Bee Taxonomy

A new species of the diverse and complicated augochlorine bee genus Neocorynura Schrottky (Augochlorini: Augochlorina) is described and figured. Neocorynura faceta sp. n. is described and figured from the Andes of Bolivia and is most similar to the more northern Andean species, N. papallactensis Engel from Ecuador and N. iguaquensis Smith-Pardo & Gonzalez from Colombia, but can be distinguished on the basis of integumental sculpturing and coloration. A preliminary key to the species of Neocorynura known to occur in Bolivia is provided.

A new species of the Neotropical bee genus Neocorynura (Halictinae: Augochlorini) is described and figured. Neocorynura miae, new species, combines characters traditionally used to distinguish Neocorynura from its relative Andinaugochlora (sensu Michener, 2000). The taxonomic placement of N. miae in the genus is presented and a revised diagnosis of Neocorynura is provided.

La región antillana se considera un punto caliente de la biodiversidad, debido al alto nivel de endemismo de la biota y a la cada vez más creciente pérdida del hábitat. Muchas especies todavía permanecen sin ser descubiertas, mientras que otras depositadas en las colecciones de insectos esperan por su estudio y descripción. Cuatro especies nuevas de abejas antillanas se describen e ilustran: Colletidae, Hylaeus dearmasi sp. nov. (Cuba); H. hispaniolensis sp. nov. (Hispaniola); Halictidae, Lasioglossum obamai sp. nov. (Cuba); Augochlora boriquena sp. nov. (Puerto Rico). Una lista anotada de las especies antillanas de Hylaeus, incluyendo nombres sinónimos y distribución es presentada. Hylaeus (Hylaeana) royesi Raw y H. (Hylaeana) formosus Krombein se registran por primera vez para Cuba.

This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical parameters of honey samples of stingless bees (Meliponinae). Following the honey flow season, the honey samples were collected from 9 potential districts in the Amhara region. About 41 honey samples were evaluated for physicochemical parameters of pH, free acidity, electrical conductivity, hydroxymethylfurfural, moisture content, specific rotation, ash content, color, reducing sugars, and sucrose. The Melissopalynological and sensory analysis had been used as a complement to physicochemical analysis. The composition analysis showed that the mean values of moisture content were

Rigonemátidos y oxiúridos asociados a la artropodofauna cubana..........................................................................................3 Paulinia acuminata (Orthoptera) introduced to Puerto Rico..........5 Registros nuevos de odonatos (Insecta) para el cabo de San Antonio........................................................................................6 Collembola e Insecta (Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Dictyoptera, Mantodea, Diptera e Hymenoptera) de la Sierra de los Organos......................6 Mirmecofauna de los macizos montañosos de Sierra Maestra y Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa............................................................................10 Registros nuevos de géneros de himenópteros (Insecta)..............14 Registro nuevo de cucaracha (Insecta).......................................14 Descripción de un estado teratológico en un anfípodo (Gammaridea, Aoridae).....................................................................................15 Sobre lo...

A total of 19 species of stingless bee (Apidae: Meliponini) from eight genera were examined and revised, based on 145 specimens from the collection of Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), Malaysian Genome Institute (MGI) and a sampling done in several stingless bee farms in Peninsular Malaysia. This study aims to revise a taxonomic character and provide a redescription of stingless bee based on morphological characters and morphometric measurements of 24 parameters, in order to prepare a dichotomous key to the genus and species in Peninsular Malaysia. The genera and species identification of stingless bee were based on morphological characters and coloration such as the structure and color of antenna, head, thorax, wing, leg and abdomen. Finding of the research shows that, Geniotrigona appeared as the largest genus in term of size and thus supported by the previous report. It was represented by two species namely Geniotrigona thoracica and Homotrigona f...

Floral preference of the bee Melipona beecheii strongly depends on the composition of the vegetation, which is geographically very variable. Little is known about the floral preference of M. beecheii in El Salvador. This information is of greatest importance for the reforestation component of the PROMABOS project. PROMABOS will plant major bee food trees on farmers´ land with the aim of augmenting the survival of M. beecheii colonies and increasing their honey production. For a good understanding of the tree selection by M. beecheii for the reforestation component of PROMABOS, the preference of M. beecheii for the selected tree species has been studied. This has been done by means of both analyses of the pollen removed from the bees, and an investigation of the impact of the tree density and of their average distance to the hives per tree species, on the tree selection of M. beecheii. Fieldwork has been done from November 2003 till March 2004 in the area of Northwest El Salvador (Central America), department of Chalatenango. The fieldwork area was defined as a circle around three hives of M. beecheii with a radius of 500 meter. The PROMABOS project selected 20 tree species to plant at land owned by farmers. Not all these selected tree species flowered during the fieldwork period, or were present in the area. For these reasons the research was restricted to ten species, namely: Anacardium occidentale,

