Amegilla (Zonamegilla) pulchra (Smith, 1854)

Zakardjian, Marie, Jourdan, Herve, Cochenille, Thomas, Mahe, Prisca & Geslin, Benoit, 2023, Checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) of New Caledonia, Biodiversity Data Journal 11, pp. 105291-105291 : 105291

Amegilla (Zonamegilla) pulchra (Smith, 1854)

Anthophora holmesi Rayment, 1947;

Anthophora parapulchra Rayment, 1947;

Anthophora perpulchra wallaciella Rayment, 1947;

Anthophora pulchra townleyella Rayment, 1947;

Anthophora pulchra Smith, 1854;

Anthophora salteri Cockerell, 1905;

Anthophora shafferyella Rayment, 1947;

Amegilla holmesi (Rayment, 1947);

Amegilla parapulchra (Rayment, 1947);

Amegilla salteri (Cockerell, 1905);

Amegilla shafferyella (Rayment, 1947);

Amegilla townleyella (Rayment, 1947);

Amegilla wallaciella (Rayment, 1947)

Feeds on

Acanthaceae : Ruellia simplex (alien); Apocynaceae : Nerium oleander (alien); Convolvulaceae : Evolvulus sp. (alien), Ipomoea sp. (alien); Lamiaceae : Plectranthus sp. (alien); Lythraceae : Cuphea sp. (alien); Rubiaceae : Hamelia patens (alien), Rutaceae : Murraya paniculata (alien); Solanaceae : Solanum lycopersicum (alien), Solanum torvum (alien); Verbenaceae : Stachytarpheta cayennensis (alien), Duranta erecta (alien) (new records).

Native status

Alien

Distribution

The subgenus Zonamegilla Zonamegilla - Popov, 1950 - is mostly present in Australia (reviewed by Leijs et al. (2017)). This species is therefore present in Australia, but also in Fiji and French Polynesia where it is an alien species ( Groom et al. 2017, Groutsch et al. 2018).

Historical data in New Caledonia: Nouméa: Anse Vata, IRD Park, 14 Mar 2019, one female; 16 Mar 2019, one male; two Apr 2019, two males; Parc Zoologique et Forestier, 6 Apr 2019, two males; Rivière Salée, 14 Mar 2022, one individual; 16 Mar 2022, two individuals; Tuband, 16 Mar 2022, five individuals; 25 Mar 2022, one individual; Maison Célières, 18 Mar 2022, five individuals; Normandie, 18 Mar 2022, one individual. Païta: Plaine aux cailloux, Haute Karikouié, pépinière Eriaxis , 05 May 2019. Dumbéa: RM 15, Pépinière Botanea, 05 Feb 2020, two individuals. Mont Dore: Vallon Dore, 30 Mar 2022, one individual; 20 Apr. 2022, one individual ( Zakardjian et al. 2023b).

Notes

First detected in Nouméa in 2016, the species is now established in the city and has started to spread north along the west coast ( Hervé Jourdan, pers. com.).