Bees of the genus Lasioglossum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) from Greater Puerto Rico, West Indies
Author
Gibbs, Jason
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2018
2018-02-01
400
1
57
journal article
10.5852/ejt.2018.400
12c52018-f40f-455c-9e93-836808d3b087
2118-9773
1165021
EFE95F68-5FA1-4D95-A911-A8BCAFAFCEEF
Lasioglossum
(
Dialictus
)
gundlachii
(
Baker, 1906
)
Figs 4F
,
21–23
Chloralictus Gundlachii
Baker, 1906: 268
(syntype, ♀, deposited at AMNH, examined).
Lasioglossum gundlachii
–
Alayo 1973: 199
(catalogue); 1976: 19 (catalogue). —
Rodríguez Velázquez & Mestre Novoa 2002: 9
(distribution).
Dialictus gundlachii
–
Moure & Hurd 1987: 102
(catalogue). —
Moure 2007: 850
(catalogue).
Dialictus gundlachi
–
Eickwort 1988: 236
(distribution, biology, incorrect subsequent spelling; see
ICZN (1999)
article 33.4.).
Lasioglossum
(
Dialictus
)
gundlachii
–
Danforth 1999: 380
(phylogeny). —
Danforth
et al
. 2003: 25
(phylogeny). —
Genaro 2004: 178
(distribution); 2007: 249 (distribution). —
Genaro & Franz 2008: 6
(distribution). —
Engel 2011: 66
(taxonomy). —
Gibbs 2011: 90
(taxonomy). —
Gibbs
et al
. 2012b: 930
(phylogeny).
Lasioglossum
(
Dialictus
)
mestrei
(misdet.) –
Genaro & Franz 2008: 6
(distribution).
Diagnosis
Both sexes of
L
.
gundlachii
can be recognized by the metapostnotum with incomplete carinulae reaching from anterior margin to midlength, posterior half of surface smooth, mesopleuron relatively smooth, with distinct sparse punctures and mesoscutal punctures sparse between parapsidal lines. Female
L
.
gundlachii
have T1 with acarinarial fan nearly absent, only visible as small lateral patches of subappressed setae. Male
L
.
gundlachii
can be recognized by long lateral setae on posterior metasomal sterna, which protrude in horn-like tufts, distinctly visible when examining the metasoma in dorsal view.
Lasioglossum mestrei
also has incomplete carinulae on the metapostnotum, but it has a much larger head, denser mesoscutal punctures and metallic reflections on the metasoma.
Etymology
Baker (1906)
named this species after Dr. Juan Gundlach.
Material examined
CUBA
:
Artemisa
:
1 ♀
,
Cabanas
,
5–13 Sep. 1913
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
;
2 ♀♀
,
LagunaAriguanabo
,
Jul. 1955
,
Zayas
and
Alayo
leg. (
LACM
).
–
Cienfuegos
:
1 ♂
,
Ciego Montero
,
Palmira
,
Dec. 1967
,
P. Alayo
leg. (
LACM
)
. –
Guantanamo
:
2 ♀♀
,
El Imbano
,
Cuchillas de Baracoa
,
May 1998
,
R. Fernández de Arcila
leg. (
LACM
)
;
4 ♀♀
,
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
,
19.8993° N
,
75.1193° W
,
5 May 2010
,
S. Droege
and
S. Brady
leg. (
NMNH
)
;
3 ♀♀
,
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
,
19.9166° N
,
75.1408° W
,
6 May 2010
,
S.W. Droege
leg. (
NMNH
)
;
26 ♀♀
,
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
,
19.9126° N
,
75.2118° W
,
14 Jun. 2011
,
S.W. Droege
leg. (
NMNH
)
. –
Havana
:
30 ♀♀
including
syntypes
,
6 ♂♂
, s. d., Baker leg. (
AMNH
);
5 ♀♀
including
syntypes
, s. d.,
Baker
leg. (
CUIC
)
. –
Matanzas
:
1 ♂
,
Sto. Tomás, P. de Zapata
, s. d.,
J.C. Bruner
and
J. Acuña
leg. (
NMNH
)
. –
Pinar del Rio
:
1 ♀
,
Cerro Cabras
,
11 Sep. 1913
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
;
2 ♀♀
,
Guane
,
24–26 Sep. 1913
(
AMNH
)
;
2 ♀♀
,
Pinar del Rio
,
9–24 Sep. 1913
(
AMNH
);
1 ♀
, San Vicente,
Nov. 1955
,
N.L.H. Krauss
leg. (
SEMC
);
1 ♀
,
Vinales
,
7 km
N
,
16–22 Sep. 1913
, s. coll. (
AMNH
);
3 ♀♀
,
Vinales
,
24 km
N
,
16–22 Sep. 1913
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
. –
Santiago de Cuba
:
1 ♂
,
Cristo
,
3 Oct. 1915
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
. –
Villa Clara
:
1 ♀
,
Manicaragua
,
Jan. 1971
,
Grillo
leg. (
LACM
)
.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
:
Barahona
:
1 ♂
,
Ciénaga, road towards Cachote
, Hg and UV lights, night collection,
18°03ʹ45ʺ N
,
71°08ʹ45ʺ W
,
720 m
,
7 Jun. 2008
,
Franz
lab leg. (
UPRM
);
1 ♀
,
2 ♂♂
,
Upper Paraiso Valley
,
29 Mar. 1978
,
L. Masner
leg. (
SEMC
).
