Anthophora annos Vachal 1903

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

Abstract

Anthophora annos Vachal, 1903 (Fig. 3) Anthophora annos Vachal, 1903a: 378. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Democratic Republic of the Congo • 1♀; Coquilhatville [Mbandaka]; 15.VIII.1926; T. J. Wood det.; RMNH, ZMA.INS.834647. Sierra Leone • 1♀ (holotype); 10.V.1895; MNHN-EY-EY58557. CURRENT STATUS. — Amegilla (incertae sedis) annos (Vachal, 1903) (Brooks 1988). DISTRIBUTION. — Sierra Leone, Cameroon, and Democratic Republic of the Congo* (Vachal 1903a; Friese 1922, as Anthophora leucocephala; Brooks 1988). REMARKS Vachal briefly described Anthophora annos from a single specimen from Sierra Leone, highlighting the specific pattern of yellow markings on the mandibles, labrum, clypeus, and narrowly on the supraclypeal area, the predominantly black pubescence except for the white hairs on the head and forelegs, and the almost bare metasoma. He indicated that the specimen was in “ ma collection ”, and searches in boxes of predominantly unidentified Vachal material in the MNHN produced a single female specimen bearing a handwritten Vachal label. The locality label is not quite fully faded, and reads: “Sierra Leone, 10 May 1895”. Although no collector is indicated, based on additional MNHN specimens with the same label style, the collector may have been Eugène Anatole Auguste Victor Boullet (1847-1923). The specimen is clearly the holotype due to the Vachal label and the close correspondence with the original description. Brooks (1988: 515) did not study this specimen, but placed it within Amegilla (incertae sedis), and synonymised Anthophora leucocephala Friese, 1922 under it (Brooks 1988: 560). Whilst Amegilla annos is an appropriate combination, no evidence was provided for the synonymy, and the type of Anthophora leucocephala should be investigated in the ZMHB collection to judge its validity. Based on the holotype of Amegilla annos, no placement beyond incertae sedis is possible at the present time; it does not show any obvious affinities, and without a confidently associated male, no action should currently be made given the challenge associated with correct phylogenetic placement of female specimens within the Anthophorinae (see the subgeneric classification scheme of Brooks 1988).

Authors 1

1. Thomas James Wood corresponding Aachen Naturalis Biodiversity Center

   Naturalis Biodiversity Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR, Leiden (the Netherlands)