We describe Lepidotrigona satun Attasopa and Bänziger new species from southern Thailand based upon associated males and females (workers). The new species is a member of the L. ventralis species group, which is otherwise represented in Thailand only by L. flavibasis and L. doipaensis. We also describe the males of the latter two species, associated with nests from close to their type localities in northern Thailand. Lepidotrigona doipaensis Schwarz and L. flavibasis (Cockerell) had previously often been misidentified as L. ventralis (Smith), a species confirmed only from Borneo. Based upon differences in male morphology, especially of the metasomal sterna, we conclude that the male described from Vietnam by Sakagami (1975) as belonging to L. flavibasis represents an undescribed species. Our findings support previous taxonomic studies that highlight the importance of including males in the differentiation of closely related species of meliponines and their association with workers. ...

The purposes of this work are to describe and illustrate five distinctive new species of the bee genus Protandrena Cockerell from the higher tropical Andes (2000-3400 m), and to make their names available in forthcomings papers on their biology. Panurgine bees are diverse and abundant in temperate areas of the Americas but poorly represented to nearly absent in the tropics (Michener 2000). As far as we know, only a few species in the genera Acamptopoeum Cockerell and Protandrena occur in the northwestern part of South America, from Venezuela to Ecuador (Gonzalez 2004; Gonzalez & Engel 2004). The Protandrena species described in this work, as well as at least three other presumably related species from the Peruvian and Bolivian Andes, have the following characteristics in common: body predominantly dark brown to black, two submarginal cells (Fig. 1), propodeal triangle basally glabrous, and mesoscutum finely punctured. The sixth sternum of the male has a V-shaped midapical emargination (Figs. 13-16), and the tibial scopa of the female is sparsely covered with simple or minutely branched hairs. Thus, in the key to the subgenera of Protandrena of Michener (2000), these species run out to the subgenus Heterosarus Robertson. However, they differ from Heterosarus and any other known

Protandrena evansi Ruz and Chiappa n. sp. is described and illustrated. This new species was found at an aggregation of numerous individuals in a nesting site in Farellones, a locality of the Región Metropolitana in Central Chile, at 2612 m above sea level, visiting Senecio polygaloides Phil. (Asteraceae: Compositae), a plant endemic to the Andes. Some of its morphological features do not fit the diagnostic generic characters. Apical tergal hair bands have not been found before among the species of Protandrena s. l., including such subgenera as Metapsaenythia, Pterosarus, Heterosarus, Parasarus and Austropanurgus.

montane cloud forests in Guatemala. We used microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA to test for genetic differentiation, to infer migration rates, and to evaluate the effects of landscape. We also used demographic modelling to trace population sizes over time. We found that six populations of P. bilineata exhibited only subtle differentiation, with the exception of one site at the edge of the cloud forest, which was clearly distinct from all others. Effective population sizes (number of colonies) appeared to be rather small (18 ± 6 colonies) compared to the original sample size (N = 51 ± 9), but stable over time, and inferred rates of gene flow were low; yet, no genetic bottleneck was detected. A statistical model including elevation was the best in explaining the observed pattern of differentiation. We find that P. bilineata does not exhibit strong genetic structure, making it a resilient species for provision of pollination services. But, at the same time, our data point to the potential vulnerability of this and similar species, as effective population sizes appear to be low and hence populations may be easily affected by future environmental change. As such, P. bilineata may be representative of many other tropical stingless bees, for which lack of differentiation has been invoked.

Honey is an important food for man and has been used as a natural sweetener since ancient times. It is a viscous and aromatic product made by honey bees using the nectar of flowers or honeydew. Honey is composed of a complex mixture of carbohydrates and other substances such as organic acids, amino acids, proteins, minerals, vitamins, lipids, aroma compounds, flavonoids, pigments, waxes, pollen grains, several enzymes, and other phytochemicals. This chapter presents some properties of Apis mellifera honey as well as the main methods of honey analysis. All methods are based on specialized literature, including the Codex Alimentarius, AOAC, and publications of the International Honey Commission. Herein, we describe methods related to honey authenticity, botanical origin, geographical origin, physicochemical analysis, radioentomology, pesticide and antibiotic contamination, chemotherapeutics, and sensory analysis. All methods are described in a step-by-step model in order to facilitate their use. M etodos est andar para la investigaci on de la miel de Apis mellifera La miel es un alimento importante para el hombre y se ha utilizado como edulcorante natural desde la antig€ uedad. Es un producto viscoso y arom atico hecho por las abejas de la miel usando el n ectar de las flores o el roc ıo de miel. La miel est a compuesta por una mezcla compleja de carbohidratos y otras sustancias como acidos org anicos, amino acidos, prote ınas, minerales, vitaminas, l ıpidos, compuestos arom aticos, flavonoides, pigmentos, ceras, granos de polen, varias enzimas y otros fitoqu ımicos. En este cap ıtulo se presentan algunas propiedades de la miel de Apis mellifera, as ı como los principales m etodos de an alisis de la miel. Todos los m etodos se basan en literatura especializada, incluido el Codex Alimentarius, AOAC y publicaciones de la Comisi on Internacional de la Miel. A continuaci on, describimos m etodos relacionados con la autenticidad de la miel, el origen bot anico, el origen geogr afico, el an alisis fisicoqu ımico, la radioentomolog ıa, la contaminaci on por pesticidas y antibi oticos, la quimioterapia y el an alisis sensorial. Todos los m etodos se describen en un modelo paso a paso para facilitar su uso.

