The bees of Early Eocene Cambay amber (Hymenoptera: Apidae)
Author
Engel, Michael S.
Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1501 Crestline Drive - Suite 140, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA (msengel @ ku. edu; jaimeortega @ ku. edu). & Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West
Author
Ortega-Blanco, Jaime
Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1501 Crestline Drive - Suite 140, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA (msengel @ ku. edu; jaimeortega @ ku. edu).
Author
Nascimbene, Paul C.
Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West
Author
Singh, Hukam
Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, 53 University Road, Lucknow 226 007, India (hukams @ gmail. com).
text
Journal of Melittology
2013
2013-12-17
2013
25
1
12
https://doi.org/10.17161/jom.v0i25.4659
journal article
302762
10.17161/jom.v0i25.4659
a954f134-084d-41e5-8a41-61af66929a3b
2325-4467
13736871
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9AFCD1E3-42B6-4CB3-8321-35C60579289C
Paramelikertes
Engel & Ortega-Blanco,
new subgenus
ZooBank:
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:
08DFB6FD-5DC6-4EBF-ABEE-F19E1E031A2C
TYPE
SPECIES
:
Melikertes
(
Paramelikertes
)
gujaratensis
Engel & Ortega-Blanco
,
new species
.
DIAGNOSIS: This new group can be differentiated from
Melikertes
s.str
.
(
Engel, 2001a
) by the presence of only two submarginal cells (
Figs. 2
,
3
), the confluence of 2rs-m with 2m-cu, the more elongate and narrow marginal cell, the marginal cell apex acutely pointed on the wing margin, the more densely setose metasoma, and the more strongly developed and dense stout bristles of the mid- and hind legs. Like
Melikertes
the malar space is apparently short, the clypeus lacks the clypeal protrusion typical of
Succinapis
Engel
, the mesoscutellum apparently does not project over the metanotum, and the metasomal terga are not banded.
Figure 3.
Holotype worker (AMNH Tad-41-A) of
Melikertes
(
Paramelikertes
)
gujaratensis
,
new subgenus and species
.
ETYMOLOGY: The new subgeneric name is a combination of the Greek prefix
para
(meaning, “near”) and
Melikertes
,
type
genus of the tribe. The name is masculine.
COMMENTS: The genus
Melikertes
Engel
was previously known from three species in Baltic amber –
Melikertes proavus
(Menge)
,
M
.
stilbonotus
(Engel)
, and
M
.
clypeatus
Engel
(
Table 1
). Two new species are added here, one in the new subgenus, and the remainder classified in
Melikertes
s.str
.