Anthidium pullatum Morice, 1916

Kasparek, Max, Benarfa, Noudjoud & Sentil, Ahlam, 2024, Black bees in the desert: Description of a new species of wool carder bee (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae, Anthidium) from the northern Sahara with colouration atypical for xeric environments, Contributions to Entomology 74 (2), pp. 181-191 : 181-191

Anthidium pullatum Morice, 1916

Figs 1 , 2 , 3

Type material (examined).

Lectotype, by present designation. • ♀, ALGERIA: “ Oued Nça , Mzab county, April 16. – 30.1914 (E. H. & C. H.) ”, “ British Museum 1024-292 ”; “ 101 ”; NHMUK . – Paralectotype: • 1 ♀, data as for lectotype . – Notes: “ E. H. ” surely stands for Ernst Hartert, and “ C. H. ” for Carl Hilgert, two ornithologists who jointly conducted zoological research in Algeria in 1914. Ernst Hartert was at that time curator of birds at W. Rothschild’s Museum at Tring (Herts) and a large part of this zoological collection was later transferred to the NHMUK, which may explain the deposition of the bee material there. The type locality is Wadi N’sa (“ Oued Nça ”), Ghardaia Province of Algeria, in the M’zab (“ Mzab ”) region. According to the travel itinerary ( Hartert 1915), the collectors stayed at a rest house in Hassi er Rebib (32.65 ° N, 4.172 ° E) on the collection date. Pasteels (1981) reported that, despite extensive efforts, he was unable to locate the type material of A. pullatum . The specimens discussed here were not labelled as type material and had been stored for over a century in a drawer of unidentified material at the NHMUK. However, the labels on these two females unequivocally indicate that they are the types described by Morice (1913), which were previously believed to be lost.

Other material (examined).

MOROCCO • 1 ♀; 10 km N Mhamid ; 29.89 ° N, 5.72 ° E; 21. – 22 Apr. 1995; Mi. Halada leg.; CMK . • 1 ♀; 20 km SE Quarzazate , 30.78 ° N, 6.72 ° W; 10 Apr. 1996; M. Schwarz leg.; CMK • 9 ♀, 1 ♂; 20 km W Boudnib , 32.05 ° N, 3.77 ° W; 09 Apr. 1995; Mi. Halada leg.; CMK • 1 ♀; 40 km W Quarzazate, 5 km S Amerzgane , 31.01 ° N, 7.17 ° W; 08 Apr. 1996; O. & M. Niehuis leg.; CMK • 1 ♂; 80 km S Er Rachidia, 20 km W Rissani , 31.27 ° N, 4.41 ° W; 04 Apr. 1996; O. & M. Niehuis leg.; CMK ) • 1 ♂; Agdz , 30 km NW, 30.85 ° N, 6.63 ° W; 01 Apr. 1986; M. Schwarz leg.; CMK • 6 ♀, 2 ♂; Draa-Tafilalet : Quarzazate, P 1507, 3 km SSE Irhels, 30.70 ° N, 7.07 ° W; 12 Apr. 2022; T. Wood leg.; TJW (including barcoded specimens tjw 274 and tjw 283) • 1 ♀, 2 ♂; Draa-Tafilalet : Tazenakht, P 1507, 5 km NE Tazenakht, 30.62 ° N, 7.14 ° W; 17 Apr. 2022; T. Wood leg.; TJW • 3 ♀, 3 ♂; Foum Zguid , 50 km N, 30.49 ° N, 6.88 ° W; 30 Mar. 1986; M. Schwarz leg.; CMK • 1 ♂, Guelmim-Oued Noun : Ouaaroun, 28.91 ° N, 10.16 ° W; 23 Mar. 2023; A. Aglagane & O. Errguibi leg.; coll. Skaou Ayyoub, Marrakesh, Morocco • 1 ♀; Imi-n‘Kem, 50 km E Agdz , 30.86 ° N, 5.96 ° W; 15 Apr. 1996; M. Schwarz leg.; CMK • 1 ♂; Guelmim-Oued Noun : Ouaaroun, 28.91 ° N, 10.16 ° W; 23. iii. 2023; A. Aglagane. O. Errguibi leg.; coll. Ahlam Sentil, Mons, Belgium • 1 ♂; Quaouzagour : 30 km E Agdz, 30.68 ° N, 6.13 ° W; 14 Apr. 1996; J. Gusenleitner leg.; CMK • 1 ♀; Tagounite : 60 km S Zagora, 29.98 ° N, 5.58 ° W; 23. iv. 1995; Mi. Halada leg.; CMK • 2 ♂; Tizi-n-Fedrhate : 60 km NE Quarzazate, 31.11 ° N, 6.66 ° W; 11. iv. 1996; M. Schwarz leg.; CMK ) • 2 ♀, 1 ♂; Zagora , 30.38 ° N, 5.85 ° W; 09 Mar. 992; H. - J. Flügel leg.; CMK .

