Megachile leachella cretica Praz, new subspecies

Praz, Christophe J. & Benon, Dimitri, 2023, Revision of the leachella group of Megachile subgenus Eutricharaea in the Western Palaearctic (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Megachilidae): A renewed plea for DNA barcoding type material, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 95, pp. 143-198 : 143

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jhr.95.96796

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0AD4F90A-9A41-492D-84C3-C0AA1B8C275B

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1C984296-0E86-5C56-A370-FEAAFD42D570

treatment provided by

Journal of Hymenoptera Research by Pensoft

scientific name

Megachile leachella cretica Praz, new subspecies
status

 

Megachile leachella cretica Praz, new subspecies

Type material.

Holotype ♀ (Fig. 44 View Figures 40–45 ), Greece • Kreta [Crete], Ackerbrachen N Kournas See; 30m a.s.l; 35°20.239'N, 24°16.766'E; 4.vi.2012; V. Mauss leg.; (CPCN).

Paratypes (Suppl. material 1): 16♀ 6 ♂. Greece • ♀; Anatoli [Crete]; 11.vi.2005; Le Goff leg.; G. Le Goff Coll. • ♀; Crete Armeni (N. Rethimnis); 27.vii.2007; Le Goff leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265014; CPCN • ♀; Crete, Paleochora Camping; 0m a.s.l.; 20.x.2011; A. Müller leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00264819; CPCN • ♀; Crete, Paleochora Camping; 0m a.s.l.; 13.x.2011; A. Müller leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265010; CPCN • ♀; Crete, Paleochora Camping; 0m a.s.l.; 20.x.2011; A. Müller leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265011; DNA extraction number 536; BOLD: 14514-C03; CPCN • ♀; Crete, Paleochora Camping; 0m a.s.l.; 13.x.2011; A. Müller leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265012; CPCN • ♀; Crete, Paleochora Camping; 0m a.s.l.; 20.x.2011; A. Müller leg.; A. Müller Coll. • ♀; Crete, Paleochora Camping; 0m a.s.l.; 13.x.2011; A. Müller leg.; A. Müller Coll. • ♀; Crete, Sougia, Tamarix; 0m a.s.l.; 14.x.2011; A. Müller leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00264820; CPCN • ♀; Kreta Spili; 6.x.1993; F. Amiet leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265047; CPCN • ♀, 2♂; Kreta [Crete], Agia Galini; 5.x.1993; F. Amiet leg.; F. Amiet Coll. (NMBE) • ♂; Kreta [Crete], Berghang W von Amoudhari; 35°11.926'N, 24°04.396'E; 800-1100 m a.s.l.; 8.vi.2012; V. Mauss leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265018; CPCN • ♂; Kreta [Crete], S Stomio Phrygeana an Küste; 35°19.35'N, 23°33.04'E; 10 m a.s.l.; 10.vi.2002; A.W. Ebmer leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265016; CPCN • ♀; Kreta [Crete], S. Kallikratis Kulturland, obere Olea-Zone; 35°14.34'N, 24°15.38'E; 700 m a.s.l.; 6.vi.2002; A.W. Ebmer leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265013; CPCN • 2♀, ♂; Kreta [Crete], Spili; 6.x.1993; F. Amiet leg.; F. Amiet Coll. (NMBE) • ♀; Kreta [Crete], Vai 10m Phoenix th-Zone, an Thymus; 35°15.08'N, 26°15.39'E; 25.iv.2001; A.W. Ebmer leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265015; CPCN • ♂; Kreta [Crete], W Levka Ori N Vigia, Felssteppe; 35°21.50'N, 23°49.13'E; 750-800 m a.s.l.; 7.vi.2002; A.W. Ebmer leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265017; CPCN • ♀; Kreta [Crete], Umg. Von Loutro; 35°11.926'N, 24°04.396'E; 10 m a.s.l.; 7.vi.2012; V. Mauss leg.; V. Mauss Coll. • 2 ♂; Graecia Kriti; Iraklio Rodià; 12.vi.1996; leg. Scaramozzino; Max. Schwarz Coll. (OLML) • ♂; Graecia Kriti; Iraklio Matala; 15-17.vi.1996; leg. Scaramozzino; Max. Schwarz Coll. (OLML) • ♀; Kreta; Matala, Korno-Beach, Sand; 21.10.1996; leg. Stefan Tischendorf; S. Tischendorf Collection.

Distribution.

Restricted to the Island of Crete, Greece.

Description.

Female: highly similar to southern populations of the nominal subspecies, differs as follows: apical tergal fringes snow white (Figs 35 View Figures 32–39 , 44 View Figures 40–45 ), as in most southern European populations of the nominal subspecies; spots of white hairs of disc of T6 reduced to two well-separated spots (Fig. 35 View Figures 32–39 ), a condition otherwise not frequently observed in M. leachella . Terga 2-6 laterally with numerous erect dark hairs; such dark hairs are present in the UK, in Central Europe and on Sardinia and Corsica, but not elsewhere (e.g., in Greece, Turkey), where dark hairs are restricted to T5-6. Vertex and scutum covered with black hairs intermixed with light hairs. Vertex punctation particularly coarse and sparse (Fig. 42 View Figures 40–45 ), similar to or even coarser than in the UK (Fig. 40 View Figures 40–45 ) or central European populations, but unlike in southern Europe, where the vertex punctation is comparatively small and dense (cf. Figs 41 View Figures 40–45 , 43 View Figures 40–45 ). Punctation on disc of T4 comparatively dense (Fig. 38 View Figures 32–39 ), on average denser than in other populations (Fig. 37 View Figures 32–39 ), except in M. leachella densipunctata ssp. nov. from Cyprus (Fig. 39 View Figures 32–39 ). There is however considerable variation in this character in M. leachella sensu lato and the condition observed in Crete is within the observed range of variation in the species. Megachile leachella cretica ssp. nov. shows a combination of characters present in southern European (in particular the snow white vestiture) and central or northern European populations (dark hairs laterally on the terga, coarse punctation on the vertex).

Male: nearly identical to the nominal subspecies (Fig. 46 View Figures 46–56 ); the front tarsal segments 2-4 are more consistently orange, approaching the condition observed in M. leachella densipunctata ssp. nov. (cf. Fig. 52 View Figures 46–56 ) (usually at least partly dark brown in other populations of M. leachella ; Figs 48 View Figures 46–56 , 49 View Figures 46–56 , 51 View Figures 46–56 ); the preapical process of the gonostylus (Fig. 56 View Figures 46–56 ) appears to be slightly shorter on average than in the nominal subspecies (Fig. 54 View Figures 46–56 ), but only few males were available for study.

Etymology.

The subspecies epithet refers to the geographic distribution of this taxon, which is probably restricted to the Island of Crete.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Megachilidae

Genus

Megachile