Published December 17, 2014 | Version v1
Taxonomic treatment Open

Melitta (Plesiomelitta) avontuurensis Michez & Kuhlmann & Dellicour 2014, new species

  • 1. Laboratory of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of Mons, Place du Parc 20, 7000 Mons, Belgium (denis. michez @ umons. ac. be).
  • 2. Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW 7 5 BD, United Kingdom (m. kuhlmann @ nhm. ac. uk).
  • 3. Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue F. D. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium (simon. dellicour @ zoo. ox. ac. uk).

Description

Melitta (Plesiomelitta) avontuurensis Michez & Kuhlmann, new species

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 69FF4EF0-1B32-47C7-B137-ACDAFE279652

(Figs. 10, 11)

DIAGNOSIS: The new species is morphologically close to M. schultzei. It shares with that species several features, such as a short malar area, but with the glossa as long as the labial palpus, and the fully orange scopa.

DESCRIPTION: ♀: After Dellicour et al. (2014): Total body length 11.4 mm; head length 3.4 mm, width 3.9 mm; head black except antenna reddish; galea apically pointed, outer surface matt and sculptured; malar area shorter than scape; clypeus smooth and shiny, with sparse punctation; face with whitish setae and narrow, lateral fringe of black setae along compound eye; vertex with brownish setae. Mesosomal length 4.0 mm, width 3.1 mm; integument black; mesoscutum sparsely punctate, smooth and shiny between punctures, disc with black setae, laterally with yellowish setae (Fig. 10); basal area of propodeum shiny; ventral surfaces of mesosoma with whitish setae; femora black, with whitish setae; tibiae and tarsi reddish; metabasitarsus apically with hook-like projection; metatibial scopa orange; forewing length 9.2 mm; wing membranes lightly infuscate. Metasomal length 6.2 mm, width 4.5 mm; integument black and shiny; metasomal terga II–V with interrupted apical band of white setae (Fig. 11); disc of tergum I with erect, white setae; discs of terga II–V with black setae; prepygidial fimbria reddish (Fig. 11); pygidial plate flat (Fig. 11); sterna with long, yellowish setae.

♂: Unknown.

HOLOTYPE: ♀, South Africa, 12km NW Nieuwoudtville, Farm Avontuur, dolerite hill, 830m, S31°16’02’’ E19°04’05’’, 03.ix.2009, leg. M. Kuhlmann. Deposited in the South African National Collection of Insects, Pretoria, South Africa.

PARATYPE: 1♀, same data as holotype. Deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: 3♀♀, South Africa, CP, Clanwilliam District, Biedouw Valley, S32.08° E19.14°, 05–07.ix.1987, leg. C.D. Eardley. Deposited in the South African National Collection of Insects, Pretoria, South Africa.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is based on the type locality, the farm Avontuur northwest of Nieuwoudtville, South Africa.

Notes

Published as part of Michez, Denis, Kuhlmann, Michael & Dellicour, Simon, 2014, Validation of some species- and genus-group names in Melitta (Hymenoptera: Melittidae), pp. 1-8 in Journal of Melittology 44 on pages 4-6, DOI: 10.17161/jom.v0i44.4811, http://zenodo.org/record/13620266

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Linked records

Additional details

Biodiversity

Event date
1987-09-05 , 2009-09-03
Verbatim event date
1987-09-05/07 , 2009-09-03
Scientific name authorship
Michez & Kuhlmann & Dellicour
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Order
Hymenoptera
Family
Melittidae
Genus
Melitta
Species
avontuurensis
Taxon rank
species
Type status
holotype , paratype
Taxonomic concept label
Melitta (Plesiomelitta) avontuurensis Michez, 2014

References

  • Dellicour, S., T. Lecocq, M. Kuhlmann, P. Mardulyn, & D. Michez. 2014. Molecular phylogeny, biogeography, and host plant shifts in the bee genus Melitta (Hymenoptera: Anthophila). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 70: 412 - 419.