Amegilla (Zonamegilla) walkeri (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 : 130-133

Amegilla (Zonamegilla) walkeri (Cockerell) Figs 13, 37, 50

Anthophora walkeri Cockerell, 1905, p. 396.

Amegilla walkeri (Cockerell) Michener, 1965, p. 217.

Amegilla (Zonamegilla) walkeri (Cockerell) Brooks, 1988, p. 511.

Anthophora darwini Cockerell, 1910, p. 409. n. syn.

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

Type data.

Holotype of walkeri , female, Baudin I. Long Reef, WA, 91-155, 4593, BMNH 17B.663.

Holotype of darwini , male, P. Darwin, Turner Coll. 1910-7, 11-02, " Anthophora darwini , Ckll", BMNH 17B.448.

Decision for synonymy.

The holotype of darwini bears a label " Amegilla = walkeri , M.A. Lieftinck, 1958". Examination the type specimens confirmed Lieftinck’s and Brook’s (1988) decisions to synonymise darwini with walkeri .

Material examined.

66 females and 63 males.

Diagnosis.

Both sexes of walkeri have grey pubescence on the scutum due of a mixture of black and white hair and conspicuous light blue, metallic hair bands on the terga. Females have a broad band of white hair bordering the fimbria on T5 (Fig. 37).

Description.

Female: Darwin, East Point, 28 Feb.2006, 12.4130S 130.8300E, D. A. Young, SAMA 32-002593, DNA voucher RB127 (RL714).

Length 12 mm; forewing length 8.5 mm.

Structure. Head: clypeus protuberant, in profile 0.4 × width of eye; galea in repose reaching just past fore coxa; length of f1 2.6 × length of f2, 0.7 × length of scape (excluding basal bulb) and 1.6 × length of f10; length of f3-9 1.1 × width; IOD 1.3 × OOD; OS 0.5 × OOD. Coloration. Yellow marks on labrum, mandibles, scape, clypeus, paraocular and supraclypeal areas; inverted T-shape on clypeus; f2 orange, f3-10 brown ventrally. Pubescence. Head: white, intermixed with black hair on clypeus, paraocular areas, frons, near ocelli and on vertex; gena white. Thorax: scutum white intermixed with black hair, producing an overall grey appearance; pleura white with scattered black hair under wing base; thoracic sterna white; propodeum laterally white with scattered black hair. Legs: fore femur posteriorly with long white hair, outer surface of tibia and tarsus white, inner surface of tarsus dark; mid legs black, except white hair on the apex of femur and on outer surface of tibia and basitarsus and a dense streak of short white hair on posterior proximal part of femur; hind legs black, except white hair on apex of femur, posterior rim of the outer surface of tibia, white patch on basal part of basitarsus; basitibial streak black, 0.4 × length of femur. Metasoma: apical hair bands on T1-T4 white with clear light blue iridescence; T5 laterally with moderately long white hair (Fig. 37), fimbria dark, a broad patch of scattered white hair above fimbria with a denser medial stripe overlapping fimbria; S3, S4 dark, posterolateral patches of white hair; S5 dark. Punctation. Head: clypeus with close, medium sized, deep punctures, 0.1-1.0 puncture widths apart; labrum somewhat shiny, with close, medium punctures of intermediate depth, 0.1-0.8 puncture widths apart. Thorax: scutum somewhat shiny, with close, punctures, 0.2-1.2 puncture widths apart. Metasoma: T1-T5 with open punctures, 0.8-1.8 puncture widths apart.

Male: Darwin, East Point, 28 Feb.2006, 12.4130S 130.8300E, D. A. Young, SAMA 32-002596, DNA voucher RB126 (RL713).

Length 10 mm; forewing length 7 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 just past mid coxa; length of f1 1.8 × length of f2, 0.9 × length of scape (excluding basal bulb) and 0.9 × length of f11; length of f3-10 1.2 × 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 1.6 × length of second abscissa of M+Cu; length of jugal lobe about 0.4 × length of vannal lobe. Metasoma: apicomedial emargination of S5 wide and shallow; S7 head large, medial ridge moderately narrow resulting in a narrow, rounded apical projection, large weakly pigmented windows and an inverted Y-shaped brush (Fig. 50); S8 apical emargination of intermediate depth. Pubescence. Head: labrum white, black hair on clypeus, white and scattered black hair on paraocular areas, on frons, near ocelli and on vertex; gena white. Thorax: scutum white intermixed with black hair, producing an overall grey appearance; pleura white with scattered black hair under wing base; propodeum laterally white with scattered black hair. Legs: forefemur posteriorly with long white hair, outer surface of tibia and tarsus white, inner surface of tarsus dark; mid legs dark, except white hair on the apex of femur, posteriorly proximally on femur and on outer surface of tibia and basitarsus; hind legs dark, except white hair on apex of femur and outer surface of tibia, a few white hairs on base of basitarsus. Metasoma: apical hair bands on T1-T5 white with clear light blue iridescence; T6, T7 black when viewed from behind, brown when viewed laterally; S2-S5 medially dark, laterally with white patches. Punctation. Head: clypeus medium, shallow punctures 1.0-2.0 puncture widths apart; labrum: small, shallow punctures 0.7-2.0 puncture widths apart. Thorax: scutum shiny, with open, small, shallow punctures 0.5-2.5 puncture widths apart. Metasoma: T1-T5 somewhat shiny, with open, fine, shallow punctures, 1.0-2.0 puncture widths apart.

Phenology.

Distribution.

In tropical areas of the Northern Territories and Western Australia (Kimberleys) (Fig. 13).

Remarks.

Closely related to the allopatric species thorogoodi from which it can be distinguished by the colour of the thoracic hair.