Twenty-six Anthophora species belonging to Subgenus Lophanthophra Brooks (10 species) & Subgenus Paramegilla Friese (16 species) are revised taxonomically. A. rutilans Dours is transferred from the first Subgenus Lophanthophra Brooks to Subgenus Paramegilla Friese due to its obvious dilated & hunped hind basitarsus as most related Paramegillian species than the not conspicuous weak mid-leg brushes. Many specimens are collected from various localities and genitalia are desiccated. Keys, diagnostic characters, synonyms, coloured pictures, line drawing illustrations, and the distribution are introduced, in addition to Scanning Electron Microscopic photographs are taken for A. hispanica (Fabricius). A. Shoumarae Rawda is redescribed, A. boops Alfken still considered as distinct species, not as a synonym of A. vidua (Klug). Taxonomic Revision of Subgenus Lophanthophra Brooks and Paramegilla Friese 37 Key to species (Females) 1-Face yellow (Fig. 8), abdominal Fasciae of 2 nd and 3 rd abdominal tergites brood (more than 1/3 tergite length) and widened at the middle (Figs. 9&10)…… ……..….aegyptora Priesner-Face black, all abdominal fasciae of 2 nd and 3 rd abdominal tergites thin, not widened medially ……………………………...…………………………………………….………. (2) 2-All abdominal tergites have clear fasciae, body length 16-19 mm.

A recent (March 2006) field survey of plant-pollinator interactions in North Patagonia, Argentina, revealed the presence of Bombus terrestris as flower visitors to several plant species in a natural environment. This is the first record of this invasive bumblebee in Argentina. The available evidence suggests that B. terrestris entered Argentina from Chile, where it was introduced in 1998, through low-altitude passes across the Andes.

One of the main visitors to Fabia bean crops (Vicia faba) in South America is the invasive bumblebee species Bombus terrestris. This is particularly true in Chile, where B. terrestris was first introduced in 1997 and is now common over much of the country. In this study, we evaluated the activity of the principal pollinators of V. faba over two cropping seasons by assessing their visitation rates while distinguishing between legitimate visits, likely to lead to pollination, and nectar robbery. We then determined the net contribution of insect visitation on pod and seed set. We recorded seven species of floral visitors. Most visits (legitimate visits and robbery) were from the honeybee (Apis mellifera), with B. terrestris being the next most common visitor. In the case of B. terrestris, 87.19% of visits were nectar robbery. On average, the same flower perforation was visited 23 times by B. terrestris during the flower's lifespan. In general, the frequency of legitimate visits var...

The honeys from stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) are recognized for their medicinal properties. They are commonly used by many indigenous groups around the world. However, in Peru stingless beekeeping is practiced in an artisanal way and the honeys remain products whose qualities are still little studied. The objective of this work was to analyze physicochemical characteristics and microbiological quality of honeys produced by Scaptotrigona polysticta Moure, Melipona illota Cockerell and Tetragonisca angustula Latreille in apiaries of department of San Martin, Peru. In June and November 2019, 30 honey samples were collected from 24 colonies housed in two apiaries in the towns of Tarapoto and Chasuta. Significant differences (p <0,05) were found for pH (3,

The present study provides an updated knowledge on taxonomy of three important species of Sphecodes Latreille, 1804 which were collected from different parts of India. Three species viz., Sphecodes iridipennis Smith 1879, S. gibbus Smith 1853, S. crassicornis Smith 1879 are redescribed with illustrations, genitalic features and measurements of their morphological features. An annotated checklist of species Sphecodes from India also provided.

