A synopsis of the subgenus Centris (Hemisiella) Moure, 1945 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Centridini) in Colombia, with description of a new species
Author
Vivallo, Felipe
Author
Vélez, Danny
text
Zootaxa
2016
4162
1
107
133
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4162.1.5
f72804b6-5ca5-4afe-8bcf-d0480550625d
1175-5326
258683
00603EE4-DBC6-4F84-9F38-76D28D3FF7EE
The subgenus
Centris
(
Hemisiella
)
Moure, 1945
The subgenus
Centris
(
Hemisiella
)
Moure, 1945
is a lineage that comprises 18 species widely distributed in the New World, ranging from southern
United States
(
Pemberton & Liu, 2008
) to
Argentina
, including some Caribbean islands (
Moure
et al
., 2007
). As it occurs with other lineages of
Centris
, the highest species diversity of this subgenus is in tropical areas of South America, where up to 13 of the known species can be found (
Moure
et al
., 2007
).
The species of
C
. (
Hemisiella
) are morphologically homogeneous and can be recognized by their pattern of facial coloration in both sexes. Although some authors have considered
C
. (
Hemisiella
) as a junior synonym of
C
. (
Heterocentris
)
Cockerell, 1899
(
Griswold
et al
., 2006
;
Michener, 2007
;
Gonzalez
et al
., 2012
), the species of this subgenus form a distinct monophyletic group which is closely related to the subgenera
C
. (
Heterocentris
) and
C
. (
Trachina
)
Klug, 1807
, with which it shares several morphological synapomorphies in the male (Vivallo & Melo in preparation). Thus, we recognized C. (
Hemisiella
) as a valid subgenus.
The males of
C
. (
Hemisiella
) are characterized by a spine-shaped projection on the hind trochanter, and a broad yellow transverse spot on the clypeus (covering the clypeus entirely in
C
.
nigriventris
Burmeister, 1876
). Females have an elliptical primary basitibial plate with the secondary plate covered with dense, short pubescence, and a dark brown to black clypeus with two very large, oblique yellow patches (which may be joined medially in
C
.
transversa
Pérez, 1905
, as well as in some specimens of
C
.
merrillae
and
C
.
vittata
Lepeletier, 1841
). Species of
C.
(
Hemisiella
) nest in pre-existing cavities in wood as in the subgenera
C
. (
Heterocentris
) and
C
. (
Xanthemisia
)
Moure,1945
(
Silveira
et al
., 2002
). However, some species, such as
C
.
transversa
(
Batra & Schuster, 1977
)
, and probably others, may also nest in the ground (Vivallo, unpublished data).
According to
Smith-Pardo (2003)
the species of
C.
(
Hemisiella
) present in Colombia are
C
.
dichrootricha
,
C
.
transversa
and
C
.
vittata
.
Moure
et al
. (2007)
added
C
.
facialis
Mocsáry, 1899
and
C
.
nitida
Smith, 1874
, while
Gonzalez
et al
. (2012)
added
C
.
trigonoides
, thereby totaling six species. The study of the material housed in the main Colombian entomological collections (listed above) resulted in the identification of the following seven species of
Centris
(
Hemisiella
)
such as
C
.
nebulosa
new species
:
C
.
dichrootricha
,
C
.
facialis
,
C
.
merrillae
,
C
.
tarsata
,
C
.
trigonoides
and
C
.
vittata
.