Xylocopa Latreille Research Articles

Larval diet of the carpenter bee Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) cearensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini) from the Delta do Parnaíba environmental protection area, Brazil

The genus Xylocopa Latreille, 1802 (Apidae: Xylocopini) Latreille includes efficient pollinating bees that visit a wide range of botanical species. Although several studies have investigated their interactions with plants in dune ecosystems, there is still a limited understanding of these bee communities in coastal environments. This study aimed to characterize the larval diet of Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) cearensis Ducke, 1910 by analyzing pollen from their nests to assess the presence of specialization or generalization in relation to botanical species. The research was carried out in coastal sandbanks of the Delta do Parnaíba Environmental Protection Area, Tutóia, Maranhão-BR, over a 12-month period. The natural nests were inventoried by active searches and, when possible, transported to the Federal University of Maranhão. Pollen samples were collected from 19 brood cells of 12 nests in total. All the nests were found on branches of Anacardium occidentale L. Using the acetolysis method, 21 types of pollen were recognized, representing 14 botanical families. Three of those types of pollen were considered to be Frequent pollen, Mouriri cearensis Huber (35.44%), Chamaecrista ramosa (Vogel) H. S. Irwin & Barneby (32.80%) and Myrcia multiflora (Lam.) DC (27.05%). Based on these results, X. cearensis can be characterized as a polylectic species that demonstrates adaptability. These floral resources serve as essential protein sources for the nutrition of their brood, highlighting the importance of these plant species in supporting their reproductive success. This study provides useful information that can serve as a reference for future research on other Xylocopa species in similar ecosystems.

Carpenter bees (Apidae: Xylocopini: Xylocopa) from Maranho, Northeast Brazil.

We present a list of Xylocopa Latreille species that occur in Maranho State, a region where several physiognomic formations characteristic of the Amazon, Cerrado, and Caatinga biomes overlap. The information was compiled through numerous surveys conducted in this territory, in addition to direct consultation in scientific collections, which have many unpublished records. Twelve species belonging to three subgenera were documented: Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) amazonica Enderlein, 1913, X. (N.) aurulenta (Fabricius, 1804), X. (N.) cearensis Ducke, 1910, X. (N.) frontalis (Olivier, 1789), X. (N.) grisescens Lepeletier, 1841, X. (N.) hirsutissima Maidl, 1912, X. (N.) nigrocincta Smith, 1854, X. (N.) transitoria Prez, 1901, X. (Schonnherria) macrops Lepeletier, 1841, X. (S.) muscaria (Fabricius, 1775), X. (S.) subcyanea Prez, 1901 and X. (Stenoxylocopa) sp. Of these, two species are reported as first records for Maranho (X. hirsutissima and X. subcyanea), one for Brazil (X. transitoria), and one for science (X. (Stenoxylocopa) sp.not yet published).

Descriptions of a new species and of three unknown males of Xylocopa Latreille, 1802 from the Neotropical region (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini).

A new species of the previously monotypic subgenus Xylocopa (Xylocopina), X. asedothae Zama & Silveira sp. nov., and males of three species previously known only from females, X. (Diaxylocopa) truxali Hurd & Moure, 1963, X. (Dasyxylocopa) fortuita Melo, 2017 and X. (Schonnherria) ornata Smith, 1874, are described and illustrated for the first time. Diagnoses, comments on morphological variation, photographs and updated geographical distributions for all them are also provided. An identification key for both sexes of the species of X. (Dasyxylocopa) is updated and photographs of the genital capsules for males specimens used here are also provided.

Diversity of Insect Fauna Actively Engaged in the Pollination of the Leguminosae Crop Vigna unguiculata (L.) in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

This study was conducted to find out the insect pollinators actively engaged in the pollination of Vigna unguiculata (L.), in and around Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. About 20 species of Insect pollinators, belonging form 2 orders (Hymenoptera, Diptera), 7 families (Apidae, Dolichopodidae, Megachilidae, Muscidae, Halictidae, Syrphidae, Vespidae) and 10 Tribes (Anthophorini, Apini, Chrysosomatini, Eristalini, Megachilini, Meliponini, Muscini, Nomiinae, Vespini, Xylocopini) were recorded on this crop. These have been classified as belonging to 7 families and 11 genera. The number of species in these genera are Amegilla friese (02), Apis linnaeus (03), Ceratina latreille (01), Chrysosoma guérin-méneville (01), Eristalis linnaeus (01 species), Megachile latreille (02), Musca linnaeus (01), Nomia latreille (01), Tetragonula moure (01), Vespa linnaeus (01), Xylocopa latreille (06). The values of various diversity indices like the Simpson index, Shannon index, and Simpson index of diversity (1-D) are calculated as 0.16552, 3.0861, and 0.83448, respectively, indicating a significant abundance in the research area. Margalef's index was calculated to determine the species richness, and it was found to be 2.9595. The collision-entropy is 20, 8.53, 5.99 (r= 0,1,2) and Effective Number of Species is 2.29, 2.21, 1.17 (r= 0,1,2).

