The bee genus <i>Ischnomelissa</i> in Peru, with a key to the species (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

Abstract

Abstract.A new species of the rare augochlorine bee genus Ischnomelissa Engel (Augochlorini: Augochlorina) is described and figured from cloud forests of the Abra Patricia Reserve, Amazonas, Peru. Ischnomelissa lignopteryx Engel, new species, is distinguished from its congeners by the darkly infumate wing membranes, dark green and non-shining integument of the head and mesosoma, dark brown legs and metasoma (except basal patch of amber on the first metasomal tergum), and integumental sculpturing. A revised key to the species of the genus is provided. INTRODUCTIONThe bee genus Ischnomelissa Engel is a rarely encountered group of Andean augochlorine bees (Engel, 1997(Engel, , 2000Brooks & Engel, 1998;Engel & Brooks, 2002). Presently six species are included in Ischnomelissa (Engel, 1997(Engel, , 2002(Engel, , 2010Engel & Brooks, 1998) Engel (1997Engel ( , 2000 and Brooks & Engel (1998). Nothing is known of the biology of species in the genus and most individuals have been recovered from flight intercept or malaise traps at elevations above 1000 m, and frequently above 2100 m (vide table in Engel, 2010).Herein the genus is recorded from northern Peru for the first time and based on a distinctive new species. The discovery of a new species affords the opportunity to compose a revised key to the species in the genus, supplanting the one provided by Engel & Brooks (2002). Journal of Melittology 2No. 23 MATERIAL AND METHODSMorphological terminology used herein follows that of Engel (2000, 2001, 2009) and Michener (2007, with the format for the description generally adapted from Engel & Brooks (2002), Engel (2010), and Engel & Rasmussen (2013. Photomicrographs were taken using a Canon 7D digital camera attached to an Infinity K-2 long-distance microscopic lens, and measurements were done with an ocular micrometer and Olympus SZX-12 stereomicroscope. The holotype is deposited in the Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru (MUSM). Diagnosis: The new species can be quickly recognized by the combination of a dark green head and mesosoma which have scattered coppery highlights, strongly infumate wing membranes, and an almost entirely dark brown metasoma (only amber colored at base and laterally on the first metasomal tergum) lacking tomentose bands of any kind.Description: ♀: Total body length 9.0 mm; forewing length 8.0 mm. Head length 2.59 mm, width 1.81 mm. Clypeus beginning slightly above lower tangent of compound eyes (Fig. 2). Malar space slightly longer than basal mandibular width (malar length 0.31 mm; basal mandibular width 0.28 mm) (Figs. 2, 3). Upper interorbital distance 0.91 mm; lower interorbital distance 0.75 mm. Intertegular distance 1.56 mm; mesoscutum with medial line deeply impressed. Basal vein distad cu-a by two times vein width; 1rs-m distad 1m-cu by two times vein width; 2rs-m distad 2m-cu by six times vein width, 2rs-m relatively straight; first submarginal cell longer than combined lengths of second and third submarginal cells; second submarginal cell weakly n...

The bee genus <i>Caenaugochlora</i> in Venezuela (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

“…33 head, and variable form and sculpturing of the propodeum all tend to pull subset species of Caenaugochlora toward other genera. Although a formal relationship between Caenaugochlora and Chlerogella Michener or Ischnomelissa Engel has never been recovered (Engel, 2000), there are some striking similarities between the latter and species of the subgenus Ctenaugochlora Eickwort, particularly in the more elongate form of the propodeum, the shape of the head (at least for those non-rostrate species of Chlerogella and Ischnomelissa), and the densely pectinate inner metatibial spur (in Ctenaugochlora and Ischnomelissa) (Brooks & Engel, 1998;Engel, 1997bEngel, , 2010aEngel, , 2013Engel & Brooks, 2002;Engel & Rasmussen, 2013). Future work should explore the possibility that these groups are more closely related than presently hypothesized.…”

A new paracolletine bee from Colombia (Hymenoptera: Colletidae), with an updated checklist of the tropical Andean bee fauna

“…A number of halictine genera occur in elevations close to the 2500 m mark set as "high elevations". For example, species of Ischnomelissa Engel (Engel, 2013), Chlerogas Vachal (Engel, 2009a(Engel, , 2010aEngel & Gonzalez, 2009;Engel et al, 2006), Caenaugochlora Michener (Gonçalves & Engel, 2010), and Chlerogella (Engel, 2010b;Engel & Rasmussen, 2013) sometimes meet and exceed 2400 m and it is possible that some of those species, or new species closely related, may eventually be discovered at or above 2500 m. Therefore, a greater diversity is expected at higher elevations as more habitats and locations are sampled across the Andean region.…”

Three new species of the bee genus <i>Caenaugochlora</i> from Central America and Colombia (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

“…For the descriptions, morphological terminology follows that of Eickwort (1969), Engel (2000, 2001, 2009b), and Michener (2007, while the format is adapted from that used elsewhere in Caenaugochlora (e.g., Engel, 1995aEngel, , 2009aEngel, , 2014, as well as more broadly among augochlorine bees (e.g., Engel, 1995bEngel, , 1997bEngel, , 2003Engel, , 2010aEngel, , 2010bEngel, , 2013aEngel, , 2013bEngel & Brooks, 2002;Engel et al, 1997Engel et al, , 2014Brooks & Engel, 1998, 1999Oliveira et al, 2012). Measurements were taken with an ocular micrometer on an Olympus SZX-12 stereomicroscope.…”