–
Dajabon
:
1 ♀
,
Villa Anacaona
,
3 Jun. 1986
,
R. Miller
and
L.A. Stange
leg. (
FSCA
).
–
El Seibo
:
5 ♀♀
,
1 ♂
,
El Seibo
,
17 km
N
,
28 May 1985
,
R. Woodruff
and
L. Stange
leg. (
FSCA
).
–
Espaillat
:
1 ♀
,
Moca
, Tobacco,
30 Apr. 1935
,
G. Russo
leg. (
NMNH
).
–
Hato Mayor
(?):
1 ♂
,
San Lorenzo
,
24–26 Jun. 1915
, s. coll. (
AMNH
).
–
La Altagracia
:
2 ♀♀
,
Nisibon
,
near cacao planting
,
flight trap
,
5–7 May 1978
,
G.B. Fairchild
leg. (
FSCA
);
1 ♀
,
1 ♂
,
Nisibon
,
Malaise trap
,
8–10 Jun. 1976
,
R.E. Woodruff
and
E.E. Grissell
leg. (
FSCA
);
1 ♀
,
Rio Chacon, nr. El Naranjo
,
6 Jun. 1986
,
R. Miller
and
L.A. Stange
leg. (
FSCA
).
–
La Romana
:
1 ♀
,
11 Jun. 1976
,
E. E. Grissell
leg. (
FSCA
).
–
La Vega
:
2 ♀♀
,
1 ♂
,
Cordillera Central
,
Loma Casabito
,
15.8 km
NW of Bonao
,
19°02′12′′ N
,
70°31′08′′ W
,
1455 m
, evergreen cloud forest, E slope, yellow pan,
28 May 2003
,
J. Rawlins
et al.
leg. (
CMNH
);
13 ♀♀
,
Jarabacoa
,
17 Jul. 1986
,
G.C. Eickwort
leg. (
CUIC
);
1 ♀
,
Jarabacoa
,
6 km
SE
,
El Saito
,
31 May 1986
,
R. Miller
and
L.A Stange
leg. (
FSCA
).
–
Pedro Sanchez
:
2 ♂♂
, [no locality], tobacco field,
11 Jun. 1976
,
E. E. Grissell
leg. (
FSCA
).
–
Pedernales
:
3 ♀♀
, Cabo Rojo headquarters,
26 Jul. 1985
,
G.C. Eickwort
leg. (
CUIC
).
–
Peravia
:
1 ♀
,
Arroyo Canas
,
650 m
a.s.l.
,
Malaise trap
,
8 Aug. 1980
,
A. Norrbom
leg. (
CMNH
);
1 ♀
,
Colonia
,
25 Mar. 1978
,
L. Masner
leg. (
SEMC
).
–
Puerto Plata
:
4 ♀♀
,
Pico Isabel de Torres
,
22 Jul. 1986
,
G.C. Eickwort
leg. (
CUIC
)
;
1 ♀
,
Playa Cofresi
,
30 Dec. 1984
,
L.A. Stange
leg. (
FSCA
)
;
1 ♀
,
Playa Dorada
,
28 Dec. 1984
,
L.A. Stange
leg. (
FSCA
);
1 ♀
,
Sosua
,
25 Mar. 1985
,
M. Alfenito
leg. (
CUIC
)
. –
San Cristobal
:
11 ♀♀
,
1 ♂
,
Malaise trap
,
16 Jun. 1986
.
