The species of the parasitic bee genus Osirinus (Hymenoptera,Apidae)

The species in the genus Osirinus Roig-Alsina are revised. Seven species are recognized, including O. ruficrus, new species, from south-eastern Brazil and O. tarsalis, new species, from western Brazil and Peru. Osiris parvicollis Ducke and O. santiagoi Almeida are transferred for the first time to Osirinus. An identification key based mainly on females is provided.     

Revision of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Austrostelis Michener and Griswold (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Megachilinae)

A taxonomic revision for the species of Austrostelis Michener and Griswold is provided. Ten species are recognized, one of which is newly described, A. saltensis Parizotto and Urban sp. nov., from Argentina. Additionally one new synonym is proposed and a lectotype for Stelis iheringi Friese, 1925 is designated. A revised diagnosis for the genus, illustrations and identification key for all species are also provided.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8397FEAE-45CB-444C-8B3C-6D706E752068     

The type species of the bee genus Epicharis Klug, 1807 (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Modern authors have treated Lutz and Cockerell’s indication of Centris umbraculata Fabricius, 1804 as the first valid type-species designation for Epicharis Klug, 1807. It is argued here, however, that Epicharis dasypoda Klug, 1807, junior synonym of Apis rustica Olivier, 1789, is the valid type species of Epicharis, as designated by Desmarest, in the article on Epicharis published in 1845 in volume 5 of d’Orbigny’s Dictionnaire Universel d’Histoire Naturelle. This overlooked designation makes Epicharana Michener, 1954, and not Xanthepicharis Moure, 1945, a junior synonym of Epicharis s.str. Therefore, Xanthepicharis should be revalidated for the group containing Epicharis umbraculata (Fabricius, 1804) and related species.

htpp://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1BA1C185-25D8-45A8-BC29-109387C1E100     

Lasalleistichus a new genus of Tetrastichinae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) from the Neotropical region,including four new species

ABSTRACT

A new genus, Lasalleistichus, is described based on material from the Neotropical region (Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru). This new genus includes four species: L. albiclava, L. albifasciatus, L. fuscicoxa, L. longicaulis, all spp. n. and described here. The group is mainly female based, males are known only for L. albiclava. There is no biological information available for this group.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:82E08F36-E2C4-42FF-AD12-11B49C272AC6     

Revision of the carpenter bee subgenus Xylocopa (Dasyxylocopa) (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

The subgenus Xylocopa (Dasyxylocopa) Hurd and Moure is revised, with recognition of three valid species, one of them newly described from the highlands of eastern Brazil. In addition to X. fortuita sp. nov. and the type species X. bimaculata Friese, the subgenus includes X. piligera Maidl n. stat., having X. leucopus Friese as its junior synonym, both names here removed from synonymy under X. bimaculata and for which lectotypes are presently designated. Notes are provided on the nesting habits of X. piligera.

http:/zoobank.org/lsid:zoobank.org:pub:339CE18B-37F2-47F5-881D-A8C9C22E42F5     

Three new Brazilian species of the land planarian Choeradoplana (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Geoplaninae), and an emendation of the genus

Three new Brazilian species of the neotropical land planarian genus Choeradoplana (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Continenticola: Geoplaninae) are described, making a total of nine species within the genus. All the new species share unique derived characters typical of the genus. Two of the new species exhibit important features representing morphological variations that were previously unknown for the genus: the dorsal cutaneous longitudinal muscle layer, as well as the ventral one, partially sunken into the parenchyma in one species, and the common ovovitelline duct approaching the copulatory apparatus ventrally in the other. As a consequence of these morphological variations, an emendation of the genus is proposed.     

