Megachile angulata Smith.

Eardley, Connal, 2012, A taxonomic revision of the southern African species of the subgenus Creightonella Cockerell (Apoidea: Megachilidae: Megachile Latreille), Zootaxa 3159, pp. 1-35 : 12-15

Megachile angulata Smith.

Figs 6–7

Megachile angulata Smith, 1853: 157 , female holotype (NHML) Gambia.

Creightoniella [!] angulata (Smith) : Pasteels 1965: 17, 20, 33, 37–41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 57.

Creightonella angulata (Smith) : Pasteels 1970: 213, 214; Schulten 1977: 46; Pauly 1998: 26.

Megachile mandibulata Smith, 1853: 160 , male holotype (NHML) South Africa; Pasteels 1965: 38.

Megachile (Megachile) mandibulata Smith : Friese 1909: 326, 330, 361, 367, 389, syn.

Megachile (Creightonella) mandibulata Smith : Cockerell 1937: 142, 198, syn.

Megachile hopilitis Vachal, 1903: 371 , male holotype (type depository unknown) Mozambique. Syn. nov.

Creightoniella [!] hopilitis (Vachal) : Pasteels 1965: 20, 41, 43.

Megachile triangulifera Friese, 1904: 333 –334, male syntypes (ZMHB) Zimbabwe; Pasteels 1965: 41, syn.

Megachile elegans Friese, 1922: 23 –24, male and female syntypes (ZMHB) Zimbabwe; Pasteels 1965: 38, syn.

Megachile arnoldiana Brauns, 1926: 226 –228, male holotype (TMSA) Zimbabwe; Pasteels 1965: 38, syn.

Megachile (Creightonella) vanderysti Cockerell, 1935b: 242 –243, male holotype (MRAC) Democratic Republic of the Congo. Syn. nov.

Megachile (Creightonella) vanderysti Cockerell : Pasteels 1965: 41, syn. hoplitis.

Megachile triangulifera kivuicola Cockerell, 1937: 127 , 244, male holotype (MRAC or NHML) Democratic Republic of the Congo; Pasteels 1965: 41, syn. hoplitis. Syn. nov.

Megachile (Creightonella) heptadonta Cockerell, 1937 , 127, 182–183, male holotype (NHML) South Africa. Syn. nov.

Creightoniella [!] heptadonta (Cockerell) : Pasteels 1965: 21, 56, 57.

Discussion. Smith (1853) first described this species, as angulata , from a female collected in Gambia, and as mandibulata , from a male taken in South Africa. They were synonymized by Cockerell (1937) who made M. angulata the valid name. The holotypes have been studied.

Vachal (1903) described M. hopilitis from Mozambique. Although the type material has not been studied, that of its juniour synonym, triangulifera , was studied and hoplitis is here synonymized with angulata . Friese (1904) described triangulifera and Pasteels (1965) synonymized it with hopilitis , which is here synonymized with angulata . Friese (1922) described elegans from Zimbabwe, and Pasteels (1965) synonymized it with angulata . The female syntype of elegans was studied and this synonymy is confirmed. Brauns (1926) described arnoldiana and Pasteels (1965) synonymized angulata and arnoldiana . The holotype of arnoldiana was studied and Pasteels (1965) synonymy is confirmed. Cockerell (1935b) described vanderysti and the variety triangulifera kivuicola , both from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Pasteels (1965) synonymized them both with hoplitis. The types have been studied and this synonymy is confirmed. Cockerell (1937) described heptadonta . The holotype has been studied and it is here synonymized with angulata .

Diagnosis. Female. Vestiture, head, mesosoma and T1 mostly white, vertex, scutum, dorsal surfaces of fore and middle tarsi mostly black; T2–T5 black with white distal fringes; T6 mostly white ( Fig. 6a–b ); scopa orange. Lengths: face 3.3 mm, scutum 2.5 mm, forewing 9.9 mm, body 11.0 mm. Structure. Clypeus 1.5x as wide as long, strongly convex, densely punctuate, except narrowly and indistinctly glabrous mediolongitudinally, ventral edge straight ( Fig. 6a ); clypeocellus: clypeus 1:0.6; scopal hairs pointed.

Male. Vestiture white, except, vertex and scutum mostly black, T2–T5 black with white distal fringes; T6 shield–like, mostly white, T7 black ( Fig. 6c–d ). Lengths: face 3.0– 3.7 mm, scutum 1.8–2.6 mm, forewing 8.7–11.1 mm, body 10.5–13.5 mm. Structure. Clypeus convex above, flat below, ventral edge concave medially with tubercle on either side of concavity; mandible with three apical teeth, one large tooth on ventral edge ( Fig. 6e ); foretarsus unmodified; T6 shield–like, with mediolongitudinal carina, distinctly concave posteromedially, tooth adjacent to concavity and posterolaterally ( Fig. 6d ); T7 with mediolongitudinal keel, rounded to pointed posteromedially; S4 gently concave posteromedially, without tubercles; S8 and genitalia as in cognata (cf. Fig. 2d–f ).

Distribution ( Fig. 7 ). Megachile angulata appears to be widely distributed in southern Africa, but not common in collections. It is also widely distributed further north in Africa.