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In this study, the genus Xylocopa Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was revised. There were 4 species registered in our investigations: X. hottentotta Smith, 1854; X. olivieri Lepeletier, 1841; X. pubescens Spinola, 1838 and X. valga Gerstäcker, 1872, the first species was described as being found for the first time for the insect fauna of Iraq, which were obtained from Solanum melogena L. flowers. Key to the species was constructed and supported by figures of the main diagnostic characters and some morphological features, illustrated and compared with other species, which are recorded in the current survey.

Brood development and nest parasitism of Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) augusti Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apidae), a promising crop pollinator in Argentina

AbstractPollination of passion fruit and other crops by species of carpenter bees of the genus Xylocopa Latreille significantly increases both the quality and the quantity of fruits. To enhance pollination services, bee nests are either introduced into the crop area or females are encouraged to nest using trap nests. Thus, knowledge of trap‐nest preference, brood development and nest parasitism is essential for effective and sustainable nest management practices. Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) augusti Lepeletier is a promising pollinator in some areas of Argentina because of its high abundance, ability to buzz‐pollinate and easy acceptance of trap nests. However, limited information is available on the biology of this pollinator. Herein, we provide detailed information on its nesting cycle, brood development and parasitism from trap nests at an urban area in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Our study indicates that X. augusti is a solitary and likely univoltine species that shares some nesting and developmental features with other species in the subgenus Neoxylocopa, which might facilitate the adoption of existing management techniques developed for other species and regions. Biological information on Physocephala wulpi Camras (Diptera: Conopidae), a parasitoid of X. augusti, is also given for the first time.

Thermal tolerance varies with dim‐light foraging and elevation in large carpenter bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini)

1. Thermal tolerance has a strong predictive power for understanding the ecology and distribution of organisms, as well as their responses to changes in land use and global warming. However, relatively few studies have assessed thermal tolerances for bees.2. The present study aimed to determine whether the critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of carpenter bees (Apidae: genus Xylocopa Latreille) varies with different patterns of foraging activity and elevation. In addition, the influence of body size, body water content and relative age was examined with respect to their CTmax and differences in thoracic temperature (Tth) among species were evaluated.3. The CTmax of one crepuscular (Xylocopa olivieri) and two diurnal species (Xylocopa violacea and Xylocopa iris) of carpenter bees was assessed at sea level on the Greek island of Lesvos. To detect variation as a result of elevation, the CTmax of a population of X. violacea at 625 m.a.s l. was assessed and compared with that from sea level.4. Xylocopa olivieri displayed a similar CTmax to that of X. violacea but lower than that of X. iris. Body size, body water content, and relative age did not affect CTmax. In X. violacea, CTmax decreased with elevation and all three species have high Tth independent of ambient temperatures.5. The results of the present study are consistent with variations in CTmax predicted by broad spatial and temporal patterns reported for other insects, including honey and bumble bees. The implications of the results are discussed aiming to understand the differences in the foraging pattern of these bees.

Cladistic analysis of the Xylocopa caffra (Linnaeus, 1767) species-group (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Results of a cladistic analysis of the species of the African Xylocopa caffra (Linnaeus, 1767) species-group (Hymenoptera: Apidae, genus Xylocopa Latreille, 1802) are presented. Thirty-five external adult morphological characters were coded for the twelve species in this group plus two outgroup taxa. Cladistic analysis with the computer program “TNT” recovered a single most parsimonious tree of 45 steps. This cladogram provides insights into the evolution of aposematic dorsal color patterns in females of species in this group. Females in each of three monophyletic lineages have distinctive black and yellow, white, or orange color patterns: In the first lineage, females have white pubescence on the head and varying amounts of yellow pubescence on the mesosoma and metasoma; in the second lineage, females of all but one species have banded black and yellow or white pubescence; and in the third lineage, the mesosoma in females is predominantly or entirely covered in yellow or orange pubescence, except for a c...

New records and diagnostic notes on large carpenter bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: genus Xylocopa Latreille), from the Amazon River basin of South America

New records and diagnostic notes on large carpenter bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: genus Xylocopa Latreille), from the Amazon River basin of South America

Two new records of Gynandromorphs in Xylocopa (Hymenoptera, Apidae s.l.)

Two new records of gynandromorphs in Xylocopa Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Gynandromorphs are deviant morphological individuals with genetically distinct male and female tissues. Records of sex anomalies seems to be important to better understand the mechanisms regulating phenotypic expression. Herein, two new cases of gynandromorphs in carpenter bee species of Xylocopa from Brazil are described and figured: a mixed gynandromorph of the X. (Neoxylocopa) brasilianorum (Linnaeus, 1767) from São Paulo and a bilateral gynandromorph of the X. (Neoxylocopa) ordinaria Smith, 1874 from Sergipe.

