Borgatomelissa flavimaura Ortiz-Sánchez and Patiny, 2019

Monks, Joseph, Polaszek, Andrew & Al-Jahdhami, Ali A., 2024, The bee genus Borgatomelissa Patiny, 2000 (Anthophila: Andrenidae: Panurginae) with the description of a new species from northern Oman, and a key to species, Journal of Natural History 58 (21 - 24), pp. 674-687 : 682-685

Borgatomelissa flavimaura Ortiz-Sánchez and Patiny

( Figures 7 and 8 )

New country record: OMAN: Al Batinah North, Wadi Al Haimaly Road , 27 .ii .2020, A . Al-Jahdhami leg ; SYRIA: N. ar-Raqqa Mishirfeh, 04 .vi .2000, K. Deneš leg, det. T. Wood 2022, coll . Linz .

Note. Although this species shows considerable variation in colouration among the three specimens of the three collecting localities ( Morocco, Oman, and Syria), especially on the metasoma, no morphological differences could be found between these specimens. Therefore, until males from the three countries are collected and the genitalia are examined, and/or DNA barcodes are obtained, the Oman ( Figure 7 ) and Syrian specimens ( Figure 8 ) are identified as B. flavimaura .

Key to Borgatomelissa species

1. Minute-sized, pale species (≤ 7 mm body length) with shaggy hairs on the mesoscutum ...................................................................................................... B. flavimaura

- Medium-sized species (~ 9–12 mm body length) with dense appressed hairs on the mesoscutum, longer hairs if present confined to the anterior of the mesoscutum .... 2

2. All tergites dark brown; mesoscutellum under appressed hairs completely black ......... .............................................................................................................................................. B. niveopilosa

- T1–3 extensively yellow or red; mesoscutellum with either yellow spots or a yellow transverse band .................................................................................................................................... 3

- Face lemon yellow; epistomal line between inner subantennal sutures relatively straight; outer subantennal suture joins the epistomal suture before this curves downwards laterally; yellow spots on the vertex adjacent to the lateral ocelli ............... ............................................................................................................................................. B. samailensis

- Face ivory; epistomal line between inner subantennal sutures strongly curved; outer subantennal suture joins the epistomal suture after this curves downwards laterally; vertex black, lacking any yellow spots adjacent to the outer ocelli ........ B. brevipennis

Figures

Figure 7. Borgatomelissa flavimaura Ortiz-Sánchez and Patiny collected in Oman.

Figure 8. B. flavimaura Ortiz-Sánchez and Patiny collected in Syria, with a much paler metasoma than the Omani specimen.