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The honeys from stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) are recognized for their medicinal properties. They are commonly used by many indigenous groups around the world. However, in Peru stingless beekeeping is practiced in an artisanal way and the honeys remain products whose qualities are still little studied. The objective of this work was to analyze physicochemical characteristics and microbiological quality of honeys produced by Scaptotrigona polysticta Moure, Melipona illota Cockerell and Tetragonisca angustula Latreille in apiaries of department of San Martin, Peru. In June and November 2019, 30 honey samples were collected from 24 colonies housed in two apiaries in the towns of Tarapoto and Chasuta. Significant differences (p <0,05) were found for pH (3,

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We describe Lepidotrigona satun Attasopa and Bänziger new species from southern Thailand based upon associated males and females (workers). The new species is a member of the L. ventralis species group, which is otherwise represented in Thailand only by L. flavibasis and L. doipaensis. We also describe the males of the latter two species, associated with nests from close to their type localities in northern Thailand. Lepidotrigona doipaensis Schwarz and L. flavibasis (Cockerell) had previously often been misidentified as L. ventralis (Smith), a species confirmed only from Borneo. Based upon differences in male morphology, especially of the metasomal sterna, we conclude that the male described from Vietnam by Sakagami (1975) as belonging to L. flavibasis represents an undescribed species. Our findings support previous taxonomic studies that highlight the importance of including males in the differentiation of closely related species of meliponines and their association with workers. ...

A new bee species of the genus Ptiloglossa Smith (Colletidae: Diphaglossinae: Caupolicanini) is described and figured from Jalisco, Mexico, while new records are provided for Ptiloglossa cyaniventris Friese from Panama and a single locality in Costa Rica.  Ptiloglossa chamelensis Ayala & Engel, new species, is endemic to Mexico and is close to P. rugata Moure, both sharing a similar shape in the fused metatibial spur, but in the new species the metatibia is widest at the level of the spur, and the female has black integument with dense yellow pubescence on metasomal terga I–IV.  Ptiloglossa cyaniventris is newly recorded from males collected in Panama and Costa Rica and is characteristic for its dark integument, with intense metallic blue highlights on the metasomal terga, the narrow and long metatibia, and elongate metabasitarsus with an anterior, longitudinal ridge and slightly depressed outer surface.

Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a compound that is produced after heat treatment of honey; that is, they are not present in the initial raw materials and can present a potential health hazard; they are known as chemical processing contaminants. This compound is an indicator parameter of the quality of honey produced spontaneously. Its concentration increases with time and other factors, such as improper heat treatment during processing, storage temperature and mode of transportation. The objective of this research is focused on evaluating the content of HMF present in 6 types of bee honey, 3 commercial brands and three artisanal brands; the honey was from eucalyptus and citrus flowering, and the place where the honey was acquired is in the Province of Los Ríos, since being a geographical area with abundant flora, the primary pollinators are bees (Apis Mellifera). In addition, the honey was heated at different temperatures and time intervals to evaluate whether Hydroxymethylfurfural i...

Honey is an important food for man and has been used as a natural sweetener since ancient times. It is a viscous and aromatic product made by honey bees using the nectar of flowers or honeydew. Honey is composed of a complex mixture of carbohydrates and other substances such as organic acids, amino acids, proteins, minerals, vitamins, lipids, aroma compounds, flavonoids, pigments, waxes, pollen grains, several enzymes, and other phytochemicals. This chapter presents some properties of Apis mellifera honey as well as the main methods of honey analysis. All methods are based on specialized literature, including the Codex Alimentarius, AOAC, and publications of the International Honey Commission. Herein, we describe methods related to honey authenticity, botanical origin, geographical origin, physicochemical analysis, radioentomology, pesticide and antibiotic contamination, chemotherapeutics, and sensory analysis. All methods are described in a step-by-step model in order to facilitate their use. M etodos est andar para la investigaci on de la miel de Apis mellifera La miel es un alimento importante para el hombre y se ha utilizado como edulcorante natural desde la antig€ uedad. Es un producto viscoso y arom atico hecho por las abejas de la miel usando el n ectar de las flores o el roc ıo de miel. La miel est a compuesta por una mezcla compleja de carbohidratos y otras sustancias como acidos org anicos, amino acidos, prote ınas, minerales, vitaminas, l ıpidos, compuestos arom aticos, flavonoides, pigmentos, ceras, granos de polen, varias enzimas y otros fitoqu ımicos. En este cap ıtulo se presentan algunas propiedades de la miel de Apis mellifera, as ı como los principales m etodos de an alisis de la miel. Todos los m etodos se basan en literatura especializada, incluido el Codex Alimentarius, AOAC y publicaciones de la Comisi on Internacional de la Miel. A continuaci on, describimos m etodos relacionados con la autenticidad de la miel, el origen bot anico, el origen geogr afico, el an alisis fisicoqu ımico, la radioentomolog ıa, la contaminaci on por pesticidas y antibi oticos, la quimioterapia y el an alisis sensorial. Todos los m etodos se describen en un modelo paso a paso para facilitar su uso.

