Pachyanthidium (Pachyanthidium) bicolor (Lepeletier)

Eardley, Connal & Griswold, Terry, 2017, Taxonomic revision of the Afrotropical species of Pachyanthidium Friese (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Anthidiini), Zootaxa 4237 (3), pp. 401-453 : 443-446

Pachyanthidium (Pachyanthidium) bicolor (Lepeletier)

( Figs 28–29 )

Anthidium bicolor Lepeletier, 1841: 399 , female type (MNHN) Unknown country. Anthidium (Pachyanthidium) bicolor Lepeletier : Friese 1905: 66 –69.

Pachyanthidium bicolor (Lepeletier) : Cockerell 1930: 45 –47.

Pachyanthidium (Pachyanthidium) bicolor (Lepeletier) : Mavromoustakis 1963: 490. Anthidium africanum Smith, 1854: 209 , male holotype (NHML) Sierra Leone. Syn. nov. Pachyanthidium (Pachyanthidium) africanum (Smith) : Pasteels 1984: 139–144.

Diagnosis. The combination of eyes naked, arolia absent and metasoma mostly red distinguishes P. bicolor from all Pachyanthidium except other members of the bicolor species-group. Females can be distinguished from these by the numerous (seven or more) peg-like teeth of the mandible and the broadly rounded apical margin of T6. Males can be separated by two features of the mandible: the presence of six or more teeth, and teeth all narrow and acute.

Description. FEMALE. Lengths: head 2.7–3.5 mm; scutum 1.7–2.3 mm; forewing 6.4–7.6 mm; body 6.3–7.8 mm. Head and mesosoma black with yellow maculations on entire clypeus, lower paraocular area, outer margin of upper paraocular area (sometimes ventromedian supraclypeus and mediolongitudinal frons), vertex except preoccipital lamella, anterior gena, basal mandible, mesosomal dorsum usually black with fleck of yellow posterolaterally on scutum (sometimes yellow on lateral margin of scutum, lateral axilla, posterior scutellum anterior to posterior lamella, medially interrupted); distal pronotal lobe; mesepisternum usually black, sometimes reddish or with fleck of yellow posterior to omaulus; legs yellow on posterior surfaces of femora and outer surfaces of tibiae and tarsi, remainder of legs yellowish–orange. Metasoma orange, generally T1–T5 with obscure yellowish-orange cross-bands and translucent orange distal margins, T6 yellowish-orange laterally and orange mediolongitudinally. Structure ( Fig. 29 ). Preoccipital ridge weakly lamellate; eye naked; clypeus ventral edge straight, crenulate; mandible with 7–8 similar, rounded teeth; pronotal lobe strongly lamellate; omaulus lamellate; forebasitarsus short and broad, length 0.5x foretibia length, 2.5x 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 (12.5 mm in africanum type); body 6.8–7.7 mm (15 mm in africanum type). body 6.8–7.7 mm. Colouration as in female except supraclypeal area partly to entirely yellow. Structure ( Fig. 29 ). Preoccipital ridge weakly lamellate; eye naked; supraclypeus slightly raise; clypeus with ventral edge straight, mediolateral tubercle; antennal flagellum 0.85x eye length, 3.3x scape length; mandible 7–8 dissimilar teeth; pronotal lobe sometimes slightly broader apically, as in africanum ; omaulus lamellate; forebasitarsus sparely pubescent, moderately long posterior fringe; forebasitarsus length 0.6x foretibia length, 0.5x its width, not distinctly extended anterodistally; hind basitarsus narrow, length 4x width; arolia absent; T1–T4 without lateral spines or swelling; T5 with slight posterolateral swelling; T 6 in one plane, extended posteromedially, with ventrolateral spine, posterolateral and posteromedian tubercles; T7 with narrow posterolateral spine (narrower than length), truncate median spine, concavity between median and lateral spines 1.5x width median spine; terminalia as in P. cordatum (cf. Fig. 16 ).

Distribution. This species appears to be widespread across the northern Afrotropical Region ( Fig. 28 ).

Biology. It has been collected on flowers of Indigofera sp. ( Fabaceae ) and Plectranthus (Lamiaceae) .

Material examined. Type material. Male holotype of Anthidium africanum : ‘Type, B.M.TYPE HYM. 17a 2568, Anthidium africanum Type. Smith, africanum Type Sm., Euaspis abdominalis Fabr., Presented by the Rev. D.F. Morgan’, NHML.

