Pseudoanthidium (Pseudoanthidium) flaviventre ( Cameron, 1897 )

Belavadi, Vasuki V., 2017, The Resin and Carder bees of south India (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Anthidiini), Zootaxa 4317 (3), pp. 436-468 : 459-462

Pseudoanthidium (Pseudoanthidium) flaviventre ( Cameron, 1897)

( Figs 17 , 18 )

Anthidium flaviventre Cameron, 1897: 124 .

Anthidium flavomaculatum Cameron , sensu Bingham, 1897: 492. Trachusa (Orientotrachusa) flavomaculatum Cameron, Gupta, 1993 , 58.

Description. Female. Body length 8.02± 0.53 mm; black. Head: Black; bright yellow patch at base of mandible, clypeus, supraclypeal area, parraocular area below base of antenna, broad stripe on paraocular area up to middle of eye, posterior vertex, heart-shaped spot below anterior ocellus; punctation fine, dense with sparse glittering pale pubescence; clypeus nearly flat, without median longitudinal line, apical margin nearly truncate, slightly emarginate medially, with pubescence; mandible 5 dentate; anterior tentorial pit on epistomal sulcus below intersection with subantennal sulcus; F1 shorter than pedicel; first labial segment slightly shorter than second; inter-ocular distance longer than inter-antennal distance.

Mesosoma: Yellow stripe on pronotal lobe, mesoscutum antero-laterally, bent almost at right angle, reaching beyond tegula, spot on anterior part of tegula, axilla, triangular spot laterally on mesoscutellum, legs except coxae and inner hind femur basally; posterior margin of mesoscutellum truncate, overhanging metanotum; wings hyaline, fuscous along apical area; tarsal claws simple.

Metasoma: Broad yellow transverse markings on T1 –T5, broadly interrupted on T1, gradually narrowed towards T5; T6 completely black, apical margin with tuberculate transverse carina, mid-apically notched; scopa white; without white fasciae of short plumose hairs beneath scopa.

Male. Body length 13.08± 1.04 mm; black; similar to female except as follows: mandible 4 dentate; broad bright yellow transverse stripe on T1–T7, broadly interrupted on T1–T3, very narrowly on T4, uninterrupted on T5–T7; apical margin of T7 with deep, rounded incision medially; S8 anterior margin broadly rounded without hairs above lateral apodeme; lateral apodeme close to spiculum; spiculum narrowly elongate; genitalia with gonostylus slightly dilated distally, with lateral pubescence; penis valve broadly rounded, indistinguishably fused to base, narrow at distal part.

Floral Associations: Mukia maderaspatana (Cucurbitaceae) , Tephrosia purpurea (Fabaceae) and Brachiaria reptans (Poaceae) .

Flight Period: July to September.

Distribution. Known from India and Pakistan.

Material examined. INDIA: Karnataka: Bijapur, 1♀, 16.viii.2011, sweep net, A N Reddy; Raichur , 1♀, 27.ix.2014 ; 1♂, 27.ix.2014; 3♂, 23.ix.2014, sweep net, collected by Veereshkumar; Bheemarayanagudi , 1♀, 19.ix.2014 ; 6♂, 19.ix.2014, sweep net, collected by Veereshkumar; Koppal, 1♂, 5.vii.2013, sweep net, Veereshkumar; Belgaum, 1♂, 16.viii.2014, sweep net, Veereshkumar. Tamil Nadu: Coimbatore, 1♀, iv.1960, P S Nathan.

Comments. The identity of the species described here with P. flaviventre could not be unequivocally confirmed; the holotype has not been located. The material described above appears to match the original description, which unfortunately is entirely based on markings. But Bingham (1897) specifically mentions the distinctive transverse posterior margin of the mesoscutellum in his rediscription. Whether this is based on the type is unclear, but the mention “Type in coll. Rothney”, something he does rarely includes in his species accounts, might suggest so. The proximity of the type locality “Poona” [Pune, Maharashtra] also supports its presence in Karnataka. This species exhibits feigned death behaviour immediately after collecting in the sweep net.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Female Pseudoanthidium flaviventre (Cameron) A) Face B) Mandible C) Scopa D) Dorsal view E) Ventral view.

FIGURE 18. Male Pseudoanthidium flaviventre (Cameron) A) Face B) Tergal apical segments C) Genitalia D) S 8 E) Dorsal view F) Ventral view.