Taxonomic revision of the Western Palaearctic bees of the subgenus Pseudomegachile (Hymenoptera, Apiformes, Megachilidae, Megachile)
Author
Dorchin, Achik
Author
Praz, Christophe J.
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-11-22
4524
3
251
307
journal article
27924
10.11646/zootaxa.4524.3.1
9c9571c7-60b7-403b-b5b9-d10530b90820
1175-5326
2610526
6E27E496-B896-49E0-8EF2-4BAA57F6B91D
Megachile
(
Pseudomegachile
)
cinnamomea
Alfken 1926
Megachile cinnamomea
Alfken 1926
: 125
,
♀
♂
, “Turrah” [
Egypt
, likely
Tora
].
Lectotype
♂
, by present designation (see below), ZMHB.
Distribution
:
Morocco
,
Algeria
,
Tunisia
,
Egypt
,
Israel
, possibly Arabian Peninsula, possibly
Turkey
and
Armenia
(see below).
Note
: 1. The populations from the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, referred to here as
Megachile
sp.
aff.
cinnamomea
, are morphologically divergent. Most evidently, the clypeus is more densely punctate and covered by branched hairs in the female sex. Our phylogenetic results (
Fig. 1
) also indicate that these populations may eventually be treated as a new species. We refrain from doing so here because of the particularly high morphological variability observed within
M. cinnamomea
, and because of the small numbers of specimens available from the Arabian Peninsula. In addition, specimens from
Yemen
appear intermediate between these eastern Arabian populations and northern African populations of
M. cinnamomea
.
2. Some of the species described by
Walker (1871)
, in particular
Megachile adusta
Walker 1871
from “Akeek” [likely Agig,
Sudan
], may refer to this species; since existing
syntypes
could not be located (BMNH) we recommend treating
M. adusta
as a
nomen oblitum
if it can be demonstrated that
M. cinnamomea
occurs in the Agig region.
3. Vestiture colour presents geographical variation in
M. cinnamomea
; in Northern Africa, the metasomal vestiture is fulvous, while in some southern Moroccan populations and in
Israel
it is grey-white to white.
4. We have examined two males from
Urfa
[
Şanlıurfa
,
Turkey
] (see list of material examined), as well one female from
Azerbaijan
, NW
Baku
, Varafta Mts. These geographically isolated specimens agree morphologically with
M. cinnamomea
, although in this taxonomically difficult group it can not be excluded that they belong to other species. Further material is needed to confirm the presence of
M. cinnamomea
north of
Israel
.
Pollen hosts
: This species is probably polylectic (C. Praz, field observations).
Nesting biology
: Unknown.
Material examined: Type material:
Lectotype
♂
of
M. cinnamomea
: in the original description of
M. cinnamomea
, the following information is provided on the type specimens (
Alfken 1926
): “Mir liegen ausser den
6 ♀
der Sammlung Andres ein Pärchen (Typus) von Turrah,
7. Mai 1917
, und
1♂
von
Cairo
, gesammelt von Schmiedeknecht, vor [I have examined beside the
6 females
of the Andres collection a pair (Type) from Turrah,
7 May 1917
, and a male from
Cairo
collected by
Schmiedeknecht
]”. We examined one male (
ZMHB
) labeled as follows: 1. “Typus”. 2. “Tourrah,
7.5.97
”. 3.
Megachile cinnamomea
♂
Alfk.
Type Alfken
det [handwritten by Alfken]; 4. Zool. Mus. Berlin. 5. “
Lectotype
Chalicodoma cinnamomea
(Alfk.)
det.
Zanden
1993”.
The
date on the label does not exactly match that given in the original description, possibly because the label is difficult to read; since a label written by
Alfken
clearly identifies this specimen as the type, we follow
Zanden’s
unpublished designation and consider this male specimen as the
lectotype
.
We
also examined five females (
SMFD
) from
Egypt
, leg
A. Andres
, which are considered here as
paralectotypes
.
Additional material:
AZERBAIJAN
: NW
Baku
Varafta Mts
,
W Kilyazi
250m
40°50N 49°10E [see note above]
;
EGYPT
:
Al-Minufiyah
,
El-Shohada
,
Kafr Hegazi
30°35N 30°49E
10m
,
21.5.2011
,
M. Shebl
leg.
;
Gizeh
,
15.4.26
,
A. Andres
leg.
;
Kairo
und
Umgebung
, 3.1935,
A. Nadig
leg.
