Anthidium turkmenistanicum, Kasparek, 2022

Kasparek, Max, 2022, A new species of Anthidium bee with an armed sternum from Turkmenistan (Apoidea, Anthidiini), Linzer biologische Beiträge 54 (1), pp. 195-201 : 196-198

Anthidium turkmenistanicum nov.sp. ( Figs 1-4 )

M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Holotypus. Male, "Turkmenia, Sandikatzi env., 3.-13.v.1993, J. Halada leg." [= Turkmenistan: Sandykgacy, 36°32’N, 62°33’E] (coll. M. Kasparek, ms1906).

D i a g n o s i s (male): A typical member of the genus Anthidium , characterized by a combination of the following features: apical margin of the clypeus smooth; longitudinal carina on hind tibia absent; all terga with broad, uninterrupted yellow bands; T7 with a small median tooth and large lateral lobes with straight outer sides; S6 with long lateral spine visible in dorsal habitus view; median projection of S6 with bifurcate apex.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Length: 10 mm. – Head: Clypeus yellow, broader than long (length:width = 0.75), apical margin smooth, semi-transparent; punctation of clypeus coarse at base, finer towards apex; impunctate middle line in the anterior two thirds. Mandible yellow, tridentate. Maxillary palpus relatively long, one-segmented (fused segments?); supraclypeal area yellow alongside the epistomal and subantennal sutures; subantennal suture straight; preoccipital ridge sharp-edged; broad yellow preoccipital band enclosing the upper one-fourth of eye; ocelloccipital distance 3.76 ocellar diameters (1.58 times the ocellocular distance). – Legs: Tibiae and basitarsi of fore and mid leg with white pubescence with hairs up to 1.5 antennal diameters long; hind tibia rounded without longitudinal carina; hind basitarsus with white, dense, felt-like pubescence. – Mesosoma: Scutum black with fine, dense punctation; broad yellow antero-lateral boomerang-shaped band; pronotal lobe yellow, carina or lamella absent; scutellum black anteriorly and yellow posteriorly; median emargination at posterior margin. – Metasoma: T1–T6 with broad, uninterrupted yellow bands; punctures small and punctation scattered especially laterally on T1 (punctures up to several their diameters apart); T6 with flat lateral projection; T7 with lateral lobes and a median spine; length of spine about half the length of lateral lobes (as seen from the inner emargination); outer margin of lobes almost straight, lobes with a narrow transparent margin; S1 with a median longitudinal carina; apical margins of S1–S5 straight, sterna covered with long, dense pubescence; S6 with long, lateral spines tapering towards the apex and a median projection with a bifurcated apex ( Fig. 4 ). The lateral spines are more or less round in cross section, but with a carina on the outer side. – Genitalia ( Fig. 3 ). The genitalia correspond to the general structure of Anthidium . The gonocoxit is broad and massive, and fused with the gonostylus at its apical end. The gonostylus is hairy with rather long hairs. Other than in many other species of the subgenus Anthidium , the volsella is relatively large, flat and disc-shaped, and inserted between the gonostylus and the penis valve. The penis valve is slender with a long horn-like apex. The "horns" are much longer than e.g. in A. melanopygum FRIESE, 1917 and A. spiniventre (KASPAREK & FATERYGA, 2022) . – Hidden sterna: The hidden sternum S8 is almost rectangular, with slightly raised shoulders. The spiculum is relatively large; its width at base occupies almost one third of the width of the sternum. Shallow emargination at its apex ( Fig. 3 ).

D i f f e r e n t i a l d i a g n o s i s (male): One of the most striking traits of the new species are the long lateral spines of S6 which are visible in dorsal habitus view. Similar long spines also have Anthidium caspicum MORAWITZ, 1880 ; A. flavotarsum WU, 1982 ; A. gussakovskiji MAVROMOUSTAKIS, 1939 ; A. sichuanense WU, 1993 ; A. spiniventre FRIESE, 1899 ; and A. thomsoni MORAWITZ, 1894 ( FRIESE 1898, KASPAREK 2022, NIU et al. 2020).

Anthidium caspicum ( Turkey to Central Asia) is distinguished by its larger size (15 mm vs. 10 mm in A. turkmenistanicum ), widely rounded outer sides of the lobes of T7 (almost straight in A. turkmenistanicum ), and reduced yellow tergal bands (interrupted on T1 and often T2, with median wedge on following terga) (all yellow bands uninterrupted in A. turkmenistanicum ). The lateral spines of S6 are black, have a triangular crosssection and are tapering towards the apex ( Fig. 4 ).

Anthidium flavotarsum ( China) is distinguished by the absence of yellow tergal bands (only small yellow maculation on T5) and the presence of long, ochreous pubescence on the terga, particularly on the apical ones ( NIU et al. 2020), while A. turkmenistanicum has only short, inconspicuous hairs on the terga. S6 including its lateral spines black ( NIU et al. 2020).

Anthidium gussakovskiji ( Turkey to Central Asia) is distinguished by a conspicuous carina on the hind tibia (absent in A. turkmenistanicum ), a minute median tubercle on T7 (small tooth in A. turkmenistanicum ), and a long median extension of S6, widened at the apex with convex margin (apex bifurcate in A. turkmenistanicum ). The lateral spines of S6 are yellow, have a triangular cross-section with acute edges, and are tapering towards the apex. The apex is brown ( Fig. 4 ).

Anthidium sichuanense ( China) is distinguished from A. turkmenistanicum by the absence of yellow bands on the terga (only small yellow spots on apical terga) and the presence of long ochreous hairs on the terga ( NIU et al. 2020) (only inconspicuous hairs on the terga in A. turkmenistanicum ). The lateral spines of S6 are shorter and less pointed as in A. turkmenistanicum (see photograph in NIU et al. 2020).

Anthidium spiniventre (sensu A. spiniventre spiniventre; see KASPAREK & FATERYGA 2022). ( Turkey to Central Asia) is distinguished by a truncate median protrusion of S6 (protruding with a bifurcate apex in A. turkmenistanicum ), an interrupted yellow band on T1 (uninterrupted in A. turkmenistanicum ), a crenulate apical margin of the clypeus (smooth in A. turkmenistanicum ) and the presence of a conspicuous carina on the outer face of the hind tibia (absent in A. turkmenistanicum ).

Anthidium thomsoni (Central Asia) is distinguished by the shape of the lateral lobes of T7 which are spiniform and pointed rather than lobiform and obtuse as in A. turkmenistanicum ( MORAWITZ 1894; see Figure in FRIESE 1898). The lateral spines of S6 are thin and pointed (stronger and less pointed in A. turkmenistanicum ).

D e r i v a t i o n o m i n i s: Named after the country Turkmenistan, in which the type location is situated.

Figures

Fig. 1. Anthidium turkmenistanicum nov.sp. Habitus of male, holotype.

Fig. 2. Anthidium turkmenistanicum nov.sp., male, holotype. A. Face; B. Apical terga.

Fig. 3. Anthidium turkmenistanicum nov.sp. Male genitalia in dorsal and lateral view (A, B) and S8 (C).

Fig. 4. Sternum 6 of the males of four West Palaearctic Anthidium species with long-spined sterna: A. Anthidium turkmenistanicum nov.sp., B. A. spiniventre, C. A. gussakovskiji, and D. A. caspicum.