange yellow; supraclypeal area vague orange ventrally; paraclypeal area black; mandible yellow at base, black at tip; proboscis orange-brown; mesosoma and metasomal terga black, sterna and legs orange.

Flower records.

Lantana , Duranta ( Verbenaceae ). Considering the large number of records (N = 491) there is remarkably little information recorded about flower visitation. However, photos on the internet show that a large variety of plant species are visited.

Distribution.

Predominantly East coast, Figure 7I .

Figures

Figure 7. Amegilla (Asaropoda) bombiformis (Smith, 1854).