Megachile leachella densipunctata Praz, new subspecies

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 leachella densipunctata Praz, new subspecies

Type material.

Holotype ♀ (Fig. 45 ), Cyprus • 8 km N Pafos, Mavrokolympos Res.; 34.85°N, 32.40°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; (CPCN).

Paratypes (Suppl. material 1): 27♀ 19 ♂, Cyprus • ♂; 15 km SE Pafos, Kouklia; 34.72°N, 32.55°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265023; CPCN • ♂; 15 km SE Pafos, Kouklia; 34.72°N, 32.55°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265025; CPCN • ♂; 15 km SE Pafos, Kouklia; 34.72°N, 32.55°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265026; CPCN • ♂; 15 km SE Pafos, Kouklia; 34.72°N, 32.55°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; A. Müller Coll. • 2♀ 2♂; 15 km SE Pafos, Kouklia; 34.72°N, 32.55°E; 20.vi.2013; C. Schmid-Egger leg.; C. Schmid-Egger Coll. • ♀; 1 kmSE Pano Panagia, Quercus infectoria-Zone; 34.54(.32)°N, 32.37(.34)°E; 800 m a.s.l.; 6.vi.2013; A. W. Ebmer leg.; A. W. Ebmer Coll. • ♀; 20 km NNW Pafos, Lara Beach; 34.94°N, 32.31°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265019; CPCN • ♀; 20 km NNW Pafos, Lara Beach; 34.94°N, 32.31°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265020; CPCN • ♀; 20 km NNW Pafos, Lara Beach; 34.94°N, 32.31°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265021; CPCN • ♀; 20 km NNW Pafos, Lara Beach; 34.94°N, 32.31°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265022; CPCN • ♀; 20 km NNW Pafos, Lara Beach; 34.94°N, 32.31°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; A. Müller Coll. • ♀; 20 km NNW Pafos, Lara Beach; 34.94°N, 32.31°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; OLML • ♂; 20 km NNW Pafos, Lara Beach; 34.94°N, 32.31°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265027; CPCN • ♂; 20 km NNW Pafos, Lara Beach; 34.94°N, 32.31°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; OLML • 6♀ 2♂; 20 km NNW Pafos, Lara Beach; 34.94°N, 32.31°E; 20.vi.2013; C. Schmid-Egger leg.; C. Schmid-Egger Coll. • ♀; 6 km W Polis, botanical Garden; 35.03°N, 32.37°E; 20.vi.2013; C. Schmid-Egger leg.; C. Schmid-Egger Coll. • ♂; 8 km N Pafos, Mavrokolympos Res.; 34.85°N, 32.40°E; 20.vi.2013; Schmid-Egger leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265028; CPCN • 2♀ 1♂; 8 km N Pafos, Mavrokolympos Res.; 34.85°N, 32.40°E; 20.vi.2013; C. Schmid-Egger leg.; C. Schmid-Egger Coll. • ♂; ca 5 km N Lemithou Pinus-Zone; 34°58.08'N, 32°48.27'E; 1170 m a.s.l.; 15.vi.2013; A.W. Ebmer leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265035; CPCN • 2♀; ca 5 km N Lemithou Pinus-Zone; 34°58.08'N, 32°48.27'E; 1170 m a.s.l.; 15.vi.2013; A. W. Ebmer leg.; A. W. Ebmer Coll. • ♀; ca 5 km N Lemithou Pinus-Zone,; 34°58.08'N, 32°48.27'E; 1170 m a.s.l.; 15.vi.2013; A.W. Ebmer leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265030; CPCN • 3♂; Moni Troodotissa Umg. P. brutia/Qu. alnifolia/Arbustus andrachne-Zone; 1350 m a.s.l.; 16.vi.2013; A. W. Ebmer leg.; A. W. Ebmer Coll. • ♀; NE Nata, Ufer des Xerós /Obstgarten; 34°47.17'N, 32°35.38'E; 130 m a.s.l.; 7.vi.2013; A.W. Ebmer leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265033; CPCN • 2♀; S Kakopetria, E Platania, P. Brutia/Qu. alnifolia/A.andrachne; 34°56.54'N, 32°55.59'E; 1200 m a.s.l.; 12.vi.2013; A. W. Ebmer leg.; A. W. Ebmer Coll. • ♀; S Kakopetria, E Platania, P. Brutia/Qu. alnifolia/A.andrachne; 34°56.54'N, 32°55.59'E; 130 m a.s.l.; 12.vi.2013; A.W. Ebmer leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265031; CPCN • ♀; Strasse Prodromos>Troodos, an Lotus corniculatus ; 34°56.55'N, 32°51.01'E; 1550 m a.s.l.; 16.vi.2013; A.W. Ebmer leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265032; CPCN • ♂; Troodos Mt. Olympos; 34.93°N, 32.86°E; 1900 m a.s.l.; 20.vi.2013; C. Schmid-Egger leg.; C. Schmid-Egger Coll. • ♂; W Polis, ca. 3 kmW Neo Chorio, Ag. Minas ruderal/Feuchstelle; 35°01(.23)'N, 32°20(.36)'E; 240 m a.s.l.; 5.vi.2013; A.W. Ebmer leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265034; CPCN • ♀; 2011; Sedivy & Müller leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265024; DNA extraction number 538; BOLD 14514D09; CPCN • ♂; 2011; Sedivy & Müller leg.; Unique identifier: GBIFCH00265036; DNA extraction number 537; CPCN • ♀; Limassol Cherkes Chiftlik; Site 1 36SVD9916334336; 1.ix.2017; A. Varnava leg.; Unique identifier: AV-17-01331; A. Varnava Collection • ♀; Limassol Cherkes Chiftlik; Site 1 36SVD9916334336; 15.vii.2016; A. Varnava leg.; Unique identifier: AV-16-00324; CPCN • ♂; Limassol Cherkes Chiftlik; Site 3 36SVD99003334989; 21.ix.2017; A. Varnava leg.; Unique identifier: AV-17-01382; A. Varnava Collection • ♂ SBA Akrotiri, Site 1 36SVD9735128734; 1.ix.2017; A. Varnava leg.; Unique identifier: AV-17-01296; A. Varnava Collection • ♂ SBA Akrotiri, Site 1 36SVD9735128734; 1.ix.2017; A. Varnava leg.; Unique identifier: AV-17-01299; CPCN • ♂; Limassol Cherkes Chiftlik; Site 1 36SVD9916334336; 1.ix.2017; A. Varnava leg.; Unique identifier: AV-17-01335; A. Varnava Collection • ♂; Limassol Cherkes Chiftlik; Site 1 36SVD9916334336; 1.ix.2017; A. Varnava leg.; Unique identifier: AV-17-01330; CPCN • ♀; [Cyprus] Unique identifier: AV-16-01878; A. Varnava Collection • ♀; [Cyprus] Unique identifier: AV-16-02182; A. Varnava Collection • ♀; Chlorana (pan trap); 34.793°N, 32.408°E; 18.10.2021; leg. V. Soon; Natural History Museum of the University of Tartu • ♀; Akrotiri; 34.6346°N, 32.9198°E; 16.10.2021; leg. V. Soon; Natural History Museum of the University of Tartu.

