Pseudoanthidium ( Exanthidium ) astafurovae Fateryga, Maharramov & Proshchalykin, 2025

Fateryga, Alexander V., Maharramov, Mahir M. & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2025, A survey of megachilid bees of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, with description of a new species of Pseudoanthidium Friese, 1898 (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), ZooKeys 1262, pp. 221-240 : 221-240

Pseudoanthidium ( Exanthidium) astafurovae Fateryga, Maharramov & Proshchalykin sp. nov.

Fig. 3

Diagnosis.

Among the species of the subgenus Exanthidium Pasteels, 1969 ( Kasparek 2021), the male of P. astafurovae is unequivocally characterised by the following combination of characters: i) tergum 6 laterally bulging, without hooked or spiniform protrusion (Fig. 3 D ); ii) emargination of tergum 7 little widening in apical third, with rather pointed base (emargination V-shaped) (Fig. 3 D ); iii) emargination of tergum 7 with translucent margin (Fig. 3 D ); iv) posterior margin of scutellum rather rounded in dorsal view (Fig. 3 A ); v) apical margin of sternum 2 truncate, without medial protrusion (Fig. 3 E ); vi) yellow preoccipital band reaching mandibular base. The new species is probably closely related to Pseudoanthidium eximium (Giraud, 1863) , another species of the subgenus Exanthidium occurring in Azerbaijan, but the latter has a hooked lateral protrusion of tergum 6, rather straight posterior margin of scutellum in dorsal view, and a remarkably paler and less rich yellow pattern of the body (figs 6, 7 in Kasparek 2021). Besides this, P. astafurovae is distinct from P. eximium by a slenderer penis valve (especially its apical part) with much shorter hairs (Fig. 3 F, G vs fig. 3 G – I in Kasparek 2021) and distinctly pointed (not rather rounded) apical margins of sternum 7 (Fig. 3 E ), as well as a distinctly pointed apical margin of sternum 8 (Fig. 3 C ).

Description.

Male. Length 8 mm. Head: clypeus 1.4 × as long as broad, yellow, densely and shallowly punctured, without longitudinal line in middle; narrow apical margin brownish and weakly crenulate; paraocular area densely punctured, to level of insertion of antenna and slightly above yellow; clypeus and paraocular area with dense white hairs as long as width of mandible; gena and occiput with complete fused yellow band, much narrowing in middle of occiput; frons and vertex mostly black, with yellowish hairs longer and sparser than those on clypeus and paraocular area; distance between lateral ocellus and occiputal margin 2 × as diameter of lateral ocellus; mandible yellow, tridentate, teeth black; antenna mostly black except light brown ventral side of article 4 and brown ventral side of articles 5–13. Mesosoma: scutum densely punctured, moderately shining, with greyish-yellow short hairs (shorter than those on frons and vertex) not hiding surface, with transverse anterolateral yellow stripe at each side; mesepisternum to propodeum densely covered with white hairs as those on clypeus and paraocular area; tegula yellow, disk brown in middle; scutellum slightly produced over propodeum, densely punctured, moderately shining, with greyish-yellow short hairs, black in anterior half and yellow in posterior half; apical margin of scutellum rounded, distinctly lamellate laterally; axilla not united with scutellum, yellow except small inner black part, laterally rather rounded; pronotal lobe yellow, otherwise mesosoma black; second recurrent vein distad to apex of second transverse cubital vein; basal vein originating considerably basad of transverse median vein; legs yellow except partially black coxae and trochanters, rather sparsely pubescent; outer face of hind tibia rounded; hind spurs pale yellow. Metasoma: terga 1–6 distinctly shining, with fine punctures on discs, interspaces sometimes reaching more than puncture diameter in middle, narrower laterally, polished; tergal discs black basally and with yellow bands apically, interrupted on terga 1 and 2; depression with somewhat denser punctures, brown and translucent; terga with short sparse hairs; tergum 6 without lateral projections; tergum 7 nearly completely yellow, deeply V-shapely emarginate, with narrow translucent margin; sterna punctured finely and densely than targa; sterna 1–5 mostly black basally and yellow apically, sterna 6–8 mostly brown and translucent; apical margins of sterna with regular rows of dense specialized hairs, especially long and hiding structure on sternum 3; sternum 6 medially with rounded area lacking pilosity, apically rounded, with small unclear medioapical protrusion; sternum 7 with distinctly pointed apical margins; sternum 8 helmet-shaped; genitalia with comparatively slender penis valve, covered dorsomedially with short hairs, and enlarged towards apex and apically rounded gonostylus, nearly without hairs.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined.

Holotype: Azerbaijan. Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic • Ordubad, Kotam , 38°53'25"N, 46°03'14"E, 700 m, 30. V. 2025, 1 ♂, leg. M. Proshchalykin, M. Maharramov [ ZISP] .

Etymology.

The new species is named after our colleague Yulia V. Astafurova ( ZISP), in recognition of her great contribution to the taxonomy of the bees of the Caucasus (including the bees of Azerbaijan).

Distribution.

Azerbaijan.

Figures

Figure 3. Pseudoanthidium astafurovae Fateryga, Maharramov & Proshchalykin, sp. nov., ♂, holotype. A. Habitus in dorsal view; B. Head in frontal view; C. Sternum 8; D. Metasomal terga 4–6; E. Metasoma in ventral view; F. Genitalia in dorsal view; G. Genitalia in ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.