Afroheriades

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Osmiini
Genus: Afroheriades Peters, 1970
Subgenera: none
Common name: none

Overview

Afroheriades are small black, coarsely punctatepunctate:
studded with tiny holes
bees that range in body length from 4–8.5 mm. Two species groups are present in Afroheriades: the Afroheriades primus species group and the A. larvatus species group. Species in the former have a robust body form, whereas those of the second group have slender and elongate bodies (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Diversity

Afroheriades have 5 described species and at least 3 undescribed species worldwide (Griswold and Gonzalez 2011Griswold and Gonzalez 2011:
Griswold, T. and V.H. Gonzalez. 2011. New species of the Eastern Hemisphere genera Afroheriades and Noteriades (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), with keys to species of the former. Zookeys 159: 65ndash;80.; Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.); none are known to occur in the U.S. or Canada.

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp. unless otherwise stated)

• Maxillary palpipalpi:
  sensory appendages part of the labium and maxilla
  two segmented.
• Omaulus omaulus:
  angle between anterior and lateral surfaces of mesepisternum
  rounded. (Griswold and Gonzalez 2011Griswold and Gonzalez 2011:
  Griswold, T. and V.H. Gonzalez. 2011. New species of the Eastern Hemisphere genera Afroheriades and Noteriades (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), with keys to species of the former. Zookeys 159: 65ndash;80.)
• Parapsidal line parapsidal line:
  the line that runs submedially along the scutum and corresponds to the median border of the site of origin for flight muscles
  linear and elongate.
• Preoccipital carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  present dorsally but absent laterally.
• Pronotal lobe pronotal lobe:
  a part of the pronotum located dorsally on the posterior margin of the pronotum and overlaps the anterior thoracic spiracle
  rounded.
• Proboscis proboscis:
  an elongated sucking mouthpart that is typically tubular and flexible
  long, extending well beyond fore coxacoxa:
  the basal segment of the leg
  in repose.
• T1 without raised carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  separating the anterioranterior:
  toward the head or on the head side of a segment being described
  and dorsaldorsal:
  in general, the upper surface
  surfaces.
• T1 anterioranterior:
  toward the head or on the head side of a segment being described
  surface broadly concave.
• Female T6T6:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  with translucent apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  lip extending beyond that is perpendicular to the surface of tergumtergum:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  .
• Male S1S1:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  without a brush of hair under margin.
• Male S3S3:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  without median apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  spine (present in Pseudoheriades).
• Male T6T6:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  broadly emarginateemarginate:
  a notched or cut out place in an edge or margin, can be dramatic or simply a subtle inward departure from the general curve or line of the margin or structure being described
  nearly surrounding T7T7:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  .
• Male T7T7:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  quadrate.

May be confused with

Afroheriades is most similar to Pseudoheriades; however, they differ in that Afroheriades has a rounded pronotal lobepronotal lobe:
a part of the pronotum located dorsally on the posterior margin of the pronotum and overlaps the anterior thoracic spiracle
and omaulusomaulus:
angle between anterior and lateral surfaces of mesepisternum
, and the males lack a mid-apical spine on S3S3:
the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
(Griswold and Gonzalez 2011Griswold and Gonzalez 2011:
Griswold, T. and V.H. Gonzalez. 2011. New species of the Eastern Hemisphere genera Afroheriades and Noteriades (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), with keys to species of the former. Zookeys 159: 65ndash;80.). Afroheriades can be separated from all other Osmiini by the combination of characters above.

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Host associations

Floral associations are unknown.

Nesting behavior

Nesting behavior is unknown.

Distribution

Afroheriades are only known from South Africa (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.

References

Griswold, T. and V.H. Gonzalez. 2011. New species of the Eastern Hemisphere genera Afroheriades and Noteriades (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae), with keys to species of the former. Zookeys 159: 65-80.
 
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.