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Nugroho, Hari, Ubaidillah, Rosichon, Kojima, Jun-ichi (2010): Potter Wasps Of The Genus Eumenes Latreille (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) In The Western Part Of The Papuan Region, With Description Of Two New Species And Taxonomic Notes On E. Inconspicuus Smith. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 58 (2): 179-187

The objective of this study was to determine physicochemical properties (color, moisture, ash, pH, free acidity, HMF, reducing sugars, sucrose and electrical conductivity) of honey produced in Chena district, Southwestern Ethiopia. Nine (9) honey samples each of 0.5 to 1kg were obtained from Chena district. Moisture and ash content were determined by AOAC method. pH was determined by digital pH meter. HMF and honey color were determined by using spectrophotometer. The free acidity was quantified by titration method. Total reducing sugar and sucrose contents were determined by Lane and Enyon method. There was significant variation (p < 0.05) observed between honey samples. The result revealed that S 2 and S 6 honey samples contained the highest ash (0.3 ± 0.02 and 0.3 ± 0.04 g/100g, respectively), free acidity (39 ± 1.4 and 41 ± 1.4 meq/kg, respectively) and electrical conductivity (0.68 ± 0.08 and 0.67 ± 0.04 mS/cm, respectively) than other honey samples. The honey samples S 7 and S 8 had highest moisture content (22.5 ± 1.4 and 21.2 ± 1.7 g/100g, respectively) and honey color (124 ± 0.5 and 123 ± 2.1 mm Pfund scale, respectively) than other honey samples. The honey sample S 5 (4 ± 0.2), S 6 (4 ± 0.2), and S 9 (4.2 ± 0.4) had highest pH value. In addition, the result showed that S 9 contained highest HMF content (17.1 ± 2 mg/kg). Furthermore, honey sample S 1 (69.7 ± 1 g/100g) and S 4 (70.2 ± 1) contained the highest total reducing sugar. Finally, the result showed that honey sample S 8 had highest sucrose content (5.17 ± 0.8 g/100g). Results obtained in this study, indicated that tested honey samples produced in Chena district are good for national as well as international market. More research should be conducted on the storage effect of honey to evaluate its safety for human consumption.

The bee genus Chilicola Spinola (Xeromelissinae) is recorded from the State of Bahia, Brazil for the first time, based on a new species of the megalostigma group of the subgenus Hylaeosoma Ashmead. Chilicola (Hylaeosoma) kevani sp. n. is described and figured from males collected in Wesceslau Guimarães, Bahia. The species can be distinguished on the basis of coloration, size, integumental sculpturing, and structure of the hidden metasomal sterna and genitalia. A revised key to the species of the megalostigma group is provided.

A polinização é um processo essencial na restauração de ecossistemas florestais; por isso o conhecimento sobre os agentes polinizadores é fundamental para o sucesso na recomposição de áreas fragmentadas. As abelhas são responsáveis pela polinização de muitas espécies na restinga. Dessa forma, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar comparativamente a guilda de abelhas polinizadoras que nidificam em cavidades preexistentes em área de restinga e de restauração na RPPN Fazenda Caruara, em São João da Barra, RJ. Foram instalados ninhosarmadilha confeccionados com tubos de cartolina preta inseridos em blocos de madeira e gomos de bambu arranjados em três feixes, agrupados em estacas, em 10 pontos amostrais em área de restauração e 10 pontos em remanescente de restinga. Os ninhos são vistoriados mensalmente. Ninhos concluídos são levados ao laboratório para o estudo da arquitetura, acompanhamento do desenvolvimento larval e identificação das espécies emergentes. A partir de 49 ninhos con...

Volcanic eruptions are large-scale natural disturbances, which can negatively affect insect fauna and the ecological interactions in which they are involved. The 2011 eruption of the volcanic complex Puyehue Cordón-Caulle (PCC) produced the deposition of 950 million tons of ash on Argentine Patagonia, creating an ash layer of varying thickness. Although experimental studies confirmed that PCC volcanic ash negatively affects survival and behavior in many insect taxa, including bees, the effects of ash deposition on the plant-pollinator interactions (PPI) of this group of insects in natural landscapes remained untested. We evaluated the effect of the gradient of increasing ash layer thickness (0-15cm) on: (1) number of wild bees visiting flowers and total bee richness in 16 raspberry fields after the eruption, (2) number of native (Bombus dahlbomii) and invasive (B. terrestris and B. ruderatus) bumble bees foraging on wild flowers in 10 sites before and after the eruption, and (3) the...