Distribution.

Restricted to Cyprus.

Description.

Female: similar to southern populations of the nominal subspecies, differs as follows: apical tergal fringes yellowish white (Figs 36 , 45 ), not snow white as in most southern European populations (e.g., Greece, Turkey) of the nominal subspecies; spots of white hairs of disc of T6 large (Fig. 36 ), unlike in M. leachella cretica ssp. nov., but as in southern European populations; Terga 3-6 laterally with dark hairs (Fig. 36 ), approaching the condition observed in M. leachella cretica ssp. nov. Fig. 35 ) but unlike in southern European populations of the nominal subspecies. Vertex punctation small and dense (Fig. 43 ), as in southern European populations, but unlike in M. leachella cretica ssp. nov. The most striking feature characterizing M. leachella densipunctata ssp. nov. is the particularly dense punctation of the terga, especially the disc of T4 (Fig. 39 ); moreover, the terga are conspicuously impressed basally (Figs 36 , 39 ). Such dense punctation and impressed basis are otherwise not observed in M. leachella sensu lato; specimens from Israel also have comparatively dense tergal punctation, approaching the condition observed in M. leachella densipunctata ssp. nov.

Male: nearly identical to the nominal subspecies, differs as follows: light vestiture of terga particularly developed, forming two conspicuous bands of hairs, one basally and one apically (Fig. 47 ); in particular the disc of T5 is nearly entirely covered with light hairs, unlike in most other populations of M. leachella sensu lato; specimens from Israel have similar tergal vestiture. Terga basally strongly impressed, so that disc is concave basally and strongly convex apically (Fig. 47 ); in all other populations of M. leachella , disc nearly flat. Front tarsal segments 2-4 consistently orange (Fig. 52 ) (usually at least partly dark brown in other populations of M. leachella ; Figs 48 , 49 , 51 ). Genitalia as in the nominal subspecies.

Etymology.

The subspecies epithet refers to the particularly dense punctation of the terga of the female.

Figures

Figures 40 - 45. Megachile leachella 40 - 43 female vertex 40 UK, M. leachella leachella 41 northwestern Africa, M. leachella albipila 42 Crete, M. leachella cretica ssp. nov. 43 Cyprus, M. leachella densipunctata ssp. nov. 44 holotype female of M. leachella cretica ssp. nov. 45 holotype female of M. leachella densipunctata ssp. nov.

Figures 32 - 39. Megachile leachella 32 - 36 female metasoma 32 UK, M. leachella leachella 33 Corsica and Sardinia, M. leachella leachella 34 northwestern Africa, M. leachella albipila 35 Crete, M. leachella cretica ssp. nov. 36 Cyprus, M. leachella densipunctata ssp. nov. 37 - 39 female metasomal tergum 4 37 UK, M. leachella leachella 38 Crete, M. leachella cretica ssp. nov. 39 Cyprus, M. leachella densipunctata ssp. nov.

Figures 46 - 56. Megachile leachella 46, 47 male metasoma 46 Switzerland, M. leachella leachella 47 Cyprus, M. leachella densipunctata ssp. nov. 48 - 52 male front tarsi 48 UK, M. leachella leachella 49 Switzerland, M. leachella leachella 50 Corsica and Sardinia, M. leachella leachella 51 Crete, M. leachella cretica ssp. nov. 52 Cyprus, M. leachella densipunctata ssp. nov. 53 male sterna 4 - 6 54 - 56 male genitalia 54 UK, M. leachella leachella 55 northwestern Africa, M. leachella albipila 56 Crete, M. leachella cretica ssp. nov.