Megachile lucifer, Prendergast & Campbell, 2025

Megachile lucifer sp. nov.

Material examined.

Type material: Holotype. Australia • 1 ♀, holotype; Western Australia, Lake Johnston ; 32.52652 E 120.79661 S; 4 Nov. 2019; K. S. Prendergast leg.; sweep net Marianthus aquilonaris ; KSP code 233. WAM E 112233 .

Other material.

Allotype. Australia • 1 ♂; Western Australia, Lake Johnston ; 32.53081 E, 120.7925 S; 4 Nov. 2019; K. S. Prendergast leg.; yellow pan-trap; KSP code 0261. WAM E 112061 . Paratypes. • 1 ♀ Western Australia, Lake Johnston , 32.5318 E, 120.78531 S, 2 Nov. 2019, sweep netting ( Eucalyptus livida ) ; • 1 ♀ 3 Nov. 2019, blue bee bowl ; • 2 ♀ 4 Nov. 2019, blue bee bowl ; • 7 ♀ 4 Nov. 2019, yellow bee bowl ; • 2 ♀ Western Australia, Lake Johnston , 32.53081 E, 120.7925 S, 3. Nov. 2019, sweep netting ( Eucalyptus livida ) ; • 1 ♀ 4 Nov. 2019, blue bee bowl ; • 2 ♀ 4 Nov. 2019, yellow bee bowl ; • 1 ♀ 4 Nov. 2019, Western Australia, Lake Johnston , 32.52691 E, 120.79694 S, sweep netting ( Eucalyptus livida ); K. S. Prendergast leg.

Specimens used by DNA barcoding.

BOLD DNA barcode: BOLD: AEJ 4534. ( WAM E 112150 ); BOLD DNA barcode: BOLD: AEJ 4534. ( WAM E 112061 ) dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-MEGMAQ.

All specimens are deposited in the Western Australian Museum. Accession numbers are provided in Suppl. material 1.

Diagnosis.

The female of Megachile lucifer is distinguished from all other species of Hackeriapis by the presence of a pair of upward and outward projecting triangular horns on the sides of the clypeus, with a deeply impressed clypeus featuring a slightly raised medial ridge. The clypeal horns, each measuring 0.9 mm in length, are almost half as long as the head width in profile (Fig. 1 a – c View Figure 1 ). The male is distinguished from other Hackeriapis by the carina of T 6 being bilobed, each lobe emarginate.

The presence of clypeal processes suggests that Megachile lucifer should be part of King’s “ Species-group 2 ” of Hackeriapis ( M. patera King, 1994 , M. bicornis King, 1994 , M. franki Friese, 1920 , M. semicandens Cockerell, 1910 , M. monkmani Rayment, 1935 ), however, unlike King’s “ Species-group 2 ”, the mandible is not deeply emarginate between Te 3, Te 4, nor is the polished medial plate flat, which according to King’s key would place M. lucifer with “ Species-group 1 ” ( King 1994). The clypeal horns of M. lucifer are most similar to M. bicornis and M. patera , however the horns project more upward, there is a medial ridge in the clypeus, and the metasoma is not completely orange. The male of M. lucifer differs from M. bicornis in its metasomal colouration, and each lobe of the carina on T 6 is emarginate (the male of M. patera is unknown).

Description.

Female (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ):

Dimensions: Total body length 9.80 mm, HW 3.56 mm, ITS 2.68 mm.

Colouration: Non-metallic black; integument of head black; clypeal horns black; mesosoma black; metasoma black; red-brown border on tergites; legs black, final tarsi brown; wings dusky, semi-opaque with wing veins very dark brown; microtrichia especially dark under radial vein of the marginal cell on the forewing; scape, pedicel, F 1 dark brown, remainder brown, mandibles black with red Te 1 and Te 2.

