Pachyanthidium (Pachyanthidium) micheneri Pasteels

Eardley, Connal & Griswold, Terry, 2017, Taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical species of Pachyanthidium Friese (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Anthidiini), Zootaxa 4237 (3), pp. 401-453 : 435-437

Pachyanthidium (Pachyanthidium) micheneri Pasteels

( Figs 22–23 )

Pachyanthidium (Pachyanthidium) micheneri Pasteels, 1968: 481 , female holotype (RMCA) Malawi.

Diagnosis. Pachyanthidium micheneri can be distinguished from all its congeners, except from those in the bicolor species-group, by the naked eye, absence of arolia and red metasoma. From the other species in the bicolor speciesgroup the female is distinguished by the absence of yellow maculations on head, mesosoma and femora, except sometimes a fleck of yellow on the paraocular area ( Fig. 23 ). In addition the mandible is partly spatulate, with two outer teeth, two-three small teeth on outer spatulate area and a large inner tooth. Males are differentiated by the T7 median spine being only a little narrower than the concavity between it and the lateral spines.

Description. FEMALE. Lengths: head 3.9 mm; scutum 2.5 mm; forewing 9.4 mm; body 9.2 mm. Head and mesosoma (excluding legs) completely black or mostly black with yellow maculation limited to a very short crossband on posterior vertex and a fleck on upper paraocular area; legs partly black with orange maculations on hind tibia and tarsi; metasoma entirely orange. Structure ( Fig. 23 ). Preoccipital ridge weakly lamellate; eye naked; clypeus ventral edge slightly convex, crenulate; mandible partly spatulate, with 2 outer teeth, 2–3 small teeth on outer spatulate area and a large inner tooth; pronotal lobe strongly lamellate; omaulus lamellate; forebasitarsus short and broad, length 0.6x foretibia length, 3.3x its width; arolia absent; T1–T5 without lateral spines; T6 rounded laterally, slightly lobate, without spine, extended posteriorly, distinctly cleft posteromedially.

MALE. Lengths: head 2.8–3.2 mm; scutum 1.8–2.0 mm; forewing 6.3–6.8 mm; body 6.8–7.7 mm. Body markings as in female except yellow on entire clypeus, lower paraocular area, narrow outer margin of upper paraocular area, medioventral spot on supraclypeus, most of mandible. Structure ( Fig. 23 ). Preoccipital ridge weakly lamellate; eye naked; clypeus ventral edge slightly convex, 2 mediolateral tubercles; antennal flagellum 0.9x eye length; 3.3x scape length; mandible partly spatulate, 2 outer teeth, 2–3 small teeth on outer spatulate area and a large inner tooth; omaulus lamellate; forebasitarsus sparely pubescent, moderately long posterior fringe; forebasitarsus length 0.6x foretibia length, 0.3x its width, not distinctly extended anterodistally; hind basitarsus wide, length 2.5x width; arolia absent; T1–T4 without lateral spines or swelling; T5 slight posterolateral swelling; T6 one plane, extended posteromedially, ventrolateral spine, posterolateral and posteromedian tubercles; T7 narrow posterolateral spine (narrower than length), posteriorly rounded median spine longer than lateral spine, concavity between median and lateral spines 1.2x width median spine; terminalia as in P. cordatum (cf. Fig. 16 ).

Distribution. This species is known from Malawi, Zimbabwe and the east coast of South Africa ( Fig. 22 ).

Material examined. Type material. Female holotype of Pachyanthidium micheneri Pasteels : ‘ MALAWI, Monkey Bay Lake Malawi 23 April 1967 C. D. Michener, Type , HOLOTYPUS, COLL. MUS. TERVUREN don C.D.Michener, Pachyanthidium (Pachyanthidium) micheneri n.sp. J. Pasteels det., 1968’, RMCA. Male paratype of Pachyanthidium micheneri Pasteels : ‘ MALAWI, Monkey Bay Lake Malawi 23 April 1967 C. D. Michener , PARATYPUS, Pachyanthidium (Pachyanthidium) micheneri n.sp. J. Pasteels det., 1968’, BBSL.

Additional material. Malawi. Monkey Bay Lake Malawi, 1967. iv.23, C. D. Michener (1 ♂ BBSL wide pronotal lamella) . Zimbabwe. Chimanimani, 1050m, Melsetter , 1985. iv.25, J.Gusenleitner (1♂ MSAA) . Tanzania. Morogoro Region Ruaha River bank, 7 km S Mikumi , 2001. vi.19, M.H. Bourbin, W.J. Pulawski (1♂ BBSL) . South Africa. St. Lucia , 10km N, 1988. i.8, R. Miller, L. Stange (1♀ FSCA); St. Lucia, 1958. iii.9, H. Empey (1♀ SANC) ; Banga Neck , Kosi Bay, 1990. ii.11, N. Verheijen (1♀ SANC) ; Blyderivierspoortdam Nat. Reserve, 1984. x.25–26, C. D. Eardley (1♂ SANC); Kuleni Farm, Hluhluwe , 1990, xi.14, N. Verheijen (1♂ SANC) ; Sodwana Bay, 1989. xi.10, R. Oberprieler (1♂ SANC) ; Makana, 5 km E, near Ndumu Game Reserve , 3.xii.1982, Londt, Stuckenber, Barraclough (1♂ BBSL) .

Figures

FIGURE 16. Pachyanthidium cordatum (Smith). a. Female T 6. b – g. Male. b – c. T 6. d – f. S 6 – 8. g. Genitalia, dorsal view.

FIGURE 22. Pachyanthidium salamense (Friese) (●) and Pachyanthidium micheneri Pasteels (*), known distribution.

FIGURE 23. Pachyanthidium micheneri Pasteels. a – c. Female. a. Face. b. Habitus. c. T 6. d – f. Male. d. Face. e. Habitus. f. T 6 – T 7.