Cockerell, T. D. A.

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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU Co Bee Lab 12-21-1918 Bees from British Guiana T. D. A. Cockerell University of Colorodo Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/bee_lab_co  Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Cockerell, T. D. A., "Bees from British Guiana" (1918). Co. Paper 595. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/bee_lab_co/595 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Bee Lab at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Co by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@usu.edu. Bees from British Guiana BY T. D. A. COCKERELL BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY / ,, VOL. XXXVIII, ART. xx, pp. 685-690 New York, December 21, 1918 59.57.99(88) Article XX .- BEES FROM BRITISH GUIANA BY T . D. A. COCKERELL. In connection with th e work of the Tropical Research Station of the New York Zoological Society, conducted by Mr. William Beebe, collections of insects, includin g bees, were made. The present report deals with a series of bees from the Bartica District, and Mr. John Tee Van, in forward ing them, states that "a lmo t all of th ese bees were procmed about a clump of several pecies of nightshades (Solanwn ), which were flowering in thinned-out jungle." I give an artificial key, which will enable one who is not a special-ist in bees to separate readily each species from th e rest . It will, of course, remain necessary to ·compare any species with a fuller account to make ure that it is not some form unrepresented in the present collection. The type of the new species and var iet ies from Briti sh Guiana are deposited in Th e American Museum of Natural Hi tory. Species marked P. are from the Penal Settlement; those marked K. occur at Kalacoon. The body, or some part of it, brilliant green . . . .. . . .. . . . . ..... . .. . .. . . .. .... .. 1. No part of the body brilliant green ...................... ..... .... .. . ... . .. 11. 1. Thorax dark, with more or less purple tints, not bright green ..... . .. . .. . .. 2. Thorax bright or clear green, at least in part ........................... .4 . 2. Small bee, less than 10 mm. long ...... Augochlora callichlorura, new species. Large, robust bees, great ly exceeding 10 =· ..... .......... ............. 3. 3. Abdomen with the first two segments dark; tongue not ei.'tending to end of abdomen . . .. .... . .... . ............... . . . ... . Eufri esia pul,chra (Smith) . Abdomen all bright green, with brassy tints; tongue ell.'tending bach..vard far beyond tip of abdomen ........... ... ..... . Euglossa brullei Lepeletier. 4. Hind margins of abdomina l segments broadly black. Augochlora nigromarginata (Spinola) .- P. Bind margins of abdomina l segments green ..... . .............. .. ....... 5. Hind margins of abdomina l segments red or whitish; very robust bees . . ... 10. 5. Small bee, less than 10 mm. long, the clypcus with a transverse apical ivory-colored band ............................ . . .... .. Ceratina ueta Spinola . Larger, very robust bees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........... ... 6. 6. Tongue extending beyond abdomen posteriorly . .. . .... . . .... .. ..... .... 7. Tongue not ell.'tending beyond abdomen ..... . ...... . ................... 8. 7. Scutellum with a patch of black tomentum . . Euglossa ignita Smith; female. Scutellum without a patch of black tomentum ... . Euglossa ignita Smith; male. G 5 686 Bull etin American Museum of Natural H istory [Vol. XXXVIII 8. Robust bees, about 10 mm. long or a littl e over ; scut ellum with a patch of black tomentum . . .. . . .. . . . .. . .. ... . . . . . Euglossa cordata (Linmeus) .- P . Much larger bees, a littl e over 20 mm. long ....... . . .. . . ... . . ... . .. . ..... 9. 9. Scutellum with an obtuse median keel; posterior angles of scutellum round ed Excerete smaragdina (Guerin ). Scutellum depressed in middle, without any keel ; posterior angles of scutellum rather promin ent ............................. . Excerele dentata (Linn e) . 10. Scutellum with a pat ch of light fulvous tomentum; scape red . Eiiglossa decorata ruficauda, new variety; female - IC. Scutellum with a pat ch of black tomentum; scape dark, with a pale yellow mark . . . . . . . . . . . ...... . Eugl ossa sin gularis Mocsary .- P. Scutellurn without a patch of tome ntum; scape pale yellow in front. Euglossa decorala ruficauda , new variety; male. 11. Very large bees, ant erior wing at least 23 mm . long; int egument partl y or wholly ferruginou s . . . . . . . ........... . 12. Anterior wing less tban 20 mm . long . . . .... . 13. 12. Abdomen with broad black bands. X ylocopa fron lalis nilens (Lepeletier); male 1- P. Abdomen without black bands .... . . . . .. . . Xylocopa fimbriala (Fabricius). 