Uma espécie nova de Schwarzula da Amazônia (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini)

Abstract

A NEW SPECIES OF SCHWARZULA FROM AMAZON (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE, MELIPONINI). Schwarzula coccidophila sp. nov., a tiny Amazonian stingless bee, that attends scale insects (Cryptostigma Ferris, 1922, Coccidae) in its nest, is described. It is distinguished from Schwarzula timida (Silvestri, 1902), the only other species of the genus, mainly by the malar area longer than diameter of 3 rd flagellomere, and the denser plumose pilosity. Additional records of S. timida is presented.

The real taxonomic identity of Trigona latitarsis Friese, 1900, with notes on type specimens (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

“…Given that Scaura tenuis does not occur in the state of São Paulo, but only in the Amazon region from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Suriname, French Guiana, Bolivia and Brazil (Fig. 29), we can conclude that the locality “Saõ Paulo” written on the label of some syntypes and mentioned by Friese in the original description refers to a small town in the Amazonas State, known as “São Paulo de Olivença”, and not the state of São Paulo, as it has been interpreted since 1900 by different Meliponini taxonomists, including Silveira et al (2002), Camargo and Pedro (2002), Melo and Costa (2004), Camargo and Pedro (2013) and Oliveira et al (2013).…”

“… Scaura tenuis ; Silveira et al 2002: 91 [list, geographic records]; Camargo and Pedro 2002: 108 [taxonomic characters]; Camargo and Pedro 2013 [online catalog]; Oliveira et al 2013: 163–167, 228. figs 297–313 [taxonomic characters, geographic records, key]; Oliveira 2016 [online catalog]. Syn.…”

Notes on the stingless bee genera <i>Scaura</i> and <i>Geotrigona</i> (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

“…The genus Scaura Schwarz is a distinctive group of small to minute stingless bees (3-6 mm in total length), particularly noteworthy for the expanded metabasitarsus, a trait shared with the species of Schwarzula Moure. While Schwarzula is sometimes treated as a separate genus sister to Scaura (e.g., Silveira et al, 2002;Camargo & Pedro, 2002a), it has more recently been classified as a subgenus or synonym of Scaura (e.g.,…”

“…By contrast, the remaining species have broader metasomas similar to those of Schwarzula (and are putatively more closely related to this group), and all build brood cells in horizontal discs (Nogueira et al, 2019, in press). Moreover, Schwarzula is known to have a unique mutualism with scale insects (Coccidae) (Camargo & Pedro, 2002a, 2002b, and it is therefore itself a practical taxonomic unit. To rectify the situation regarding potential paraphyly of Scaura relative to Schwarzula it is simple to consider a third subgenus, as proposed herein.…”