Megachile impressipuncta Alfken 1934

Praz, Christophe, Al-Shahat, Ahmed M. & Gadallah, Neveen S., 2021, Taxonomic revision of the subgenus Eutricharaea Thomson in Egypt, with a key to the species and the description of two new species (Hymenoptera, Anthophila Megachilidae, genus Megachile Latreille), Zootaxa 5032 (3), pp. 301-330 : 312-313

Megachile impressipuncta Alfken 1934

Figs 20–23 .

Megachile impressipuncta Alfken 1934: 151 , ♀, “ Wadi Um Elek [ Egypt]“. Holotype ♀, ZMHB.

Type material: Holotype ♀, a specimen in good condition: 1. “Wadi um Elek 28.7.31”. 2. “ Coll. Farag Egypt, Min. of Agriculture ”. 3. “Typus” [printed on red label]. 4. “ Megachile impressipuncta sp. nova det. J. D. Alfken 1933”. 5. “ Lectotype M. impressipuncta des. van der Zanden 1993” ( ZMHB). Since Alfken (1934) refers to a single female, the designation of a lectotype is not necessary.

Additional material: MOROCCO: 1 ♀, Er Rachidia 15 km W, 1400 m, 4.7.1987, leg. M. Schwarz ( CPCN) ; 1 ♀, Zagora, M. [ Mitte = mid].6.[19]62, leg. W. Schläfle ( CPCN) ; 1 ♂, 20 km E Tiznit, Assaka 29.690N 9.530W, 190 m NN, 16.06.2014, leg. C. Schmid-Egger ma16 ( CPCN) ; 1 ♂, Val Draa , 80k. s. Zagora, Mhamid, 29.5.1995, leg. C. Schmid-Egger ( CPCN) ; ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: 1 ♀, Hazeva Field School , 17.vii.1997, leg. A. Maklakov ( SMNH) ; 1 ♂, Park Yeroham , 19.vii.2007, leg. Freiberg ( SMNH) .

Distribution: Egypt, Israel and Palestine, Morocco.

Diagnosis: Female: Megachile impressipuncta can be recognized using the following combination of morphological traits: body size approximately 12 mm; integument dark brown, except mandibles, antennae including scape, legs including all coxa and parts of T1 orange-red. Punctation diagnostic, as follows: on tergal discs, punctation moderately fine and sparse, interspaces 1–2 puncture diameters ( Fig. 22 ); on mesonotum very fine and dense ( Fig. 20 ); punctation on vertex very fine and dense, punctures comparable to those on mesonotum, interspaces much smaller than one puncture diameter; the vertex punctation is not visible unless the typical, dense vestiture is removed ( Fig. 20 ). T2 but not T3 laterally with fovea. Clypeus apically with wide, impunctate shiny margin; disc of clypeus finely and densely punctate ( Fig. 21 ). Vestiture predominantly white, scopa black on S6, vertex with dense, appressed, brown vestiture entirely obscuring cuticula.

Male: (First description): Body length 12 mm; integument dark brown, at least legs and sternites partly orange. T2 but not T3 with fovea. T6 with preapical carina strongly denticulate, strongly produced apically. Front tarsi unmodified, integument brown-orange, tarsal segments 2, 3 and 4 without dark maculations ventrally. Punctation on tergites moderately fine and dense; punctures on mesonotum similar in size to those on tergites, interspaces shiny, approximately 0.75 puncture diameter ( Fig. 23 ); punctures on vertex comparatively fine and dense ( Fig. 23 ).

Figures

FIGURES 20–23. Megachile impressipuncta. 20. Dorsal view of mesosoma and head of female. 21. Front view of female. 22. Dorsal view of female metasoma. 23. Dorsal view of mesosoma and head of male.