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                      _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 the work of the Tropical Research Station of the New
York Zoological Society, conducted by Mr. William Beebe, collections of
insects, including bees, were made. The present report deals with a
series of bees from the Bartica District, and Mr. John Tee Van, in
forwarding them, states that "almost all of these bees were procured
about a clump of several species of nightshades (_Solanum_), which were
flowering in thinned-out jungle." I give an artificial key, which will
enable one who is not a specialist in bees to separate readily each
species from the rest. It will, of course, remain necessary to compare
any species with a fuller account to make sure that it is not some form
unrepresented in the present collection. The types of the new species
and varieties from British Guiana are deposited in The American Museum
of Natural History. 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, greatly exceeding 10 mm.                    3.

   3. Abdomen with the first two segments dark; tongue not extending
        to end of abdomen                   _Eufriesia pulchra_ (Smith).
      Abdomen all bright green, with brassy tints; tongue extending
        backward far beyond tip of abdomen
                                          _Euglossa brullei_ Lepeletier.

   4. Hind margins of abdominal segments broadly black.
                              _Augochlora nigromarginata_ (Spinola).--P.
      Hind margins of abdominal segments green                        5.
      Hind margins of abdominal segments red or whitish; very
        robust bees                                                  10.

   5. Small bee, less than 10 mm. long, the clypeus with a
        transverse apical ivory-colored band    _Ceratina laeta_ Spinola.
      Larger, very robust bees                                        6.

   6. Tongue extending beyond abdomen posteriorly                     7.
      Tongue not extending 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.

   8. Robust bees, about 10 mm. long or a little over; scutellum
        with, a patch of black tomentum
                                       _Euglossa cordata_ (Linnaeus).--P.
      Much larger bees, a little over 20 mm. long                     9.

   9. Scutellum with an obtuse median keel; posterior angles of
        scutellum rounded                 _Exaerele smaragdina_ (Guerin).

      Scutellum depressed in middle, without any keel; posterior
        angles of scutellum rather prominent  _Exaerele dentata_ (Linne).

  10. Scutellum with a patch of light fulvous tomentum; scape red.
                  _Euglossa decorata ruficauda_, new variety; female--K.

      Scutellum with a patch of black tomentum; scape dark, with
        a pale yellow mark            _Euglossa singularis_ Mocsary.--P.

      Scutellum without a patch of tomentum; scape pale yellow
        in front.      _Euglossa decorata ruficauda_, new variety; male.

  11. Very large bees, anterior wing at least 23 mm. long; integument
        partly or wholly ferruginous                                 12.
      Anterior wing less than 20 mm. long                            13.

  12. Abdomen with broad black bands.
                   _Xylocopa frontalis nitens_ (Lepeletier); male[A]--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 recurrent
        nervure meeting second transversocubital
                                         _Rhathymus beebei_, new species
      Otherwise formed, the abdomen broad at base                    14.

  14. Surface of eyes with fine short hair; first abdominal segment
        red, the others black; female abdomen sharply pointed.
                       _Caelioxys ardescens_ Cockerell. (Hym. 6 and 138.)
      Eyes not hairy; female abdomen not sharply pointed             15.

  15. Anterior wings with three complete submarginal cells           16.
      Anterior wings with submarginal cells incomplete or wanting;
        stingless social bees                                        29.

  16. Small bee, about 8 mm. long; wings beyond middle milky-white,
        the extreme apex dusky     _Tetrapedia lacteipennis_ Vachal.--P.
      Larger bees; the wings not thus colored                        17.

  17. Abdomen clear ferruginous; large robust bees                   18.
      Abdomen not ferruginous; or only partly so                     19.

  18. Hind legs with black hair     _Centris personata_ Smith; male.--P.
      Hind legs with pale hair    _Centris personata_ Smith; female.--P.

  19. Integument with at least some bluish, purplish or greenish
        tints; abdomen not banded; form very robust                  20.
      Integument not at all metallic (very slightly in _Eulaema
        nigrita_, variety)                                           21.

  20. Larger; anterior wing at least 17 mm. long; head and thorax
        with black hair; fourth and fifth abdominal segments purple
                                            _Eulaema nigrita_ Lepeletier.
      Much smaller; cheeks densely covered with white hair; clypeus
        black in female, yellow in male  _Xylocopa barbata_ (Fabricius).

  21. Thorax and abdomen hairy; hair of thorax yellow, with
        a transverse black band, of abdomen black, with a
        transverse yellow band.               _Bombus incarum_ Franklin.
      Not thus colored                                               22.

