Xylocopa nobilis Smith, 1858

Wood, T. J., Risch, S., Orr, M. C. & Hogan, J. E., 2025, An illustrated type catalogue of the bee species collected by Alfred Russel Wallace and described by Frederick Smith from Southeast Asia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), European Journal of Taxonomy 1028, pp. 1-144 : 61-62

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.1028.3129
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:06182A07-5DB6-4916-86AF-673865690CE2
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/251C1E7D-FFBC-166B-FDEA-139AFCAE5125
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Xylocopa nobilis Smith, 1858
status

Treatment

37. Xylocopa nobilis Smith, 1858 View in CoL

Fig. 38

Xylocopa nobilis Smith, 1858a: 8 View in CoL , ♀.

Type material examined

Holotype

INDONESIA • ♀; Mak. [ Makassar , Sulawesi]; [ 2 Sep.–18 Dec. 1856]; OUMNH, ENT-HYME2796 .

Type locality

Celebes [= Sulawesi].

Notes

Baker (1993: 202–203) wrote the following:

“ Three ♀♀ standing as nobilis in the UMO type collection were labelled:

1. ‘ Men.’ [white disc] and ‘ Xylocopa nobilis . Smith’ [blue paper].

2. ‘Mak.’ [blue disc] and ‘ Xylocopa nobilis . Smith’ [white paper].

3. ‘Celebes’ [white disc].

Van der Vecht (1953: 60) states ‘Smith’s type is a female from Makassar’, presumably referring to no. 2. This specimen is in fact to be interpreted as the HOLOTYPE. As to no. 1, this is a Wallace specimen, but Wallace did not visit Menado until 1859, and it could not, therefore, be a syntype: it has now been labelled as of no type status. As to no. 3, this specimen is of uncertain origin. It may be a Wallace specimen [but see under Euaspis polynesia , 5.10-9: it appears that all specimens taken by Wallace on his first visit to Celebes were labelled ‘Mak.’] or it may be a Pfeiffer specimen that was acquired by Saunders. It has been labelled as of uncertain status.

The holotype is intact and in fair condition. It belongs to a colour form other than that represented by ♀♀ 1 and 3 ( cf. volatilis , 5.10-6)”.

Baker did not state that he labelled the holotype, but in any case it lacked a distinguishing label; this has now been rectified.

Current status

Xylocopa ( Maiella) nobilis Smith, 1858 ( Ascher & Pickering 2024).

Distribution

Indonesia ( Sulawesi, Sula Islands) (van der Vecht 1953). Ascher & Pickering (2024) list also North Maluku and Maluku; the source of these records is not stated, but may be from works such as Maidl (1912) who cited the species from Ambon Island. Van der Vecht (1953: 59) cautions against any records from east of the Sula islands without confirmation.