Anthidium zebra, Eardley, 2018

Eardley, Connal, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the sub-Saharan Anthidiellum Cockerell (Apoidea: Megachilidae: Anthidiini), Zootaxa 4402 (2), pp. 201-250 : 244-247

Anthidium zebra sensu lato, discussion

Three of the following four species and one variety were described from female specimens, which are inherently difficult to identify in this genus. Anthidiellum bulawayoensis was described from a male, but Mavromoustakis (1937a) failed to describe the S5 comb that is the most important diagnostic feature. I was unable to locate the holotypes of three of these taxa and could not identify them from the literature because the descriptions are inadequate. I could not identify the forth ( A. orichalciscopatum ) from the holotype due to uncertainty in the interspecific and intraspecific variation in this genus. They were, however, all compared to A. zebra either by Pasteels (1984) or Mavromoustakis (1937a).

Anthidiellum (Pycnanthidium) tegwaniense (Cockerell)

Dianthidium tegwaniense COcKERELL, 1914: 278, FEMALE HOLOtyPE (NHML, NOt EXAMINED) TEgWANI, ZIMBABWE (NOt SOUtH AFRIcA).

Anthidiellum (Pycnanthidium) tegwaniense (COcKERELL) : MIcHENER AND GRISWOLD 1994: 301.

Anthidiellum swalei MAVROMOUStAKIS, 1936B: 603–605, FEMALE HOLOtyPE (NHML, NOt EXAMINED) LONELy MINE, ZIMBABWE; PAStEELS 1984: 107–108, SyN.

Anthidiellum (Pycnanthidium) bulawayense Mavromoustakis

Anthidiellum bulawayense MAVROMOUStAKIS, 1937 A: 231–232, MALE HOLOtyPE (UNKNOWN, NOt EXAMINED) BULAWAyO, ZIMBABWE. Anthidiellum (Pycnanthidium) bulawayense MAVROMOUStAKIS : MIcHENER AND GRISWOLD 1994: 301.

Anthidiellum (Pycnanthidium) nigripes (Friese)

Anthidium nigripes FRIESE, 1904: 105, FEMALE HOLOtyPE ( ZMHB, NOt EXAMINED) DELAgOA BAy, MOZAMBIqUE; PAStEELS 1984: 98.

Anthidiellum nigripes VAR. rhodesinum MAVROMOUStAKIS, 1937 A: 231, FEMALE HOLOtyPE ( TMSA, NOt EXAMINED) SAWMILLS, ZIMBABWE.

Anthidiellum nigripes VAR. rhodesianum [!] MAVROMOUStAKIS: ANONyMOUS 1958: 33; PAStEELS 1984: 98.

Anthidiellum (Pycnanthidium) orichalciscopatum (Strand) .

Anthidium orichalciscopatum StRAND, 1912: 307–308, FEMALE HOLOtyPE ( ZMHB, EXAMINED) EqUAtORIAL GUINEA; StRAND 1927 A: 411.

Anthidiellum orichalciscopatum (StRAND) : MAVROMOUStAKIS 1936 A: 44.

Anthidiellum (Pygnanthidiellum) orichalciscopatum (StRAND): PAStEELS 1984: 99.

Anthidiellum (Pycnanthidium) orichalciscopatum (StRAND) : MIcHENER AND GRISWOLD 1994: 301.

The holotype of this species resembles A. otavicum most closely, but an identification from a single female is unreliable and therefore the status of this species is left in abeyance.

Material examined. Type material. Female holotype of Anthidium orichalciscopatum : ‘Span. Guinea Uelleburg Benitogbt 1– 14.11.07 G. Tessmann S.G., Anthidium orichalciscopatum m. ♀ Strand det., Type’, ZMHB (the strikethrough is verbatim as on the label).

Anthidiellum frontorecticulatum nomen nudum

Anthidiellum frontorecticulatum nomen nudum: ROUBIK 1989: 410.

There is a specimen from Kenya in MRAC that is labelled as the allotype of A. frontorecticulatum . In colour, it resembles A. bipectinatum .

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