Biology. Aeschynomene dimidiata bequaerti , Alchornea sp., Aspalathus subtingens , Asteraceae , Commelinaceae , Crotalaria sp., Croton hirtus , Dolichos complanatus , Indigofera capitata , Indigofera sp., Justica sp., Lamiaceae , Lythraceae , Ocimum sp., Arecaceae , Passifloraceae , Sesamum sp., Solenostemon sp., Tephrosia sp. and Virectaria multiflora have all been recorded as food plants of M. angulata .

Material examined. Type material. Female holotype of Megachile angulata : ‘ Type, B.M. TYPE HYM 17a 2086, angulata Type Sm., Megachile angulata Sm. Type, Megachile mandibulata Smith , Gambia Renoall’, in NHML. Female holotype of Megachile mandibulata : ‘ Type, B.M. TYPE HYM 17a 2087, mandibulata Type Sm., Megachile mandibulata Type Sm., Megachile mandibulata Smith, Port Natal , Creightonella mandibulata Det. D.B. Baker, 1978 ’, [29.51S 31.01E] in NHML. Male syntype of Megachile triangulifera : ‘Shilouvane N. Transvaal 10 (Junod), Megachile triangulifera male Fr. 1904 Friese det., Type, Coll. Friese, Zool. Mus. Berlin, LECTOTYPE Megachile triangulifera Fr. 1904 Det. D.B. Baker 1980 = Creightonella t.’, [24.10S 30.14E] in ZMHB. Female syntype of Megachile elegans : ‘Bulawayo S. Rhodesia 28.x.1913 G. Arnold, Type, Megachile elegans female Fr. 1913 Friese det., Zool. Mus. Berlin, Coll. Friese, LECTOTYPE Megachile elegans Fr., 1922 Det., D.B. Baker 1980 = Creightonella triangulifera (Fr., 1904) ’, [20.09S 28.35E] in ZMHB. Male holotype of Megachile arnoldiana : TYPE Hym 1063 Megachile arnoldiana Brauns male, Sawmills, S.R. 28.10.1919 Rhodesia Museum, Megachile arnoldiana Br. , Megachile arnoldiana Br. Type male’, in TMSA. Male holotype of Megachile vanderysti : ‘ TYPE; MUSEE DU CONGO Luluaourg vii–1930 R.P.Vandetyst; Megachile vanderysti Ckll TYPE’, in MRAC. Male holotype of Megachile triangulifera kivuicola : ‘ Type, B.M. TYPE HYM 17a 2089, Megachile triangulifera kivuicola Ckll TYPE, BELGIAN CONGO, Tsh 12, Mt. S. Tshibinda 21–27.viii.1931 Mrs. L. Ogilivie’, in NHML. Male holotype of Megachile heptadonta : ‘ Type B.M. TYPE HYM 17a 2984, Megachile heptadonta Ckll TYPE, S.Africa R.E.Turner Brit. Mus. 1925–79, Cape Province Ceres jan 1925 ’, in NHML.

Additional material. Zimbabwe. Umtali district [18.58S 32.40E], 15.x.1932, P. Sheppard (1 female 1 male, TMSA, 1 female, SANC); idem, 24.ix.1920, i.1949 (2 males, SAMC); Saw Mills [19.35S 28.02E], 28.xii.1919 (1 female, SAMC); Hope Fountain [20.16S 28.41E], 5.ii.1922 (1 male, SAMC); Bulawayo [20.09S 28.35E], 1.x. 1923,12. x.1932, R. Stevenson (2 males, TMSA); Motopas [20.09S 28.35E], 11.v.1924 (1 male, SAMC); Gwaai [22.42S 28.12E], 16.i.1927 (3 females, SAMC). Lesotho. Mamathes [29.08S 27.51E], 09.iii.1947, 29.xi.1947, 28.i.1951, 23.i.1949, 14.ii.1953, C.F. Jacot Guillarmod (6 specimens, AMSA). South Africa. Happy Rest Nature Reserve, 22.59S 29.46E, 10.iii.1990, C. Eardley (1 male, SANC); Nylsvley Nature Reserve [24.39S 28.42E], x.1978, G. Ferreira (2 female, SANC); Phelendaba, 27.05S 32.32E, 10.ii.1990, B. Grobbelaar (1 female, SANC); Tembe Elephant Park, Sihangwane area, 27.02S 32.25E, 100m 1.ii–4.ii.1996, E. Grobbelaar (1 male, SANC); Ndumu Game Reserve, 26.54S 32.15E, 21–22.i.,1981, G. Prinsloo (2 males, SANC); Kuleni Farm, Hluhulwe, 27.54S 32.22E, 14.ii.1990, B. Grobbelaar (1 male, SANC); Mbaswane [27.28S 32.34E], iv.1977, G. Prinsloo (1 male, SANC); Sodwana, 27.32S 32.41E, 19–21.xii.1991, M. Stiller (1 female 1 male, SANC); Mkuze Game Reserve [27.30S 32.15E], Bube Hide, 03.iii.1985, A.J. Weaving (1 specimen, AMSA).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Known distribution of Megachile angulata.

FIGURE 6 a – e. Megachile angulata. a. Female face. b. Female habitus. c. Male face. d. Male habitus. e. Male mandible.

FIGURE 2 a – f. Megachile cognata. a. Female mandible. b – f. Male. b. T 6. c. S 4. d. S 6. e. S 8. f. Genital capsule.