Meliturgula (Meliturgula) bonheimi Eardley, 2009, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Eardley, Connal
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Andrenidae
Meliturgula
Meliturgula bonheimi

description: Meliturgula (Meliturgula) bonheimi sp. nov. (Fig. 1)
Named for Derek Bonheim, who has been a friend for more than 40 years.
This species belongs to Meliturgula s.str. This subgenus displays two distinct forms; one characterized by Meliturgula braunsi, the other by M. scriptifrons. Meliturgula bonheimi is more similar to M. scriptifrons in the convexity of the clypeus, narrow facial fovea and divided propodeum. Within this group only M. bonheimi and M. scriptifrons have a glabrous ridge separating the anterior and posterior surfaces of the propodeum. By contrast, the extensive yellow facial maculation of M. bonheimi resembles M. braunsi, as does the curved posterior edge of the first submarginal cell.
Diagnosis. Lower region of face mostly yellow (Fig. 1 a), facial fovea narrow, propodeum distinctly divided (cf. Fig. 4 d), metasoma mostly orange (Figs 1 b–d).
Description. Female. Lengths (holotype): head 2.0 mm; scutum 1.5 mm; fore wing 5.4 mm; body 7.5 mm. Pubescence mostly brownish-white, vertex and anterior region of scutum pale brown (Fig. 1 a–c), ventral surfaces of tarsi and medioposterior regions of T4–T5 orange (Fig. 1 c–d). Integument, head above antennal sockets, most of paraocular area adjacent to eye and gena black, supraclypeus, clypeus, most of paraocular area below antennal sockets (yellow markings reaching eye ventrally only), anterior surface of antennal scape and mandible yellow (Fig. 1 a); mesosoma mostly black, metanotum yellow, legs orange; metasoma orange, except a dark lateral spot on T2 and pygidial plate blackish (Fig. 1 b–d), poorly defined blackish areas medially on T4–T5 (Fig. 1 b–d), S2–S6 extensively blackish, pygidial plate black (Fig. 1 d). Structure: clypeus convex, shape as in Fig. 1 a, facial fovea narrow; fore wing with first submarginal cell slightly arched posteriorly; propodeum angulately divided with short, anterior, subhorizontal (clearly sculptured) and long, subvertical, posterior (weakly glabrous) surfaces, cf. Fig. 4 d.
Male. Unknown.
Distribution. This species is only known from the type locality in northwest Namibia.
Material Examined. Female holotype and three female paratypes ‘ Namibia, Karibib: 65 km SW Usakos 1.3.1990, leg. Max Schwarz’, holotype and two paratypes in MSAA, one paratype in SANC.
Meliturgula(Meliturgula) braunsi Friese (Fig. 2 a–e)
South Africa. Foraging on flowers of: Mesembryanthemum sp., Ruschia uncinata (Mesembryanthemaceae)
Meliturgula braunsi Friese, 1903: 34; Eardley 1991c: 124 –126, 132–13.
Meliturgula (Meliturgula) braunsi Friese: Patiny 1999a: 248 –249, 253; Patiny 2004: 2, 7, 9, 12.
Meliturgula (Meliturgula) wilmattae Cockerell (Fig. 2 f–g) South Africa.
Meliturgula wilmattae Cockerell, 1932: 448; Eardley 1999c: 124.
Meliturgula (Meliturgula) wilmattae Cockerell: Patiny 2000: 303; Patiny 2004: 2, 7.
Meliturgula (Meliturgula) haematospila Cockerell (Fig. 3)
South Africa, Namibia. Foraging on flowers of: Acacia sp. (Fabaceae), Adenolobus pechuelii (Fabaceae), Aptosimum decumbens, Aptosimum sp. (Scrophulariaceae), Boerhavia deserticola (Nyctaginaceae), Corbichonia rubriviolacea (Molluginaceae), Cucumis sp. (Cucurbitaceae), Gisekia Africana (Gisekiaceae), Heliotropium rariflorum (Boraginaceae), Hermannia modesta, Hermannia sp. (Sterculiaceae), Indigofera rautanenii, Indigofera sp. (Fabaceae), Limeum arqute-carinatum (Molluginaceae), Peliostomum leucorrhizum (Scrophulariaceae), Sesuvium sesuvioides (Aizoaceae), Trianthema crystallina, Tribulus sp. (Zygophyllaceae), Zygophyllum simplex (Zygophyllaceae), daisy.
Meliturgula haematospila Cockerell, 1935a: 559 –560.
Meliturgula (Meliturgula) haematospila Cockerell: Patiny 2000: 303; Patiny 2004: 2, 7, 9. Meliturgula haematospila ogilivei Cockerell, 1936b: 555.
Meliturgula (Meliturgula) scriptifrons (Walker) (Fig. 4)
Angola; Botswana, Eritrea; Kenya; Malawi; Namibia, South Africa, Sudan; Tanzania; Zimbabwe, Palaearctic. Foraging on flowers of: Gisekia Africana (Gisekiaceae), Heliotropium rariflorum (Boraginaceae), Heeria paniculosa (Anacardiaceae), Indigofera auricoma, Indigofera rautanenii, Indigofera sp. (Fabaceae), Justicia sp. (Anacardiaceae), Mesembrythanthemum sp. (Mesembryanthemaceae), Ocimum americanum (Lamiaceae), Ozoroa paniculosa var. salicina (Anacardiaceae), Senna italica (Asteraceae), Tribulus cristatus (Zygophyllaceae), Zygophyllum simplex (Zygophyllaceae).