Biology of a nocturnal bee,Megalopta atra (Hymenoptera: Halictidae; Augochlorini), from the Panamanian highlands

Bees of the genus Megalopta have gained attention as a result of their social nesting and nocturnal foraging. Seventeen nests of Meglaopta atra from the highlands of Chiriqui Province, Panama, were collected at the end of the dry season when brood rearing is expected to be at its peak. Most nests contained single females; within multifemale nests only one female possessed enlarged ovarioles, although some non‐reproductive individuals were inseminated. In two of these nests reproductive individuals were clearly larger in body size than nestmates, but body size variation and macrocephaly were equivalent to those found in other Neotropical augochlorines. There was no evidence of a non‐reproductive worker‐like caste and multifemale nests did not appear to be more productive than solitary nests, which may represent pre‐reproductive assemblages. Megalopta atra appears to be isolated by altitude from co‐geners common in Panama, this is discussed in comparison with temperate halictine bees, in which environmental clines separate solitary from social populations.     

New species of Nasutopedia from cloud forests of the Neotropical region (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Tapinotaspidini)

The genus Nasutopedia is a distinct lineage of tapinotaspidine bees that occurs in cloud forests of the tropical Andes, mostly in altitudes higher than 1200 m above sea level. Here, four new species of Nasutopedia are described for a total of seven species in the genus: Nasutopedia borealis sp. nov., from Colombia and Venezuela, Nasutopedia laeta sp. nov. from Ecuador, Nasutopedia morena sp. nov. from Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico, and Nasutopedia puncticutis sp. nov. from Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. A key to Nasutopedia species is provided, including illustrations of main characters and a map of geographical distribution.

www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C3D6A837-7D84-4CB6-B74D-C4A9A5323A9B     

Revision of the Palaearctic species of the genus Clinocentrus (Hymenoptera,Braconidae)

Revision of the Palaearctic species of the genus Clinocentrus Haliday is given. The composition and geographic distribution of the genus Clinocentrus and the probable generic position of fossil species described by Brues (1933) as Clinocentrus are discussed. The systematic position of this genus in Exothecinae is also discussed and arguments presented to support the differentiation of exothecines and rogadines. Nine species of Clinocentrus are figured and re-described. Three new species and two new subspecies are figured and described: C. kalmyk from Kalmykia, C. kozlovi from Mongolia, C. rhysipoloides from Primorsk Territory of Russia, C. umbratilis ssp. disruptus from Taiwan and C. vestigator ssp. orientalis from Primorsk Territory of Russia. C. stigmaticus Marshall, 1897 and C. jaroshevskyi Telenga, 1941 are synonymized with C. vestigator (Haliday, 1836); C. tarsalis Ashmead, 1894—with C. exsertor (Nees, 1812) and C. gracilipes (Thomson, 1891)—with C. cunctator (Haliday, 1836), Lectotypes of Exothecus analis Wesmael, 1838 and C. antefurcalis Granger, 1949 are designated. The new combination is given: Rhysipolis antefurcalis (Granger). A key to 12 Palaearctic species of Clinocentrus is given.     

Larval food sources of Centris (Heterocentris) analis (Fabricius, 1804) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), an oil-collecting bee

Pollen analysis of larval food allows identification of plants used as nest provision sources. Considering the importance of Centris analis in pollination, we aimed to identify its plant sources, food niche width in Cerrado, and analyze the use of sources between cool/dry and warm/wet seasons. We sampled 22 nests collected in two areas from February 2008 to October 2009. Heteropterys spp. (Malpighiaceae) were the main pollen sources, but Byrsomia spp. (Malpighiaceae), Banisteriopsis malifolia (Malpighiaceae), Solanum lycocarpum (Solanaceae) and Machaerium spp. (Leguminosae) were also important food sources. There was no difference in the use of the sources between the seasons (F_1,100?=?0.001; p?=?0.979). Despite the high number of pollen types (n?=?14) the food niche widths were low, H?=?0.777 and H?=?0.949, which can be explained by the dominance of some food items. Hence, C. analis use, profusely, a few plants as food sources that could be considered conservation targets.     