Six Ctenoplectra species are recorded from Southeast Asia and Taiwan. They are C. chalybea Smith, C. cornuta Gribodo, C. davidi Vachal, C. elsei Engel, C. sandakana sp. nov. and C. vagans Cockerell. Females of C. sandakana sp. nov. from North Borneo are similar to the mainland species C. chalybea, but differ mainly in the clypeal keel and the length of the antennal segments. The small blackish species, C. cornuta, is distributed in Myanmar, China and Taiwan and C. davidi is distributed in China, Russia and Taiwan; both species are seen at the flowers of Thladiantha. Ctenoplectra chalybea was collected from the Malay Peninsula, Myanmar, Taiwan and Vietnam. Ctenoplectra apicalis Smith and C. kelloggi Cockerell are allied to C. chalybea; however, C. kelloggi is excluded from this study due to insufficient material. A key to the six known Ctenoplectra species is given. The large metallic species, C. chalybea and C. elsei, visit flowers of Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng. For the first time observations on the nest structures of C. chalybea and C. cornuta are presented. They choose remarkable places, such as artificial structures and buildings, for nest sites. The nest architecture prevents rain and direct sunlight from entering the nest. Bees used pre-existing holes or crevices in wood for nesting shelters and collected soil and appeared to mix it with some other substance to build nests. The cell lining materials and rubbing behaviors against the cell wall suggest that Ctenoplectra bees use floral oil mainly for cell lining materials.

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) is of utmost importance for biodiversity conservation; however, a number of studies document the loss of LEK regarding native bees. Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) are important pollinators that have been managed by humans in all tropical areas of the world. Our work documents the decline of Meliponini and associated LEK in the state of Michoacán, western Mexico, as well as local historical management and perceptions of the diversity and abundance of bees. Through ecological sampling, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation, we established the presence of 13 species of Meliponini and recognition of 23 local names. Although stingless bees' pot-honey is harvested directly through extraction of wild nests, local knowledge about bee diversity, behavior, and use can contribute to their conservation. Because of recent access to manufactured products and the scarcity of wild nests, LEK and pot-honey harvest are being abandoned and forgotten in some areas. Maintaining LEK is important in designing sustainable use strategies to prevent the extinction of wild nests and allow conservation of bees as well as the cultural legacy associated with them, essential in the context of a global decline of pollinators.

The northeastern region in Brazil comprises a complex of endemic areas mostly known for the species inhabiting the dry Caatinga and wet Atlantic forests. Here, we describe the new bee species Paratetrapedia nordestina sp. nov. (Tapinotaspidini), which occurs in enclaves of semi-deciduous forests in the western limits of Ceará and in eastern Piaui state, in northeastern Brazil. A key to both males and females of the lineata group in Paratetrapedia, including the new species, is provided. We also provide a discussion about its mimetic partner, map of distribution, and main illustrations of the two involved species.

The bee genus Paratetrapedia represents a commonly collected group of bees and is especially diverse in forested areas of the Neotropics. Its taxonomy has remained poorly understood because of a lack of modern revisionary work and numerous species described as Tetrapedia whose type specimens have not been reexamined in recent times. Here, a comprehensive study was carried out to review the taxonomy of the genus Paratetrapedia and to investigate cladistically the relationships amongst its species. Eighteen new species of Paratetrapedia are described, giving a total of 32 species in the genus. A phylogenetic analysis of the species of Paratetrapedia was carried out using 61 morphological characters for 41 terminal taxa. The phylogenetic results confirmed the monophyly of Paratetrapedia and allowed the recognition of five species groups: the lugubris, moesta, bicolor, lineata, and flavipennis groups. Nasutopedia gen. nov., recognized as the sister group of Paratetrapedia and with its distribution restricted to the western forested portions of the Andean highlands, is proposed based on distinct morphology, its placement in the phylogenetic tree, and biogeographical patterns. Species of Paratetrapedia are especially diverse in the Amazon Forest; the eastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest contains four endemic species, and one species is endemic to the Cerrado of central Brazil. Paratetrapedia shows a biogeographical pattern similar to other Neotropical groups of bees and birds, with wide distribution and high diversity in lowland forests and whose sister taxon occurs on highlands of northwestern portions of the Andean cordillera. Identification keys for males and females of all species are provided, as well as distribution maps and illustrations of general external morphology and genitalia.

Leioproctus Smith is a diverse colletine genus found in the Australian region and primarily temperate areas of South America. A new species of Leioproctus subgenus Perditomorpha Ashmead, L. rosellae Gonzalez, sp. n., from a tropical dry forest of the Caribbean coast of Colombia is described and figured. This is the first record of the genus from northern South America.

Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a compound that is produced after heat treatment of honey; that is, they are not present in the initial raw materials and can present a potential health hazard; they are known as chemical processing contaminants. This compound is an indicator parameter of the quality of honey produced spontaneously. Its concentration increases with time and other factors, such as improper heat treatment during processing, storage temperature and mode of transportation. The objective of this research is focused on evaluating the content of HMF present in 6 types of bee honey, 3 commercial brands and three artisanal brands; the honey was from eucalyptus and citrus flowering, and the place where the honey was acquired is in the Province of Los Ríos, since being a geographical area with abundant flora, the primary pollinators are bees (Apis Mellifera). In addition, the honey was heated at different temperatures and time intervals to evaluate whether Hydroxymethylfurfural i...