Nomia scriptifrons Walker, 1871: 44.
Meliturgula minima Friese 1912: 188.
Meliturgula minima race pallidior Cockerell, 1935b: 236.
Meliturgula minima var. perpallida Cockerell, 1935b: 236. Meliturgula scriptifrons (Walker): Patiny 1999b: 63 –67.
Meliturgula (Meliturgula) scriptifrons (Walker): Patiny & Gaspar 2000: 16 –17, 25; Patiny 2004: 2, 8–10.
Meliturgula (Poecilomelitta) fuliginosa (Friese) (Fig. 5)
Namibia. Foraging on flowers of: Tribulus sp. (Zygophyllaceae).
Poecilomelitta fuliginosa Friese, 1913b: 574.
Meliturgula (Poecilomelitta) fulginosa (Friese): Patiny 1999a: 250; Patiny 2004: 2, 8–9. Poecilomelitta latifrons Cockerell, 1936b: 479 –480.
Meliturgula (Poecilomelitta) eardleyana Patiny (Fig. 6) Namibia, South Africa.
Meliturgula (Poecilomelitta) eardleyana Patiny, 2000: 302 –303; Patiny 2004: 2, 4–5, 8–10, 12.
Meliturgula eardleyana is intermediate between M. fuliginosa and M. rozeni. The male face resembles M. rozeni whereas the male metasomal terminalia are like those of M. fuliginosa. The female face resembles that of M. fuliginosa. This is the first description of the male of M. eardleyana.
Diagnosis. Male. Anterior surface of antennal scape, lower surface of antennal flagellum and most of clypeus yellow, ventrolateral corner of clypeus black (Fig. 6 c), eye moderately large (Fig. 6 c).
Description. Female. As described by Patiny (2000).
Male. Lengths: head 1.4 mm; scutum 0.9 mm; fore wing 3.8 mm; body 5.0 mm. Pubescence mostly white (Fig. 6 c–d), ventral surfaces of tarsi pale yellow (Fig. 6 d). Integument black, except yellow on anterior surface of scape, ventral surfaces of basal five segments of flagellum (distal six segments brownish-yellow below), most of clypeus (ventrolateral corner of clypeus black), and all tarsi (Fig. 6 c–d). Structure: vertex, frontal view, eyes moderately large (0.6x as wide as face at antennal socket level); eyes converge above (upper interorbital distance 0.83x lower interorbital distance); inner eye margins distinctly convex (Fig. 6 c); antennal scape reaching lateral ocellus; scape about 7.5x as long as flagellar segment 1, which is twice as long as flagellar segment 2; flagellum reaches to about middle of scutum; labrum with median region concave, apical margin recessed, shiny, mediolateral region punctuate; S6 with posteromedian, bifurcate spine (Fig. 6 e); S7 as in M. scriptifrons (Eardley 1991), S8 and genital capsule as in M. fuliginosa (Eardley 1991).
Distribution. This species is known from the type locality in the Karoo, South Africa, and the middle of Namibia.
Material Examined. Male: Namibia, 42km S. Maltahohe, 25.00S 16.45E, 17.ii.1988, G.D. Butler, in SANC.
Meliturgula (Poecilomelitta) rozeni Eardley (Fig. 7)
Namibia. Foraging on flowers of: Gisekia african (Gisekiaceae), Limeum arqute-carinatum, Limeum fenestratum (Molluginaceae), Sesuvium sesuvioides (Aizoaceae).
Meliturgula rozeni Eardley, 1991: 124, 126–129, 133, 135.
Meliturgula (Poecilomelitta) rozeni (Friese): Patiny 1999a: 250; Patiny 2004a: 2, 8–9.
Meliturgula(Poecilomelitta) flavida (Friese) (Fig. 8)
Namibia, South Africa. Foraging on flowers of: Limoneum sp. (Plumbaginaceae), Sesuvium sesuvioides (Aizoaceae), Tephrosia burchellii (Fabaceae), Gisekia africana (Gisekiaceae), Limeum arqute-carinatum (Molluginaceae), Mollugo cerviana (Molluginaceae).
Poecilomelitta flavida Friese, 1913b: 574.
Meliturgula flavida (Friese): Gess and Gess 1991: 84; Eardley 1991: 123 –124, 130–133. Meliturgula (Poecilomelitta) flavida (Friese): Patiny 1999a: 250; Patiny 2004: 2, 8, 12. Poecilomelitta obscurata Cockerell, 1936a: 478 –479.
Poecilomelitta robustula Cockerell, 1936a: 480.
description: Published as part of Eardley, Connal, 2009, A revision of the Southern African species of Meliturgula Friese (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae: Panurginae), pp. 39-51 in Zootaxa 2261 on pages 41-49, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.275230