Megachile (Callomegachile) chiangmaiensis Chatthanabun & Warrit, 2020

Chatthanabun, Nontawat, Ascher, John S., Pinkaew, Nantasak, Thanoosing, Chawatat, Traiyasut, Prapun & Warrit, Natapot, 2020, Resin bees of genus Megachile, subgenera Callomegachile and Carinula (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae) from Thailand with description of a new species, ZooKeys 997, pp. 95-144 : 95

Megachile (Callomegachile) chiangmaiensis Chatthanabun & Warrit sp. nov. Figs 30 , 31

Diagnosis.

The species superficially resembles M. disjuncta (Fabricius, 1781) in terms of its overall appearance and size: white tuft of hairs on scutellum, propodeum, and first few segments of metasomal terga; however, the prominent apical half-circular impression of clypeus with strong median carina (Fig. 31e ) differentiates M. chiangmaiensis sp. nov. from the former. Clypeal impression smooth with dense dark hairs at apex. Such a clypeal impression was also present in another species of Callomegachile , M. ramakrishnae (Cockerell, 1919), a rare bee collected in Tamil Nadu, India, although the impression in M. ramakrishnae is more or less shallower and the pattern of the mesosoma and white hairs band on T2-T3 are absent. The apex of the labrum is strongly pointed medially with two lateral teeth (Fig. 31f ).

Description.

Female. Length. Total body length 12.57-13.64; wingspan 18.60-22.56; fore wing 9.66 Structure and color. Head black; paraocular area with dense black hairs; clypeus with prominent apical half-circular impression with strong median carina; clypeal impression smooth with dense dark hairs at apex; smooth area of subtriangular supraclypeal with sparse punctures; mandible stout and elongate without cutting edge, mandible with three apical teeth, outer surface minutely roughened with long brown hairs; surface of labrum minutely roughened, apex of labrum medially strongly pointed with two lateral teeth; gena with sparse punctures; sparse punctures on vertex with ID shorter than OD, ID/OD = 0.55 ± 0.06; antennae with ten flagella, first flagellomere wider than long and shorter than the second; body parallel-sided; mesoscutum and lower part of mesepisternum with coarsely striate puncture pattern; mesoscutellum and propodeum with tuft of white hairs; procoxa with small ridge, covered with sparse brown hairs; pro- and mesotibiae with two spines at apices; apex of metatibiae truncate; pro-, meso- and metatarsi with dense brown short hairs; hyaline wings with smoky color at apex and dark brown veins; T1 and pregradular area of T2 covered with tuft of white hairs; T2-T5 with dense punctures on margin and short black hairs on each side; T6 covered with short black hairs, apex round shape; scopa black.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

Thailand. Chiang Mai and Uttaradit.

Material examined.

Female holotype. Thailand. "เชียงใหม่, 11 ก.ย. 56, ว ิมลชัย [Chiang Mai, 11 September 2013, coll. Vimolchai]" (KKIC-01); Female paratypes. Thailand. "Uttaradit, 8 April 1961, coll. unknown" (3♀, DNP-0002, DNP-0003, DNP-0004).

Etymology.

The new species is named after the type locality.

Remarks.

Megachile chiangmaiensis sp. nov. can be found in the same province as the morphologically similar congeneric species, M. disjuncta , although the latter are abundantly collected throughout Thailand. The biology of M. chiangmaiensis is unknown.

Figures

Figure 30. Thai distribution of Megachile (Callomegachile) chiangmaiensis new species.

Figure 31. Megachile (Callomegachile) chiangmaiensis Chatthanabun and Warrit, sp. nov., holotype, female a dorsal view b lateral view c frontal view d lateral view of mandible e oblique view of clypeus f clypeus and mandible g T 6 h lateral view of metasoma showing scopa.