Rozenapis Gonzalez & Engel, 2019

Gonzalez, Victor H., Gustafson, Grey T. & Engel, Michael S., 2019, Morphological phylogeny of Megachilini and the evolution of leaf-cutter behavior in bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Journal of Melittology 2019 (85), pp. 1-123 : 60-62

Rozenapis Gonzalez & Engel , new genus

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6CD5BAC1-311E-4476-8F26-755312E57364

TYPE SPECIES: Megachile ignita Smith, 1853 .

DIAGNOSIS: This genus superficially resembles some robust species of Hackeriapis with the terminal terga reddish and thus contrasting with the preceeding black terga. The female shares with Austrochile a large, conspicuous midapical spine on S1 (absent in Hackeriapis ), but it differs in the mandible. In Austrochile the transverse ridge is strong and extends basally to merge with the acetabular carina, whereas in Rozenapis such a ridge is entirely absent. The male differs from Austrochile in the absence of the midapical spine of S1 and the shape of T6, which has four equally distant teeth on its distal margin and a preapical carina that extends almost across the entire width of the tergum. In Austrochile the spine of S1 is present, the preapical carina of T6 is restricted to the median third, and the median projections of the distal margin are closer than the distance from one of them to a lateral tooth. The male of Rozenapis differs from Hackeriapis (sensu King, 1994) in the impunctate distal margins of T2–T4, which are narrow and nearly concolorous with the discal areas (broad, distinctive, and hyaline in Hackeriapis ). It also differs in the pretarsal claws, which lack a basal tooth (present in Hackeriapis ).

DESCRIPTION: Moderate-sized bees (12.0–15.0 mm in body length). Integument shiny, with punctures coarse and nearly contiguous. Preoccipital border rounded, not carinate; ocelloccipital distance slightly longer than ocellocular distance in female, much longer in male.

♀: Mandible without interdental laminae, short, outer surface dulled without transverse ridge, with apex about as broad as base, four-toothed; clypeus barely covering base of labrum; labrum rectangular. Pronotal lobe with transverse carina; mesoscutellum not overhanging metanotum in dorsal view. Metasoma robust, parallel-sided, with white apical fasciae laterally only and weak postgradular grooves on basal terga; S1 with long, distinct midapical projection; sterna without apical fasciae beneath scopa; T6 gently convex in profile, slightly concave preapically.

♂: Antennal flagellum unmodified, F1 shorter than F2; mandible tridentate, without basal projection or tooth on lower margin; hypostomal area behind mandible unmodified, without a projection or concavity; procoxal spine small; pro- and mesotibiae and tarsi slightly expanded; metabasitarsus elongate, about 4.0× longer than broad; mesotibial spur present, articulated to mesotibia, about as long as apical width of mesotibia. T6 vertical in profile, with deep concavity above broad, medially emarginate preapical carina, distal margin with four small, equidistant teeth or projections; T7 with preapical carina slightly projecting medially; S4 apically exposed, with punctation and vestiture similar to those of preceding sterna; S8 with marginal setae. Genital capsule elongate, 1.4× longer than wide; gonostylus straight or nearly so in ventral view, apically simple, truncate, much broader than base in lateral view, with short setae along its medial margin; volsella present, apically notched.

ETYMOLOGY: The new genus-group name is a patronymic honoring Dr. Jerome G. Rozen, Jr., of the American Museum of Natural History, for his significant contributions to the biology and systematics of bees, and his many years of dear friendship and mentorship to M.S.E. The name is a combination of his surname and Apis Linnaeus (Latin, meaning, “bee”). The gender of the name is feminine.

COMMENTS: This genus resulted as the sister group of Austrochile in our analyses. Only the type species from western Australia is known, which Michener (1965) listed in Hackeriapis as a member of species group ‘A’. This results in the new combination, Rozenapis ignita (Smith) .