Chelostoma (Gyrodromella) aegaeicum Müller, 2012, spec. nov.
Creators: name: Müller, Andreas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Megachilidae
Chelostoma
Chelostoma aegaeicum

description: Chelostoma (Gyrodromella) aegaeicum spec. nov.
Holotype: Greece, Lesvos: 3.8km SSE of Agiasos, 760m, 24.5.2004, ɗ (leg. A. Kyriakopoulos), [ETHZ].
Paratypes: Greece, Crete: Kato Simi, 1000m, 6.– 12.5.2003, 1 Ψ, 2 ɗ (leg. Sausa); Lasithi, 15km NW of Males, 850m, 14.5.2003, 4 Ψ (leg. Sausa). Lesvos: Aghiossos, 11.5.– 13.5.1980, 1 Ψ, 1 ɗ (leg. H. Teunissen); 2.45km W of Vatousa, 200m, 29.4.2004, 1 ɗ (leg. O. Messinger); 3.8km SSE of Agiasos, 760m, 24.5.2004, 2 ɗ (leg. A. Kyriakopoulos); 3.5km S of Agiasos, 860m, 9.6.2004, 1 ɗ (leg. A. Kyriakopoulos); 1.2km W of Stipsi, 330m, 19.5.2006, 1 Ψ (leg. C. Zografou). Turkey, Ankara: Soguksu env., 80km N of Ankara, 1300m, 14.6.2001, 1 ɗ (leg. K. Denes). Mersin: Cornelek, 40km E of Mut, 29.5.1996, 1 ɗ (leg. M. Halada).
Diagnosis. C. aegaeicum belongs to the nasutum group of the subgenus Gyrodromella (Sedivy et al., 2008; Müller, 2012), which consists of four species. The females of the nasutum group can be separated from the females of all other Chelostoma species by the protruding clypeus, which preapically declines sharply at right angles towards the base of the labrum, and by the distinct mediobasal impressions on terga 2–3. No morphological characters are known so far to reliably distinguish C. aegaeicum from the other three species of the nasutum group in the female sex. In contrast, the male of C. aegaeicum is easily recognizable by the form of the median elevation on sternum 2 (Fig. 9) in combination with the shape of the two lateral teeth of tergum 7, which are more or less parallel-sided and widely spaced basally (Fig. 10). In C. hebraeum (BENOIST), the form of the median elevation on sternum 2 is similar, but the shape of the two lateral teeth of tergum 7 clearly differs, being broadly triangular and close together basally.
Description. Female: Body length 7–9mm. Morphologically identical to C. nasutum (PÉREZ), C. handlirschi (SCHLETTERER) and C. hebraeum.
Male: Body length 8–11mm. Head: Lower genal area with a dense tuft of rather long and whitish hairs. Preoccipital ridge carinate. Second segment of the labial palpus about 4x as long as the first segment. Thorax: Punctation of scutum and scutellum rather dense with interspaces varying between the diameter of one half and two punctures. Basal zone of the propodeum declivous, shorter than the metanotum and displaying fine longitudinal carinae. Metasoma: Apical margin of terga 1–4 with white hair bands, which are broadly interrupted medially. Apical margin of terga 2–3 and to a lesser extent also of terga 1 and 4 distinctly concave. Terga less densely punctate than scutum and scutellum with interspaces up to the diameter of three punctures. Tergum 7 with an apical pit and two lateral teeth, which are parallel-sided and separated from each other by a large and roundish incision (Fig. 10). Median elevation on sternum 2 with a tuft of whitish hairs on each side in its posterior half. Lowermost part of the elevation concave, rounded anteriorly and slightly protruding downwards, constricted in the middle and slightly emarginated posteriorly (Fig. 9). Sternum 3 with two lateral spots of black bristles. Apical third of sternum 4 densely covered with short and yellowish bristles conspicuously bent at the apex. Apical margin of sternum 5 fringed with a comb of long and moderately wavy yellowish hairs.
Distribution. Known so far from Crete, Lesvos and the western half of Turkey.
Host plants. As the other species of the nasutum group all appear to be strict specialists of Campanula and possibly also related genera of the Campanulaceae (Sedivy et al., 2008; Müller, 2012), C. aegaeicum is probably a Campanulaceae oligolege as well. In fact, the only pollen sample available so far consists of pollen of Campanulaceae, and several individuals of C. aegaeicum were collected on Legousia speculum-veneris (Campanulaceae) on Lesvos.
Etymology. aegaeicus = occurring on islands in the Aegean sea.
description: Published as part of Müller, Andreas, 2012, New European bee species of the tribe Osmiini (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Megachilidae), pp. 29-50 in Zootaxa 3355 on pages 36-38, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.281575