Stelis leucostoma, Costa, 1883

Litman, Jessica R., Fateryga, Alexander V., Griswold, Terry L., Aubert, Matthieu, Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., Divelec, Romain Le, Burrows, Skyler & Praz, Christophe J., 2022, Paraphyly and low levels of genetic divergence in morphologically distinct taxa: revision of the Pseudoanthidium scapulare complex of carder bees (Apoidea: Megachilidae: Anthidiini), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 195, pp. 1287-1337 : 1310

Stelis leucostoma

Costa described Stelis leucostoma from Sardinia ( Costa, 1883). Warncke (1980), Rasmont et al. (1995), Přidal (2004) and Ornosa et al. (2008) each placed S. leucostoma in synonymy with P. nanum (as either Anthidium lituratum or Pseuodanthidium lituratum ). However, Nobile (1995) considered this taxon a distinct species. Nobile noted that his decision to assign this name to this particular taxon was based on Costa’s original description of Stelis leucostoma but he gives no indication of having examined the type series. Nobile illustrated the male gonostylus and sterna of a specimen collected close to Nuoro (Sardinia); this specimen, as well as others that we have examined from Sardinia, agree with our concept of P. stigmaticorne . At the present time we place Stelis leucostoma in synonymy with P. stigmaticorne . However, both P. stigmaticorne and P. nanum are known from Sardinia, and Costa’s description of Stelis leucostoma is suggestive of both. Costa’s type series must thus be examined to determine whether the name Stelis leucostoma refers to the taxon that we refer to as P. stigmaticorne or to another.