Material (not examined).

• 2 ♀, 1 ♂; 19 km SE Errachidia (“ Ksar-es-Souk ”), 31.93 ° N, 4.42 ° W; 20 Apr. 1968; J. G. Rozen & E. Suissa leg.; AMNH ( Warncke 1980; Pasteels 1981) • 1 ♀, 2 ♂; Erfoud, 31.43 ° N, 4.23 ° W; 21 Mar. 1990; leg. Teunissen; RMNH ( van der Zanden 1996) • 1 ♂; Uarz., Agdz, (30.70 ° N, 6.45 ° W; 8 Mar. 1988; Lefeber leg.; RMNH ( van der Zanden 1996 • 1 ♀; 32 km SE Quarzazate, 30.84 ° N, 6.59 ° W; 17 Apr. 1968 ( Warncke 1980).

Diagnosis.

Robust Anthidium species; female entirely black except for a minute yellow spot behind the eye (Fig. 1 B ); depression of terga 4 and 5 with fringe of appressed white hairs (Fig. 1 C ); hind tibia with strong longitudinal carina; mandible yellow with brown margins (Fig. 2 ). The female is distinguished from other dark Anthidium species in the West Palaearctic by the presence of a longitudinal carina on hind tibia (absent in A. montanum and A. nigrum sp. nov.), a whitish-yellow scopa (dark brown hairs in A. nigrum sp. nov.), and yellow mandibles with black teeth (mandibles and teeth black in A. montanum and A. nigrum sp. nov.). The male is characterized by the shape of tergum 7, which has a strong median spine and elongated lateral lobes, combined with a strongly reduced yellow maculation of the terga, featuring a small lateral yellow spot on terga 3 and 4, and lateral and mediolateral spots on tergum 5 (Fig. 3 A, C ).

Genetic barcode.

The DNA sequences of the barcoding unit of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI) has been obtained from two specimens from Morocco (tjw 274, tjw 283) and was made publicly available on the BOLD platform (https://www.boldsystems.org) for species identification purposes. The DNA sequence was assigned a new Barcode Index Number (BIN), BOLD: AFC 0815. BINs are unique identifiers assigned to clusters of DNA barcode sequences that represent distinct species or operational taxonomic units (OTUs).

Description female.

