Anthophora (Micranthophora) rara Orr & Pitts & Griswold 2018, SP. NOV.
Creators: name: Orr, Michael C.
name: Pitts, James P.
name: Griswold, Terry
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Apidae
Anthophora
Anthophora rara

description: Anthophora (Micranthophora) rara, SP. NOV.
(Figs. 42C, 47C, 52C, 57C, 62C, 67C, 72C, 77C)
Anthophora (Micranthophora) rara (holotype: ♂; GCNP, Spring Canyon, Arizona, USA; coll. L.E. Stevens, 1 May 2002, at Bebbia juncea; BBSL, BBSL1049120 / HOLO102).
Verbatim: “AZ: Mohave Co., GCNP Spring Canyon, CR Mi 204R Bebbia juncea flowers DMY: 1-V-2002; 460 m Coll: L.E. Stevens” “HYM 2.0941” “ HOLOTYPE Anthophora rara male Orr BBSL1049120.”
Diagnosis. Males may be determined by the following character combination: scape at least partially maculated, usually fully so; scutum shiny, with impunctate areas; basitibial plate present but small, sometimes obscured by setae; tergal rims translucent, dark brown; T1–T4 with thin apical appressed setae bands; T5 and T6 without appressed setae, though simple light setae may be present; and T7 with a weak medial longitudinal carina, lateral projections sharp, and medial projections highly variable but rounded at tips (Fig. 62C). Females may be determined by the following character combination: galea clearly extending past rear of foretrochanter in repose and only very weakly tessellate, if at all, strongly reflective; clypeal maculation of variable height but pointed upward at top, often reaching supraclypeus or nearly so (Fig. 42C); paraocular area usually with small maculations at bottom; scutum shiny, with impunctate areas; terga tessellate, dull; T1–T4 with appressed setal bands, often interrupted on T4; T4 rim translucent and brown, broadly triangular; T5 without appressed setae; anal fimbria blackish.
Male description. Head: Facial maculations pale to richly yellow. Galea clearly reaching back past rear of foretrochanter in repose; medium to dark brown; weakly tessellate if at all, strongly reflective. Mandible with inferior tooth ovular to weakly triangular, running roughly parallel to main blade; maculated from base to middle or end of inferior tooth (Fig. 52C, somewhat obscured). Labral rim tridentate; fully maculated. Clypeal maculation a moderate band, not reaching lateral sides, tallest medially where it fills about half or less of clypeal height (Fig. 52C); punctation nearly absent within maculation. Paraocular area immaculate. Supraclypeal area immaculate. Scape maculated; fully along length below. Mesosoma: Scutum shiny; with distinct impunctate areas. Tegula moderately translucent, light to dark brown. Basitibial plate present; distinct but often obscured by setae. Metasoma: T1–T4 with thin appressed setal bands; T5–T6 without appressed setae. Terga strongly tessellate between punctures, with few to no reflections; not apparent through appressed setae. Tergal rims very nearly opaque, dark brown. Male T7 (Fig. 62C) with weak medial longitudinal carina, often obscure due to punctation; lateral projections strongly recurved, sharp; medial projections rounded at tips, but unusually variable in width and punctation extent. Male S5 (Figs. 38A, 38C) setal arrangement unremarkable, without large, distinctive patches, at most longer along rim. Male S6 (Fig. 38A) clearly medially emarginate. Male S7 (Fig. 67C) with setae absent or nearly so around midpoint of length; widening from midpoint to tip, apical half widest near rounded lateral tips; apical half vaguely resembling owl head, rim broadly emarginate between lateral tips. Male S8 (Fig. 72C) lateral projections reduced but distinct; medial projection narrowing to tip, apically emarginate, may appear entire at some angles. Male genital capsule (Fig. 77C) with outer corners, where gonocoxite tips curve inward, marked by obvious flange of 90 degrees or greater, best seen in profile; from corner to apex, in profile, gonocoxite with distinct secondary flange via deep and abrupt excavation in latter half; tip, in profile, rounded and moderately curved ventrally, with minor dorsal projection broad and rounded; gonostylus tip position slightly to significantly exceeding that of gonocoxite, measured from above along primary axis of latter. Pubescence: See Fig. 57C. Appears dark gray overall, given weak appressed setal bands. Most setae white, though dorsally with some light brownish setae, except as follows: vertex intermixed with much dark; scutum regularly with strong intermix; leg inner faces with orange or brown; tergal basal zones dark; T5–T6 with both light and dark simple setae.