A remarkable new genus and species of Cynipoidea (Hymenoptera) from Papua New Guinea

During the course of a recent investigation into the phylogeny of the Cynipoidea (Fergusson, 1990) a new species was discovered which is unusually elongate and has a remarkably deep incision between the metanotum and propodeum. This species constitutes a new genus, Eileenella, which is described below.     

Revision of Zaphanta Dyar, 1910 (Lepidoptera: Mimallonidae: Zaphantinae), with descriptions of nine new species

ABSTRACT

A genus of small, yellow mimallonid moths, Zaphanta Dyar, is revised. This genus has been shown to be sister to the remainder of Mimallonidae, and therefore has been placed in its own monogeneric subfamily, Zaphantinae St Laurent and Kawahara. Long considered monotypic or bitypic, Zaphanta have not been the focus of any systematic treatment. The moths belonging to this genus are found throughout Central and South America, and detailed examination of several disparate, as well as sympatric, populations of Zaphanta have revealed numerous undescribed species all of similar appearance, but with distinct male genitalia, which we describe here. We redescribe Z. infantilis Dyar and Z. fraterna Schaus, and describe the females of both for the first time. An additional nine new species are described and figured from the Amazon, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest: Z. acuta sp. nov., Z. anas sp. nov., Z. bahiana sp. nov., Z. beckeri sp. nov., Z. elephanta sp. nov., Z. elephanticula sp. nov., Z. machaera sp. nov., Z. rawlinsi sp. nov. and Z. stiletto sp. nov. One of these, Z. beckeri, may be extremely imperilled due to deforestation.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B45DDB85-977F-42EF-9F2F-DB48827E521Ehttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C6F7DBF4-4871-403D-A387-DD920BA76D8Bhttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C4C8DAAF-8C60-4C16-A626-3641EA3817FBhttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6A57E1CC-D3E5-4E45-8C82-7006295ADF1Fhttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:03241157-1925-4EF6-B426-A8E816C7E457http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A00749E5-888C-45FB-8FAA-0302A402496Fhttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:89132977-91DC-4424-9C0E-98A954E467CAhttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:11AA3541-C7A4-4292-A5CA-10B89C5FAD2Chttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A5FA3ED1-5994-46B4-B018-1FA055C76496http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F1C63621-EF30-40B1-B437-87A79BD7E339     

New species and rediagnosis of Akamboja,and a new record for A. minimum (Coleoptera: Phengodidae,Mastinocerinae)

ABSTRACT

Akamboja was recently described based on five species with relatively small geographic ranges, all of which are within the boundaries of the South-eastern Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil. Recent expeditions in the continental island of Ilha Grande (Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) resulted in the discovery of a new species of the genus. Akamboja insularis sp. nov. has all diagnostic features of the genus, except for the branches of the antennomere IX, which are separated, unlike any other Akamboja. Here, we describe this new species, provide a new record for Akamboja minimum Roza et al. and propose a new diagnosis for the genus.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:DC47825C-B276-49CC-88DC-DFDC5D843356     

British species of the parasitic cynipid-wasp genus Aegilips (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea,Anacharitinae)

The British species of Aegilips are revised and a key to species is provided. Of the eight species previously described from Britain seven are synonymized under the name A. nitidula (Dalman). Three new species (A. atricornis, A. romseyensis and A. vena) are described. A neotype is designated for A. nitidula (Dalman) and lectotypes are designated for A. rufipes (Westwood), A fumipennis (Westwood) and A. dalmani Reinhard.     

Comparisons in nesting biology of two sympatric carpenter bee species (Apidae: Xylocopini)

This work analyses the biology and nesting behaviour of Xylocopa ordinaria and Xylocopa frontalis, providing information for their conservation and management. The study was performed from August 2006 to December 2007 and considered 25 nests of X. ordinaria and 23 of X. frontalis. The X. frontalis nested between December and April, while X. ordinaria nested throughout the year. Nests of X. ordinaria dug in wider substrates had more tunnels, and the width of nest tunnels and the dimensions of brood cells were smaller than were observed for X. frontalis. Females spent most of their time in activities inside their nests, followed by nectar and pollen flights and nectar dehydration. Pollen resources used by these bees presented more than 40% similarity, and they were constant to flower resources while provisioning cells. Cissites maculata and a Diptera species were the natural enemies found.     