13. Wasp-like bee, with fusiform abdomen, reddish wings and red legs; three complete submarginal cells, first reclll'rent nerv ure meeting second tran sverso-cubital. .................... . ...... ... .. . Rhathym us beebei, new species Othenvise formed, the abdomen · broad at base ... .. .................... 14. 14. Surface of eyes with fine shor t hail-; first abdomina l segment red, the others black; female abdomen sharply pointed . Crelioxys ardescens Cockerell. (Hym . 6 and 138.) Eyes not hairy; female abdomen not sharply point ed . . . . . . . ........ . 15. J 5. Anterior wings with three complete submargin al cells . . . . ........ .. 16. Anterior wings with submarginal cells incomplete or wanting ; stingless social bee . . . . ... . . .. . . .... . . ... ....... . . . .. ... .... . ............ 29. 16. Small bee, about 8 mm. long; wings beyond midd le milky-whit e, the eirtreme apex dus1.")'. . . .. . .... . ...... 'l'elrapedia lacleipennis Vachal.- P. Larger bees; the wings not thus colored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. .. 17. 17. Abdomen clear ferruginous; large robu st bees ...... .. . . .. .. . .. . . Abdomen not ferruginou s; or only part ly so . . . . 18 . . . . . 19. 18. Hind legs with black hair .. . .......... . . . Centris personata mith; male.-P. Hind legs with pale hair ................ Centris persona/a Smith; female.- P . 19. In tegument with at least some bluish, purp lish or gree11ish tints; abdomen not banded; form very robus t .......... . . .. ...... . .. . . . . . .. . . . . .. .. . . 20. In tegument not at all metallic (very slightly in Eulcem.a nigrita, variety) ... . 21. 1 T he femole of X. nilens is bluck, with dnrk wings . It wos not in t he moteri ol sent. T he female of X. jimbriala is also block . 1918] Cockerell, Bees from British Guiana 6 7 20. Larger ; anterior wing at least 17 mm . long; head and thorax with black hair ; four th and fifth abdomin al segments purpl e ...... Eul rema nigri ta Lepeletier . Mu ch smaller ; cheeks densely covered with whi te hair ; clypeus black in female, yellow in male . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . Xy locova barbata (Fabri cius). 21. Th orax and a bdomen hairy ; hair of thorax yellow, with a tra nsverse black band , of abdomen black , with a tra nsverse yellow band. Bombus incarmn Fra nklin . l----Not t hus colored. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 . 22. Clypcu with two longitudin al keel . . . . . . . . . . . .23. Clyp eus with a single, median longitudin al keel, sharp and extendin g its whole length ; black bee, v.r:ith black hair . Eulcema nigrita Lepeletier, var iety; female. L Jypeus without any dist inct keels . . . . .......... 25 . 23. Scutellum with two large yellow marks . El)icharis maculatci barticana, new variety.- IC Scutellum with t he in tegument all dark .. . . . . . . . .............. 24. 24. Second abdomin al segment with a yellow mark on each side. E vicharis ajfinis Smith.- P . Abdomen " r:ith the in tegument all black ...... El)icharis rustica (Olivier).- P. 25. Less than 12 mm . long; win gs not deep fuliginous. . .26. . .......... 27. Over 18 mm . long; wings deep fuliginous ..... .. . . 26. Hair bands of abdom en broad ; male with long antennai and yellow clypeus. Florilegus barticanus, new species. Hair bands of abd omen linear ; in tegu ment of clypeus black. M elito-ma Julvifrons (Smith). 27. Hair of mesothor ax and scutellum dark brown ; apical part of abdomen with int egument red . . . .. . ...... . . Centris Jusci·ventris Mocsary.- P. Hair of mesotbor ax and scut ellum red . ..... . ........... . . . ......... .. 28. 28 . Fa ce v.r:ith yellow marking s; ant erior mug about 14 mm. long. Centris lineolata Lepelet ier. Face without yellow markings ; ant erior wing abou t 20 mm . long .. Centris atriventris Mocsary.- P . 29. Robu st bees, not less th an 9 mm. long . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30. Small, fly-like bees, not nearly 9 mm . long . . . 30. Thorax with ferruginous hair; int egum ent of scute llum yellow. M elipona f asciata barticensis Cockerell, Th orax with dor sal hair not ferrugin ous . . . . . . . ....... . . .. . . . . 32. ined .- P . . . . 3'1. 31. Abdom en mor e or less reddish, at least the first segment dorsally pale red . M elip ona intermixta Cockerell, ined .- P . Abdom en bla ck, with narrow yellowish-whi te tegumenta ry bands ; a tuft of dark red hair before each te gula . . M elipona in terrupta (Latr eille).- K. 32. Legs mainl y red ; clypeus yellow . . .. Trigona longipes Smith .- K. Legs and clypeus black . .. . . . ... . . . .. Trigona sp. ( pecimens imp erfect).- P . 