Description of the previously unknown male of Systropha (Austrosystropha) macronasuta (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Rophitinae) from Kenya

We describe and illustrate for the first time the previously unknown male of Systropha (Austrosystropha) macronasuta Strand.  We provide a species diagnosis and modified couplets of the recent identification key to allow for easy identification of this sex.  Based on the first record of S. macronasuta from the African mainland, we discuss the distribution of the species

Phylogenetic relationships and host-plant evolution within the basal clade of Halictidae (Hymenoptera, Apoidea)

peer reviewedBees are among the most important pollinators of angiosperm plants. Many bee species show narrow host-plant preferences, reflected both in behavioral and morphological adaptations to particular attributes of host-plant pollen or floral morphology. Whether bee host-plant associations reflect co-cladogenesis of bees and their host plants or host-switches to unrelated host plants is not clear. Rophitinae is a basal subfamily of Halictidae in which most species show narrow host-plant preferences (oligolecty). We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships among the rophitine genera using a combination of adult morphology (24 characters) and DNA sequence data (EF-1a, LW rhodopsin, wingless; 2700 bp total). The data set was analyzed by parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. All methods yielded highly congruent results. Using the phylogeny, we investigated the pattern of host-plant association as well as the historical biogeography of Rophitinae. Our biogeographical analysis suggests a number of dispersal / vicariance events: (1) a basal split between North America and South America (most likely a dispersal from South America to North America), and (2) at least two subsequent interchanges between North America and Eurasia (presumably via the northern hemisphere land bridges). Our analysis of host-plant associations indicates that Rophitinae specialized on a closely related group of angiosperm orders in the Euasterid I clade (mainly Gentianales, Lamiales and Solanales). However, there is little evidence of cocladogenesis between bees and plants and strong evidence of host switches to unrelated host plants. Based on our phylogenetic results we describe two new tribes of Rophitinae: Conanthalictini new tribe (including the genus Conanthalictus) and Xeralictini new tribe (including Xeralictus and Protodufourea)

An unexpected new genus of panurgine bees (Hymenoptera, Andrenidae) from Europe discovered after phylogenomic analysis

peer reviewedEstablishing a higher classification of bees based on morphology alone can fail to capture evolutionary relationships when morphological characters either vary very little between distantly related groups, or conversely vary greatly between closely related species. This problem is well represented in the subfamily Panurginae, for which a recent global revision based on phylogenomic data unexpectedly revealed that two Old World species previously placed in Camptopoeum Spinola and Flavipanurgus Warncke, are in fact most closely related to each other, and together form a sister group relationship to the remaining Flavipanurgus and Panurgus Panzer combined. To rectify this situation, we here establish an expanded phylogenomic data set of Old World Panurgini and re-assess generic and subgeneric concepts for the tribe. To solve the paraphyly of Camptopoeum and Flavipanurgus, we establish the new genus Halopanurgus gen. nov. containing the species H. baldocki (Wood & Cross), comb. nov. and H. fuzetus (Patiny), comb. nov., both of which are restricted to coastal sands, saltmarshes, and inland saline lagoons in the extreme south of Portugal and south-west of Spain. Re-evaluation of four recently used subgenera in Panurgus strongly supports a simplified classification of two subgenera; Pachycephalopanurgus Patiny, stat. rev. including Micropanurgus Patiny syn. nov., and Panurgus s. str. including Euryvalvus Patiny. Pachycephalopanurgus species seem to be oligoleges of Asteroideae (Asteraceae), whereas Panurgus s. str. may be oligoleges of Cichorieae (Asteraceae). Our findings reinforce the challenges of establishing a phylogenetically sound classification of Panurginae using morphology alone and illustrate that even in well-studied regions like Europe unrecognised genera can persist in underexplored corners of the continent

Factors limiting the species richness of bees in Saharan Africa

peer reviewedThere is a severe shortage of knowledge of bee biogeography. Some former studies have highlighted a link between bee diversity and xeric ecosystems, but we know practically nothing of the macro-ecological factors driving bee diversity. The present study aims to analyse the main macro-ecological factors driving bee species-richness in the Saharan region. Our dataset includes 25,000 + records for localities in Africa, between 37° and 10°N. Maps and GIS were used to get a first overview of the distribution of the studied taxa. Partial least squares analysis (PLS) was used to study the impact of a set of ecological factors on the bee species richness (SR). The mapping highlighted the clustering of the highest bee SR values in some parts of the Saharan area (e.g. Maghreb, western Africa). In Central Sahara, there is an obvious topological coincidence of the high SR, the local mountain chains and the inland waters. The PLS helped to quantify the relationships between bee SR and a set of eco-climatic variables. It also highlighted a residual variance not explained by the considered descriptors. Our results recover the tight link between bee SR and xeric ecosystems. They also suggest that, within these ecosystems, bee SR is driven by an optimum of the energy-water balance (on which adjustment is allowed by the above gradients)

