Megachile leucostoma Perez , 1907

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

Megachile leucostoma Perez, 1907

Figs 57-60

Megachile leucostoma Pérez, 1907: 489, ♂, "Dibba [Oman]". Holotype ♂ (MNHN).

Megachile submucida Alfken, 1926: 126, ♀, ♂ partim, "Kingi [Maryut, sw von Alexandria; Egypt]". Lectotype ♀, by designation of van der Zanden (1986: 66) (SMFD). Synonymy in Praz et al. (2021).

Megachile microxantha Cockerell, 1937: 205, ♂, "Aden [Yemen]". Holotype ♂ (BMNH). Synonymy in Praz et al. (2021).

Megachile privigna Rebmann, 1968: 40, ♂, "Fayed [Egypt]". Holotype ♂ (SMFD). Synonymy in Praz et al. (2021).

Examined material and distribution.

See Praz et al. (2021).

Geographic variation.

In Israel, Jordan and Oman, the scopa is nearly entirely orange (see above under M. anatolica ); in the UAE, the scopa is mostly white, orange on S6. In Egypt, the scopa is usually dark on S6, white on S2-S5, but often slightly orange on S5. Whether the white scopa, as observed in Egypt, is the result of introgression with M. pusilla , remains unknown. It is also possible that the orange scopa is the result of introgression with the taxon referred to as M. venusta from Africa, which nearly always has orange scopa. Given its wide distribution in Egypt and in the Arabian Peninsula, M. leucostoma may in fact be present in the Afrotropical region, and could be conspecific with an African taxon, for example M. modestissima Dalla Torre, 1896 (a replacement name for M. modesta Smith, 1879, presumably described from the Karthoum area; see below). Megachile modestissima is currently placed in synonymy with M. venusta .

Figures

Figures 57 - 60. Megachile leucostoma 57 female metasoma 58 female metasomal tergum 4 59 female vertex 60 apex of female clypeus.