In Mexico, there are different organization and associative figures that group beekeepers nationally as well as locally. An specific kind of social organization for Mexican Beekeepers is the cooperative society figure, which is formed by persons based on common interests and on the principles of solidarity, self-effort and mutual aid, with the purpose of satisfying individual and collective needs, through the performance of economic activities of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services related with beekeeping. In Mexico City, there are three cooperative societies specialized in beekeeping, however, limited information about the quality of commercial honeys of Apis Mellifera that is produced and marketed by such cooperative is limited or does not exist. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to contribute to the knowledge of the quality of commercial honeys of Apis Mellifera that is produced and marketed by cooperative societies in Mexico City, through a sensory and a physicochemical analysis. The color, water content, electrical conductivity, pH, total acidity, free acidity, lactone, and reducing sugars profile as well as the sensory characteristics were analyzed. All tested honey samples were within the Official Mexican Standard and the Codex Alimentations, 2001 limit, except cooperative society 2 honey and cooperative society 3 honey in water content value and cooperative society 1 honey in lactone value. This study concludes that the commercial honey of Apis Mellifera produced and marketed by the three cooperative societies in Mexico City had a good level of quality.

Invasive species are one of the most important drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. As exotic species invade new ecosystems, they establish ecological interactions with the existing species, which may facilitate their spread. Flower colour is an important trait that influences pollination and pollinator preferences. To determine the role of these variables on the bumblebee preferences, we compared the floral associations of two exotic bumblebee species: Bombus terrestris and B. ruderatus (introduced two decades ago for crop pollination) and the native B. dahlbomii with native and exotic plants in Chile. We analysed 3,019 citizen science records in order to understand bumblebee associations with native and exotic plant species regarding flower colour. We found that the exotic bumblebees were mainly recorded visiting flowers of exotic plants (86% for B. terrestris and 93% for B. ruderatus), while the native B. dahlbomii visited exotic and native plant species in a similar proportion. Also, the exotic bumblebees visited purple and pink flowers more often, while the native bumblebee species frequently visited white, pink, and purple flowers. Although the three species share trichromatic vision, they seem to have different flower colour preferences. The association of B. terrestris and B. ruderatus with exotic non-crop species (i. e., exotic ornamental plants) may be acting as steppingstones from croplands to other habitats, facilitating the bee invasion process. Despite its inherent limitations, citizen science data provide large amounts of valuable information that is difficult to be obtained otherwise, which can be used to improve our understanding of invasion processes, as is the case of exotic Bombus species in southern South America.

A new bee genus from Argentina, Psaenythisca, is described and includes three species: P. flavifrons (Vachal, 1909), n. comb, (originally described as Psaenythia), P. wagneri (Vachal, 1909), n. comb, (originally described as Psaenythia), and P. punctata (Urban, 2009), n. comb, (originally described as Anthrenoides). The new genus is proposed based on a comparative study of the Protandrenini lineages. Psaenythisca is closely related to Cephalurgus and Rhophitulus, and can be distinguished mainly by the forewing with three submarginal cells, premarginal area of S2 to S5 of male with dense pubescence, distal margin of S6 of male slightly emarginated, and male genitalia with relatively broad basal sclerite. Among Protandrenini genera with three submarginal cells, it differs from Anthrenoides and Psaenythia by the combination of male genitalia with a basal sclerite, metasomal terga lacking yellow markings, propodeum rounded, middle tibial spur of the female finely serrate, and slender basal area of S8 of male. In addition, a lectotype is designated for Psaenythia (Psaenythia) wagneri Vachal, 1909. The holotype of P. flavifrons and the lectotype of P. wagneri are redescribed, and the female of P. flavifrons and male of P. punctata are described for the first time. An identification key to, and distribution maps of, the species of Psaenythisca are also provided. Nearly a quarter of a century ago, Arturo Roig-Alsina and the second author discovered a communal nest of one of the species, now known as Psaenythisca wagneri (Vachal, 1909). The nest descended approximately 2 m into the ground and is described herein. From this nest,

Dasypoda bees are host-specialized solitary species distributed in the Palaearctic Region. In the framework of a global revision of this genus, comprehensive descriptions of three rare species (D. tibialis Morawitz, D. vulpecula Lebedev and D. iberica Warncke) are presented. The detailed morphology of the D. tibialis male and both sexes of D. vulpecula are given for the first time after a very partial original description. The females of D. tibialis and D. iberica are described for the first time and additional morphological characters of the male of D. iberica are provided. The lectotype of Dasypoda tibialis is designated. Host-plants and new localities are also presented. 

