Megachile soikai Benoist 1961

Praz, Christophe, Al-Shahat, Ahmed M. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2021, Taxonomic revision of the subgenus Eutricharaea Thomson in Egypt, with a key to the species and the description of two new species (Hymenoptera, Anthophila Megachilidae, genus Megachile Latreille), Zootaxa 5032 (3), pp. 301-330 : 305-306

Megachile soikai Benoist 1961

Figs 2–4 .

Megachile soikai Benoist 1961: 50 , ♂, “ Tamanrasset, staz. n. H 18,4; Hadriane , piccolo oued” [ Algeria]. Lectotype ♂, by pres- ent designation (see below), OLML.

Megachile insignis Zanden 1996: 888 , ♂, “ Israel, Arava, 4km W. of Hazeva”. Synonymy in Praz (2017: 10). Holotype ♂, NMNL.

Type material: Lectotype ♂ of M. soikai , designated here, a specimen in good condition, labeled as follows: 1. “Hoggar 15–30 IV 1950 leg. A. Giordani Soika ”. 2. “Tamarasset Staz N H 18”. 3. “ M. soikai R. Ben [Benoist] ♂ [handwritten by R. Benoist]”. 4. “ Lectotype M. soikai des. C. Praz 2010” ( OLML). One additional ♂ from “Hadri- ane piccolo Oued” is designated as a paralectotype (des. C. Praz 2010). The holotype ♂ of M. insignis has been examined ( NMNL).

Additional material: EGYPT: Wadi Khoshb (Sharm El Sheikh, South Sinai), 16–18.iv.2016, sweep net, leg. A. Al-Shahat ( EFC) ; ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: 1 ♂, Rift Valley (Arava), Iddan 28.4.2010, leg. A. Gotlieb ( SMNH) ; 1 ♂, Rift Valley (Arava), Iddan 29.4.2010, leg. H. Marshall ( SMNH) ; 1 ♀, Rift Valley (Arava), En Ya- hav, 5.5.2010, leg. A. Livne ( SMNH) ; 1 ♀, Rift Valley (Arava), Hazeva , 13.5.2010 ( SMNH) ; 1 ♀, 6 km SE Zafit 31°01’12’’N 35°15’00’’E, 26.iv.2010, leg. Sedivy & Praz ( CPCN) ; OMAN: 2 ♀, Birkat al Mauwz 22°56’38’’N 57°40’23’’E 564, 29.ii.2018, leg. Michez D. & Patiny S. ( CPCN) ; 2 ♀, Birkat al Mauwz 22°55’02’’N 57°40’23’’E 609 m, 1.iii.2018, leg. Michez D. & Patiny S. ( CPCN) ; UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: 1 ♀, Wadi Shawka 27,13N 56,02E, 4– 13.1.2011, leg. C. Schmid-Egger ( CSE) ; 1 ♂, Shawka 27,13N 56,02E, 11–19.iii.2009, leg. C. Schmid- Egger ( CPCN) ; 3 ♀ 3 ♂, Ain Al Waal, Al Ain, Jebel Hafeet W, 24.0677N, 55.75E, 12.iii–21.xi.2015 [different dates in March, April, October and November], leg. H. Roberts ( HRCA, CPCN, SDEI) .

Distribution: Oman, UAE, Israel and Palestine, Egypt (Sinai), Algeria.

Note: Megachile soikai may actually be conspecific with one of the Afrotropical species related to M. apostolica Cockerell 1937 ; see Praz (2017) and Gonzalez et al. (2010).

Diagnosis: Female: Similar to species of the leachella -group, in particular in the absence of fovea laterally on T2 and the short vertex (ocelloccipital distance subequal to one diameter of lateral ocellus). The most salient diagnostic trait of this species is the presence of modified, capitate hairs on the ventral surface of hind femur and trochanter ( Fig. 3 ). This condition is also observed in the unrelated M. walkeri , from which M. soikai can easily be separated by the color of the integument, which is predominantly dark, except all legs, which are orange (parts of the mandibles, antennae and of S2 and S3 are also more or less orange) ( Fig. 2 ); all species of the leachella -group, including M. walkeri have brown legs; in addition, in M. walkeri the integument of T1 and T2 is orange. In contrast to females of the leachella -group, M. soikai has a wide impunctate, premarginal area along the apical margin of the clypeus (in other species of the leachella -group, including M. walkeri , impunctate premarginal area narrow).

Male: Megachile soikai is the only species of Eutricharaea in Egypt or in the Palearctic region lacking a clearly delimitated front coxal tooth, and is therefore easy to recognize ( Praz, 2017). There is however a small angle which may be interpreted as a tooth, and the surface of the front coxa is entirely hidden in hairs. In addition, the male gonostylus is characteristic, apically bifid, with preapical process unusually long and slender ( Fig. 4 ).

Figures

FIGURES 2–8. 2. Female of Megachile soikai, dorsal view. 3. Female of M. soikai, capitate hairs on underside of hind femur. 4. Male genitalia of M. soikai. 5. Male genitalia of M. leucostoma. 5. Head in front view of male of M. leucostoma, showing the distinct tooth behind the base of the mandible. 7. Clypeus of female of M. leucostoma. 8. Female of Megachile walkeri, dorsal view. 9. Clypeus and mandibles of female of M. walkeri. 10. Male genitalia of M. walkeri (left, dorsal view; right, lateral view).