Notes on South American stingless bees of the genus Scaptotrigona (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Part III: A revised infrageneric classification and new species

Abstract

This is the third part of a series on various taxonomic matters regarding the Neotropical stingless bee genus Scaptotrigona Moure (Apinae: Meliponini). Here, an infrageneric classification is established, with Sakagamilla Moure resurrected for the tubiba group, while Scaptotrigona Moure, s.str., encompasses the postica group. A key to subgenera is presented and five new subgenera are established: Eoscaptotrigona Engel, new subgenus; Dasytrigona Engel, new subgenus; Gymnotrigona Engel, new subgenus; Baryorygma Engel, new subgenus; and Astegotrigona Engel, new subgenus. The former bipunctata species group is considered to embody two unrelated groups and species of the luteipennis group also belong among these. Six new species are described, two of which would have formerly been included in the bipunctata group, and the remainder belong to the depilis group: Scaptotrigona (Eoscaptotrigona) totobi Engel, new species, from Venezuela and Colombia; S. (Gymnotrigona) psile Engel, new species, from Venezuela; S. (Gymnotrigona) aurantipes Engel, new species, from Venezuela; S. (Gymnotrigona) nuda Engel, new species, from Bolivia; S. (Gymnotrigona) stipula Engel, new species, from Brazil; S. (Baryorygma) fimbriata Engel, new species, from Bolivia.