Pubescence: Long white pubescence on face around antennal sockets covering paraocular area and gena, along underside of mandibles, sides of thorax, and metanotum; dense white hairs on base of mandibles; very sparse fine gold hairs short on scutum, short thick gold hairs along cutting edge of mandibles; short white hairs along legs; posterior hairbands on terga present on T 1-4, colour of hair bands white; T 1 with thick, dense lateral patch; hairbands on T 1 and T 4 very short and sparse, hairbands on T 2-3 complete and about one-fifth of tergite width; T 5 – T 6 pubescence on orange-gold; sparse long white hairs on T 1; metasomal scopae cream.

Sculpture: Head, mesoscutum, and scutellum with large, deep, close punctures; antennal scape with fine, shallow punctures; propodeal triangle with small, shallow punctures (Fig. 1 c View Figure 1 ); terga with minute, shallow, close punctures.

Structure head: face wider than long (1.6 ×); distinct pair of horns on clypeus, triangular in shape, projecting out and slightly up, with pointed tips rounded at the apex, convex on ocular side, inner face deeply concave medially, clypeus has medial vertical ridge with a small protuberance at the base of the clypeus, strongly depressed, hollowed out and concave on each side of the central ridge and horns (Fig. 1 b View Figure 1 ); supraclypeal area slightly elevated and concave; malar space present; mandibles relatively large, with blunt edges, four teeth (three above the notch in along the preapical margin), distance from Te 4 to Te 3, is greater than from Te 3 to Te 2, and length of teeth decreases from Te 1 to Te 4, preapical margin almost vertical (Fig. 1 b View Figure 1 ); gena ca. 0.4 × as wide as compound eye viewed laterally; scape not attaining median ocellus; scape 0.75 mm long, with apex approx. 1.5 × broader than base, last five flagellomeres longer than wide, F 3-5 equal, pedicel and F 1-2 longer than wide; final flagellomere wedge-shaped such that it tapers apically, total length of flagellum (pedicel and flagellomeres) 2.09 mm.

Head measurements: HL 2.1 mm; gena width 0.86 mm; clypeus length 0.59 mm; UID 2.5 mm; LID 2.53 mm; IAD 0.92 mm; OOD 0.63 mm; IOD 0.65 mm; AOD 0.67 mm; OAD distance 0.53 mm; malar space 0.08 mm; mandible base length 0.67 mm; mandible length 1.5 mm; UID: LID 0.99; clypeus: HL 0.28.

Mesosoma: Propodeal triangle slightly convex, carina weak, almost vertical.

Mesosoma measurements: overall mesosoma length 3.54 mm; pronotal collar absent; mesoscutum length 2.28 mm; scutellum length 0.73 mm; mesoscutum length: ITS 1.32; scutellum: mesoscutum 0.32.

Legs: tarsal claws simple, no basal claw; hind tibial spurs with small, dense serrations.

Metasoma: overall metasoma length 3.54 mm; metasoma longer than mesosoma (metasoma: mesosoma 1.33); T 1 width 3.1 mm, anterior face concave, with surface highly declivous; metasoma broadest at T 3; T 1-4 slightly convex.

Male (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ):

Dimensions: Body length 8.9 mm, HW 2.87 mm, ITS 2.6 mm.

Colouration: similar to female, except T 5 - T 7 orange, slight brown apical border laterally on T 5.

Pubescence: Pubescence on face much thicker than female, hairs cover entire head including clypeus; beard of hairs on genae longer (Fig. 2 b View Figure 2 ). Preapical hair bands incomplete.

Sculpture: similar to female, except polished impunctate apical bands on T 1-5.

Structure – head: horns absent, clypeus slightly concave, covered in dense long white hairs, mandibles tridentate. Scape 0.55 mm long, similar in structure to female with final flagellomere wedge-shaped such that it tapers apically, total length of flagellum (pedicel and flagellomeres) 2.01 mm.

Head measurements: HL 1.77 mm; gena width 0.7 mm; clypeus length 0.50 mm; UID 1.58 mm; LID 1.74 mm; IAD 0.78 mm; OOD 0.68 mm; IOD 0.56 mm; AOD 0.47 mm; OAD distance 0.53 mm; malar space 0.13 mm; mandible base length 0.51 mm; mandible length 0.86 mm; UID: LID 0.91; clypeus: HL 0.28.

