Protosmia (Nanosmia) schwarzi Griswold, 2013

Griswold, Terry L., 2013, New Palearctic bee species of Protosmia subgenus Nanosmia (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Journal of Melittology 2013 (20), pp. 1-9 : 5-6

Protosmia (Nanosmia) schwarzi Griswold , new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:27415516-D104-4880-B38E-93968FB56EFD

( Figs. 7–9, 14, 18)

DIAGNOSIS: Males differ from all other Nanosmia by the combination of: labrum and lower margin of mandible without dense pubescence; F3 short, at most as long as broad; hind tibia without dense dorsal pubescence; T2 with medially interrupted apical fascia; T6 with apical margin rounded; S1 densely punctate laterally, without dense longitudinal pubescent band medially, apical margin truncate but medially with shallow emargination; tegula and tergal margins dark, not yellow. The forms of S5 and S6 ( Figs. 8, 9) are distinctive. Females of P. schwarzi share with P. querquedula van der Zanden and P. asensioi a combination that is unique within Nanosmia : propodeal basal zone with fine, not coarse, longitudinal carinae; labial palpus without hooked setae; labrum with apical tuft in addition to sparse pubescence; and flagellum dark brown. They differ from P. querquedula and P. asensioi by scopal setae blunt apically; and by the combination of middle tooth of mandible not closer to lower tooth than to upper ( Fig. 14 ), hind tibia with sparse pubescence on dorsal margin, and T3 with broad gap in apical pubescent band, gap little narrower than on T1.

DESCRIPTION: ♂: Length, 4–4.5 mm; forewing length, 2.5–3 mm. Color: Black except flagellum, tegula, distal tarsi, S1 and S4 distally brown; posterior margin of S1, wings hyaline. Pubescence: White; dense, obscuring integument on lower half of face, pronotal shoulder; long, abundant on apical margin of scutellum; indistinct ventral fringe on midfemur. T1–T2 with apical interrupted fasciae. Structure: Head slightly broader than long. Mouthparts in repose reaching forecoxa; galea slightly shorter than head. Labrum without basal ridge. Clypeus scarcely convex in profile, not modified laterally, apical margin crenulate. F1 broader than long; F2 broader than long; remaining flagellar segments one and one-third times as long as broad. Preoccipital ridge not carinate. Forefemur slender, sparsely punctate posteroventrally. Forebasitarsus slender. Midfemur slender, unmodified. T6 with reflexed apical rim, margin broadly convex medially. S1 as broad as long, densely punctate, apical margin strongly, broadly convex, scarcely covering apex of S2 medially, not reflexed, dorsal pubescent surface not visible when metasoma in normal position. S2 with disk depressed medially, densely pubescent, apical margin slightly convex, with shallow setae-fringed emargination on medial two-fifths. S3 with disk depressed, densely clothed with erect pubescence, margin shallowly concave, laterally with shallow notch, entire margin with long, medially-directed fringe. S4 with sparse, long setae covering most of disk, margin moderately convex, without lateral notch, with distinctly separated pair of medially-directed fringes. Genitalia and associated sterna as in figures 7–9.

♀: Length, 5.5 mm; forewing length, 3.5 mm. Color: Black except mandible apically, flagellum, tegula, distal tarsi, S1 and S4 distally brown; wings hyaline. Pubescence: White; dense, obscuring integument across face at level of antennal sockets, pronotal shoulder; long, abundant on apical margin of scutellum; indistinct ventral fringe on midfemur, sparse on dorsal margin of hindtibia. T1–T4 with apical, broadly interrupted fasciae, weak on T4, width of interruption on T3 only slightly greater than on T1. Structure: Head slightly longer than broad. Mouthparts in repose reaching forecoxa; galea slightly shorter than head. Labial palpus without long hooked setae. Labrum with scattered erect setae and long apical tuft. Mandible with second tooth farther from first tooth than from third, ratio = 1.3 ( Fig. 14 ). Clypeus with low rounded convexity, apical margin simple, scarcely concave. F3 width approximately two-thirds width of F10. Preoccipital ridge not carinate. Propodeal basal zone with fine, not coarse, longitudinal carinae. Forebasitarsus slender, slightly broader apically, ratio of length to apical width 3.3. Scopal setae blunt apically.

HOLOTYPE: ♂: Marokko, 12.4.1996, Tizi-n-Tinififft , 25 km NW Agdz, 6°37’[W] 30°44’ [N], 1660m, leg. M. Schwarz [Ansfelden].

PARATYPES: MOROCCO: 1♂, same data as holotype [Logan] . TUNISIA: 1♂ 3♀♀, 10 km SE Matmata , 15 Apr 1994, M. Schwarz [Ansfelden] ; 1♀, same data [Logan] ; 1♂, 30 km S Medenine , 12 Apr 1994, M. Schwarz [Ansfelden] ; 1♀, 30 km S Medenine , 12 Apr 1994, J. Gusenleitner [Linz] ; 1♀, Matmata , SW Gabes, 7 Apr 1994, U. Willand [Linz] .

DISTRIBUTION: North coast of Africa from Morocco to Tunisia.

ETYMOLOGY: It is an honor to name this species after my colleague and friend, Maximilian Schwarz, who has done so much to further our understanding of the world’s bees.

COMMENTS: One other described Nanosmia is present in North Africa, P. decipiens Benoist , known only from the female. In females of P. decipiens the tergal margins are hyaline and partly yellowish in contrast to the dark, opaque tergal margins of P. schwarzi . Presumably, this distinction would apply to males.

Figures

Figures 13–16. Female mandibles. 13. Protosmia montana Müller. 14. P. schwarzi, new species. 15. P. trifida, new species. 16. P. hamulifera, new species. Scale bars represent 0.1 mm.