Additional material. Mali. San, 100km NE, 1991. viii.21, M. Schwarz (1♀ MSAA) . Gambia. Bakau, Tropic Bungalow, 1977. xi.16–18 (1♂ MZLU) ; Bangui, 1985.xii, Saner (1♀ MSAA) . Ghana. Aburi, 1991. i.26, W. J. Pulawski (1♂ CAS) . Nigeria. Gwoza , 400m, 1966 . ix.27, E.S. Ross K. Lorenzen (2♂ CAS wide pronotal lamella). Cameroon. Mayo Zadra, 3km N, NW Garoua, 820m, 1966 . ix.28, K. Lorenzen (1♀1♂ CAS). Ethiopia. 1300m, Arba Minch, 05.60N 37.33E, M. Strohle (1♂ MSAA) . Uganda. Kampala, 1963 . ix.9, J. Owen (1♂ BBSL narrow pronotal lamella). Congo P.R. Voka P. Boko 1978.vi, Onore (1♂ BBSL) . Kenya. Rift Valley Province, Marigat, 2.2km E, Perkerra Irrigation Scheme , 2012. x.10, T. L. Griswold (1♂ BBSL 851754 ); Taita Hill, Discovery Centre, 2002 . xii.13, M. A. Prentice (1♂ BBSL 761311 ); Namanga, 5km N, Rift Valley Province , 1999 . vi.21, W. J. Pulawski J. S. Schweikert (1♂ BBSL wide pronotal lamella); Rift Valley Province , Marigat, 5.7km Loboi road, 2012 . x.13, on Plectranthus sp. (1♀ BBSL); Magadi road, 46km SW Nairobi, Rift Valley Province , 1999 . vi.29, W. J. Pulawski J. S. Schweikert (2♀ CAS); Mombasa, 1982. xii.12, T.& R. Griswold (1♀ BBSL) ; Coast Province, Gede Junction, 2012 . x.21, L. Packer D. Martins, on Indigofera (1♂ YU); Tiwi Beach, S Mombasa, 1994 . xi.21, T. Pieschel (1♂ MSAA). Tanzania. Kunduchi, 1973.viii, P. J. J. H. Kuijen F. Bouricius (1♂ RMNH) ; Jozani Forest , Zanzibar, 1983. x.30, Mochi (1♂ BBSL) ; Pemba, Chate Chake, 1984. xii.6, Mochi (1♀ BBSL) ; Gede Junction, Coastal Province , 2201. x.21, L. Packer D. Martins (1♂ PC). South Africa. Banga Neck, Kosi Bay, 1990 . ii.11, N. Verheijen (1♂ SANC); Lake Sibaya , E Shore, 1984. xi.10, R. Oberprieler (1♂ SANC) ; Fanies Island, St Lucia, 1984. iii.28– 29, A. J. Weaving (1♂ 2594 AMGS) ; Blyderivierspoortdam Nature Reserve, 1984. x.25–26, C. D. Eardley (1♂ SANC wide pronotal lamella); Sodwana Bay, 1 989 . ii. 10, R. Oberprieler (1♂ SANC wide pronotal lamella); Kuleni Farm, Hluhluwe, 1990. ii. 14, N. Verheijen (1♂ SANC wide pronotal lamella).

Discussion. Pachyanthidium bicolor was described from a female specimen of unknown provenance. A search of the MNHN, a major repository of Lepeletier material, resulted in a single specimen of P. bicolor . However, it is a male from Sierra Leone and therefore not the holotype, which is presumed lost. Pasteels (1984) recognized P. bicolor and P. africanum as distinct species based on slight differences in the scutal punctation, microsculpture, mandibular dentition and form of the male gonostylus. These differences appear to vary independently. In East African material the forewing the cells are not stained like the distal part of the wing and there is a strong tendency toward light marginal markings on the scutum. Material from West Africa has the entire forewing evenly stained and largely lacks lateral scutal markings. Material from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo appears intermediate. The limited number of specimens available for study precludes determination of whether this variability represents a species complex or just variation in a widely distributed species.

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 28. Pachyanthidium obscurum Pasteels (●) and Pachyanthidium bicolor (Lepeletier) (*), known distribution.

FIGURE 29. Pachyanthidium bicolor (Lepeletier). a – c. Female. a. Face. b. Habitus. c. T 6. d – f. Male. d. Face. e. Habitus. f. T 6 – T 7.