Taxonomic revision of Augochloropsis (Glyptochlora) Moure, a rare bee subgenus from the Amazon Basin (Hymenoptera: Halictinae)

Abstract

We revise the bee subgenus Augochloropsis (Glyptochlora) and recognize four species in the group. Three new species are described, Augochloropsis peruviana n. sp., Augochloropsis ticuna n. sp. and Augochloropsis atrocyanea n. sp. and the type species, Augochloropsis ornata (Smith, 1879), is re-described. The descriptions were based on females collected in the Amazon Basin forests from Colombia, Peru, and Brazil. The disjunct distribution exhibited by A. (Glyptochlora) with respect its nearest phylogenetic group Augochloropsis (Glyptobasia), with species only present in the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil, is discussed in light of current knowledge about other taxa with similar distribution pattern. This is new evidence for an already well-established pattern of disjunct distributions of some bee taxa between these two biomes. An identification key for the species and a distribution map are also provided.