Pollination Ecology, Breeding System, and Conservation of Butia lallemantii Deble & Marchiori (Arecaceae): A Useful Dwarf Palm Tree from the Pampa.

The Dwarf Palm, Butia lallemantii Deble & Marchiori, is an endangered species endemic to the Pampa biome and typically grows in sandy and rocky soils. Given its economic, ecological, and cultural relevance, it is crucial to understand the ecology and biology of this species to encourage its preservation and highlight its significance for the Pampa. This study aims to investigate whether this palm relies on animal vectors for pollination, analyze its breeding system, and propose strategies for its conservation and sustainable use. We conducted field observations on pollination ecology, identified floral visitors, and designed six breeding system experiments to test cross-compatibility, self-compatibility, and apomixis. Additionally, we conducted a literature review to propose conservation strategies. Butia lallemantii is pollinator-dependent and self-compatible. The flowers are mostly melittophilous and offer pollen and nectar for floral visitors. The main pollinators are native Meliponinae and Halictinae bees and the introduced Apis mellifera. This study represents the first comprehensive and complete examination of the breeding system and pollination process on Butia palms. This palm can provide materials for industries, but urgent actions are needed to preserve the remaining populations through effective policies and strategies. Furthermore, this palm should be integrated into diversified agroecosystems to evaluate its adaptability to cultivation.

Habralictus and Lasioglossum of Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Lesser Antilles (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Halictidae).

The new species and the first halictid bees documented from Saint Lucia Habralictusreinae, Lasioglossum (Dialictus) luciae, and L. (Habralictellus) delphiae are described. A fourth species, L. (D.) dominicense, is tentatively recorded from the island. The species are illustrated and compared to similar ones from the Lesser Antilles. Lasioglossum and Habralictus from neighbouring Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are reviewed and a key to Lasioglossum provided, including the description of another new species, L. (Dialictus) gemmeum. Trigonanigrocyanea Ashmead and Dufoureasubcyanea Ashmead are synonymised under Lasioglossumcyaneum (Ashmead). Notes on the obscure Lasioglossum (Dialictus) minutum (Fabricius) are provided. A new name, Lasioglossum (Homalictus) minuens, is provided for a secondary homonym Homalictusminutus Pauly. The potential for additional species richness in Saint Lucia and the Lesser Antilles is briefly discussed.

The sweat bees from Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) / Halictídeos do arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

Abstract: The sweat bees from Fernando de Noronha Archipelago are presented and illustrated herein. The species recorded are Augochlora (Augochlora) laevipyga (Kirby, 1890), Augochlora (Augochlora) sp., new record, and Lasioglossum (Dialictus) atripyga (Kirby, 1890). The Kirby species are redescribed based on recently collected specimens, including the first illustration of the male terminalia. The unidentified species is also shortly characterized.

Resumo: Os halictídeos do Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha são aqui apresentados e ilustrados. As espécies registradas são Augochlora (Augochlora) laevipyga (Kirby, 1890), Augochlora (Augochlora) sp., novo registro, e Lasioglossum (Dialictus) atripyga (Kirby, 1890). As espécies descritas por Kirby são redescritas com base em espécimes recentemente coletados, incluindo a primeira ilustração das terminálias dos machos. A espécie não identificada também é resumidamente caracterizada.

Vitellogenin expression corresponds with reproductive status and caste in a primitively eusocial bee.

Vitellogenin (vg) expression is consistently associated with variation in insect phenotypes, particularly egg-laying. Primitively eusocial species, such as eusocial sweat bees, have behaviourally totipotent castes, in which each female is capable of high levels of ovarian development. Few studies have investigated vg expression patterns in primitively eusocial insects, and only one study has focused on a primitively eusocial bee. Here we use a primitively eusocial sweat bee, Lasioglossum laevissimum, and Real Time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to investigate the relationship between vg expression, castes, and variation in phenotypes associated with castes differences. These assays showed that females with high ovarian development had the highest levels of vg expression, and that vg expression levels reflected the reproductive status of females first and caste second. This is in contrast to vg expression patterns observed in advanced eusocial queens and workers, which differ in vg expression based on caste and have caste-specific vg expression patterns. Furthermore, future queens (gynes) do not have ovarian development and had similar vg expression levels to early spring foundresses, which do have ovarian development, supporting Vg's function as a transporter of lipids and amino acids before diapause.

Diversity of Bee Assemblage (Family Apidae) in Natural and Agriculturally Intensified Ecosystems in Uruguay.

Bees (Family Apidae) hold a key role as pollinators in a wide range of angiosperm communities. South America suffered strong modifications during the last decade due to increasing anthropic activities and the expansion of agricultural areas, particularly the boom of soybean. The goal of this research was to know the current diversity of bees in South and Low Littoral regions in Uruguay. Specimens were collected in the seasons 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 on natural meadows, cultivated grasslands, soybean fields, among others flowering communities. Collected specimens were classified following taxonomic keys. Forty-five bee species or taxa were distinguished belonging to the subfamilies Megachilinae (11), Apinae (22), Halictinae (7), Colletinae (2), and Andreninae (3). Most taxa were classified up to genus and 14 to species level. Bee diversity was higher for the South region, with traditional agriculture and rangelands, than that of the Low Littoral region where an increasing agricultural land use took place during the last decade, particularly soybean. In addition, this research aimed to study the presence of native bees and the introduced Apis mellifera (Apinae) in a soybean field at four transects located at 0, 50, 100, and 200 m from the crop border in both seasons. Native bee species were only present at 0 and 50 m, pointing to the relevance of natural edge plant communities for their preservation. This is the first survey on native bee diversity in Uruguay to be regarded as a baseline and the setup of conservation strategies.