Mesosoma: overall mesosoma length 3.50 mm; pronotal collar absent; mesoscutum length 2.04 mm; scutellum length 0.79 mm; mesoscutum length: ITS 1.34; scutellum: mesoscutum 0.39.

Structure – legs: tarsal claws with basal tooth (Fig. 2 a View Figure 2 ). Hind-tibial spurs similar to female. Forelegs not modified.

Structure metasoma: metasoma longer than mesosoma, less so than female (metasoma: mesosoma 1.29); broadest at second segment, overall metasoma length 3.54 mm; metasoma longer than mesosoma (metasoma: mesosoma 1.33); T 1 width 3.02 mm; T 1-4 slightly convex; carina of T 6 bilobed, each lobe emarginate (Fig. 2 b, d View Figure 2 ).

Etymology.

The name “ lucifer ” alludes to the projections on the female clypeus, reminiscent of devil-like horns. It is proposed as a noun in apposition.

Distribution.

Bremer Ranges region around Lake Johnston, Coolgardie bioregion of inland southeast Western Australia (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ).

Type-locality.

Australia, Western Australia: Bremer Ranges, Lake Johnston; 32.52652 E, 120.79661 S; habitat type is open woodland with sparse understory on skeletal sandy-loam over laterite, collected with an entomological sweep net, foraging on Marianthus aquilonaris , 4 Nov. 2019, K. Prendergast.

Ecology.

Months collected: Nov 2 - 4 2019. Surveys in the region conducted earlier in October in 2022 and 2024 failed to collect this species.

Floral visitation: 1 ♀ Marianthus aquilonaris (Fig. 4 a View Figure 4 ), 3 ♀ Eucalyptus livida Brooker & Hopper (Fig. 4 b View Figure 4 ).

Conservation status.

To date, the species has only been collected in the Bremer Ranges. Viewing the WA Museum entomology collection additional specimens were not found, nor have other specimens been collected by K. S. Prendergast in surveys across Canarvon, Eighty Mile Beach, Purnululu, Geradlton, across the Swan Coastal Plain or the Jarrah Forest region. No other specimens were found in the OZBOL BOLD database. The Bremer Ranges region is at risk from a number of threatening processes, including gold mining, inappropriate fire regimes, and climate change ( Prendergast 2019; Pick 2020; Prendergast 2021). One of the host plants, Marianthus aquilonaris , is Critically Endangered under the Western Australian Biodiversity Conservation Act, as its extent of occurrence is less than 100 km 2, its area of occupancy being less than 10 km, and suffers from fragmentation ( Hopley and Byrne 2019; Prendergast 2019; Pick 2020; Prendergast 2021). The region where the species has been collected is not currently under any conservation protection.

Under the IUCN Red List criteria, criteria A, C and E cannot be assessed as there is no ongoing monitoring; however, based on criteria B: Geographic range in the form of either B 1 (extent of occurrence) OR B 2 (area of occupancy) OR both, it may be considered to be Critically Endangered ( IUCN 2012). However, further surveys in areas with Eucalyptus livida , another host plant, are required to determine if it occurs in other locations within the Coolgardie region where E. livida occurs.

DNA barcoding

(See also Suppl. material 2). The specimens barcoded were both assigned the BIN BOLD: AEJ 4534.

The associated Genbank accession numbers are:

BankIt 2979786 gnl | uoguelph | OZBOL 2716-21. COI- 5 P PV 919132 BankIt 2979786 gnl | uoguelph | OZBOL 2721-21. COI- 5 P PV 919133.

No other specimens in BOLD matched the BIN BOLD: AEJ 4534 assigned to these specimens. The association of the sexes was confirmed, with only 0.3 % distance between the two specimens in this BIN. The distance to the nearest neighbour of M. lucifer is 7.1 %, and thus exceeds the cut off of a minimum of 2 % distance to be considered a distinct species. The nearest neighbour in BOLD has the BIN BOLD: AEC 5722, and is not assigned to a species of Megachile . This species is in turn the nearest neighbour (6.1 %) to an undescribed Megachile, BIN BOLD: AGD 4390 .