Anthidium flavissimum, Kasparek, 2021

Kasparek, Max, 2021, Revision and description of three new species of the Palaearctic subgenus Gulanthidium of the wool carder bee genus Anthidium (Apoidea: Megachilidae: Anthidiini), Zootaxa 5040 (4), pp. 482-506 : 496-498

Anthidium flavissimum sp. nov.

( Figs 10 , 13 )

Type material: HOLOTYPE.Female. Afghanistan, Dashi-Bakwa [Dasht-e Bakwa, c. 32°12’N, 62°55’E], 19.v.1959, W. Firestone leg., “ Anthidium ? eremicum Alfken , det. T. Griswold 1984”, “ Anthidium eremicum Alfken , female, M. Schwarz det. 1986” ( CMK, ms2726).

Derivatio nominis. The epithet of the name refers to the striking yellow colouration of the species: flavus = yellow (adjective) in Latin. The suffix - issimu s (resp. - issimum as neuter) is added to form its superlative grade as it is the most yellow species of this subgenus.

Diagnosis. The female can easily be distinguished from all other species of the subgenus by its striking yellow (“canary yellow”) colouration of the entire body with the exception of some black remnants on scutum and in the upper face between antennal sockets and posterior ocelli. Distinguished from A. anguliventre and A. rotundum by a narrow (not wide) impunctate middle line on the clypeus, from A. eremicum by the lamellate upper omaulus (rounded in A. eremicum ) and the laterally toothed T3–T5 (bulged in A. eremicum ), from A. occidentale by the lamellate upper omaulus (angulate in A. occidentale ), and from A. preoccipitale by the rounded hind tibia (rudimentary carina in A. preoccipitale ) ( Table 1). Vertex longer than in its consubgeners (3.83 as long as hind ocellus diameter, whereas it varies between 2.4 and 3.1 in all other species).

Description. Female. 9 mm. Head. Clypeus sub-trapezoid; anterior margin almost straight, posterior margin with transparent furrows, which are obliquely directed to the centre; clypeus punctate with impunctate middle line; punctures at base more scattered than at apex; mandibles yellow with 5 brown teeth (one tooth broken in the holotype); teeth except of the lower outer tooth of almost equal size; subantennal suture straight; eyes greenish yellow; inner orbit modestly convergent; punctation on head finer than on clypeus; impunctate area in the supraclypeal area; supraclypeal area dirty-brown to black; upper face between antennal sockets and posterior ocelli black with brownish margins and a yellow spot below the anterior ocellus; area around antennal sockets and below ocelli with depressed white hairs; vertex in dorsal view moderately concave ( Fig. 10A ).— Mesosoma . Scutum yellow with some brownish and black maculation, apparently remnants of the scutal pattern typical for the subgenus; scutellum widely rounded posteriorly in dorsal view with median emargination; axilla slightly protruding posteriorly; scutellum somewhat overhanging the propodeum; propodeal triangle rugulose or shagreened, punctate posteriorly; upper half of omaulus with low but distinctive lamella.— Metasoma. Terga yellow, with depressions semi-transparent brownish-yellow; punctation on depression finer than on discs; inconspicuous impunctate marginal zone; T6 concavely depressed on both sides, lateral lamellate protrusion in dorsal view; apex with narrow sting-wide incision; T3–T5 with lateral, partly transparent, acute projections, increasing in size towards T5; scopa white.— Legs: Yellow; hind tibia rounded, hind basitarsus with transparent longitudinal carina on outer face.

Male. Not known.

Distribution. Only known from Dasht-e Bakwa, an extensive alluvial plain in the southwest of Afghanistan, situated about 700–750 m above sea level ( Fig. 12 ).

Biology. Collected in May. No further information available.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Schematic view of the head in the species of Anthidium, subgenus Gulanthidium. A. Lateral view; B. Dorsal view.

FIGURE 12. Distribution of A. eremicum, A. flavissimum sp. nov., A. occidentale sp. nov., and A. preoccipitale sp. nov.

FIGURE 13. Anthidium flavissimum sp. nov. Female holotype. A. Habitus dorsal; B. Vertex; C. Habitus lateral; D. Face; E. Head, fore leg and mesepisternum with omaular carina; F. Scutellum and axillae; G. Abdominal terga.