C. Nunez
leg. (
FSCA
)
;
7 ♀♀
,
1 ♂
,
Malaise trap
,
19 Jun. 1986
.
C. Nunez
leg. (
FSCA
). –
San Pedro de Macoris
:
1 ♀
, near
San Pedor de Macoris
,
16 Jul. 1917
,
H. Morrison
leg. (
NMNH
).
Fig. 21.
Lasioglossum gundlachii
(
Baker, 1906
)
, ♀.
A
. Face.
B
. Lateral habitus.
C
. Dorsal habitus. Scale bars = 1 mm.
HAITI
:
Ouest
:
1 ♀
,
Damien
,
25 Nov. 1929
,
J.G. Myers
leg. (
NHMUK
)
;
1 ♀
,
Kenscoff
,
1450 m
a.s.l.,
14 Dec. 1929
,
J.G. Myers
leg. (
NHMUK
)
;
1 ♀
,
Leogane
,
10 Aug. 1977
,
A. Pauly
leg. (
CUIC
);
1 ♀
,
Val. Riv. Froide
, 1925,
W.A. Hoffman
leg. (
NMNH
)
. –
Sud
:
1 ♀
,
Camp-Perrin
, 1925,
W.A. Hoffman
leg. (
NMNH
)
.
PUERTO RICO
:
Adjuntas
:
1 ♀
, [no locality],
8–13 Jun. 1915
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
. –
Aibonito
:
1 ♀
, [no locality],
1–3 Jun. 1915
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
. –
Arecibo
:
1 ♂
, [no locality],
1–4 Mar. 1914
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
;
1 ♀
,
1 ♂
,
24–26 Jun. 1915
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
. –
Barceloneta
:
1 ♀
, [no locality], ex
Barbieria pinnata
,
21 Feb. 1933
,
Mills
,
Faxon
and
Anderson
leg. (
NMNH
)
;
1 ♀
, [no locality],
15 Nov. 1932
,
Anderson
,
Faxon
and
Mills
leg. (
NMNH
)
. –
Bayamón
:
4 ♀♀
, [no locality], ex
Margarita
sp.,
29 Apr. 1934
,
Anderson
and
Lesesne
leg. (
NMNH
)
. –
Cayey
:
2 ♀♀
,
Beatriz
,
5 Nov. 1992
,
Snelling
and
Torres
leg. (
LACM
)
. –
Corozal
:
1 ♀
,
1 ♂
, [no locality],
1 Jan. 1920
,
G.N. Wolcott
leg. (
NMNH
)
. –
Guaynabo
:
1 ♀
,
18.36° N
,
66.11° W
,
Malaise trap
,
20–21 May 1996
,
J.A. Torres
leg. (
LACM
)
;
1 ♀
, same collection data as preceding,
29–31 May 1996
(
LACM
);
1 ♀
, same collection data as preceding,
6 Jun. 1996
(
LACM
);
1 ♀
, same collection data as preceding,
7–8 Jun. 1996
(
LACM
).
–
Isabela
:
1 ♀
, [no locality], ex
Coriandrum sativum
,
7 Apr. 1948
,
L.P. Martorell
leg. (
NMNH
)
. –
Jayuya
:
2 ♂♂
, [no locality],
6 Jan. 1915
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
. –
Luquillo
:
2 ♂♂
,
Balneiro de Luquillo
,
10 May 1985
,
G.C. Eickwort
leg. (
CUIC
)
;
1 ♂
, same collection data as preceding,
14 May 1985
(
CUIC
)
;
1 ♀
,
1 ♂
,
Balneiro de Luquillo, in nest #2
,
14 May 1985
,
G.C. Eickwort
leg. (
CUIC
)
. –
Manatí
:
1 ♀
,
1 ♂
,
Tortogueros Lake
,
20 Nov. 1925
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
;
1 ♀
, [no locality],
5 Mar. 1914
, s. coll. (
AMNH
);
1 ♀
, [no locality],
6 Apr. 1929
,
S.T. Danforth
leg. (
NMNH
)
. –
Mayagüez
:
3 ♀♀
, [no locality],
15–16 Feb. 1915
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
;
3 ♀♀
, [no locality],
21–23 Jun. 1915
, s. coll. (
AMNH
);
1 ♂
,
Finca Alzamora
,
8 Dec. 1981
,
D.S. Green
leg. (
FSCA
).
