Megachile (Zonomegachile) moderata Smith. A. facial 1879
Creators: name: Gonzalez, Victor H.
name: Griswold, Terry
name: Engel, Michael S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Megachilidae
Megachile
Megachile moderata

description: Megachile (Zonomegachile) moderata Smith
Figures 4F, 6 A–C, 21, 28–30
Megachile moderata Smith, 1879: 74 (holotype ♀, examined, BMNH 17A.2430: “Ega [Tefé], Amazonas, Brazil). Silveira et al., 2002: 215 (placement in Zonomegachile Mitchell).
Megachile mariannae Dalla Torre, 1896: 438, nomen vanum (unnecessary replacement name for M. moderata Smith).
Chrysosarus (Zonomegachile) mariannae (Dalla Torre); Mitchell, 1980: 72.
DIAGNOSIS: The female of this species is most similar to M. durantae and M. paisa. It shares with both species a mesoscutellum that is imbricate among setiferous punctures (fig. 28C), and it can be recognized by the S5 with mostly yellowish setae (with black setae in M. durantae and M. paisa) and the mesoscutellum and terga with finer and denser punctures. The males, tentatively associated with this species (see Comments, below), can be recognized by the combination of a small, anteriorly directed hypostomal tooth, not distinct in frontal view (fig. 29A, D); inferior margin of mandible basally with dark gray or black branched setae; procoxa with apical spine short, about as long as an OD; and probasitarsus not or barely expanded posteriorly, about 2.7× longer than broad, with a sparser fringe on the posterior margin (fig. 29E).
REDESCRIPTION: Holotype, Female: As described for M. durantae except as follows: total body length 14.8 mm; forewing length 10.5 mm; head width 4.4 mm. Intertorular distance 1.4× torulorbital distance; interocellar distance 2.8× OD.
Body color dark reddish brown except: outer surface of mandible light reddish brown (excluding distal margin); tegula yellowish; mesosoma excluding legs black; and discs of T2–T6 dark brown. S3–S5 with mostly yellowish setae, dark grayish-brown setae on sides only; S6 with dark grayish-brown setae. Wings slightly more yellow than those of M. durantae.
Mesoscutum and terga with punctures slightly finer and denser than in M. durantae.
HOLOTYPE: ♀, Ega [Tefé]/ Ega / Type / B.M. Type Hym. 17a.2430/ Megachile moderata (Type) Sm (BMNH).
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED (n = 28♂♂, 3♀♀): Bolivia: 2♂♂, Bolivia: Beni, Reyes, 10 December 1956 (L. Peña)/ SEMC 1179006–07 (SEMC); 3♂♂, Bolivia: Dpto. La Paz, Alta Marani, N of Rurrenbaque, 10 Nov 1956 (L. Peña)/ SEMC 1179004, -005, 1204249 (SEMC); 1♂, Bolivia, La Paz, Altamarani, N. Rurrenabaque on Rio Beni, 5/ 11 November 1956 / SEMC 1204199 (SEMC); 1♂, Bolivia, Beni, Rurrenabaque, 175 mts, 23 October 1956 (L. Peña)/ SEMC 1204248; 1♂, ut supra, 17 October 1956 / SEMC 1179002 (SEMC); 1♂, Region Chapare, Bolivia, 400 m, VIII-1950 [August 1950], Zischka / SEMC 1178871 (SEMC). Brazil: 5♂♂, Brasil, Guapore, Pimienta Bueno [Rondônia], November 1960 (M. Alvarenga)/ SEMC 1178983–85, 1178987, -88 (SEMC); 3♂♂, Guapore, Abunã, Nov. ‘62. [1962], (W. Bokermann)/ SEMC 1204891, -99, 1204906 (SEMC); 1♂, ut supra, Vilhena, Nov. ’60 [1960], (M. Alvarenga)/ SEMC 1204792 (SEMC); 2♂♂, Porto Velho, Guaporé, Brasil, XII-1954 [July 1954], M. Alvarenga /Coleção Campos Seabra / SEMC 1179021, 1204737 (SEMC); 1♂, ut supra, M. Alvarenga, Dente, F. Pereira e Werner / Coleção Campos Seabra / SEMC 1204736 (SEMC). Colombia: 1♂, Colombia: Amazonas, Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu / 2 km above mouth of Rio Amazonas, 4 October 1988, Fernando Fernández / SEMC 1204260 (SEMC). Ecuador: 1♀, Napo Prov. Yasuni National Park, Est. La Catolica; Nov. 7–15 1998, D. Roubik No. 63 (BBSL); 1♂, Ecuador, Oriente, 00°24′S, 76°36′W, Limoncocha, 31 August 1970, M.G. Naumann, #203/ SEMC 1206099 (SEMC). French Guiana: 1♀, French Guiana, Kourou, Km 6.5 SW, 29 Oct 76 [1976], D. Roubik No. 57/ SEMC 1204549 (SEMC); 3♂♂, ut supra, 2 March 1977, C.D. Michener / SEMC 1204529, -30, 178930 (SEMC); 1♀, ut supra, 13 July 1977 / SEMC 1204539 (SEMC); 1♂, ut supra, David Roubik #26/ SEMC 1204563 (SEMC). Peru: 1♂, Peru: Madre de Dios, Limonal Guard Station, Reserved Zone, Manu National Park, 350 m, 12°14′0″S, 70°56′18″W, 23 Oct 2000; R. Brooks, PERU 1B00 077, ex: on wet sand near river/ SM0258293 (SEMC).
DISTRIBUTION: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia (Amazonas), Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru (fig. 21).
COMMENTS: The male specimens listed in the section above are tentatively associated with this species. Thus, a description is not presented at this time until this sex association can be confirmed in the field.
description: Published as part of Gonzalez, Victor H., Griswold, Terry & Engel, Michael S., 2018, South American Leaf-Cutter Bees (Genus Megachile) Of The Subgenera Rhyssomegachile And Zonomegachile, With Two New Subgenera (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), pp. 1-73 in Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2018 (425) on pages 1-73, DOI: 10.1206/00030090-425.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4613364