Megachile dorsata Smith.

Eardley, Connal, 2012, A taxonomic revision of the southern African species of the subgenus Creightonella Cockerell (Apoidea: Megachilidae: Megachile Latreille), Zootaxa 3159, pp. 1-35 : 18-20

Megachile dorsata Smith.

Figs 10–11

Megachile dorsata Smith, 1853: 164 , female holotype (NHML) South Africa.

Creightoniella [!] dorsata (Smith) : Pasteels 1965: 18, 21, 54, 55–57; Gess and Gess 1976: 98; Gess 1981: 17, 53, 56; Gess 1996: 286.

Megachile terminata Smith, 1879: 62 , male syntypes (NHML) South Africa; Pasteels 1965: 393, syn. Megachile (Pseudomegachile) fulva

Megachile harthula Cameron, 1905: 250 –251, male holotype (NHML) South Africa; Pasteels 1965: 55, syn.

Megachile capensiana Strand, 1911: 133 –134, male holotype (ZMHB) South Africa; Pasteels 1965: 55 –56, syn.

Megachile arnoldi Friese, 1922: 22 –23, female holotype (ZMHB) Zimbabwe; Pasteels 1965: 51, syn. ikuthaensis . Syn nov.

Discussion. Smith (1853) described this species as dorsata and later he ( Smith 1879) described terminata , both from South Africa. The latter was preoccupied by Morawitz (1875) and Mocsary (1887) renamed it africana . The type series of terminata is composite. The female syntype is synonymous with Megachile (Pseudomegachile) fulva and will be discussed in a subsequent article, the male syntype is dorsata . D. Baker attached a lectotype label to the male syntype of dorsata but did not publish this designation. It therefore has no status in zoological nomenclature. The female will be designated as the lectotype of M. fulva Smith in a revision of Pseudomegachile that will be published presently. The type material has been studied.

Cameron (1905a) and Strand (1911) described harthula and capensiana . They were synonymized with dorsata by Pasteels (1965). The type material of harthula and capensiana have been studied and the synonymies are here confirmed.

Friese (1922) described arnoldi from Zimbabwe. In his description he compared it with M. kamerunensis , which belongs to the subgenus Callomegachile. Pasteels (1965), on the other hand, synonymized it with M. ikuthaensis , which is in the subgenus Creightonella . It closely resembles the type of dorsata , and is here synonymized with this species.

Diagnosis. Female. Vestiture, head and mesosoma mostly orangish–white, orange on mandibles, vertex and most of legs; T1–T2 orange, T3 orange with white distal fringe, T4 black or blackish–orange with white distal fringe, T5 black ( Fig. 10a–b ); metasomal venter orange. Lengths: face 3.8–3.9 mm, scutum 2.5–2.9 mm, forewing 9.9–10.9 mm, body 13.0– 13.4 mm. Structure. Clypeus wider than twice length, gently convex, ventral edge straight ( Fig. 10a ); clypeocellus:clypeus 1:0.6; scopal hairs blunt distally, not thickened.

Male. Vestiture, head and mesosoma mostly pale brownish–white; T1–T4 orange, T5 black with pale distal fringe; T6–T7 black ( Fig. 10c–e ). Lengths: face 3.0– 3.5 mm, scutum 2.1–2.8 mm, forewing 8.1–9.7 mm, body 10.9–12.5 mm. Structure. Clypeus slightly convex, ventral edge convex, concave medially, with mediolateral tubercle; mandible three apical teeth, a large tooth on ventral edge; foretarsus unmodified; T6 shield–like, with slight mediolongitudinal carina, dorsal surface concave subapically, distal end not concave posteromedially, convex and serrate posteriorly ( Fig. 10e ); T7 with large mediolongitudinal carina, large posteromedian spine; S3–S4 not modified; terminalia as in M. cognata ( Fig. 2d–f ).

Distribution ( Fig. 11 ). Megachile dorsata appears to be endemic to southern Africa, and widely distributed throughout the Region.

Biology. This species visits the flowers of Acacia karroo, Apalathus chlorophila, Asteraceae , Blepharis mitracarpus , Fabaceae and Polygalaceae .