  22. Clypeus with two longitudinal keels                            23.
      Clypeus with a single, median longitudinal keel, sharp and
        extending its whole length; black bee, with black hair.
                        _Eulaema nigrita_ Lepeletier, variety; female.[B]
      Clypeus without any distinct keels                             25.

  23. Scutellum with two large yellow marks.
                        _Epicharis maculata barticana_, new variety.--K.
      Scutellum with the integument all dark                         24.

  24. Second abdominal segment with a yellow mark on each side.
                                          _Epicharis affinis_ Smith.--P.
      Abdomen with the integument all black
                                      _Epicharis rustica_ (Olivier).--P.

  25. Less than 12 mm. long; wings not deep fuliginous               26.
      Over 18 mm. long; wings deep fuliginous                        27.

  26. Hair bands of abdomen broad; male with long antennae and
        yellow clypeus.            _Florilegus barticanus_, new species.
      Hair bands of abdomen linear; integument of clypeus black.
                                          _Melitoma fulvifrons_ (Smith).

  27. Hair of mesothorax and scutellum dark brown; apical part of
        abdomen with integument red  _Centris fusciventris_ Mocsary.--P.
      Hair of mesothorax and scutellum red                           28.

  28. Face with yellow markings; anterior wing about 14 mm. long.
                                         _Centris lineolata_ Lepeletier.
      Face without yellow markings; anterior wing about 20 mm. long.
                                      _Centris atriventris_ Mocsary.--P.

  29. Robust bees, not less than 9 mm. long                          30.
      Small, fly-like bees, not nearly 9 mm. long                    32.

  30. Thorax with ferruginous hair; integument of scutellum yellow.
                    _Melipona fasciata barticensis_ Cockerell, ined.--P.
      Thorax with dorsal hair not ferruginous                        31.

  31. Abdomen more or less reddish, at least the first segment
        dorsally pale red.    _Melipona intermixta_ Cockerell, ined.--P.
      Abdomen black, with narrow yellowish-white tegumentary
        bands; a tuft of dark red hair before each tegula.
                                  _Melipona interrupta_ (Latreille).--K.

  32. Legs mainly red; clypeus yellow      _Trigona longipes_ Smith.--K.
      Legs and clypeus black    _Trigona_ sp. (specimens imperfect).--P.


    [A] The female of _X. nitens_ is black, with dark wings. It was
        not in the material sent. The female of _X. fimbriala_ is
        also black.

    [B] A little purple can be seen at sides of abdomen, but it is
        easily overlooked.


NOTES AND DESCRIPTIONS

#Melipona interrupta# (Latreille).--In the specimen sent, the bands on
second and following segments are notched above in middle, with only an
obscure linear interruption.

#Melipona fasciata 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 varies; in the lighter forms that of the first is
pale fulvous with the shoulders blackish, of the second and third clear
ferruginous.

#Euglossa singularis# Mocsary.--Judging from the brief description, it
appears that #E. meliponoides# Ducke is probably the same species.


#Euglossa decorata# Smith, var. #ruficauda#, new variety

Both sexes with abdomen ferruginous, apically more or less dusky, but
the whole effect lighter and redder than typical; scutellum green with
the hind margin red. Tuft on female scutellum 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 variably suffused with purple. 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
Bartica, which I reported as _E. piliventris_, belongs here. Female _E.
piliventris_ has long yellow hairs on the anterior margin of hind
basitarsus, but in _chlorosoma_ the hair in this situation is black. The
type of the variety is a female labelled Hym. 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 _ignita_ is
Jamaica.

#Ceratina laeta# Spinola. This was described from the female. The
specimen sent is a male, and differs from the female in being smaller,
and having a transverse band on anterior margin of clypeus, triangular
marks on lower corners of face, and a large patch (emarginate above) on
labrum all ivory-white. This is very like _C. viridula_ Smith, which
Ducke considers a synonym of _laeta_, but the base of the metathorax
seems to differ, and the nervures are piceous. For the present,
therefore, I retain _C. viridula_ as a distinct species. The female of
_C. viridula_, collected by Busck in the Panama Canal Zone, is also
distinguishable from that sex of _C. laeta_.


#Epicharis maculata# var. #barticana#, new variety

[Female].--Base of mandibles with a large cuneiform yellow mark; a broad
black band down each side of labrum; yellow spots on prothorax large;
scutellum with a pair of large transversely oval yellow areas, separated
by a narrow black band; band on second abdominal segment with a
posterior median projection. Kalacoon, 1916. (Hym. 217.)


