Megachile (Pseudomegachile) sanguinipes Morawitz 1875

Dorchin, Achik & Praz, Christophe J., 2018, Taxonomic revision of the Western Palaearctic bees of the subgenus Pseudomegachile (Hymenoptera, Apiformes, Megachilidae, Megachile), Zootaxa 4524 (3), pp. 251-307 : 302-303

Megachile (Pseudomegachile) sanguinipes Morawitz 1875

Megachile sanguinipes Morawitz 1875: 118 , ♂, “in valle Sarafschan” [probably the upper Zeravshan valley in the Sughd Region of Tadjikistan].

Megachile (Pseudomegachile) erythrocnemis Alfken 1930: 835 , ♀, “Sor-Maz (westl. Täler, 49), 3400–3600m; Langar (westl. Täler, 50), 3030 m ” [possibly region of Langar along the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan]. Lectotype ♀, by present designation (see below), ZMHB; paratypes ♀. Synonymy in Popov 1935: 386.

Megachile xanthocnemis Alfken 1938: 427 , ♀, “ Jerusalem ” [ Israel and Palestine]. Lectotype ♀, by present designation (see below), ZMHB; paratypes ♀.

Distribution: Israel, Syria, Greece (Peloponnese), Turkey, Iran, Central Asia.

Note: 1. The populations from Central Asia (eastern populations) are slightly distinct from the western populations ( Israel, Syria, Greece, Turkey, Iran): in the female sex, metasomal T2–T5 are densely covered with fulvous, short appressed hairs in western populations, while eastern populations have dense apical bands of appressed, white hairs on T2–T5 but fine erect hairs on the tergal disc; in the male sex, the last flagellar segment is less enlarged in eastern populations. Similar variation is found in other species of the flavipes species group, and for now we recognize only one widely distributed species. The name “ xanthocnemis ” is available for the western populations if future studies suggest that they deserve species rank.

2. This species has only very rarely been collected in the western part of its range ( Greece, Israel); in Israel the last known observation was made in 1991 and this species has not been found recently despite intensive collecting efforts. M. sanguinipes is thus possibly in severe decline in this region.

Pollen hosts: unknown.

Nesting biology: Nests are placed in existing cavities and the brood cells are built with mud ( Beiko 1994, cited in Pesenko & Astafurova 2003).

Material examined: Type material: Lectotype ♀ of M. erythrocnemis , designated here: a well-preserved female, labelled as follows: 1. “West-Pamir vii–x.28 leg Reinig”; 2. “Str. [“Strasse”: Road] Maz-Langar 3820m ”; 3. “Typus”; 4. “ M. erythrocnemis det. J. D. Alfken ” [handwritten by J. D. Alfken]; 5. “ Lectotype M. erythrocnemis des. D. Baker 1987”. This designation has not been published and is accepted here. The lectotype as well as two additional syntypes ♀ are deposited in ZMHB . Lectotype ♀ of M. xanthocnemis , designated here: a well-preserved female, labelled as follows: 1. “ Palestina Jerusalem 4.6.30 Bodenheimer S. G.”; 2. "Typus"; 3. " Megachile xanthocnemis det. J. D. Alfken " [handwritten by J. D. Alfken]; 4. " Lectotype M. xanthocnemis des. C. Praz 2018" .

Additional material: AFGHANISTAN: Z-Afghanistan, Koh-i-Baba, N-Seite Band-i-Amir , 2900m, 24– 26.7.1966, G. Ebert leg. ; GREECE: Lakonia, Neapoli : NO von Profitis Illias, Bei Wochenendhaus, 20 mNN 36°26,252N 23°07,012E, 18.6.2005, R. Prosi leg. ; Mykene , 22.6.1964, W. Grünwald leg. ; IRAN: Elburz Ab Ali , 9/ 10.7.1965, G. Soika- Mavromoustakis leg. ; Fars 18km N di Shiraz , 6.7.1965, G. Soika- Mavromoustakis leg. ; Fars 20km N di Shiraz , 4.7.1965, G. Soika- Mavromoustakis leg. ; Fars 70km N di Shiraz , 6.7.1965, G. Soika- Mavromoustakis leg. ; Fars Zenjun 40km. W di Shiraz 1500m, 5.7.1965, G. Soika- Mavromoustakis leg. ; Fars, Noorabad Bavan , 28.6.2009, A. Monfared leg. ; SW Persien, Escalera 1900–61 ; ISRAEL AND PALESTINE: Jerusalem , 6.6.1943, Bytinski-Salz leg. ; Jerusalem , 1– 15.6.1939, Bytinski-Salz leg. ; Judaean desert near Hebron , Theodor leg. ; Qilt, Ein-el-Fawwar , 1.6.1991, K. Warncke leg. ; JORDAN: Petra , 14.5.1995, K. Denes leg. ; KYRGYZSTAN: Alai Mt Ridge N-slope, Katta-Karakol riv. 39°52N 73°22E, 2600m, 22.7.1998, S. Zonstein leg. ; Alai Mt Ridge S-slope, Tekelik r canyon 39°35N 71°57E, 2700m, 20.7.1998, S. Zonstein leg. ; SYRIA: Kafr, Suwayda , 21.6.2000, M. Halada leg. ; TADJIKISTAN: Gorno Badakhshan Khorugh, Bot. Gar 37°29'N 71°33E 2200m, 7.8.2009; Rushan W Pamir Mts. 3500–3700m, 8.1998, V. Gurko leg. ; W Pamir Mts. 30km N Rushan 3500m, 7.2000, V. Gurko leg. ; Pondzikent , 6.1982, Z. Padr leg. ; TURKEY: Ercek-Göl / Van 1900m, 3.8.1983, K. Warncke leg. ; Hakkari 2300m Suvari-Halil-Pass östl. Beytüssebap , 3.8.1982, K. Warncke leg. ; Konya, 23.7.1971, K. Warncke leg. ; Madensehir / Konya 1300m, 22.6.1984, K. Warncke leg. ; Pr. Hakkari Sat Dag , Varegös SW Yüksekova 1700m, 4– 8.8.1983, W. Schacht leg. ; UZBEKISTAN: Tchtkal Mts Bashkyzylsai r., 1300m 41°11N 69°50E, 2.8.1999, Makogonova leg.