A new genus and species of Lachesillidae from Munchique National Natural Park, Cauca, Colombia, is here described and illustrated. The genus belongs to the tribe Graphocaeciliini (Eolachesillinae). It is related to Acantholachesilla GarciaAldrete, Saenz & Gonzalez (2014), Dagualachesilla Garcia Aldrete, Gonzalez & Carrejo (2013) and Dagualachesilloides Garcia Aldrete, Gonzalez & Carrejo (2013), differing from them in the male clunial projection and phallosome. The types are deposited in the Entomological Museum, Universidad del Valle (MUSENUV), Santiago de Cali, Colombia.
The genus Prolachesilla Mockford & Sullivan presently includes nine species, all described when the genus was erected; since then, no other species have been discovered. Here, we describe and illustrate one Bolivian and three Mexican species. This is the first record of Prolachesilla from Bolivia. A key to the species of the genus is included.
Coloration is an important phenotypic trait for taxonomic studies and has been widely used for identifying insect species and populations. However, coloration can be a poor diagnostic character for insect species that exhibit high polymorphism in this trait, which can lead to over-splitting of taxonomic units. In orchid bees, color variation has been interpreted by different taxonomists as either polymorphism associated with Müllerian mimicry complexes or diagnostic traits for species identification. Despite this uncertainty, integrative approaches that incorporate multiple independent datasets to test the validity of hair coloration as a character that identifies independent evolutionary units have not been used. Here, we use phylogenomic data from Ultraconserved Elements (UCEs) to explore whether color phenotypes in the widespread orchid bee species complexes Eulaema meriana and Eulaema bombiformis (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) correspond to independent lineages or polymorphic trait variation within species. We find that lineages within both species are structured according to geography and that color morphs are generally unassociated with evolutionarily independent groups except for populations located in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. We conclude that there is compelling evidence that E. atleticana and E. niveofasciata are subspecies of E. meriana and E. bombiformis, respectively, and not different species as previously suggested. Therefore, we recognize Eulaema meriana atleticanacomb. n. and Eulaema bombiformis niveofasciatacomb. n. and discuss their morphological characteristics. We make recommendations on the use of color traits for orchid bee taxonomy and discuss the significance of subspecies as evolutionary units relevant for conservation efforts.
Three new species of Graphocaecilius Enderlein are here described and illustrated; the species were found in the Colombian departments of Valle del Cauca and Risaralda, raising to five the number of species of this genus in Colombia, making it the most species rich country for Graphocaecilius in South America. A key to the species in the genus is included.
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