ABSTRACT
Herein, the cleptoparasitic (cuckoo) bee genus Epeolus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is revised for species occurring in North America, north of Mexico, and an updated checklist of all species known to occur in Canada and the United States of America is provided with comprehensive descriptions, diagnoses, and a single dichotomous key (using the same couplets for both sexes) to aid in their identification. To increase their recognition among North American naturalists, English common names are also proposed for all North American Epeolus. A total of 43 species is confirmed as present in the region, 15 of which are newly recognized. The following new species are proposed based on unique morphological (and in most cases also molecular) attributes: E. andriyisp. n., E. attenboroughisp. n., E. axillarissp. n., E. basilisp. n., E. brumleyisp. n., E. chamaesarachaesp. n., E. deyrupisp. n., E. diadematussp. n., E. ferrariisp. n., E. gibbsisp. n., E. inornatussp. n., E. nebulosussp. n., E. packerisp. n., E. splendidussp. n., and E. tessierissp. n. Of the 15, six (E. axillaris, E. brumleyi, E. chamaesarachae, E. diadematus, E. splendidus, and E. tessieris) were identified as new species under different names (nomina nuda) in an M.Sc. thesis by Richard L. Brumley in 1965, but until now they have not been formally described. Detailed morphological comparisons with some evidence from DNA barcoding support the following synonymies, one of which C was first proposed by Brumley (1965): a) E. melectimimus Cockerell and Sandhouse, syn. n., under E. asperatus Cockerell; b) E. crucis Cockerell, syn. n., under E. compactus Cresson; c) E. mesillae palmarum Linsley, syn. n., under E. mesillae (Cockerell); and d) E. weemsi Mitchell, syn. n., and e) E. vernalis Mitchell, syn. n., under E. ilicis Mitchell. Only one member of the almost entirely Neotropical "Trophocleptria group" (Epeolus bifasciatus Cresson) is confirmed as occurring north of Mexico, and is widespread East of the Rocky Mountains. Known floral associations are indicated for each species, as are suspected or known host species of Colletes Latreille. Evidence is presented that suggests further investigation into the possible synonymy of Colletes wickhami Timberlake under C. scopiventer Swenk is warranted.
ABSTRACT
O estudo foi realizado bimestralmente entre agosto de 2006 e maio de 2007 na Região Sul Fluminense do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. As armadilhas, modelo Carvalho-47, foram adaptadas e posteriormente montadas às 9 horas e retiradas 48 horas depois. Em cada ponto de coleta foram montadas 4 armadilhas, totalizando 20 armadilhas em toda a trilha. Durante o experimento, oito operárias de Lestrimelitta rufipes (Friese) foram capturadas, sendo sete atraídas por salicilato de metila e uma por cineole. Além dessas essências, foram utilizadas mais duas essências, eugenol e vanilina, porém essas duas essências não atraíram nenhum indivíduo. Todas as abelhas foram coletadas ao longo de novembro de 2006. Mesmo com ampla distribuição geográfica, L. rufipes não havia sido registrada na região Sul Fluminense, sendo também o primeiro registro de coletas dessa espécie através de armadilhas com iscas odoríferas. Não foi possível identificar o porquê da atração das operárias de L. rufipes ao salicilato de metila e cineole, uma vez que essas abelhas não visitam flores nem ninhos que poderiam conter tais fragrâncias. O método de coleta através de armadilhas com iscas odoríferas poderá ser empregado com diversos objetivos, entre eles, o de conhecer a riqueza e a distribuição desse gênero em diversas áreas.
This study was done each two months between August 2006 to May 2007 in a South Region in the State of Rio de Janeiro. The traps, a (Carvalho-47) model, were adjusted, then assembled at 9 o'clock and finally removed 48 hours after. In each place of the extraction, 4 traps were assembled, in a total of 20 in all the trail. During the experiment, eight worker bees of Lestrimelitta rufipes, were captured, and seven of them were attracted by methyl salicilate and one by cineole. Beside this essences, two more were used, eugenol and vanillin, but these two ones didn't collect any bees. All the bees were collected during November 2006. Even with such geographical distribution, L. rufipes hasn't been registered in this south region, and this is also the first registered collection of this specie using scent traps. It was not possible to identify the cause of the bee workers L. rufipes attraction by methyl salicilate and cineole, because these bees do not visit flowers, neither nets that could have this fragrance. The method of collection used by scent traps can be used for many purposes and among them the objective of knowing the richness and distribution of these types in different areas.
