Pseudoanthidium rhombiferum ( Friese, 1917 )

Kasparek, Max, 2024, New species, new synonyms, and resurrected taxa: A review of West and Central Palaearctic members of the genus Pseudoanthidium (Apoidea: Megachilidae), Zootaxa 5541 (1), pp. 1-50 : 23-25

Pseudoanthidium rhombiferum ( Friese, 1917)

( Figs 12 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25)

Anthidium rhombiferum Friese, 1917 .— Israel, male.

Pseudoanthidium (Pseudoanthidium) rhombiferum ( Friese, 1917) .— Pasteels (1969)

Material examined. ISRAEL: 1♂, holotype, “ Syrien ( Jaffa )“ [Tel Aviv-Jaffa (c. 32.04°N 34.76°E)], 13.iii.1905, Enslin leg.; see also description by Friese (1917) ( ZMB) .— 1♂, Ramot Naftali , 10km S Kiryat Shmona (33.10°N, 35.55°E), 27.iv.2018, M. Halada leg.; COI sequence: ABABX470-22 ( OLL: oll900) .— 1♀, Ezuz S of Nizzana (30.79°N 34.47°E), 14.iv.2023, M. Halada leg.; COI sequence: ABABZ043-23 ( CMK: mk1232) .— LEBANON: 1♀, Nabatieh Gov., Mies Castle (33.36’N, 35.36°E), 300 m, 09.v.2023, V. Soon leg. ( TUZ) .— PALESTINE: 1♂, Nablus , R57xR60 junction (32.43°N, 35.27°E), 08.v.2019, M. Halada leg.; COI sequence: ABABX472-22 ( OLL: oll894) ; 1♀, 4♂, Nablus (32.18°N, 35.30°E), 19.- 26.04.1934, Dr. Enslin & R. Stich leg. ( ZMB) ; 1♂, Wadi Kelt (31.82°N, 35.40°E), 20.– 28.04.1927, Dr. Enslin leg. ( ZMB) ; – SYRIA: 1♀, Dibbin [= Dibin], 30km S of Suwayda (32.44°N, 36.56°E), 15.–17.v.1996, Mi. Halada leg. ( CMK: ms4235) .— 1♂, Ebla , c. 50 km SW Aleppo (34.00°N, 37.70°E), 15.iv.2004, G. Reder leg. ( CMK: gred014) .

Other material. MoA (1989) listed 4 ex. for the Mavromoustakis collection. Alfken (1935) reported 8 ex. from Nablus (32.43°N, 35.27°E) in 1934. Alfken (1938) reported a female from Kirjat Anawim ( Israel) (31°48’N 35°07’E). Warncke (1980) found the species in south-eastern Turkey (40 km E Urfa, 37.16°N 39.25°E) and van der Zanden (1998) reported material from Repetek in Turkmenistan (38.56°N 63.17°E) and Palestine from the collection of the Zoological Museum Moscow. The record from Turkmenistan needs confirmation.

The BOLD database provided records for Israel: 2 ex., 2 km W of Tzomet Mahanaim, Hatzor Haglilit (32.97°N 35.38°E), 7.v.1998, L. Packer leg., COI sequences: BOFWI055-11 and BOFWI058-11.— 1 ex., Ramot, Naftali, Hwy 886 (33.09°N 35.55°E), 14.v.1998, L. Packer leg., COI sequence: BOFWI056-11.— 2 ex., Mt. Meiron (32.99°N 35.40°E), 2.vi.1998, L. Packer leg.; COI sequence: BOFWI057-11, BOFWI059-11.

Genetic barcode information. The DNA sequence of the barcoding unit of the COI gene was obtained from three specimens from Israel ( ABABX470-22 , ABABX472-22, ABABZ043-23) and the BOLD database provided further five sequences collected by L. Packer from Israel ( BOFWI055-11 , …, BOFWI059-11). The BIN is BOLD: ABU8653. The closest neighbour is P. reticulatum with a high barcode gap of 11.53% and a high average intergroup distance of 12.10%.