–
Orocovis
:
1 ♀
, [Barros, no locality],
4 Jun. 1915
, s. coll. (
AMNH
)
;
1 ♀
,
Bosque Estatal Toro Negro Cordillera Central
,
5 May 2008
,
J.A. Genaro
leg. (
JAGC
)
. –
Peñuelas
:
1 ♀
, [no locality],
Sep. 1960
,
M. Santiago
leg. (
JAGC
)
. –
Ponce
:
1 ♀
,
Vasquez
, sun,
18°07.4616′ N
,
66°38.2638′ W
, elevated bee bowl,
13 Jan.–10 Feb. 2015
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
)
;
2 ♀♀
, same collection data as preceding,
17 Jun.–15 Jul. 2014
(
NCSU
);
1 ♀
, same collection data as preceding,
9 Sep.–7 Oct. 2014
(
NCSU
)
;
6 ♀♀
, same locality as preceding,
Malaise trap
,
17 Jun.–15 Jul. 2014
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
)
;
6 ♀♀
, same collection data as preceding,
15 Jul.–12 Aug. 2014
(
NCSU
);
2 ♀♀
, same collection data as preceding,
12 Aug.–9 Sep. 2014
(
NCSU
)
;
8 ♀♀
, same collection data as preceding,
9 Sep.–7 Oct. 2014
(
NCSU
)
;
2 ♀♀
, same collection data as preceding,
7 Oct.–4 Nov. 2014
(
NCSU
);
3 ♀♀
, same locality as preceding, ground bee bowl,
17 Jun.–15 Jul. 2014
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
)
;
1 ♀
,
Vasquez
, shade,
18°07.447′ N
,
66°38.230′ W
, ground bee bowl,
17 Jun.–15 Jul. 2014
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
)
. –
Rio Grande
:
1 ♀
,
El Verde Field Station, Road 186, REU Project
,
12 Jun. 2007
,
Carballo-Fumero
leg. (
JAGC
)
;
1 ♀
,
El Yunque
,
Jun. 1935
,
L.F. Martorell
leg. (
NMNH
).
–
Guaynabo
:
1 ♀
,
Sonadora
,
18 Nov. 1992
,
J.A. Torres
leg. (
LACM
)
. –
San Germán
:
1 ♀
, [no locality],
23 Dec. 1962
, P. and
P. Spangler
leg. (
NMNH
)
. –
Santa Isabel
:
1 ♀
,
Gomez
,
17°59.705′ N
,
66°25.063′ W
,
23 Jan. 2013
,
S. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
:
CCDB-22788 A
12)
;
1 ♀
,
NW River
,
18°0.017′ N
,
66°26.115′ W
,
13 Mar. 2013
,
S. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
:
CCDB-22788 B
01);
2 ♀♀
,
SE River
,
17°58.547′ N
,
66°25.063′ W
,
13 Mar. 2013
,
S. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
).
–
Toa Baja
:
1 ♀
,
Toa Baja
,
2 Aug. 1985
,
J. Torres
leg. (
LACM
)
. –
Trujillo Alto
:
1 ♀
,
29 Jun. 1986
,
J.A. Torres
leg. (
LACM
)
. –
Utuado
:
1 ♀
,
26 Mar. 1986
,
J.A. Torres
leg. (
LACM
)
. –
Yauco
:
1 ♀
,
Montana
, sun,
18°07.996′ N
,
66°49.002′ W
, ground bee bowl,
10 Oct.–5 Nov. 2014
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
)
;
1 ♀
, same collection data as preceding,
15 Jan.–12 Feb. 2015
(
NCSU
)
;
2 ♀♀
,
1 ♂
,
Montana
, same locality as preceding, net (9:30–10:50 am),
10 Jun. 2014
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
)
;
1 ♀
,
Vega
,
18°07.724′ N
,
66°53.386′ W
, net (9:30–11:15 am),
4 Jun. 2014
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
)
;
3 ♀♀
,
2 ♂♂
, same locality as preceding, net (10:30–11:30 am)
19 Jun. 2014
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
)
;
6 ♀♀
, same locality as preceding, ground bee bowl,
20 Jun.–18 Jul. 2014
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
)
;
2 ♀♀
, same collection data as preceding,
12 Sep.–10 Oct. 2014
(
NCSU
);
1 ♀
, same locality as preceding, elevated bee bowl,
20 Jun.–18 Jul. 2014
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
)
;
1 ♀
, same collection data as preceding,
15 Aug.–12 Sep. 2014
(
NCSU
);
1 ♀
, same collection data as preceding,
12 Sep.–10 Oct. 2014
(
NCSU
);
1 ♀
,
Villa Cecilia
,
18°08.371′ N
,
66°49.230′ W
, elevated bee bowl,
15 Jan.–12 Feb. 2015
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
);
2 ♀♀
, same collection data as preceding,
12 Feb.–Mar. 12
2015
(
NCSU
);
2 ♀♀
, same collection data as preceding,
23 May–20 Jun. 2014
(
NCSU
);
1 ♀
, same collection data as preceding,
15 Aug.–12 Sep. 2014
(
NCSU
);
3 ♀♀
, same collection data as preceding,
12 Sep.–10 Oct. 2014
(
NCSU
);
1 ♀
, same locality as preceding, net (9:15–10:45 am),
4 Jun. 2014
,
S.G. Prado
leg. (
NCSU
)
.
