Chalicodoma (Alocanthedon) memecylonae Engel

Engel, Michael S. & Gonzalez, Victor H., 2011, Alocanthedon, a new subgenus of Chalicodoma from Southeast Asia (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), ZooKeys 101, pp. 51-80 : 62-66

Chalicodoma (Alocanthedon) memecylonae Engel sp. n. Figs 172529-31

Holotype.

Malaysia (Peninsular): ♂, Malaya, Penang, Batu Feringgi, 17 November 1963, H.T. Pagden (NHML).

Paratypes.

Malaysia (Peninsular): 2♂♂, Malaya, Pangkor Island, 5.i.1958 [5 January 1958], H.T. Pagden (NHML); 1♂, Malaya, Penang, Botanical Gardens at flowers Duranta [an introduced ornamental of Verbenaceae , native to the Americas, and accordingly not considered a host plant record herein], 11.xi.1958 [11 November 1958], H.T. Pagden (NHML); 1♂, Malaya, Penang, Batu Feringgi, 17 November 1963, H.T. Pagden (NHML); 1♀, Malaya, Penang, Mt. Erskine Road, at Memecylon , 18 July 1955, H.T. Pagden (NHML); 1♀, Malaya, Penang, Mt. Erskine Road, 3 June 1955, H.T. Pagden (NHML); 1♀, Malaya, Penang, Mt. Erskine Road, 9 August 1955, H.T. Pagden (SEMC); 1♀, Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 10.9.1933 [10 September 1933], H.M. Pendlebury, Ex F.M.S. [Federated Malay States] Museum (NHML); 1♀, Malay Penin. [Peninsula], West Coast, Langkawi Is. [Island], 19 April 1928, H.M. Pendlebury, Ex F.M.S. [Federated Malay States] Museum (NHML); 1♀, Selangor, Serdang, 10.xii.1928 [10 December 1928], H.T. Pagden (NHML); 1♀, Serdang, in Memecy. [ Memecylon ], 10.xii.1928 [10 December 1928], H.T. Pagden (NHML).

Diagnosisn.

Both sexes of this species have yellow forewings with grayish hyaline apex. The male can be easily recognized by the clypeus with the disc not densely covered by setae (Fig. 18) and the absence of a patch of dense setae in the medial cell of the forewing (Fig. 20). The female is most similar to Chalicodoma atratiforme from which it can be separated by the mesoscutum with more pronounced transverse wrinkling on disc, posteriorly with well-defined coarse, irregular punctures separated by a less than a puncture width, not loosely arranged in transverse series like those in wrinkles (Fig. 25). Also, the hypostomal area is more coarsely punctate than in Chalicodoma atratiforme .

Description.

As described for Chalicodoma odontophorum (vide supra) except as follows: Total body length 18.0 mm; forewing length 12.7 mm. Head broader than long (width 5.0 mm, length 3.7 mm); intertorular distance 1.6 times torulorbital distance; interocellar distance 1.9 times median ocellar diameter, 1.2 times ocellocular distance; ocelloccipital distance 3.4 times median ocellar diameter; compound eye about twice as long as wide, slightly broader than gena in profile. Procoxal spine shorter and broader than that of Chalicodoma odontophorum , with weak depression between spine and oblique lamella of procoxa, lamella short, posterobasally setose on spine, anterior surface not setose; protibia with strong, outer, posterior carina running along apical three-quarters of length, apically produced into small posteriorly-directed spine, not carinate along transverse apex of protibia, anterior border ridged but not carinate, apical anterior surface not depressed; protarsus modified as in figure 21; meso- and metafemora somewhat swollen; mesotibial spur relatively straight, with bluntly rounded apex. Postgradular depressions deeper and broader than in female; terga II–IV with apical transverse ridge (caudad postgradular depression), ridges somewhat sinuate laterally, weak medially on terga II–III, entirely weak on tergum IV; preapical carina of sixth tergum produced, weakly and narrowly concave medially (Fig. 22). Genitalia as in figures 29-31.

Integument black throughout except tegula, legs, and metasomal sterna largely dark reddish brown (nearly black in many areas), and expansions of protarsi dark brown. Wings orange-yellow except apical margin of forewing and apical and posterior margins of hind wing grayish hyaline (Fig. 17); venation ferruginous to orange-yellow.

Mandible with outer surface shiny, irregularly punctate; vertex with coarse, shallow punctures separated by less than a puncture width, integument between finely imbricate, punctures becoming more shallow toward preoccipital carina; upper gena with irregular punctures separated by finely imbricate integument, remainder of gena and posterior postgena with more regular punctures separated by a puncture width or frequently less, integument otherwise finely imbricate. Mesoscutum anteriorly and medially transversely wrinkled with irregular punctures, such integument blending laterally outside of parapsidal lines and posteriorly to coarsely and contiguously punctate, integument between (where evident) finely imbricate; axillae and mesoscutellum coarsely and contiguously punctate throughout. Dorsal-facing surface of first metaso mal tergum imbricate with small punctures nearly contiguous; remaining terga sculptured as on dorsal-facing surface of first metasomal tergum.

Pubescence generally dark fuscous to black except as follows: clypeus apically with dense fringe of long, apically-directed reddish setae (Figs. 18, 19); supraclypeal area with long, numerous, tawny setae, but not entirely obscuring integument; white and black setae arranged on protarsus and apex of protibia as in figure 21; wing setae generally yellow or tawny yellow, without dense cluster of setae forming spot in medial cell (Figs. 17, 20).

Female: As for the male except in usual sexual differences and as follows: Total body length 20 mm; forewing length 13.2 mm. Head broader than long (width 5.2 mm, length 3.7 mm); intertorular distance 1.2 torulorbital distance; interocellar distance 2.4 times median ocellar diameter, 1.3 times ocellocular distance; ocelloccipital distance 4.4 times median ocellar diameter; compound eye about twice as long as wide, slightly narrower than gena in profile. Mandible with four teeth; body of mandible short, basal section about as long as or slightly shorter than apical, dentate margin. Labrum rectangular, with apical row of stiff, erect, long setae running along apical margin; apical margin relatively straight. Clypeus without pronounced, medioapical tubercle, margin relatively straight. First flagellomere short, about two-thirds length of second flagellomere; remaining flagellomeres all about twice as long as wide. Procoxae, tibiae, tarsi, and spurs unmodified; pretarsal claws long, curved, simple. Postgradular depressions weaker than in male; terga without transverse ridges, with slight lateral swellings on terga II–IV.

Mandible with outer surface dull, irregularly punctate and microreticulate; clypeus imbricate with coarse, shallow punctures separated by less than a puncture width except along apical border. Mesoscutum anteriorly and medially transversely wrinkled, more weakly so than in male, with irregular punctures, such integument blending laterally and posteriorly to coarsely punctate, punctures separated by less than a puncture width, integument between punctures finely imbricate; axillae and mesoscutellum strongly coarsely punctate, punctures separated by less than a puncture width throughout.

Usual sex differences in setation; pubescence dark fuscous to black except microtrichia on inner surface of mandible dark golden and small dirty white patch on lateral surface of propodeum near metacoxa; clypeus and supraclypeal area not obscured by dense pubescence.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is based on the plant generic name Memecylon (neuter), and at which the type series was captured.

Floral records.

The paratype females were captured at flowers of " Memecylon umbellatum " Wall. (Myrtales: Memecylaceae ), a nomen nudum for what is today recognized by the accepted name Memecylon lilacinum Zoll. & Moritz, and not to be confused with Memecylon umbellatum Burm.f. in Peninsular India and Sri Lanka.