A new group of species within the bee genus Ruizantheda, with a revised key to the males of the genus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Caenohalictini).

Males of the neotropical bee genus Ruizantheda Moure sensu lato (Halictinae: Caenohalictini) differ from those of other caenohalictine genera in having the outer gonostylar plate with a large membranous region that extends to the ventral region, and the ventral gonostylar lobe retrorse. These features permit the placement of six additional species described here, four of which are new, in the genus in this broader sense. The males of these six species share the following characteristics: profemur swollen; mesofemur exceedingly swollen; mesotibia slightly swollen with flat, minutely ridged ventral area and small apical tooth; S4 shortened medially, commonly largely hidden under S3, with transverse median depression and apical margin emarginate; apicolateral lobes of S4 with tuft of branched setae and stout, simple, recurved setae on margin; S5 with U-shaped gradulus and setal patch, sometimes inconspicuous; outer lateral expansion of penis valve bilobed, and median posterior margin of volsella strongly angulate. Together, these species constitute a new group within Ruizantheda and share with the previously known Ruizantheda inca Coelho, Felizardo, Engel, R. aerugineus Coelho, Felizardo, Engel, and R. kallos Coelho, Felizardo, Engel, a short outer gonostylar plate, terminating before the apex of the main gonostylar lobe as well as the presence of long setae on its dorsal surface. In other species of Ruizantheda the outer gonostylar plate extends beyond the apex of the main gonostylar lobe and lacks setae. The species comprising this distinctive subgroup of Ruizantheda, and treated herein, are: R. nigra n. sp., R. colombiana n. sp., R. venezuelana n. sp., R. baeri (Vachal) n. comb., R. pilosa n. sp., and R. gaullei (Vachal) n. comb. Two of the new species expand the distribution of the genus northward into Colombia and Venezuela. In addition to the description and illustration of the species, an updated key to the species of Ruizantheda s. l. is provided.

Social polymorphism in the sweat bee Lasioglossum (Evylaeus) calceatum.

Temperate-zone socially polymorphic sweat bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) are ideal model systems for elucidating the origins of eusociality, a major evolutionary transition. Bees express either social or solitary behaviour in different parts of their range, and social phenotype typically correlates with season length. Despite their obvious utility, however, socially polymorphic sweat bees have received relatively little attention with respect to understanding the origins of eusociality. Lasioglossum (Evylaeus) calceatum is a widespread sweat bee that is thought to be socially polymorphic, with important potential as an experimental model species. We first determined the social phenotype of L. calceatum at three sites located at different latitudes within the UK. We then investigated sociality in detail across two years at the southernmost site. We found that L. calceatum exhibits latitudinal social polymorphism within the UK; bees were solitary at our two northern sites but the majority of nests were social at our southern site. Sociality in the south was characterised by a relatively small mean of two and 3.5 workers per nest in each year, respectively, and a small to medium mean caste-size dimorphism of 6.6 %. Foundresses were smaller in our more northern and high altitude populations. Sociality is clearly less specialised than in some closely related obligately social species but probably more specialied than other polymorphic sweat bees. Our research provides a starting point for future experimental work to investigate mechanisms underlying social polymorphism in L. calceatum.

A new Chlerogelloides from northeastern Brazil and French Guiana, with a key to the species (Hymenoptera, Halictidae).

A third species of the rare augochlorine bee genus Chlerogelloides Engel et al. (Halictinae, Augochlorini) is described and figured. Chlerogelloides nexosasp. n. is most similar to the type species, Chlerogelloides femoralis Engel et al., in that both have modified midlegs in the males. The former, however, can be distinguished on the basis of its terminalia, which in some respects more closely resembles those of Chlerogelloides simplex Engel and Brooks. Brief comments on the secondary features of males and relationships of the genus are provided. A key to the species of the genus is provided and floral records of Cordia nodosa Lam. (Boraginaceae) and Gonzalagunia dicocca Cham. & Schltdl. (Rubiaceae) are noted.

A new species of Habralictus Moure from Dominica, Lesser Antilles (Hymenoptera, Halictidae).

A new species of Habralictus Moure (Apoidea, Halictidae) is described from the island of Dominica, Habralictus gonzalezisp. n. The species is distinguished from other West Indian Habralictus and a key is provided to the West Indian Habralictus. Brief comments on the genus Habralictus and bee species of Dominica are provided.

Callosphecodes, a little-known bee (Hymenoptera, Halictidae, Sphecodes).

Callosphecodes Friese, 1909, a synonym or perhaps subgenus of Sphecodes Latreille, 1804, is known on the basis of one female of Sphecodes ralunensis (Friese, 1909)from New Britain and one female and one male of a similar species, Sphecodes manskii (Rayment, 1935) from northeastern Australia. The male is here described for the first time and the females of the two species are compared for the first time. In spite of considerable collecting, only these three specimens have appeared in over a century. Descriptions and illustrations are provided.

A new species of Microsphecodes from Jamaica (Hymenoptera, Halictidae).

A new species of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Microsphecodes Eickwort and Stage (Halictinae: Halictini) is described and figured from a male and female collected in Jamaica. Microsphecodes xaymacensis Engel, sp. n., is distinguished from its congeners on the basis of integumental coloration and sculpturing, and form of the male pygidial plate and genitalia.

A new species of dialictus from sombrero island, anguilla (hymenoptera, halictidae).

A new species of Lasioglossum Curtis subgenus Dialictus Robertson (Halictinae, Halictini) is described and figured from a series of female and males collected on Sombrero Island, Anguilla; the northernmost island of the Lesser Antilles. Lasioglossum (Dialictus) sombrerensesp. n. is distinguished from its congeners and the name made available for a forthcoming work on the arthropod diversity of Sombrero Island.