New species and designation of primary types in Neotropical carpenter bees of the genus Xylocopa Latreille (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

We describe and figure two distinctive new species of Neotropical carpenter bees of the genus Xylocopa, X. (Schonnherria) barbaraesp. n. from Bolivia, and X. (Schonnherria) bigibbosasp. n. from Peru. To stabilize the names, we designate a neotype for X. (Schonnherria) dimidiata Latreille and lectotypes for the following species: X. (Neoxylocopa) andica Enderlein, X. (Neoxylocopa) columbiensis Pérez, X. (Neoxylocopa) mendozana Enderlein, and X. (Neoxylocopa) rufidorsum Enderlein. For each species, we provide comparative diagnosis, taxonomic comments, and summarize its distribution.

Bees of the Socotra Archipelago (Hymenoptera: Anthophila), their biogeography and association with parasites

Abstract Taxonomy of bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) of the Socotra Archipelago is evaluated based on historical and newly available specimens. Four new species of Halictidae are described from the Socotra Island: Austronomia socotrana Pauly & Straka sp. nov., Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) boswelliae Pauly & Straka sp. nov., Lasioglossum (Sphecodogastra) dioscoridis Pauly & Straka sp. nov., and Lasioglossum (Ctenonomia) dracaenae Pauly & Straka sp. nov. The correct original spelling of Eucera wfkirbyi Kohl, 1906 is restored, Eucera kirbyi Friese, 1909 being its unjustified emendation and junior objective synonym. Identity of both Socotran species of Xylocopa Latreille, 1802 is clarified. Lasioglossum (Evylaeus) kowitense (Cockerell, 1937), Nomioides facilis (Smith, 1853), and Nomioides rotundiceps Handlirsch, 1888 are removed from the list of bees of Socotra. In total, 28 species in 16 genera are reported from the archipelago, of which nearly two thirds are considered endemic at the species level. Biogeographic origin of Socotran bees is analysed and proposed. Host associations with beetle parasites of the families Meloidae and Ripiphoridae (Coleoptera) and cleptoparasitic bees are evaluated for the Socotran bee fauna. Obligate bee parasitoid Ripiphorus arabiafelix arabiafelix Batelka, 2009 (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae) is reported from the archipelago (Socotra Island) for the first time.

A new species of the carpenter bee genus Xylocopa from the Sarawat Mountains in southwestern Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera, Apidae).

A new species of the carpenter bee genus Xylocopa Latreille (Xylocopinae: Xylocopini) is described and figured from two localities in southern Saudi Arabia. Xylocopa (Koptortosoma) sarawatica Engel, sp. n. is a relatively small species similar to the widespread X. pubescens Spinola, but differs in the extent of maculation in males, setal coloration of both sexes, and male terminalia. A revised key to the species of Xylocopa in Saudi Arabia is provided.

Cladistic analysis and evolutionary relationships ofXylocopaLatreille, 1802, subgenusXylocopoidesMichener, 1954, a New World lineage of large carpenter bees (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Results of a cladistic analysis of the five currently recognized species of the genus Xylocopa Latreille, 1802, subgenus Xylocopoides Michener, 1954, are reported. Twenty adult morphological characters were coded for the five species of subgenus Xylocopoides, plus two outgroup species from the related subgenus Xylocopa Latreille, 1802. The resulting taxon-character matrix was analyzed with the “TNT” computer software program and a single most parsimonious tree of 21 steps was recovered. Monophyly of subgenus Xylocopoides relative to the outgroup species in subgenus Xylocopa is confirmed. Characters used to establish the subgenus Calloxylocopa Hurd & Moure, 1963, are derived character states in the single species X. tenuata Smith, 1874, and thus Calloxylocopa is maintained in synonymy with subgenus Xylocopoides. Within Xylocopoides, X. tenuata is the sister species to the four other species of the subgenus. Xylocopa cyanea Smith, 1874, and X. californica Cresson, 1864, are sister species, while X. pallidis...

Taxonomy of the African large carpenter bees of the genus Xylocopa Latreille, 1802, subgenus Xenoxylocopa Hurd & Moure, 1963 (Hymenoptera, Apidae).

