Amegilla argophenax, M.S, 2007

M. S, 2007, A new species of Amegilla from northeastern Egypt (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 39 (2), pp. 821-828 : 822-823

Amegilla argophenax nov.sp. ( Figs 1-8 )

H o l o t y p e ( Fig. 1 ), Egypt, Kom Awshim [also known as Kawm Awshim or Kawm Ushim, located just east of Birket Qarun (Lake Karun, known in Ancient times as Moeris) in El Fayyum], 23.x.1982 [23 October 1982], C.G. Roche. The holotype is deposited in the Snow Entomological Collection, Division of Entomology, University of Kansas Natural History Museum. P a r a t y p e ( Fig. 2 ), same data and repository as holotype.

D i a g n o s i s The new species is most similar and can be easily confused with A. deceptrix that occurs in the same area. Amegilla argophenax can be most readily separated in females by the reduced clypeal maculation, in which only the extreme apical margin is yellow along with a narrow, longitudinal strip extending from the apical margin posteriorly to about the clypeal midpoint (in A. deceptrix the clypeus is almost entirely yellow with the basilateral corners black). In addition, in females the white setae on the on the outer surface of the metabasitarsus are entirely confined to the basal margin (in A. deceptrix white setae cover the basal half of the outer metabasitarsal surface) and the ventral surface of the scape has a light brown patch near the apex (in A. deceptrix the ventral surface of the female scape is black); and in males by the entirely yellow ventral surface of the scape ( Fig. 4 ) (in A. deceptrix there is only a very small yellow spot near the apex of the scape), the entirely white setae of the propodeum and metasomal terga (such setae are lightly tinged with yellow in A. deceptrix ), and the more sparse tergal setae on the basal portions of the first three metasomal terga ( Fig. 2 ) (uniformly covered with appressed setae in A. deceptrix ).

D e s c r i p t i o n: Female. Total body length 9.7 mm; forewing length 6.7 mm. Head broader than long; inner margins of compound eyes converging ventrally ( Fig. 3 ), upper interorbital distance 2.3 mm, lower interorbital distance 1.8 mm, compound eye length 2.27 mm. Mandible with weak subapical tooth. Clypeal protuberance in profile approximately one-half compound eye width. Scape relatively short, just reaching to level of ocelli; first flagellar article elongate, length approximately three-quarters of scape length, subequal in length to combined lengths of second through fourth flagellar articles; second flagellar article short, about one-half length of third flagellar article; third and fourth flagellar articles about equal in length. Forewing with basal vein distad cu-a by three times vein width; marginal cell apex broadly rounded, just surpassing apex of submarginal cells, marginal cell length shorter than distance from cell apex to wing apex, cell apex separated from anterior wing margin; combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells greater than length of first submarginal cell; 1m-cu entering second submarginal cell at two-thirds length of cell’s posterior border; 2m-cu confluent with 2rsm.

Face, including ocellocular area, with small, nearly contiguous punctures; similar punc- tures present on clypeus and labrum although less well-defined and slightly broader, integument between punctures faintly imbricate. Mesosoma sculptured as described for face. Metasoma with sterna imbricate and punctate, punctures separated by 1-2 times a puncture width; terga punctate, punctures weak and nearly contiguous, integument between punctures (where evident) imbricate.

Integument of head and mesosoma black except as follows: labrum yellow ( Fig. 3 ), antenna, mouthparts, and legs brown; outer surface of mandible yellow except apical one-half reddish brown; clypeus with extreme apical margin yellow, with a narrow, longitudinal strip of yellow extending from apical margin posteriorly to about clypeal midpoint; supraclypeal area with small yellow medioapical patch along border with clypeus; ventral surface of scape with light brown patch near apex; ventral surface of second through apical flagellar articles light brown (first flagellar article uniformly brown on all surfaces); tegula translucent light brown. Wing veins brown; membranes hyaline. Metasomal terga dark brown (apparently nearly black in some places – obscured by setal covering), sterna brown.

Pubescence snowy white and shaggy on head, mesosoma, and anterior-facing surface of first metasomal tergum ( Fig. 1 ), setae long and largely obscuring integument. Setae of legs white except inner surface of protarsus light fuscous; inner surfaces of mesotibia and mesotarsus dark fuscous; inner surfaces of metatibia, metatarsus, and outer metatarsus dark fuscous (nearly black) except along extreme basal margin of metatarsus setae white. Setae of metasoma appressed, short, plumose, and largely obscuring integument; fifth metasomal tergum with medioapical patch of dense, moderately long, dark fuscous, erect setae; setae fuscous around pygidial plate on sixth metasomal tergum, such setae just surpassing pygidial plate apex; sternal setae suberect and fuscous.

Male. As described for the female except for typical sex differences and as follows: Total body length 8.6 mm; forewing length 6.1 mm. Head broader than long; inner margins of compound eyes converging ventrally ( Fig. 4 ), upper interorbital distance 2.0 mm, lower interorbital distance 1.5 mm, compound eye length 2.0 mm. Mandible simple. Scape relatively short, just reaching level of ocelli; first flagellar article approximately one-half of scape length, slightly longer than second flagellar article, slightly shorter than third flagellar article; second flagellar article shorter than third article; third flagellar article slightly shorter than fourth article. Male terminalia depicted in figures 5-8.

Outer surface of mandible yellow except apical one-third reddish brown. Paraocular areas along clypeus yellow. Basal margin of clypeus black, otherwise clypeus yellow. Ventral surface of scape entirely yellow ( Fig. 4 ).

Appressed setae of terga more widely separated (exposing more of the dark brown integument from beneath) on basal one-half of first and second metasomal terga and on basal one-third of third metasomal tergum. Setae of sixth metasomal tergum light fuscous; sternal setae fuscous except those setae at extreme apical margins white (forming the appearance of very narrow whitish bands).

E t y m o l o g y: The specific epithet is a combination of the Greek words "argos" (meaning "white") and "phenax" (meaning "imposter") and is a reference to its deceptive similarity to A. deceptrix .

Figures

Figs 1-2: Photomicrographs of Amegilla argophenax nov.sp., lateral habitus. (1) female holotype; (2) male paratype.

Figs 3-4: Photomicrographs of Amegilla argophenax nov.sp., facial aspects. (3) female holotype; (4) male paratype.

Figs 5-8: Male terminalia of Amegilla argophenax nov.sp. (5) seventh metasomal sternum; (6) eighth metasomal sternum; (7) genitalic capsule, dorsal aspect; (8) genitalic capsule, ventral aspect.