Antonio J. C. Aguiar

Nesting Biologies and Immature Stages of the Tapinotaspidine Bee Genera Monoeca and Lanthanomelissa and of Their Osirine Cleptoparasites Protosiris and Parepeolus (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apinae)

Abstract The nesting biologies of Monoeca haemorrhoidalis (Smith) and Lanthanomelissa betinae Urban (Tapinotaspidini) are described from southeastern Brazil. Both are ground nesting; the nests of the former are attacked by the cleptoparasite Protosiris gigas Melo (Osirini), and those of the latter are attacked by Parepeolus minutus Roig-Alsina (Osirini). Egg eclosion, larval feeding behavior, and cocoon spinning of M. haemorrhoidalis are detailed. A female of P. gigas opens the closed cell of M. haemorrhoidalis by making a large opening in the cell cap (which is plugged after ovipositioning) through which she apparently extends her metasoma. Indirect evidence suggests that she uses her metasomal apex, and perhaps even the sting, to kill the host egg or early instar. Protosiris eggs are either attached to the cell-wall surface of the nearly vertical host cells or dropped onto the surface of the provisions. First instars of P. gigas, with strongly curved, sharply pointed mandibles, are also capable of killing host immatures or competing cleptoparasites. Cocoons of all four species are compared and contrasted. The egg, all larval instars, and pupa of Monoeca haemorrhoidalis are described, as are the egg and postdefecating larva of Lanthanomelissa betinae. The egg, all larval instars, and pupa of Protosiris gigas are described, as is the postdefecating larva of Parepeolus minutus. Both Monoeca haemorrhoidalis and Protosiris gigas have four ovarioles per ovary. The egg indices and other ovarian features of both species are identified and discussed. The possible phylogenetic relationship of the Tapinotaspidini with the Osirini is briefly explored on the basis of data from this study. Possible phylogenetic relationships of the Osirini with other cleptoparasitic apids are analyzed. In the appendix,, the identity of the species of Monoeca, whose nesting biology is presented in the main paper, is discussed. The species is M. haemorrhoidalis (Smith, 1854), a species closely related to M. schrottkyi (Friese, 1902) and M. xanthopyga Harter-Marques, Cunha, and Moure, 2001. An identification key for distinguishing these three species is presented. Tetrapedia piliventris Friese is placed as a junior synonym of M. haemorrhoidalis (new synonymy). A lectotype is designated for Pachycentris schrottkyi Friese. The species of Protosiris found attacking M. haemorrhoidalis is here described as new, P. gigas Melo sp. nov. It is structurally most similar to P. caligneus (Shanks), from which it differs by its abundant yellow marks, plumose pubescence on the lower paraocular area, protruding anterior mesoscutum, and sparser punctation on the metasomal terga. Appendix: Taxonomic Notes on Monoeca and Description of a New Species of Protosiris, by Gabriel A. R. Melo

Amazonian species within the Cerrado savanna: new records and potential distribution for Aglae caerulea (Apidae: Euglossini)

Given human-related changes, quality distributional data are required for consistent conservation. Still, the lack of proper biogeographic information is a major setback for many groups. Here, we use new occurrences for Aglae caerulea in the Cerrado to model its potential distribution. We used Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) and Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Production (GARP) algorithms in different modeling runs and both previous and new A. caerulea occurrences to predict this species distribution. Models which used only the previous A. caerulea’s records did not predicted the new Cerrado records, while those where we used the latter did predict the new ones as minimally suitable. A. caerulea distribution significantly increased towards the Cerrado according to both MaxEnt and GARP algorithms. Gallery forests are important dispersal alternatives for several species dwelling the Amazon and the Atlantic forest. Niche models of other rare Euglossini bees are advised to better evaluate their distributions.

Floral oil collection by male Tetrapedia bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Tetrapediini)

Several groups of solitary bees, known as oil-collecting bees, gather lipids from flowers that offer them as their main reward to pollinators. In the Neotropical region, oil-collecting bees belong to the tribes Centridini, Tapinotaspidini, and Tetrapediini (Apidae: Apinae). The floral oils collected by females of these groups are used as larval food or in nest construction. The interaction of these bees with oil flowers is characterized by the presence of specialized structures for oil collection on the legs that morphologically match the location and type of the oil-producing glands on flowers they visit. In addition, these bees have specialized arrays of setae (including the scopae) for oil transport. In a few genera, both sexes display such specialized structures, although floral oil collection has hitherto been regarded as an exclusively female task. Here, we report floral oil collection by males of Tetrapedia, a Neotropical genus of oil-collecting bees. We describe behavioral aspects of oil foraging by males, present data on morphological structures associated with the collection of this resource, and discuss potential hypotheses to explain the significance of floral oils in the mating system of Tetrapedia.

Checklist das abelhas coletoras de óleos do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

In this study a current list of the oil-collecting bees from Sao Paulo State is presented, with their occurrences associated to the mainly biomes of the state: Atlantic Rainforest and Cerrado. Some data on the biology of the common species are presented. We discuss about the sample gaps for the state.

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