1 A littl e purple ca n be seen a t sides of abdom en, but it is eas ily overlook ed. G Bulletin Am erican llftlSewn of Natural Il islo1·y [Vol. XXXV llI ' NOTES AND DESCRIPTIONS Melipona interrupta (Latre ille).- In the specimen sent , the bands on second and following segments are notched above in middle, with only an obscure linear interruption. Melipona fascia ta barticensis Cockerell.- One specimen has five linear red bands on abdomen, but in another the bands are very indistinct, almost obsolete. Melipona intermixta Cockerell.- The ground color of the first three abdominal tergites var ies; in the lighter forms that of the first is pale ful-vous with the shoulders blackish, of the second and third clear ferruginous. Euglossa singularis Mocsary.- Judging from the brief description, it appears that E. meliponoides Du cke is probably the same species. Euglossa decorata Smith, var. ruficauda , new variety Both sexes with abdomen ferr uginous, apically more or less dusky, but the whole effect lighter and redder than typical; scute llum green with the hind margin red. Tuft on female scut ellum light fulvous. The female, from Kalacoon, (Hym. 212) is the type of the variety . Euglossa ignita Smith, var. chlorosoma , new variety Green, without coppery tints, but variab ly suffused with purpl e. It is smaller than E. piliventris, with shorter mouth-parts, and the labrum pallid with a pair of dusky spots. A male in the U.S. Nat. Museum from Barti ca, which I reported as E. piliventris, belongs here. Female E. pilii'l'ntris has long yellow hairs on the anter ior margin of hind basitars us, but in chlorosoma the hair in this situation is black. The typ~ of the variety is a female labelled Hyrn. 140. A female from Kalacoon has brassy and coppery tints on the apical part of abdomen . and must be referred to E. ignita proper. The type locality of ignila is Jamaica. Ceratina lreta Spinola. This was de. cribed from the female. Th e specimen sent is a male, and differs from the female in being smaller, and having a transverse band on anter ior margin of clypeus, triangular marks on lower corner,; of face, and a large patch (emarg inat e above) on labrum all ivory-white. This is very like C. viridu la Smith, which Durk e considers a synonym of lmta, but the base of the metathorax seems to differ, and the nervures are piceous. For the present, therefore, I reta in C. viridu la as a distinct species. Th e female of C. viridula, collected by Busck in the Panama Cana l Zone, is also distinguishable from that sex of C. lmtri. 1 1918] Cockerell, Bees from Briti sh Guiana 689 Epicharis maculata var. barticana , new variety Q .- Base of mandibles with a large cuneiform yellow mark; a broad black band down each side of labrum; yellow spots on prothorax large; scute llum with a pair of large transversely oval yellow areas , separated by a narrow black band; band on second abdomina l segment with a posterior median projection. Kalacoon, 1916. (Hym. 217.) Rhathymus beebei , new species Q .- Length about 22 mm., anterior wing 18 mm.; head clear ferrug i-nous, with reel hair, lower part of face more pallid, with a creamy tint ; apical half of mandibles black; clypeus prominent , minutely roughened, with a smooth median line; mesothorax black, with a median ridge, the surface on each side of this strong ly punctured, but shini11g between the punctures; rest of thorax ferrnginous, and all of thorax with ferruginous hair; scutellum not bigibbous, but with an elevated tran verse ridge; pleura with a blackish area below the wings; lower part of mesopleura with a shining tubercle; tegulre clear ferruginous, finely punctured; wings strong ly reddened; legs clear ferruginous; abdomen fusiform, shining; first two segments dull reddi sh, pallid posterolaterally, the others reddish black, with the hind margins redder; ap ical plate very large, concave. Bartica District (Hym. 19). Very distinct by the transverse st raight ridge on scute llum; nearest perhaps to the con iderably smaller R. unicolor Smith, but that has dark fuscous wings. Th e antennre are unfortunat ely mi sing. Augochlora callichlorura, new species 9 .- Length a little over 7 mm.; first two abdominal segments rather weakly vibrissate on hind margin with orange hairs; hind spur of bind leg with long spines. Head and thorax very dark purplish, nearly black, but a blue-green spot at upper end of clypeus, supraclypea l area brilliant purple, and base of metathorax strongly tinged with purple; anterior and middle legs dark, with weak purple tints, but hind femora, tibire and basal half of basitarsi all brilliant green on outer side; abdomen short and broad, shining, very brilliant emera ld green. Head broad, eyes strong ly converg-ing below; clypeus with extreme ly large punctures; front dull and granular; ocelli ordinary; cheeks with thin white hair; mesothorax and scute llum shining, but well punctured; base of metathorax with strong short plicre; angles of prothorax not prominent ; tegulre rufotestaceous; wings grayish translucent, stigma and nervure s dusky pale brown; first recunent nervure meeting second transversocubital; abdomen with thin pale hair, hind margins of segments not darkened. Bartica District . 