Amegilla (Zonamegilla) paeninsulae, Leijs, Remko, Batley, Michael & Hogendoorn, Katja, 2017

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 : 120-123

Amegilla (Zonamegilla) paeninsulae sp. n. Figs 10, 33, 46

Material examined.

26 females and 40 males.

Type data.

Holotype: female, N of Bamaga, Qld, 10.84117S 142.42316E, 28 Jun 2007, R. Leijs & M. Batley, DNA voucher RB287 (RL795), SAMA 32-002622.

Allotype: male, N of Bamaga, Qld, 10.84117S 142.42316E, 28 Jun 2007, R. Leijs & M. Batley, DNA voucher RB286 (RL793), SAMA 32-002619.

Paratypes: 2 males, 2 females, same locality data as holotype, ABTC (RL794, RL 796), in absolute ethanol; female, N of Bamaga, Qld, 10.75744S 142.50475E, 28 Jun 2007, R. Leijs & M. Batley, ABTC (RL808), in absolute ethanol; 2 males, N of Bamaga, Qld, 10.74721S 142.58459E, 28 Jun 2007, R. Leijs & M. Batley, ABTC (RL812), in absolute ethanol; 4 females, N of Lockerby, Qld, 10.78141S 142.48837E, 29 Jun 2007, R. Leijs & M. Batley, ABTC (RL818, RL819), in absolute ethanol; 2 males, Iron Range, Qld, 10.74302S 142.23521E, 1 Jul 2007, R. Leijs & M. Batley, DNA voucher RB301 (RL837), SAMA 32-002620.

Diagnosis.

Amegilla paeninsulae is a distinctive species with orange tergal hair bands, sometimes with green iridescence, orange pubescence on the scutum, orange scopa on the hind legs and no dark basitibial streak in females. Females have T5 covered with scattered orange hair and an orange medial streak (Fig. 33). Males have S7 with a small rounded head and no lightly pigmented windows (Fig. 46).

Description.

Female: holotype

Length 14 mm; forewing length 9 mm.

Structure. Head: clypeus protuberant, in profile 0.4 × width of eye; galea in repose reaching just past forecoxa; length of f1 3 × length of f2, equal to length of scape (excluding basal bulb) and 1.4 × length of f10; f3-9 as long as wide; IOD 1.5 × OOD; OS 0.5 × OOD. Coloration. Yellow marks on labrum, mandibles, scape, clypeus, paraocular and supraclypeal areas, inverted T-shape on clypeus; distal part of flagellum brown ventrally from f2 onwards. Pubescence. Head: labrum white, clypeus light ginger intermixed with black, hairs in paraocular areas, frons, near ocelli and on vertex, ginger hair darker towards the top; gena white, light ginger towards vertex. Thorax: scutum ginger intermixed with black hair; pleura ginger with scattered black hair under wing base, light ginger ventrally; thoracic sterna light ginger; propodeum laterally ginger with scattered black hairs. Legs: forefemur posteriorly with long, light ginger hair intermixed with some black hairs, outer surface of foretibia and -tarsus light ginger, inner surface of tarsus brown, coxa light ginger; mid legs black, except light ginger hair on apex of femur and on outer surface of tibia and basitarsus and a small patch of light ginger hair on posterior proximal part of femur; hind legs black, except ginger on apex of femur, posterior rim of outer surface of tibia and basal part of basitarsus; basitibial streak absent. Metasoma: apical hair bands on T1-T4 orange-brown with orange and green iridescence; T5 laterally with moderately long light ginger hairs (Fig. 33), fimbria brown, T5 covered with short, light ginger hairs, with light ginger medial streak overlapping the fimbria; S3, S4 very narrow light ginger posterolateral patches; S5 brown. Punctation. Head: clypeus with close large, deep punctures, 0.2-1.5 puncture widths apart; labrum somewhat shiny, with close, medium, shallow punctures, 0.2-1.0 puncture widths apart. Thorax: scutum shiny, with close to open punctures 0.2-3.0 puncture widths apart. Metasoma: T1-T5 with close to open punctures, 1.0-2.0 puncture widths apart, interspaces transverse pit-reticulate.

Male: allotype.

Length 12 mm; forewing length 8 mm.

Structure. Head: shortest distance between eyes 0.7 × length of eye; clypeus protuberant, in profile 0.5 × width of eye; galea in repose reaching past mid coxa; length of f1 1.6 × length of f2, 0.5 × length of scape (excluding basal bulb) and 0.9 × length of f11; length of f3-10 1.3 × width; IOD 1.3 × OOD; OS 0.6 × OOD. Wings: length of marginal cell 0.9 × distance from apex of marginal cell to wing tip; length of vein M of hind wing 2.1 × length second abscissa of M+Cu; length of jugal lobe about 0.4 × length of vannal lobe. Metasoma: apicomedial emargination of S5 wide and deep; S7 windows absent; S7 median hair brush, broad 2 × width; S7 with a small rounded head, very wide medial ridge leaving no lightly pigmented windows, no apical projection and a flattened apical margin (Fig. 46); S8 apical emargination deep. Pubescence. Head: labrum white, clypeus and paraocular areas black, remaining areas predominantly ginger with scattered black hairs on frons, near ocelli and on vertex; gena white, light ginger towards vertex. Thorax: scutum orange brown intermixed with black hair; pleura orange brown, intermixed with black hair, whitish ventrally; thoracic sterna greyish white; propodeum laterally orange-brown with scattered black hairs. Legs: forefemur posteriorly with light ginger hair, outer surface of foretibia and -tarsus orange-brown, inner surface of tarsus brown, coxa greyish white; mid legs dark, except orange-brown on apex of femur, posteriorly proximally on femur and on outer surface of tibia and tarsus; hind legs black, except orange-brown hair on apex of femur and outer surface of tibia and tarsus, light ginger tuft on apex of tibia. Metasoma: apical hair bands on T1-T5 orange-brown with orange and green iridescence; T6 with black medial patch, remaining hair orange when viewed from behind, light brown when viewed from the side, T7 black when viewed from behind with a few orange hairs laterally, brown when viewed from the side; S2-S5 medially light orange, laterally with light orange patches; S6 light orange. Punctation. Head: clypeus punctures 1.0-4.0 puncture widths apart; labrum with medium, shallow punctures 0.8-3.0 puncture widths apart. Thorax: scutum shiny, with close to sparse, medium, shallow punctures 0.2-4 puncture widths apart. Metasoma: T1-T5 somewhat shiny, with close to open, fine, shallow punctures, 1.0-2.0 puncture widths apart; interspaces pit-reticulate.

Variation.

Most males have predominantly orange tergal bands, while those of females are usually a mixture of iridescent green and orange. The hair on the sterna and coxae of most males is pale orange and some males lack the medial brown patch on T6.

Phenology.

Distribution.

In tropical rainforest patches on Cape York, Queensland (Fig. 10).

Etymology.

The specific epithet refers to its distribution on Cape York Peninsula.