Amegilla indistincta

Tilcayo Cats original · Amegilla · Sources and editorial assessment · Originals retention rule

Amegilla indistincta is a bee of tropical and subtropical eastern Queensland, formally described in 2017. Its name refers to specimens that had gone unrecognised among the historical type series of other bees. It belongs to the Zonamegilla group of Amegilla.

Appearance and similar species

The abdominal bands usually have a yellowish tint. Females have a short dark streak on the hind tibia and a relatively small patch of pale hair near the tip of the abdomen. The streak reaches no more than about two-fifths of the tibia's length in the revision's diagnosis. In A. asserta, a similar bee, the streak is longer.

Its close relative A. karlba has a more extensive pale patch near the female's abdominal tip. Differences between males include the form of the seventh abdominal sternite. Hair colour alone is less dependable than the combination of characters given in the revision.

Records and description

The name-bearing female was collected at Millstream Falls in 2007. Other specimens used in the description came from Iron Range and near Agnes Water. The authors combined study of museum specimens with mitochondrial DNA evidence in their revision. Published collection dates cover much of the year, but provide no detailed account of the species' nests or annual number of generations.