Megachile rhodoleucura Cockerell 1937

rhodoleucura species group

Description: This group currently includes a single species in the Palaearctic region, M. riyadhensis (see notes about the identity of this species below). It possesses a few unique characteristics: in the female, the particularly enlarged apicomedial protuberance of the clypeus (Fig. 21) is possibly homologous to the much smaller preapical medial protuberance found in both the cyanipennis and incana species groups; and the mandible with four sharp teeth. In the male, the reduced, inconspicuous front coxal spine appears to build a transition between the incana and cyanipennis species groups (Table 1); sternites 5 and 6 of the male are unlike that of any other species (Figs 93, 94), although S 5 may also be interpreted as intermediate between the two latter groups. Additionally, in the male the light front basitarsus with a conspicuous ventral dark spot is shared with the cyanipennis species group, while the absence of inferior mandibular projection is shared with the incana species group. Finally, the apical margin of T7 has a deep emargination, a unique character within Palaearctic and Arabian Pseudomegachile (Fig. 37).