New fossil evidence of the early diversification of bees: Paleohabropoda oudardi from the French Paleocene (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Anthophorini)

peer reviewedPhylogenetic relationships among and within the major groups of bees (Apoidea Apiformes) were recently reconsidered using extensive molecular and morphological datasets. The next step in the study of bee evolution will consist in estimating the antiquity of the nodes within the inferred topologies. We describe here the third oldest bee fossil, Paleohabropoda oudardi gen. n. sp. N. (Apidae, Apinae, Anthophorini) from the Paleocene of Menat (France, Puy-de-Dôme; 60 Myr). Phylogenetic analysis of 17 morphological characters and morphometric analysis of the wing shape were used to recover, respectively, its taxonomic position and morphological affinities. Our results indicate that Paleohabropoda oudardi gen. n. sp. n. clearly belongs to the Anthophorini. Paleohabropoda is therefore the oldest fossil that can be confidently date and place to an extant tribe. Its wing shape is surprisingly close to the extant genus Habropoda. The discovery of Paleohabropoda oudardi gen. n., sp. n. brings further evidence for the Cretaceous diversification of major lineages of bees and for strong constancy of wing shape within the Anthophorini

Phylogeny, biogeography and diversification of the mining bee family Andrenidae

peer reviewedThe mining bees (Andrenidae) are a major bee family of over 3000 described species with a nearly global distribution. They are a particularly significant component of northern temperate ecosystems and are critical pollinators in natural and agricultural settings. Despite their ecological and evolutionary significance, our knowledge of the evolutionary history of Andrenidae is sparse and insufficient to characterize their spatiotemporal origin and phylogenetic relationships. This limits our ability to understand the diversification dynamics that led to the second most species-rich genus of all bees, Andrena Fabricius, and the most species-rich North American genus, Perdita Smith. Here, we develop a comprehensive genomic dataset of 195 species of Andrenidae, including all major lineages, to illuminate the evolutionary history of the family. Using fossil-informed divergence time estimates, we characterize macroevolutionary dynamics, incorporate paleoclimatic information, and present our findings in the context of diversification rate estimates for all other bee tribes. We found that diversification rates of Andrenidae steeply increased over the past 15 million years, particularly in the genera Andrena and Perdita. This suggests that these two groups and the brood parasites of the genus Nomada Scopoli (Apidae), which are the primary cleptoparasitic counterparts of Andrena, are similar in age and represent the fastest diversifying lineages of all bees. Using our newly developed time frame of andrenid evolution, we estimate a late Cretaceous origin in South America for the family and reconstruct the past dispersal events that led to its present-day distribution.15. Life on lan

The wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Morocco

peer reviewedCliPS - Fédération Wallonie Bruxelle

Base de datos de abejas ibéricas

Las abejas son un grupo extremadamente diverso con más de 1000 especies descritas en la península ibérica. Además, son excelentes polinizadores y aportan numerosos servicios ecosistémicos fundamentales para la mayoría de ecosistemas terrestres. Debido a los diversos cambios ambientales inducidos por el ser humano, existen evidencias del declive de algunas de sus poblaciones para ciertas especies. Sin embargo, conocemos muy poco del estado de conservación de la mayoría de especies y de muchas de ellas ignoramos cuál es su distribución en la península ibérica. En este trabajo presentamos un esfuerzo colaborativo para crear una base de datos de ocurrencias de abejas que abarca la península ibérica e islas Baleares que permitirá resolver cuestiones como la distribución de las diferentes especies, preferencia de hábitat, fenología o tendencias históricas. En su versión actual, esta base de datos contiene un total de 87 684 registros de 923 especies recolectados entre 1830 y 2022, de los cuales un 87% presentan información georreferenciada. Para cada registro se incluye información relativa a la localidad de muestreo (89%), identificador y colector de la especie (64%), fecha de captura (54%) y planta donde se recolectó (20%). Creemos que esta base de datos es el punto de partida para conocer y conservar mejor la biodiversidad de abejas en la península ibérica e Islas Baleares. Se puede acceder a estos datos a través del siguiente enlace permanente: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6354502ABSTRACT: Bees are a diverse group with more than 1000 species known from the Iberian Peninsula. They have increasingly received special attention due to their important role as pollinators and providers of ecosystem services. In addition, various rapid human-induced environmental changes are leading to the decline of some of its populations. However, we know very little about the conservation status of most species and for many species, we hardly know their true distributions across the Iberian Peninsula. Here, we present a collaborative effort to collate and curate a database of Iberian bee occurrences to answer questions about their distribution, habitat preference, phenology, or historical trends. In total we have accumulated 87 684 records from the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands of 923 different species with 87% of georeferenced records collected between 1830 and 2022. In addition, each record has associated information such as the sampling location (89%), collector and person who identified the species (64%), date of the capture (54%) and plant species where the bees were captured (20%). We believe that this database is the starting point to better understand and conserve bee biodiversity in the Iberian Peninsula. It can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6354502Esta base de datos se ha realizado con la ayuda de los proyectos EUCLIPO (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-028360/EUCLIPO) y SAFEGUARD (ref. 101003476 H2020 -SFS-2019-2).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Meliturgula Friese 1903