To characterize the populational diversity of Mourella caerulea , an endemic stingless bee from the Pampa biome, we collected workers of the stingless bee Mourella caerulea from 24 colonies of five localities in Southern Brazil and analyzed it using geometric morphometrics of forewings, mtDNA cytochrome oxidase I variability, and cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) chemical analysis. The morphometric analysis discriminated the populations of M. caerulea from different physiographic regions. There was a positive correlation between morphometric and geographic distances. CHC profiles also differentiated the colonies from different localities. We found six particular haplotypes, nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.01631, and a haplotype diversity (Hd) of 0.74. In this sense, the comparison of the population belonging to different physiographic regions indicates that we need to give particular attention to M. caerulea at the moment of creating conservation strategies for South Brazilian Fauna, once it is the only species of this monospecific genus, and its populations are much differentiated from each other. stingless bees / Mourella caerulea / geometric morphometrics / mitochondrial DNA / cuticular hydrocarbons Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

The south Asian amisegine genus Atoposega Krombein, 1957, is reevaluated. Three new species, A. rufithorax, A. striata and A. thailandica are described from Thailand and the previously described species, A. lineata (Krombein, 1957) from Borneo, A. rieki (Krombein, 1957) from Myanmar and A. simulans Kimsey, 1986 from Malaysia are redescribed. The species, A. decorata Kimsey, 1995, was found to lack the generic characters diagnostic for Atoposega. Atoposega is only known from females.

Bombus terrestris is widely used as an agricultural pollinator in many countries, including Japan. In some of these countries, B. terrestris has become naturalized, and the risks of such invasions are a concern for the conservation of native ecosystems. In Japan, invasions of B. terrestris have occurred in Hokkaido, northern Japan, since 1996, and areas of naturalization are growing. Invasions of B. terrestris in Japan have predominantly occurred in human-modified areas, such as open agricultural areas, which are comparable to the preferred environments of the bumblebees' original distribution ranges. However, current affected areas also include natural habitats such as coastal and alpine grasslands. Important natural vegetation in Hokkaido is now suspected to suffer as a result of B. terrestris invasions, and therefore continuous monitoring is needed.

The arrival of exotic pollinators to new habitats may introduce new patterns of floral preference and foraging behavior that modify the structure of the resident plant-pollinator community. The aim of this paper is to examine the potential impact of the exotic bumblebee Bombus terrestris on the pollination service provided by the native pollinator assemblage of the herb Mimulus luteus. The study was performed in a high-elevation locality in the Chilean Andes during the summer seasons of 2010, 2011, and 2012. We recorded visitation rate, and the number of pollen grains transported on the body of B. terrestris and native pollinators and the pollen deposition on the stigmas of M. luteus. Pollinator effectiveness (pollen deposited 9 visitation rate) was compared among species. Results revealed that B. terrestris was an inefficient pollinator, due to the low amount of pollen delivered on stigmas and the low and intermittent visitation rate across years. The parallel inter-annual variation in the visitation rate of B. terrestris and the native bumblebee Bombus dahlbomii suggests that the integration of B. terrestris had no important consequences for the congeneric species. In general, B. terrestris accounted for a low proportion of the pollen transfer in M. luteus, reaching 4.6 % in 2010, absence of effect in 2011, and 0.01 % in 2012. These results suggest that in spite of being a quickly spreading species in Chile, B. terrestris is still in the initial phase of invasion in this area.

To characterize the populational diversity of Mourella caerulea , an endemic stingless bee from the Pampa biome, we collected workers of the stingless bee Mourella caerulea from 24 colonies of five localities in Southern Brazil and analyzed it using geometric morphometrics of forewings, mtDNA cytochrome oxidase I variability, and cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) chemical analysis. The morphometric analysis discriminated the populations of M. caerulea from different physiographic regions. There was a positive correlation between morphometric and geographic distances. CHC profiles also differentiated the colonies from different localities. We found six particular haplotypes, nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.01631, and a haplotype diversity (Hd) of 0.74. In this sense, the comparison of the population belonging to different physiographic regions indicates that we need to give particular attention to M. caerulea at the moment of creating conservation strategies for South Brazilian Fauna, once it is the only species of this monospecific genus, and its populations are much differentiated from each other. stingless bees / Mourella caerulea / geometric morphometrics / mitochondrial DNA / cuticular hydrocarbons Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (

El género Solierella comprende avispas depredadoras de pequeño a mediano tamaño, las cuales no han sido debidamente estudiadas en el Neotrópico. En este trabajo se revisa el género para las Antillas, con la adición de una especie nueva: S. garridoi para la Hispaniola (República Dominicana), la cual constituye el primer registro del género para la isla. La nueva especie está cercanamente emparentada con S. sola Genaro y Portuondo, de Cuba. Una combinación de caracteres la separa de la especie cubana y de las especies neárticas o neotropicales conocidas. Se presenta una clave para diferenciar las dos especies antillanas.