The taxonomy of the genus Xylocopa Latreille, 1802, subgenus Xenoxylocopa Hurd & Moure, 1963, is reviewed. There is a single valid species in this subgenus, Xylocopa (Xenoxylocopa) inconstans Smith, 1874, which is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to northern Republic of South Africa. Synonyms of Xylocopa inconstans include Xylocopa abyssinica Radoszkowski, 1899, proposed for a male specimen from Ethiopia, as well as three names proposed for females with yellow (rather than white) dorsal pubescence: Mesotrichia chiyakensis Cockerell, 1908 (new synonym), Xylocopa inconstans var. flavescens Vachal, 1899, and Xylocopa inconstans var. flavocincta Friese, 1909. Quantitative analyses of body measurements and examination of male reproductive structures support the new synonymy of Mesotrichia chiyakensis with Xylocopa inconstans. Males and females of Xylocopa (Xenoxylocopa) inconstans are illustrated, along with male reproductive structures, and diagnostic characters and keys are provided to separate the males and females of Xylocopa (Xenoxylocopa) inconstans from those of species in other closely-allied African subgenera of the genus Xylocopa.

The blue carpenter bees: a synopsis of the “Cyaneoderes group” of genus Xylocopa Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

A review is presented of the species included within the “Cyaneoderes group” of the genus Xylocopa Latreille, 1802, subgenus Koptortosoma Gribodo, 1894. The 14 names applied to members of this group by previous authors represent six valid species. Females of five species in this group have bright blue and black pubescence on the dorsal surface: X. abbotti (Cockerell, 1909); X. bangkaensis Friese, 1903; X. caerulea (Fabricius, 1804); X. insularis Smith, 1857; and X. tumida, Friese, 1903. A key, diagnostic table, and set of illustrations is presented to facilitate the identification of females of all five species. The known males of species in this group (X. caerulea and X. insularis) are illustrated. Xylocopa dormeyeri Enderlein, 1909, is placed as a synonym of X. insularis Smith, while X. meade-waldoi Hurd, 1959, is placed as a synonym of X. caerulea (Fabricius), New Synonymies. Diagnostic notes are presented for X. incompleta Ritsema, 1880, a species with bright orange (rather than blue) pubescence, which was included in the “Cyaneoderes group” by previous workers.

First record of Huarpea wagneriella (Hymenoptera: Sapygidae) as a cleptoparasite of large carpenter bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Xylocopinae)

ABSTRACTThe species Huarpea wagneriella (Hymenoptera: Sapygidae), a cleptoparasite of nests of bees of the genera Xylocopa Latreille and Megachile Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), is reported for the first time as a cleptoparasite of Xylocopa ciliata Burmeister (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Biological notes on species of Xylocopa and a morphological characterization of Huarpea are given.

Cladistic analysis and evolutionary relationships of the “Megaxylocopaclade” of the genusXylocopaLatreille, 1802 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Computerized cladistic analysis was used to (1) develop a hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships among the three species of the well-defined “Megaxylocopa clade” within subgenus Neoxylocopa Michener, of the genus Xylocopa Latreille, and (2) examine relationships between the members of this clade and other species in the subgenus Neoxylocopa. Twenty-four adult morphological characters were scored for the three species in the “Megaxylocopa clade” plus 10 outgroup taxa from subgenus Neoxylocopa Michener. Xylocopa (Xylocopoides) virginica (Linnaeus) was used as a distant outgroup taxon to root the tree. A single most parsimonious tree was recovered by cladistic analysis using the computer software program TNT. The three species of the “Megaxylocopa clade” form a well-supported monophyletic group that is the sister-lineage of another monophyletic group that includes the other 10 species of subgenus Neoxylocopa. Within the “Megaxylocopa clade,” Xylocopa nautlana Cockerell and X. frontalis (Olivier) are sister...

An annotated checklist of the large carpenter bees, genus Xylocopa Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae), from the Philippine Islands

An annotated checklist is presented for the 37 valid species-level taxa of the genus Xylocopa Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae) recorded from the Philippine Islands. A key is provided to the four subgenera of Xylocopa represented in the Philippine fauna: Xylocopa subgenus Biluna Maa, Xylocopa subgenus Koptortosoma Gribodo, Xylocopa subgenus Platynopoda Westwood and Xylocopa subgenus Zonohirsuta Maa. For each species and subspecies, the following information is provided: original combination, type locality, available information about primary types, a list of synonyms described from the Philippines, a brief synopsis of the principal external diagnostic features and a summary of the known geographic distribution of the species in the Philippine Islands.

A New Gynandromorph ofXylocopa frontaliswith a Review of Gynandromorphism inXylocopa(Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini)

AbstractA new case of gynandromorphism in bees is described and illustrated for the first time for Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) frontalis (Olivier), a widely distributed carpenter bee in the neotropical region. The mixed gynandromorph, recorded from a single specimen from Paraguay, exhibits a mixture of male and female features in all tagmata. Previous literature records of gynandromorphs in Xylocopa Latreille are summarized, and the species identity of some gynandromorphs recorded for South America is revised. Including the specimen described herein, gynandromorphs are now known for a total of 12 species in Xylocopa, half of them in the neotropical subgenus Neoxylocopa.