Amegilla (Notomegilla) chlorocyanea (Cockerell)

Leijs, Remko, Batley, Michael & Hogendoorn, Katja, 2017, The genus Amegilla (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Anthophorini) in Australia: A revision of the subgenera Notomegilla and Zonamegilla, ZooKeys 653, pp. 79-140 : 98-104

Amegilla (Notomegilla) chlorocyanea (Cockerell) Figs 7, 25, 39

Anthophora chlorocyanea Cockerell, 1914, p. 469.

Amegilla chlorocyanea (Cockerell) Michener, 1965, p. 216.

Amegilla (Notomegilla) chlorocyanea (Cockerell) Brooks, 1988, p. 512.

Anthophora australis Rayment, 1944, p. 24, n. syn.

Amegilla australis (Rayment) Michener, 1965, p. 216.

Amegilla (Zonamegilla) australis (Rayment) Brooks, 1988, p. 511.

Anthophora adamsella Rayment, 1944, p. 23, n. syn.

Amegilla adamsella (Rayment) Michener, 1965, p. 216.

Amegilla (Notomegilla) adamsella (Rayment, 1944) Brooks, 1988, p. 512.

Anthophora ferrisi Rayment, 1947, p. 73, n. syn.

Amegilla ferrisi (Rayment) Michener, 1965, p. 216.

Amegilla (Zonamegilla) ferrisi (Rayment) Brooks, 1988, p. 511.

Anthophora grayella Rayment, 1944, p. 27, n. syn.

Amegilla grayella (Rayment) Michener, 1965, p. 216.

Amegilla (Notomegilla) grayella (Rayment) Brooks, 1988, p. 512.

Anthophora tinsleyella jamesi Rayment, 1944, p. 30, n. syn.

Amegilla jamesi (Rayment) Michener, 1965, p. 216.

Amegilla (Notomegilla) jamesi (Rayment) Brooks, 1988, p. 512.

Anthophora luteola Rayment 1944, p. 27.

Amegilla luteola (Rayment) Michener, 1965, p. 217.

Anthophora mewiella Rayment, 1944, p. 28, n. syn.

Amegilla mewiella (Rayment) Michener, 1965, p. 217.

Amegilla (Notomegilla) mewiella (Rayment) Brooks, 1988, p. 512.

Anthophora luteola murrayi Rayment, 1944, p. 28, n. syn.

Amegilla murrayi (Rayment) Michener, 1965, p. 217.

Amegilla (Notomegilla) murrayi (Rayment) Brooks, 1988, p. 512.

Anthophora tinsleyella Rayment 1944, p. 29.

Amegilla tinsleyella (Rayment) Michener, 1965, p. 217.

Material examined.

1110 females and 946 males.

Type data.

Holotype of chlorocyanea : female, whereabouts unknown. As the original description is unambiguous, no neotype is required.

Syntype of australis : female, Sandringham, Victoria, 7 Nov. 1936, on Dianella revoluta , ANIC 32-034544.

Syntype of adamsella : male, Edungalba, Queensland, May 1940, 5EEA, “Allotype”, ANIC 32-034545.

Syntypes of grayella : male, female, Orroroo, South Australia, 20 Feb. 1940 No. 88, ANIC 32-034546,7.

Syntypes of tinsleyella jamesi : male, female, Orroroo, South Australia, 20 Feb. 1940, 92, ANIC 32-034553,4.

Syntypes of luteola : male, female, Orroroo, South Australia, 3 Mar. 1939, "Gray 23 Adelaide", ANIC 32-034548,9.

Syntypes of mewiella : male, Broken Hill, 20 Feb. 1940, ANIC 32-033124; 2 males and female, Orroroo, South Australia, 20 Feb. 1940, ANIC 32-033133,32-0334550,1.

Syntype (presumed) of luteola murrayi : female, Robertson, New South Wales, Feb 1940, ANIC 32-033076. (Specimen bears no type or identification label.)

Syntypes (presumed) of tinsleyella : 5 males, Orroroo, SA, 4 Feb 1940, 20 Feb 1940 (3), 26 Feb 1940, ANIC 32-033182, 32-033192, 32-033194, 32-033196, 32-033396.

No type material was found for ferrisi but it is placed in chlorocyanea on the basis of the description provided by Rayment (1947).

Decisions for synonymy.

The results of DNA analyses of specimens from across the complete geographical range indicated that there is only one banded Notomegilla species. Uncorrected sequence divergence was found to be 0-3.05%, which is below the usual limits for conspecific individuals. Moreover, there was no geographical pattern in the sequence variation. No morphological differences, other than colour variation, were found when Rayment’s syntypes were examined. Variations in the genitalia as illustrated by Rayment (1944) appear to be due to different focal distances and angles of the drawings.

We agree with Brooks’s (1988) decision to synonymise luteola and tinsleyella with chlorocyanea . Both Sichel (1869) and Cockerell (1905) have incorrectly referred to this species as Anthophora cingulata (Fabr.)

Diagnosis.

This species superficially resembles several Zonamegilla species, but can be distinguished by the blue/green iridescent pubescence on the fore and mid legs; females by the completely black paraocular areas and a large, dense, medial spot of pale pubescence on T5 (Fig. 25); and males by a smooth unmodified surface of S5 and medially interrupted hair bands on T4-T6.