#Rhathymus beebei#, new species

[Female].--Length about 22 mm., anterior wing 18 mm.; head clear
ferruginous, with red 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 strongly punctured, but shining
between the punctures; rest of thorax ferruginous, and all of thorax
with ferruginous hair; scutellum not bigibbous, but with an elevated
transverse ridge; pleura with a blackish area below the wings; lower
part of mesopleura with a shining tubercle; tegulae clear ferruginous,
finely punctured; wings strongly reddened; legs clear ferruginous;
abdomen fusiform, shining; first two segments dull reddish, pallid
posterolaterally, the others reddish black, with the hind margins
redder; apical plate very large, concave. Bartica District (Hym. 19).
Very distinct by the transverse straight ridge on scutellum; nearest
perhaps to the considerably smaller _R. unicolor_ Smith, but that has
dark fuscous wings. The antennae are unfortunately missing.


#Augochlora callichlorura#, new species

[Female].--Length a little over 7 mm.; first two abdominal segments
rather weakly vibrissate on hind margin with orange hairs; hind spur of
hind leg with long spines. Head and thorax very dark purplish, nearly
black, but a blue-green spot at upper end of clypeus, supraclypeal area
brilliant purple, and base of metathorax strongly tinged with purple;
anterior and middle legs dark, with weak purple tints, but hind femora,
tibiae and basal half of basitarsi all brilliant green on outer side;
abdomen short and broad, shining, very brilliant emerald green. Head
broad, eyes strongly converging below; clypeus with extremely large
punctures; front dull and granular; ocelli ordinary; cheeks with thin
white hair; mesothorax and scutellum shining, but well punctured; base
of metathorax with strong short plicae; angles of prothorax not
prominent; tegulae rufotestaceous; wings grayish translucent, stigma and
nervures dusky pale brown; first recurrent nervure meeting second
transversocubital; abdomen with thin pale hair, hind margins of segments
not darkened. Bartica District.

Unique by the combination of purplish head and thorax and green abdomen,
the general effect recalling _A. atropos_ Smith.


#Florilegus barticanus#, new species.

[Male].--Length about 11 mm.; black, except as follows: first abdominal
segment strongly greenish; clypeus and labrum entirely yellow; mandibles
fulvous apically (but base black); antennae, except the first two joints,
ferruginous beneath; hind tarsi, and apex of hind tibiae, dusky red; hair
of head and thorax ferruginous, paler below, no admixture of dark hairs;
eyes reddish; mesothorax shining, but distinctly punctured; tegulae clear
ferruginous; wings dusky hyaline, nervures reddish fuscous; legs with
pale hair, conspicuously plumose on hind tibiae; abdomen with four broad
dense ochraceous hair-bands, that on fourth segment broadly excavated in
middle posteriorly, on fifth broadly interrupted; sixth segment with a
small patch of fulvous hair on each side; apical part of abdomen
dorsally, except for the bands and patches, with very dark fuscous hair.
Bartica District (Hym. 11).

Related to _F. lanieri_ Guer. from Cuba and _F. condigna_ Cresson from
the United States. In the coloration of the legs it is intermediate
between these two.

#Tetrapedia lacteipennis# Vachal.--It should be added to Vachal's
description, that the dorsal abdominal segments 2 to 4 have yellow
bands.

The Bartica collection contains a _Megalopta_ from Hoorie, but it is
unfortunately broken. I have _Megalopta panamensis_ Cockerell from
Maroni, French Guiana (Queensland Museum, 42).

I add the description of a new species from French Guiana, the type of
which is in my collection.


#Augochlora maroniana#, new species

[Female].--Length slightly over 8 mm.; head, thorax and legs bright
green; abdomen yellowish green strongly suffused with coppery, the first
two segments with apical fringes of orange hair; face rather narrow;
antennae black; lower middle of clypeus black; mesothorax and scutellum
rough with dense punctatures, the scutellum with two copper-red spots;
area of metathorax with very feeble plicae; tegulae black with pallid
margin, the basal side broadly green; wings dusky; second s. m. square;
first r. n. meeting second t. c; stigma dusky reddish; legs with mainly
pale hair, hind tibiae with dark hair on outer side basally; hind spur
with about six long spines; basal half of basitarsi green on outer side;
abdomen shining, with pale ochreus hair.

Maroni, French Guiana (Queensland Mus., 43). Related to _A. cupreola_
(Ckll.), but with the vibrissate fringes on abdomen nearly twice as
long, and deep orange-fulvous, and the mesothorax much more densely
punctured. Also related to _A. diversipennis_ (Lep.), but with the face
much narrower, and the area of metathorax much less distinctly plicate.
From _A. calypso_ Sm. it is known by the wings not being yellowish, the
inner orbits not edged with blue, and the tarsi not ferruginous.




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End of Project Gutenberg's Bees from British Guiana, by T. D. A. Cockerell

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