Female similar to male, except: Head: Mandible with inferior tooth ridge-like, clearly angled off main blade (Fig. 42C). Labral rim rounded. Clypeal maculation larger overall, medially pointed upward and often rising above half of clypeal height (Fig. 42C). Paraocular area usually maculated; at least slightly, sometimes extensively. Scape immaculate. Mesosoma: Midtibial spur apically curved; tan to orange. Basitibial plate circular distally, teardropped overall. Metasoma: T1–T4 appressed setal bands thicker, undulate, often interrupted on T4; T5 with appressed setae, though sometimes not covering surface. T4 medial impunctate rim of broad length medially, triangular. Anal fimbria strongly triangular, covering over third but usually under half of T5 length medially. Pubescence: See Fig. 47C. Vertex and scutum darker; hindbasitarsal brush medium to dark brown; anal fimbria dark brown; S5 dark apicomedially, sometimes obscured by light.
Distribution. See Fig. 26. Appears quite rare. Present in USA: Arizona, California, likely Nevada; Mexico: possibly Sonora, possibly Baja California Norte. Found almost exclusively in Sonoran and Mojave Deserts. Ecoregional habitance is as follows, based on 11 specimen records: 4 total ecoregions: Sonoran Desert (6=55%), Mojave Desert (3=27%), Colorado Plateau shrublands (1=9%), Arizona Mountains forests (1=9%).
Phenology. Recorded from March–May, September–October, primarily spring. Few records preclude certainty, bivoltinism possible.
Nesting biology. Unknown.
Floral specialization. Likely specialist on Asteraceae, given preferences of closely related species and few visitation records. No female visitation records known. Four total floral records include: Asteraceae (4 ♂): Bebbia juncea 1 ♂, Encelia farinosa 1 ♂, Isocoma acradenia 2 ♂.
Etymology. Anthophora rara is named for its apparent rarity, the cause of which remains unknown. The epithet is an adjective in the nominative singular.
Comments. The character states in this species account and the key were described liberally because the few specimens available may not represent the full variation of this species. This may prove to be two extremely rare species, based on observed variation in the male T7 (none of which fit with A. estebana). Given the similarity of this species to A. estebana, MCO determinations of the latter species from before 2015 should be re-examined.
Paratypes: USA: ARIZONA: Coconino County: Colorado River; Three Spring Canyon: 1 ♂, 2 Oct 2011, T. L. Griswold; La Paz County: Bill Williams River NWR: 1 ♂, 19 Mar 2002, A. Romero (ROCH); Mohave County: Spring Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park: 1 ♂, 2 Oct 2001, T. Griswold; CALIFORNIA: Imperial County: Black Mountain, Chocolate Mountains: 2 ♂ 2 ♀, 27 Apr 1992, D.K. Faulkner (1 ♂ 1 ♀ at SDNHM).
Other specimens examined: USA: ARIZONA: Coconino County: GCNP Surprise Valley: 1 ♂, 11 Apr 2014, L.E. Stevens; Oak Creek Canyon, Pine Flat Campground: 1 ♀, 5 Sep 1962, C.W.O. Brien; Yuma County: Palm Canyon, Kofa Mountains: 1 ♀, 8 Apr 1963, R. L. Langston.
description: Published as part of Orr, Michael C., Pitts, James P. & Griswold, Terry, 2018, Revision of the bee group Anthophora (Micranthophora) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with notes on potential conservation concerns and a molecular phylogeny of the genus, pp. 1-193 in Zootaxa 4511 (1) on pages 116-118, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4511.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3770979