Key to the Ethiopian species of Meliturgula Females 1. Large species (> 7mm). Cuticle generally strongly sculptured. Facial foveae well developed, irregular in shape. First submarginal cell right. Second submarginal cell wide and subtrapezoidal.......................................... Subgenus Meliturgula FRIESE — 2 ­ Smaller species ( 9,4mm). Face ventral half yellow. Mesonotum and scutellum punctuation fine and variably dense. Terga with large sparse punctures. Metasoma superficially sculptured, partly reddish..................................... Southern Africa 3 ­ Smaller species ( 5mm). Eyes large. Ocelli large and grouped facially (close to the antennae sockets). A3 longer than pedicellus or A4. Genae not modified. Second submarginal cell wide anteriorly. S8 apical margin straight; medially emarginatein some species.............................................................. Subgenus Meliturgula FRIESE – 5 2. Larger species. Face with numerous yellow marks. Gena with a strong tooth directed backward, inserted on the mandibular articulation. Cuticle mainly black with some yellow marks; sculpture reduced. Legs yellow beyondfemoral apex. S8 cradle­like; apex short and angular; face ventrally convex with a small median carina. Gonostyli rather long. Namibian species, also present in Transvaal Meliturgula flavida (FRIESE) ­ Smaller species. Yellow marks restricted to clypeus. Gena without tooth. Cuticle generally dark, often lightly discoloured, then reddish. Legs not so coloured. S8 apex different; ventral face not depressed or carinate. Gonostyli variably extended........... 3 3. Eyes not enlarged. Clypeus flat to lightly depressed medially; medio­proximal part with a small pale yellow mark. Antennae dark. Meso­ and metasoma brownish­black S8 apex rounded. Gonostyli rather long. Namibian species........................................ ...................................................................................... Meliturgula fuliginosa (FRIESE) ­ Eyes enlarged. Clypeus usually convex; entirely or only partly yellow. Antennae variably coloured. S8 apex straight or rounded. Gonostyli variably long......................... 4 4. Clypeus with a subtriangular yellow marking pointing ventrally. Flagellum apex cleared; scape and flagellum base dark. S8 apex rounded. Gonostyli extremely short Namibian species. ............................................................. Meliturgula rozeni EARDLEY Clypeus entirely yellow. Scape and flagellum basis yellow; flagellum apex orangish S8 apex straight to rounded. Gonostyli long (asin M. flavida). Namibian and South African species. ............................................................ Meliturgula eardleyana PATINY 5. Large species (> 8mm). Face ventral half (below antennae sockets) yellow. Mandibles gently (usually) curved. Outer subantennal suture gently curved................................................................................ South­African species Meliturgula braunsi FRIESE ­ Smaller species (<8mm); characters combined differently. Yellow coloration restricted to clypeus and mandibles usually curved or face ventral half yellow and mandibles strongly curved (angle between base and apex reaching 90°). Outer subantennal suture very strongly curved in some species...................................................... 6 6. Face ventral half, scapal anterior face, flagellum apex yellow. Outer subantennal suture strongly curved. Mandibles strongly curved (base forming a nearly 90° angle with apex). Namibian and South­African species.................................................................................................................................. Meliturgula haematospila COCKERELL. ­ Only clypeus yellow; pilosity notably erect. Outer subantennal suture usually curved. Mandibles shorter and usually curved. Widely distributed species; ranging along Eastern Africa, from South­Africa, since Egypt and Saudi­Arabia....................................... ................................................................................. M e liturgula scriptifrons (WALKER)Published as part of Patiny, Sébastien, 2004, Descriptions of the males of two recently described South African Panurginae (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae), with updated keys to the African species of Melitturga and Meliturgula, pp. 1-12 in Zootaxa 669 (1) on pages 7-9, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.669.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/545176