Material examined. Type material. Female holotype of Megachile dorsata : ‘ Type, B.M. TYPE HYM 17a 2211, Megachile dorsata Type Sm., Cape, Type F. Sm. Coll. 79–22’, in NHML. Male holotype Megachile harthula : ‘ Type, B.M. TYPE HYM 17a 2186, Megachile harthula Cam. Type Transvaal, Cameron Col. 1905–192’, in NHML. Male paralectotype of Megachile terminata : ‘ Type, B.M. TYPE HYM 17a 2167a, Megachile terminata (Type) Sm., 65 44, Africa S., LECTOTYPE Megachile terminata Sm. Det. D.B. Baker 19 (= dorsalis Sm 1853)’, in NHML. Male holotype of Megachile capensiana : ‘Capland, Krebs S., 959, vulpine, Megachile capensiana m. Strand det male, Megachile africana male Nioos, 1907 Friese det., Type’, in ZMHB. Female holotype of Megachile arnoldi : ‘Bulawayo S. Rhodesia 4.x.1913 G. Arnold, Megachile arnoldi female Fr. 1913 Friese det., Type, Coll. Friese’, [20.09S 28.35E] in ZMHB.

Additional material. Namibia. Kaross [19.30S 14.20E], ii.1925 (1 female, SAMC). Lesotho. Mamathes [29.08S 27.51E], 25–28.xii.1946, 14.xi–19.xii.1948, 9.i.1949, 19.i.1950, 3–24.xii.1950, 28.x–18.xi.1951, 10.i.1952, 9.xi.1952, C. Jacot Guillarmod (60 specimens, AMSA); Mahlatsa [29.13S 28.00E], 1.i.1953, A. Jacot Guillarmod (1 specimen, AMSA). South Africa. Hartebeespoort Dam [25.37S 27.53E], 26.xi.1967, F. Herbst (1 specimen, AMSA); Kroonstad [27.39S 27.14E], 20.xi.1946, C. Jacot Guillarmod (2 specimens, AMSA); Reddersburg [29.39S 26.10E], 20.xii.1898, H. Brauns (1 male, TMSA); Springfontein [30.16S 25.42E], x.1937, H. Bell– Marley (1 male, TMSA); Middelburg division [31.30S 25.00E], xi.1935 (5 males, SAMC); Strowan, Grahamstown [33.18S 26.32E], 22.i.1967, 26.xii.1967, C. Jacot Guillarmod (2 specimens, AMSA); Burnt Kraal, Grahamstown, 13.iii.1969, F. Gess (1 specimen, AMSA); Clifton, 12M NW of Grahamstown, 7–9.xi.1972, 13–30.i.1986, F. Gess, S. Gess (5 specimens, AMSA); Hilton, Grahamstown. 6.xii.1972, 21.xii.1976, F.W. Gess (2 specimens, AMSA); Hilton, Grahamstown, 6–20.xii.1977, D.W. Gess (3 specimens, AMSA); Thursford, Grahamstown, 8.i.1981, F.W. Gess, S.K. Gess (1 specimen, AMSA); Hell Poort (E end), Grahamstown District, 6.i.1999, F.W. Gess, S.K. Gess (29 specimens, AMSA); Resolution [33.10S 26.37E], 1929, Walton (1 female, SAMC); Vryburg [26.57S 24.44E], x.1939 (4 females, SAMC); Alicedale [33.19S 26.04E], 22.xi.1970, J. Londt (1 specimen, AMSA); Vanwyksfontein [30.37S 25.23E], 8km W of Norvalspont, 1.xii.1988, 28.xi–1.xii.1988, R.W. Gess (3 specimens, AMSA); Willowmore [33.17S 23.29E], xi.1902, xii.1920, H. Brauns, (1 female 1 male, TMSA); Delarey [17.56S 25.28], i.1917, H. Brauns (1 female, TMSA); Tierberg [33.20S 22.16E](Study Site), Prince Albert Dist., 26.xi.1987, F.W. Gess, S.K. Gess, R.W.Gess (1 specimen, AMSA); Lion’s Head, Cape Town [33.55S 18.25E], 23.i.1949 (1 female, SAMC); Clanwilliam [22.11S 18.54E], Nardouwsberg, 18.xii.1974, V. Whitehead (1 female, SAMC).

Figures

FIGURE 11. Known distribution of Megachile dorsata.

FIGURE 10 a – e. Megachile dorsata. a. Female face. b. Female habitus. c. Male face. d. Male habitus. e. Male T 6 – T 7.

FIGURE 2 a – f. Megachile cognata. a. Female mandible. b – f. Male. b. T 6. c. S 4. d. S 6. e. S 8. f. Genital capsule.