Anthidium occidentale, 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 : 498-499

Anthidium occidentale sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2C , 6C, 6G , 7C , 8C , 9B, 9E , 10 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: Morocco: male, 10 km S Bouarfa [32°31’N, 1°58’W], 20.v.1995, Ma. Halada leg. ( CMK) .— PARATYPES: Morocco: 1♀, 11♂, High Atlas Mountains south of Tizi n’Test pass in the Sous-Massa Region of Morocco [30°51’N, 8°22’W], 1900 m, 29.–30.vi.1987, M. Schwarz leg. ( CMK).— 157♀, 6♂, 10 km S Bouarfa [32°31’N, 1°58’W], 20.v.1995, Ma. Halada leg. ( CMK).— 1♂, Agdz env. [30°42’N, 6°27’W], 1000 m, 14.vii.1975, A. W. Ebmer leg. (coll. A. W. Ebmer) .

Additional material examined. 1♂, Beni Bassia 60 km NE Boudnib [32°14’N, 3°09’W], 21.v.1995, Ma. Hala- da leg. ( CMK).— MOROCCO: 10 km S Bouarfa [32°31’N, 1°58’W] , 95♀, 20.v.1995, Ma. Halada leg. ( OLL).— Agdz env. [30°42’N, 6°27’W], 1000 m , 1♂, 14.vii.1975, J. Gusenleitner leg. ( OLL) .

Derivatio nominis. The epithet is derived from Latin “occidentâlis” (occidentâle as neuter) which means “western” and indicates that this is the westernmost species of the subgenus Gulanthidium .

Diagnosis: The female is characterised by a narrow impunctate middle line on the clypeus, often with a somewhat scarred surface, which it shares with A. eremicum and A. flavissimum ( Table 1). Among these species, A. eremicum has a rounded omaulus and bulged lateral T4–T5 (omaulus angulate and T4–T5 toothed in A. occidentale ), and A. flavissimum a conspicuously lamellate upper omaulus (angulate in A. occidentale ). Anthidium flavissimum is also distinguished by its bright yellow colouration with only a few black remnants in the face and on the scutum (light yellow to reddish-brown with rich black maculation in A. occidentale ) and a broader clypeus (ratio clypeus length/maximal clypeus width>1.4 as compared with <1.4 in A. occidentale ).

The male is most similar to A. eremicum and is distinguished by the triangular to drop-shaped form of the apex of the penis valves (in dorsolateral view), which is elongate in A. eremicum . Anthidum occidentale is the only known species of the subgenus Gulanthidium in north-western Africa.

Description. Female. 8–9 mm. Head: Clypeus ( Fig. 7D ) light yellow with straight anterior and posterior margins; light brown transparent apex; impunctate middle line approximately half an antennal diameter wide, often somewhat scarred; mandible yellow with five teeth and an additional minute tooth distal to the upper tooth; supraclypeal area yellow and reddish-brown; paraocular area below the antennal socket yellow, tapering above the antennal socket and becoming increasingly reddish-brown; vertex reddish-brown, gena yellow; preoccipital ridge rounded and moderately concave as seen from dorsal ( Fig. 10A ); antenna reddish-brown.— Mesosoma: Scutum black with yellow L-shaped anterolateral band and a yellow longitudinal crescent-shaped stripe next to the middle; scutellum yellow with median posterior impression and narrow transparent posterior margin; base reddish-brown; axilla slightly protruding, yellow and with some reddish-brown on the anterior side; mesepisternum yellow (smooth anterior face reddish-brown and black), omaulus angular.— Metasoma: Terga reddish-brown to black, semi-transparent depressions; bands of T1–T6 yellow with reddish-yellow margins; T1–T2 rounded laterally; T3–T5 laterally toothed; T6 depressed in lateral view, light yellow with two dark spots next to the middle.— Legs: Hind tibia rounded, hind metatarsus with longitudinal carina.

Male. 8–9 mm. Head: Clypeus bell-shaped with straight anterior margin; lateral margin slightly curved outwards posteriorly; posterior margin semi-transparent, deep yellow and straight; punctation scattered at base and sometimes along middle line but otherwise dense; mandible deep yellow with three strong black teeth; supraclypeal and paraocular area yellow; yellow upper paraocular area confluent with reddish-brown vertex; vertex reddishbrown, sometimes yellow at preoccipital ridge; preoccipital ridge angulate; gena yellow; upper face from posterior ocelli to antennal sockets black (or rarely [one case] reddish-brown), with black maculation rarely extending onto vertex; antenna reddish-brown, lighter on ventral than dorsal surface; ventral surface of scape yellow; entire face including clypeus with long adpressed white hairs.— Mesosoma: Scutum black with broad yellow L-shaped anterolateral band; semi-crescentic band next to the middle, with some variation to length and width (usually merged with the yellow lateral band at notaulus); scutellum widely rounded in dorsal view with median emargination; overhanging propodeum; scutellum and axilla yellow, with base of scutellum reddish-brown; propodeal triangle roughened, punctate posteriorly; mesepisternum yellow with dense white pubescence; pronotal lobe lamellate.— Metasoma: Terga with yellow bands; depressions semi-transparent, light or dark brown; T3–T6 with acute lateral projection, increasing in size from T3 towards T6; disc of T6 bulging apically next to the centre; T7 semi-circular with some slight flattening at apex ( Figs 8C , 9B ); sterna light reddish-brown with white pubescence at apical margins; S5 widely emarginate; S6 semicircular, shining, with lateral depression ( Fig. 9E ).— Hidden sterna and genitalia: See separate chapter.

Distribution. Endemic to Morocco ( Fig. 12 ). Found in the southwestern and eastern High Atlas Mountains and the southern Saharan Atlas Mountains. Elevations varied between 970 m (Beni Bassia) and 1900 m (Tizi-n-Test).

Remarks. It is likely that records listed by van der Zanden (1996) under A. anguliventre and by Ascher & Pickering (2021) under A. eremicum (see also Lhomme et al., 2020) refer to this species.

Biology. All material was collected between May and July.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Comparison of the hidden sterna S7 (A) and S8 (B) and the apices of the penis valves in dorsolateral view (C) in four species of Anthidium, subgenus Gulanthidium.

FIGURE 2. Male genitalia of four species of Anthidium (Gulanthidium) in dorsal view: A. A. anguliventre; B. A. eremicum; C. A. occidentale sp. nov.; D. A. rotundum.

FIGURE 6. Habitus dorsal of four species of Anthidium, subgenus Gulanthidium. Upper row females, lower row males. A + E. Anthidium anguliventre; B + F. A. eremicum; C + G. A. occidentale sp. nov.; D + H. A. rotundum.

FIGURE 7. Faces of the females of Anthidium anguliventre (A), A. eremicum (B), A. occidentale (C), and A. rotundum (D).

FIGURE 8. Apical terga of the male of five species of Anthidium, subgenus Gulanthidium: A. Anthidium anguliventre; B. A. eremicum; C. A. occidentale sp. nov.; D. A. preoccipitale sp. nov.; E. A. rotundum.

FIGURE 9. Male of Anthidium, subgenus Gulanthidium. Apical terga (upper row) in dorsal and sternum 6 (S6) in ventral view. A + D. Anthidium anguliventre; B + E. A. eremicum and A. occidentale; C + F. A. preoccipitale and A. rotundum.

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.