Pseudoanthidium rubellulum Pasteels, 1969

Kasparek, Max, 2024, New species, new synonyms, and resurrected taxa: A review of West and Central Palaearctic members of the genus Pseudoanthidium (Apoidea: Megachilidae), Zootaxa 5541 (1), pp. 1-50 : 28-30

Pseudoanthidium rubellulum Pasteels, 1969

( Fig. 16 )

Pseudoanthidium (Carinellum) rubellulum Pasteels, 1969 .

Anthidium ochrognathum Alfken, 1933 (partim)

The species status of this taxon has recently been re-established by Kasparek et al. (2023). In the meantime, the hitherto undescribed male was found and is described herein.

Material examined (new material not listed in Kasparek et al. 2023): ISRAEL: 83♀, 8♂, 10 km N Nizzana (30.94°N 34.40°E), 16.iv.2023, M. Halada leg. ( CMK) .

Genetic barcode information. COI sequences were obtained for two females (one sequence published in Kasparek et al. 2023; one published for the first time here: ABABX473-22 and ABABZ022-23) and one male (new here: ABABZ021-23). The sequence of the male was almost identical to that of the female documented in Kasparek et al. (2023), thereby confirming the identity of the male of this species. The barcoding gene was represented in these three specimens by two different haplotypes, resulting in an intragroup distance of 0.0024%. The BIN is BOLD:AEO7128.

Diagnosis (male). Omaulus lamellate to lower end and pronotal lobe with high lamella as in P. ochrognathum and P. beaumonti ; inner edge of malar area rounded (carinate in P. ochrognathum and P. beaumonti ); mid-basal area of the clypeus impunctate to shallowly scattered punctate (clypeus evenly punctate in P. ochrognathum and P. beaumonti ); depressions of T1–T5 brownish bronze-coloured.

Description. Female. See Kasparek et al. (2023).

Male ( Figs 16a, 16b ). 5.5 mm.— Head: Black, clypeus and a postocular spot pale ivory-yellow; occasionally, a spot also present on the lower paraocular area; marginal areas of clypeus sometimes irregularly black; mid-basal area of the clypeus impunctate to shallowly scattered punctate; apical part of clypeus slightly curved inwards ( Fig. 16d ); mandible pale yellow, with three strong black teeth; transitional area towards teeth brown; antenna light brown, except for sg1–sg3, which are dark; long white pubescence particularly around antennal sockets, also covering clypeus.— Mesosoma : Scutum mostly black, with a narrow anterior yellow stripe observed in 2 out of 8 specimens; shining, with fine punctation, where punctures are mostly 1–2 puncture diameters apart; posterior margin of scutellum and axilla sharp-edged; punctation often less regular than on scutum; scutellum and axilla occasionally with yellow marginal stripe, but often absent; pronotal lobe with high antero-lateral lamella.— Metasoma: Pale yellow lateral spot on T1; elongated spots on T2–T5, not reaching the middle; T6 black anteriorly and reddish brown posteriorly; T7 light yellow-brown with shallow apical emargination; depressions and smooth, impunctate apical margins of T1–T6 brownish bronze-coloured. S3 with apically hooked and corkscrew-like hairs; S5 with a pair of small black combs on the apical margin (approximately 6.5 comb widths apart from each other) and a pair of larger combs at the apex of lateral arms ( Fig. 16c ).— Legs: Femora reddish-brown apically, tibiae and tarsi reddish-brown, sometimes with yellow, brown or black spots.— Genitalia: Male genitalia very similar to P. beaumonti and P. ochrognathum (see fig. 5 in Kasparek et al. 2023), with long, apically unnotched gonostyli; penis valves unfused and at some distance apart, touching at the tip.

Remarks: There is a strong colour dimorphism: While females are characterised by orange-red and red-brown maculation, males have pale yellow (ivory-coloured) maculae. The affiliation of the two sexes to the same species was confirmed by genetic barcoding (see above). Such sexual colour dimorphism is not known from other members of Pseudoanthidium .

Distribution. Only known from Israel (Kasparek et al. 2023).

Figures

FIGURE 16. Pseudoanthidium rubellulum Pasteels, 1969. Male from Israel. a. Habitus dorsal; b. Habitus lateral; c. Apical sterna from ventral; d. Head in frontal view.