Two new species of the genus Microstigmus Ducke (Hymenoptera: Sphecoidea)

Summary

Five species of tettigoniid of the Decticine genus, Platycleis (sensu stricto), are found in the environs of Montpellier, Hérault, S. France. P. intermedia, P. sabulosa and P. albopunctata are essentially early-evening singers. There is a nycthemeral cycle of vertical migration in these three species—they sing from a greater height than that at which they rest during the daytime. P. affinis and P. falx sing both during the day and during the evening. As the syllables of the songs of the five species are similar, and since these insects sing at the same time of year and at least during the evening, interspecific acoustic interference would seem likely. However, such interference appears to be avoided by spatial separation of singing individuals (the males only). The difference in habitat preferences may be so distinct that two species do not occur in the same locality (e.g. P. falx and P. albopunctata). Where two species do occur in one local area, one of them is generally confined to one type of vegetation (e.g. P. intermedia in the bushes) and the other to another type (e.g. P. affinis on the open ground). Differences in chirp types, and in the specific response to particular song patterns, mean that ethological barriers as well as ecological ones would appear to prevent heterospecific matings. However, prevention of acoustic interference between allospecific males seems to be brought about mainly by habitat-preference differences. In one species pair, P. falx and P. affinis, the habitat-preference difference is very slight, and their songs are similar. These facts, coupled with the impression that the range and abundance of P. affinis are increasing, while those of P. falx are decreasing, suggest that P. affinis is supplanting P. falx in the open areas of wasteland in the Montpellier area.     

Revision of the genus Cylindrommata Tippmann (Insecta: Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

The monotypic genus Cylindrommata is revised, and three new species are described from Brazil. Cylindrommata aurantia sp. nov. is recorded from the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and differs from other species principally by having the prothorax tuberculate at the sides, pronotum subplane and elytra orangish. Cylindrommata lustrata sp. nov. is from Minas Gerais, and has the prothorax without tubercles, rounded at the sides, and elytra short and black with dark-blue reflections. Cylindrommata susanae sp. nov. is from Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, and has the prothorax without tubercles, parallel at the sides, and elytra yellowish. A key to the species is provided, and all the species are illustrated.     

Notes on some palaearctic and oriental Systropha,with descriptions of new species and a key to the species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae)

An annotated list of the palaearctic and oriental species of the genus Systropha Illiger, 1806, includes additional records for some less well-known species. A lectotype is designated for Systropha hirsuta Spinola, 1839. Systropha christae Warncke, 1992, is synonymized with S. hirsuta. Systropha androsthenes and S. diacantha, spp. n., are described from the Gulf States. A key for the separation of the males is given.     

The nesting habits and flower relationships of the bee Melitoma ameghinoi (Holmberg) (Hymenoptera,Apidae), with notes on its taxonomy and distribution

ABSTRACT

The nesting behaviour of Melitoma ameghinoi was studied in the province of Chaco, Argentina. Contrary to other Melitoma species, which are known to nest on banks or other vertical or sloping surfaces, the nests were found on horizontal ground, in extremely hard clay soil. The nests were shallow, with three to four vertical cells. The short turrets pointed upwards for a short stretch and then were strongly curved, with the entrance directed towards the soil surface. The floral relationships of this species were studied by pollen analysis of faeces from cells, a pollen mass, scopal loads of specimens, and direct observation of floral visits. Pollen counts and field observations indicate that M. ameghinoi collects pollen exclusively from Ipomoea species. A compilation of pollen sources for species of Melitoma is presented. All known species, including M. ameghinoi, fall in the category of narrowly oligolectic. A discussion of the taxonomic relationships of the species is presented, and a lectotype is designated.