Fig. 22.
Lasioglossum gundlachii
(
Baker, 1906
)
, ♂.
A
. Face.
B
. Lateral habitus.
C
. Dorsal habitus.
D
. Dorsal view of metasomal apex. Scale bars = 1 mm.
Distribution
Cuba
, Hispaniola (
Dominican Republic
and
Haiti
),
Puerto Rico
(
Fig. 23
).
Taxonomic notes
Two other species in the region belong to the
gundlachii
species group:
L
.
liguanense
(
Sandhouse, 1924
)
from
Jamaica
and
L
.
flaveriae
(Mitchell, 1960)
from southern
Florida
. The Puerto Rican material of
L
.
gundlachii
seems to have less dense punctation on the mesoscutum than do specimens examined from
Cuba
. It is possible that
L
.
gundlachii
is a senior synonym of
L
.
flaveriae
, a species known only from southern
Florida
and
the Bahamas
(
Gibbs 2011
).
Gibbs (2011)
noted differences in microsculpture between
L
.
flaveriae
and “Jamaican specimens of
L
.
gundlachii
”. It is evident from examination of additional West Indian material that the Jamaican specimens examined by
Gibbs (2011)
were in fact
L
.
liguanense
. There are also species present in
Central
America (e.g.,
Belize
) and
Mexico
that have close affinities to the
gundlachii
group (J. Gibbs, unpublished data), suggesting that this species complex may have colonized the Caribbean from this region rather than from
Florida
.
The description of the species
L
.
albitarsatum
(Ashmead, 1896)
, from
Bahía
Honda,
Cuba
, seems to match either
L
.
gundlachii
or
L
.
mestrei
.
Lasioglossum albitarsatum
has priority over both names. The
type
material of
L
.
albitarsatum
is evidently lost and the uncertainty in application makes it a
nomen dubium
.
Biology
Eickwort (1988)
illustrated a nest of
L
.
gundlachii
from the same “grassy upper beach area of
Luquillo
Beach,
Puerto Rico
”, where nests of
L
.
ferrerii
were also found. The nest was less deep than that of
L
.
ferrerii
, reaching a maximum depth of approximately
11 cm
. The nest was of similar construction, with eight cells attached to the primary burrows by short lateroids. Three multi-female nests were excavated. In two nests, there was a single reproductive female and a single worker. The third nest contained four inseminated females. Based on his observations,
Eickwort (1988)
concluded that
L
.
gundlachii
formed eusocial or semisocial nests, or occasionally communal ones.
Lasioglossum gundlachii
has been recorded visiting the following flowers:
Barbieria pinnata
(Pers.) Baill. (Fabaceae)
,
Coriandrum sativum
L. (
Apiaceae
) and
Margarita
sp. (
Euphorbiaceae
).
DNA barcodes
Two specimens were sent for sequencing, but efforts on only one of these were successful (BOLD Process ID: BOWGF3194-14). The sequence is identical to a GenBank sequence (Accession:
AF103965
) of
L
.
gundlachii
from
Puerto Rico
for the 417 bp in common (
Danforth 1999
). There is also a short fragment of CO1 available from
L
.
flaveriae
in
Florida
(n= 1) with a maximum overlap of 531 bp between the
Florida
sequence and the Puerto Rican sequences (n=2). These sequences show less than 0.8% sequence divergence between the regions, which is within expected levels for a single species. Additional study of the
gundlachii
group through its range is warranted to better understand the taxonomy and historical biogeography of the group. Another species in this group,
L
.
liguanense
, is endemic to
Jamaica
.