690 Bull etin American Afus ewn of Natural Histury [Vol. XX,"'{VIII Uniqu e by the comb inat ion of purpl ish head and thora x and green abdo-men, the general effect reca lling A. atropos Smith. Florilegus barticanus , new specie· . ci".-Le ngth abo ut 11 mm.; black, except a follows: fii· ·t abdomina l segment stro ngly greenish; clypeus and labrum entir ely yellow; mandib les fulvous apically (but base black); antenme, except the first two joints, ferru ginous beneath; hind tarsi, and apex of hind t ibi::e, dusky red; ha ir of head and thora x ferruginou s, pa ler below, no admi xture of dark ha irs; eyes redd i h ; mesothorax shin ing, but distinctly pun ct ured; tegu l::e clear ferruginou ; wings du ky hya line, nervur es reddish fuscous; legs with pal e hair, conspicuously plumose on bind tibi::e; abdome n with four broad dense ochraceous hair-band s, that on fourth segment broad ly excavate d in midd le posteriorly, on fifth broad ly int errupt ed; SL\:th egment with a sma ll pat ch of ful vous hair on each side; apical par t of ab domen dor ally, except for the bands and pat ches, with Yery dark fuscous hair. Bartica Di strict (Hym. 11). Related to F. lanil'l'i Guer. from Cuba and F. condignci Cresson from the Unit ed States. In th e coloration of the legs it is int erm ediate between these two. Tetr apedia lacteipennis Vachal. - It should be added to Vachal's descr iption, that the dor al abdominal segment s 2 to 4 have yellow bands. Th e Bart ica collect ion cont ains a Megalopta from Hoori e, but it is unfortunat ely broken. I ha ve M egalopta panmnensi s Cockere ll from Maroni, Fr ench Guiana (Queensland Museum, 42). I add the description of a new species from French Guiana, the type of which is in my collect ion. Augochlora maroniana , new specie c;> .- Length slightly over 8 mm.; head, t hor ax and legs bright green; abdom en yeUowish green st rongly suffused with coppery, the first two segment s with apical fringes of orange hair ; face rat her·narrow; ante nnre black; lower middle of clypeus black; rnesothorax and scut ellurn ro ugh with dense punctatures, t he scutellum with two copper-reel spots; area of metatho rax with very feeble plicre; tegulro black with pallid margin, the basa l side broadly green; wings dusky; second s. m . square; fir tr. n. meeting second t . c.; stigma dusky reclclisb; legs with mainly pale hair, hind t ibi::e with dark hair on outer side basaJJy; hind spur with about, six long spines; basal half of basitarsi green on outer side; abdome n shinin g, with pale ochreus hair . Maroni , French Guiana (Queensland Mus ., 43). Related to A. cupreola (CklJ.), but with t he vib rissatc fringes on abdomen nearly twice a long, and deep orange-fulvous, and the mesothorax much more densely pun ctu red. Also relate d to A. diversipennis (Lep.), but with the face much narrower , and t he area of metat hor ax much less distinctly plicate . From A. calypso Sm. i is known by the wings no t being yellowish, the inner orbits not edged with blue, and he ta rsi no t ferruginou s. PUBLICATIONS or 'rHE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY MEMOms Volume I. Zoology and Palreontology. Volumes II-VIII. Anthropology. Volume IX. Zoology and Palreontology. Volumes X-XIV. Anthropology. Volumes II, IV, V, VII, VIII, X-XIV, and an Ethnographical Album form Volumes I-VII of the Memoirs of the Jesup North Pacific Expedition. MEMoms - NEW SERIES Volumes I and II . Zoology and Palreontology. BULLETIN Volumes I-XXIV, XXV, parts 1 and 2, and XXVI-XXXIX. ANTHROPOLOGICAL p APERS Volumes I-IX, X, parts 1-6; XI, XII, parts 1-5; XIII; XIV, parts 1 and 2; XV, part 1; XVI, parts 1-3 ; XVII, parts 1-4; XVIII, parts 1 and 2; and XIX, part 1. MONOGRAPHS A Review of the Primates. By D. G. Elliot. 3 volumes. Hitherto Unpublished Plates of Tertiary Mammals and Permian Vertebrates. By E. D. Cope and W. D. Matthew. THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL Volumes I-XVIII. The Journal is a popular record of the progress of The American Museum of Natural History, issued monthly from October to May. HANDBOOKS. Numbers 1-6 . GumE LEAFLETS. Numbers 1-48. ANNUAL REPORTS. First (1869) to Forty-ninth (1917). A more detailed list, with prices, of these publications may be had upon applica-tion to the Librarian of the Museum. 

Bees from British Guiana

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Bees from British Guiana

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