Flavomeliturgula Patiny, 1999

Engel, Michael S., Alqarni, Abdulaziz S., Shebl, Mohamed A. & Thomas, Jennifer C., 2019, New genera of meliturguline bees from Saudi Arabia and Persia, with notes on related genera and a key to the Arabian fauna (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 69, pp. 1-21 : 1

Genus Flavomeliturgula Patiny

Diagnosis.

The genus can be generally differentiated from other members of the subtribe by the following combination of features: small to medium-sized bees, 5.0-10.0 mm in length; integument dark brown to brown with extensive yellow markings (Figs 22 , 23 ); outer subantennal sulcus straight (Fig. 7 ); clypeus weakly protuberant, extending in front of compound eye by about 0.35-0.5 × compound eye width (Fig. 10 ); labrum wider than long, width 1.5 × length, without lateral oval windows of transparent integument, surface with weakly raised, medial plateau, basilaterally with prominent setose patches composed of long (1.8-2.4 × median ocellar diameter), sub-decumbent setae; prementum ventrally without elongate setae; proximal labial palpomere elongate (but not extending past apex of paraglossa: in Belliturgula palpomere extends well past apex of paraglossa), flattened, about as long as to slightly longer than combined lengths of remaining palpomeres; second and third palpomeres flattened and elongate, together slightly shorter than to about as long as first palpomere, fourth palpomere short, shorter than preceding palpomere, cylindrical combined (Fig. 14 ); glossa greatly elongate, longer than head length, apex broadly truncate and broadened (Figs 7 , 10 , 11 ); mesoscutum without appressed, squamose setae or abundant spicate setae (Fig. 22 ); forewing with 1rs-m distad 1m -cu (confluent in Belliturgula ); probasitarsus elongate, slender, length approximately 4 × width; mesotibial spur elongate, nearly 0.75 × as long as mesobasitarsus; pretarsal claws simple; metasomal terga without distinctive broad setal bands; pygidial plate apically acutely rounded, with lateral margins tapering evenly toward apex, surface with mediolongitudinal ridge (Fig. 26 ).

Figures

Figures 22, 23. Female of Flavomeliturgula (Flavomeliturgula) lacrymosa (Popov) from Iran. 22 Dorsal habitus 23 lateral habitus.

Figures 5 - 7. Female faces of representative Meliturgulina. 5 Belliturgula najdica Engel, gen. et sp. n., from Saudi Arabia (note arched outer subantennal sulci) 6 Khuzimelissa deserta (Warncke), comb. n., from Pakistan 7 Flavomeliturgula (Flavomeliturgula) lacrymosa (Popov) from Iran (note straight outer subantennal sulci).

Figures 8 - 11. Female heads and mouthparts in profile and details of glossal apexes. 8 Head profile of Belliturgula najdica Engel, gen. et sp. n., from Saudi Arabia 9 glossal apex of B. najdica 10 head profile of Flavomeliturgula (Flavomeliturgula) lacrymosa (Popov) from Iran 11 glossal apex of F. (F.) lacrymosa.

Figures 12 - 15. Labial palpi of representative species (to same scale) and labiomaxillary complex of Khuzimelissa deserta (Warncke), comb. n. (not to same scale), all in ventral view. 12 Labial palpus of Belliturgula najdica Engel, gen. et sp. n. 13 labial palpus of K. deserta 14 labial palpus of Flavomeliturgula (Flavomeliturgula) lacrymosa (Popov) 15 photograph of labiomaxillary complex of K. deserta.

Figures 24 - 26. Female pygidial plates. 24 Belliturgula najdica Engel, gen. et sp. n. 25 Khuzimelissa deserta (Warncke), comb. n. 26 Flavomeliturgula (Flavomeliturgula) lacrymosa (Popov).