;
Sharkia
,
Houssania
,
Bahr Elbaker
30°55N 32°07E
2m
from
Nest
,
3.5.2011
, M. Shebl &
S. Kamel
leg.
;
ISRAEL
AND
PALESTINE
:
1km
S
Zafit
31°02’32’’N
/
35°12’08’’E
,
26.4.2010
, Sedivy &
Praz
leg.
;
32km
SE Beer Sheva
5km
E
Yeroham
30°58’/34°58,
11.5.1996
,
C. Schmid-Egger
leg.
;
5km
SSE
Sede Boqer Wadi En Aqev
30°49’N
/
34°48’W
,
12.5.1996
,
M. Hauser
leg.
;
5km
W
Jericho Wadi Qelet St. George
31°50’/35°23,
6.5.1996
,
C. Schmid-Egger
leg.
;
Bersheeba
, 5.5.,
Bytinski-Salz
leg.
;
Ein Gedi
, 30.3., 1.5.,
16.4.1960
,
Bytinski-Salz
leg.
;
Hazeva
,
4.4.2010
,
A. Gotlieb
leg.
;
Iddan
,
29.4.2010
,
A. Gotlieb
leg.
;
Jericho
,
21.4.1973
,
Bytinski-Salz
leg.
;
Nahal Lotz
,
25.5.2014
,
G. Pisanty
leg.
;
Nahal Qumeran
,
9.4.1986
,
A. Freidberg
leg.
;
W
Jaelim
,
29.2.1956
,
Fishelsohn
leg.
;
W
Tamar
,
24.3.1960
,
Fishelsohn
leg.
;
MOROCCO
:
140km
O Agadir
,
Aoulouz
,
26.5.1995
,
C. Schmid-Egger
leg.
;
30km
NNW
Tazenakht
,
N 10 30.830
N
7.288
W
1440m
,
15.6.2014
,
C. Schmid-Egger
leg.
;
40 km
NW
Zagora
1000m
,
21.4.2008
, Sedivy &
Müller
leg.
;
48km
NEE Tata
,
Kasba
ej
Joua
29.687 N
7.499W
,
12.4.2015
,
C. Schmid-Egger
leg.
; 6,68°/30,75°, M.6.1962, W. Schlaefle leg.;
7 km
O el
Kalaa
d.
Mgouna, M.
6.1962,
W. Schlaefle
leg.
;
Agdz
env.,
13.5.2003
,
M. Snizek
leg.
;
Anti Atlas
Agdz
,
13.5.2003
,
M. Halada
leg.
;
Aoulouz
, bridge on
Souss River
30,697N
8,156W
,
12.6.2014
,
C. Schmid-Egger
leg.
;
Draa-Tal
10 km
S Agdz
,
27.5.1995
,
Hauser
leg.
;
Imiter
, M.6.1962,
W. Schlaefle
leg.
;
Mhamid
env., 16.5.,
K. Denes
leg.
;
Ona Belli
,
19.6.2003
,
W. Schlaefle
leg.
;
Oued Draa
S
Tagounite
85km
SSE Zagora
29°58N 53°5W,
16.3.1997
,
M. Hauser
leg.
;
Qued Draa
34km
SE Zagora
30°12’N
/
53°7’W
,
16.3.1997
,
M. Hauser
leg.
;
Tadderte
, M.6.1962,
W. Schlaefle
leg.
;
Tafraoute
,
16.6.2003
,
W. Schlaefle
leg.
;
Taroudant
,
11.5.2003
,
M. Halada
leg.
;
Taroudant
env.,
11.5.2003
,
M. Snizek
leg.
; Tisgui- Ida-Ou-Balom (?),
18.6.2003
, W. Schlaefle leg.;
Tizi
n.
Tichka
, 19–
21.7.1932
,
A. Nadig
leg.
;
Val. Draa
30km
NW Zagora
,
27.5.1995
,
C. Schmid-Egger
leg.
;
W of
Taroudant
,
Oued Souss
,
31.3.1983
,
G. Else
leg.
;
Zagora
,
21.4.2008
,
F. Amiet
leg.
;
Zagora
, M.6.1962,
W. Schlaefle
leg.
;
TUNISIA
:
17km
N
Gabès
,
Metouia
,
Oase
,
20.6.1994
, C. Schmid-
Egger
leg.
;
Tozeur
,
4.8.2002
,
W. Schlaefle
leg.
;
Tozeur
,
Nefta
,
25.4.2012
,
C. Praz
leg.
;
TURKEY
:
Urfa
,
31.5.1968
,
30.5.1970
,
J. Gusenleitner
leg.
[see note above].