Length: 10 mm. Intertegular distance: 6.65 ± 0.36 mm (N = 25); radial cell length: 3.66 ± 0.19 mm (N = 25). Head. Black with a small round, yellow spot behind the eye (Fig. 1 B ); lower paraocular area sometimes with subtle, light brown brightening; clypeus slightly protruding at the longitudinal midline; punctation dense, somewhat denser apically than on rest of surface; clypeal apical margin black, protruding, with contiguous and confluent tubercles (Fig. 2 ); clypeal surface with apically curved hairs (but hairs often worn with ends broken off); mandible yellow with five black teeth separated by acute notches; acetabular carina sharp, extending to the second tooth (counted from the apical tooth); antenna dark brown; long silvery hairs around the antennal socket and on gena, less dense also on vertex. Mesosoma. Black; omaulus angular; punctation dense, with punctures separated by narrow ridges; punctures on scutellum and axilla slightly larger than on scutum; scutellum and axillae crescent-shaped in dorsal view, rounded in profile; scutellum depressed medioapically; pronotal lobe with anterior lamella. Metasoma. Terga 1–6 with very fine punctation, much finer than on scutum and scutellum; punctation on discs irregular with punctures of different diameters and shapes; punctation on depressions finer and regular; very narrow impunctate apical margin; depression of terga 4 and 5 with appressed fringe of silvery hairs (fringe denser on tergum 5 than on tergum 4); tergum 6 semi-trapezoid, depressed laterally and with an apical emargination to accommodate the sting; terga 1–6 with white hairs laterally; metasomal scopa silvery. Among 25 females examined, three had a minute lateral yellow spot on tergum 3, and one female had such spots on terga 2–5. Legs. Chestnut-brown; tibiae covered with long white hairs; hind tibia with strong longitudinal carina; inner face of tarsi with short, brown setae. Wing. Slightly infuscated; veins brown; the second recurrent vein intersects with, or is only slightly distal to, the second submarginal crossvein.

Description male.

Length: 11–15 mm. Intertegular distance: 7.43 ± 0.71 mm (N = 15); radial cell length: 4.50 ± 0.48 mm (N = 15). Head. Black, with bright yellow clypeus and lower paraocular area (Fig. 3 B ); small yellow spot behind the eye; apical margin of clypeus straight, dark brown; mandible yellow with three strong, black teeth; face with long silver hairs, partly concealing the clypeal surface; antenna black. Mesosoma. As in female. Metasoma. Tergum 1 black, tergum 2 with small, tergum 3 with somewhat larger lateral yellow spot; terga 4 and 5 with larger lateral and mediolateral spots; tergum 6 with acute lateral spine, apical margin denticulate; yellow, except for a black midline and broad apical margin; tergum 7 with a strong median spine and an elongate lateral lobe (Fig. 3 C ); S 6 with a rectangular median projection (3–4 times as broad as long) and small lateral spines. Legs. Black with white pubescence; hind tibia with strong, hind basitarsus with weak longitudinal carina; basitarsi long and slender. Wing. As female.

Relationships.

According to the structure of tergum 7 (elongated lateral lobes) and the venation of the wing, the Middle Eastern and Central Asian Anthidium taschenbergi Morawitz, 1894 may be closely related. The DOI barcoding sequence shows the closest similarity with Anthidium cingulatum Latreille, 1809 .

Biology.

Flight season March and April. The species was collected in Morocco flying at Lotus sp. ( Fabaceae ) and Antirrhinum cf. ramosus ( Plantaginaceae ) (M. Schwarz). The apically curved hairs on the clypeus of A. pullatum have been interpreted as an adaptation for pollen uptake from specific types of flowers ( Gonzalez and Griswold 2013; Müller 1969). Kasparek et al. (2022) noted relatively high pollen loads on the clypeus of A. pullatum (Fig. 2 ), similar to A. pectinatum , where the clypeus also serves for pollen transportation.

Distribution.

Saharo-Arabian faunal element. Known from deserts and semi-deserts to the south of the High Atlas range in Morocco and the Mzab region in the northern Sahara in Algeria (Fig. 6 ).

Figures

Figure 1. Anthidium pullatum, female, lectotype. A. Habitus, lateral; B. Habitus, dorsal; C. Apical terga; D. Hind tibia and tarsus; E. Head and mesosoma, dorsolateral.

Figure 2. Face of Anthidium pullatum, female, lectotype.

Figure 3. Anthidium pullatum, male. A. Habitus dorsal; B. Face; C. Apical terga.

Figure 6. Distribution of Anthidium pullatum (blue dots) and Anthidium nigrum sp. nov. (red dot).