Diagnosis. The female is small (6.5 mm) with a black clypeus and a strongly protruding apical ridge with six tubercles; dark species with femora apically, tibiae and tarsi red-brown; most similar species is P. alpinum , which, however, has a convexly protruding apical ridge of the clypeus (straight in P. rhombiferum ). The male T6, with two uneven lateral projections and depressions, is unique in the genus, making it impossible to confuse it with any other.

Description. Female ( Fig. 12a ). 6.5–7 mm.— Head: Black with a triangular spot behind the zenith of the eye; anterior half of the clypeus scattered punctate with polished interstices, posterior half with fine, rugulose punctation; apical ridge strongly protruding, smooth surface with three shallow tubercles on each side ( Fig. 20 ); mandible chestnut-brown, six black teeth (to2–to5 almost equally strong); sometimes with yellow spot in lower paraocular area; antenna brown.— Mesosoma : Black; dense and fine punctation; omaulus rounded; low lamella on pronotal lobe; scutellum black, in one specimen with narrow yellow stripe.— Metasoma: T1–T5 with ivory-coloured to yellow lateral oval spots, getting closer to the middle towards the apical terga; interstices shining; broad, polished apical margin; rugulose surface of T6, laterally bulging, apically with shallow grey protrusion and a small emargination to accommodate the sting; scopal hairs dark grey ( Fig. 12d , 22 ); S6 triangular.— Legs: Femora apically, tibiae and tarsi red-brown; hind basitarsus dark grey.

Male ( Fig. 12b ). 7 mm.— Head: Black with lower paraocular area and clypeus ivory-white and a small ivory-white spot behind the eye; basal area of clypeus scattered punctate, with punctures denser and smaller towards apex; apical margin smooth and straight, covered by long white hairs ( Fig. 21 ); mandible chestnut-brown, polished, with three black teeth.— Antenna: sg1–sg3 (sg4) black; sg5–sg13 light brown.— Mesosoma : Scutum black with fine punctation; omaulus rounded; pronotal lobe inconspicuous with a low lamella; scutellum and axillae crescent-shaped in dorsal view; medially rounded and laterally angulate in profile.— Metasoma: T1–T5 black, shining, with lateral pale yellow elongate spots, increasing in size towards the posterior; T6 deformed with a lateral and submedian projection, and two pocket-like depressions laterally; T7 very small, blunt, largely hidden under T6 ( Figs 12e , 23 , 24 ); S3 with a fan-like fringe of undulated and apically hooked hairs; S4 protruding with a median emargination; S5 with a submedian pair of small black combs (approximately 2.5 comb widths apart) and a pair of larger combs on the apex of lateral arms ( Fig. 12f ).— Legs: Dark brown and black with dirty-yellow and reddish-brown spots.— Genitalia: The male gonostyli are robust and pincer-like ( Fig. 25 ).

Distribution. Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria ( Fig. 27b ). Confirmation required for Turkmenistan.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Pseudoanthidium rhombiferum (Friese, 1917). a. Habitus dorsal, female from Lebanon; b. Habitus dorsal, male holotype from Syria; c. Head of a female from Palestine; d. Apical terga of the female; e. Apical terga of the male (from Palestine); f. Apical sterna of the male with specialized undulated and apically hooked hairs on S3 and strong black combs on S5 (specimen from Palestine).

FIGURE 20. Face of the female of Palaearctic species of Pseudoanthidium (continued on the following page).

FIGURE 21. Faces of the male of Palaearctic species of the genus Pseudoanthidium.

FIGURE 22. Apical terga of females of Palaearctic Pseudoanthidium species.

FIGURE 23. Apical terga of males of Palaearctic Pseudoanthidium species.

FIGURE 24. Apical terga of males of Palaearctic Pseudoanthidium species.

FIGURE 25. Male genitalia of selected Palaearctic species of Pseudoanthidium.

FIGURE 27. Distribution of selected species of Pseudoanthidium. a. Pseudoanthidium bytinskii, P. puncticolle, P. syriacum sp. nov., and P. variabile; b. Pseudoanthidium farsiense sp. nov., P. moricei, and P. rhombiferum.