SYNOPSIS OF THE FLAVIPES-GROUP OF THE BEE GENUS CERATINA OF EASTERN ASIA (HYMENOPTERA, ANTHOPHORIDAE)

Abstract

T h e flavipes-group of of which, takasagona Fukien, respectively. Ceratina (Ceratinidia) is revealed to contain 3 species, 2 and maai, a r e d e s c r i b e d a s n e w , f r o m T a i w a n a n d The subgenus Ceratinidia Cockerell and Porter of the genus Ceratina Latreille is an Oriental element which occurs from India to New Guinea (westernmost district only) and from Indonesia to Japan and as far north as Ussuri and the Maritime Province of Siberia (Hirashima, 1971). Species of this subgenus are medium-sized to small, usually robust, shining black bees and they are usually richly decorated with yellow. Ceratinidia is divided into 3 species groups, i.e., the compacta-, bryantiand fZauipes-groups. The latter was proposed by Yasumatsu and Hirashima (1969) to include only a single species C. (Ceratinidia) flauipes Smith known from Japan and northern China. Our recent study on Ceratinidia reveals that this species group is composed of 3 species, 2 of which are described as new species in this paper. The material on which the present paper is based is derived from the Bishop Museum, Honolulu, and Kyushu University, Fukuoka, in addition to Shiokawa’s private collection. l) Contribution from the Entomological Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Ser. 3, No. 121). 2, Partial result of the Grant-in-Aid for Overseas Scientific Survey in 1979 (Grant No. 404142). 178 M. SHIOKAWA AND Y. HIRASHIMA We are very grateful to the late Dr. J. L. Gressitt of Bishop Museum for the loan of interesting specimens from the mainland China (Fukien). One of us (Hirashima) wishes to thank the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan for the grant (No. 404142), by the support of which some of the type material of takasagona, new species, were collected 1979. in Taiwan in Ceratina (Ceratinidia) takasagona, new species This is known from the mountainous regions only of Taiwan. This is a small species, being macrocephalic in the female when 7 mm long. The new species is characterized in having the distinct preoccipital carina in both sexes. This is more richly decorated with yellow than in _ffavipes Smith and maai, new species. Male : Length 4.5-5.5 mm. Sixth metasomal sternum (Fig. 1, A) : a pair of projections or denticles close together, very slender, sharp, subparallel ; medio-apical portion narrowly and deeply incised leaving two large lobes, apical margins of which almost transverse (straight) ; medio-apical depression of sternum well marked with distinct basal margin even in the middle ; space basal to denticles flat, not concave. Genitalia (Fig. 1, B) : small; distal part of gonocoxite bending inwardly at about right angle to basal part; penis valves narrower basally than in m a a i with spatha more projected basally, about 1.3 times as broad as long. Hind femur (Fig. 1, C) : rather thick as seen from above; posterior face broad and flat, anterior face distinctly convex; basal tuft of decumbent golden hairs not well arranged in a compact fringe. Seventh metasomal tergum : apical margin only weakly produced apically in the middle; latero-apical portions coarsely sculptured as in the rest of the same tergum. Black, shining, with yellow markings or portions as follows: mandibles except reddened apices, labrum except a pair of lateral spots, clypeus except upper and latero-upper margins, lateral face mark, large transverse mark on supraclypeal area, apical spot of scape in front, a pair of small and close marks on frons (rarely absent), stripe on genal area (often interrupted below), band on pronotum which extends to tubercle, four longitudinal short lines on mesoscutum (these are variable and sometime absent), large mark on scutellum (notched in the middle basally), spot on tegula, small marks on basal sclerites of fore wing, small mark on mesepisternum behind tubercle, apical transverse bands on 6 basal terga, tibiae and tarsi of all legs, and apices of all femora. Yellow bands on 3rd to 6th terga narrowly interrupted medially in the holotype. SYNOPSIS OF THE CERATINA FLAVIPES-GROUP 179