Redescription.

Female: Sunnyside, 11km NW of Murray Bridge, 35.0536S 139.3620E, SA, 28 Dec 2003, R.Leijs & K.Hogendoorn, SAMA 32-002545.

Length 13 mm; forewing length 9.5 mm.

Structure. Head: clypeus protuberant, in profile 0.5 × width of eye; galea in repose reaching just past forecoxa; length f1 3.5 × length f2, 0.9 × length scape (excluding basal bulb) and 2 × length f10; f3-9 as long as wide; IOD 1.6 × OOD; OS 0.8 × OOD. Coloration. Pale yellow marks on labrum, mandibles, supraclypeal areas and inverted T-shape on clypeus; paraocular areas and scape black. Pubescence. Head: labrum white, remaining areas predominantly pale yellow with some black hairs between antennae and on vertex; gena white/pale brown. Thorax: scutum ginger intermixed with black hairs; pleura light ginger under wing base, remainder white; thoracic sterna white; propodeum laterally light ginger intermixed with black. Legs: foreleg brown, except white long hair posteriorly on femur and pale hair with orange or light blue metallic iridescence on outer tibia and basitarsus; mid legs black, except pale hair with orange or light blue metallic iridescence on apex of femur, outer tibia and basal part of basitarsus; hind legs black except pale with orange or light blue metallic iridescence on apex of femur, outer tibia and basal part of basitarsus; length of basitibial streak 0.4 × length of femur. Metasoma: apical hair bands on T1-T4 white with metallic blue-green iridescence, margin of T4 medially with hairless shiny triangle, parts not covered by hair bands black, with some white hair medially on T4; T5 laterally with long white hair intermixed with hairs with metallic blue-green iridescence (Fig. 25), fimbria black, distinct, round, medial patch of white hair with metallic blue-green iridescence. Punctation. Head: clypeus somewhat shiny, with medium, close, shallow punctures, 0.25-1.0 puncture widths apart; labrum large, shallow punctures, 0.2-0.8 puncture widths apart, interspaces smooth. Thorax: scutum shiny, with close punctation, 0.3-1.0 puncture widths apart. Metasoma: T1-T5 with somewhat shiny, close to open, fine, shallow punctures, 0.5-2.0 puncture widths apart, interspaces pit-reticulate.

Male: Sunnyside, 11km NW of Murray Bridge, 35.0536S 139.36199E, SA, 28 Dec 2003, R.Leijs & K.Hogendoorn, SAMA 32-002542.

Length 11 mm; forewing length 9 mm.

Structure. Head: shortest distance between eyes 0.6 × length of eye; clypeus protuberant, in profile 0.4 × width of eye; galea in repose almost reaching mid coxa; length f1 2.4 × length f2, 0.7 × length scape (excluding basal bulb) and 1.1 × length f11; length f3-10 1.2 × width; IOD 1.8 × OOD; OS 0.9 × OOD. Wings: length of marginal cell 0.7 × distance from apex of marginal cell to wing tip; length of vein M of hind wing 2.3 × length second abscissa of M+Cu; length of jugal lobe about 0.4 × length of vannal lobe. Metasoma: apicomedial emargination of S5 weak and broad; S7 windows absent or very small (Fig. 39); S7 median hair brush very short with long lateral wings in v-shape. Pubescence. Head: labrum white, remaining areas predominantly pale yellow with some black hairs along lateral margins of clypeus, between antennae and on vertex; gena white. Thorax: scutum brown intermixed with black hair; pleura light brown under wing base, remainder white; propodeum laterally light brown. Legs: forefemur white; fore outer tibia and basitarsus with light blue iridescence; mid legs black, except long white hair posteriorly on femur and tibia and white hair with weak metallic orange or light blue iridescence on apex of femur, outer surface of tibia and base of basitarsus; hind legs black, except white with weak metallic orange or light blue iridescence on apex of femur and outer surface of tibia. Metasoma: T1-T6: apical hair bands on margin greyish white with weak metallic blue-green iridescence, bands on T4-6 black medially and therefore seeming interrupted; parts not covered by hair bands black; T7 brown; S2-S5 black. Punctation. Head: clypeus punctures 1.5-3.0 puncture widths apart; labrum punctures 1.5-3.0 puncture widths apart. Thorax: scutum shiny, with close punctures, 0.5-1.0 puncture widths apart. Metasoma: T1-T5 with fine, shallow punctures, 1.0-2.0 puncture widths apart.

Variation.

About 10% of specimens have enough orange pigmentation to make the tergal bands and scutal hair orange and the hair of the legs pale orange. A larger number of specimens have almost white tergal bands, presumably as a consequence of wear.

Phenology.

Amegilla chlorocyanea occurs throughout Australia, but the epicentre of the distribution is in the south of the continent, as is demonstrated by the fact that 73% of the specimens with known localities (n = 2043) have been collected south of a latitude of 30°S. The phenology changes with the latitude: peak activity is in January in the south, and in May and October in the north. In Fig. 23 the frequency of males and females is given only for specimens caught south of 30°S.

Distribution.

Wide-spread throughout the arid and temperate areas of the southern part of mainland Australia and Tasmania (Fig. 7).