Records of the Western Australian Museum 18: 419-437 (1998). 
New Euryglossa ( Euhesma ) bees (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Euryglossinae) 
associated with the Australian plant genus Eretnophila (Myoporaceae) 
Elizabeth M. Exley 
Department of Entomology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia 
Abstract Twenty species of Euryglossa (Euhesma) bees are described as 
new: E. (E.) alicia, E. (E.) alra, E. (E.) aurata, E. (E.) balladonia, E. (E.) 
coppmensis, E. (E.) cuneifolia, E. (E.) granitica, E. (E.) macrayae, E. (E.) nalbarra, 
E. (E.) newmanensis, E. (E.) pantoni , E. (E.) scoparia, E. (E.) slurtiensis , E. (E.) 
sulcata, E. (E.) symmclra, E. (E.) walkeri, E. (E.) wiluna, E. (E.) yelloivdinensis, 
E.(E.) leonora, E.(E.) meeka. All are endemic Australian species collected from 
species of the native plant genus Eremophila and exhibit modified labial 
palps. Line drawings, scanning electron micrographs and a key enable the 
separation of all species. Distributions are mapped. 
INTRODUCTION 
Euryglossine bees are widespread in Australia 
and most are associated with the plant family 
Myrtaceae. It is now apparent that large numbers 
of undescribed species in the subgenus Euhesma 
Michener of the genus Euryglossa Smith have been 
collected on flowering non-Myrtaceous native 
plants. Many show modification of the head and 
mouthparts presumably as food plant adaptation. 
Interest in pollination mechanisms of Australian 
native plants has grown with the ability to make 
accurate identifications. Recently collected bees 
often bear the specific name of the flowers from 
which they were caught. 
Examination of hundreds of Euhesma specimens 
suggest many species may be associated with 
specific plant species. Houston (1992) described 
three such species from Western Australia. It is 
unfortunate that all bees in collections don't carry 
full details but many are recorded from Eremophila 
species (Myoporaceae). This Australian plant genus 
of about 200 species occurs mainly in arid areas of 
the continent. 
Dr Houston has collected widely in the huge 
state of Western Australia and from almost every 
site a different Euhesma species was taken on 
Eremophila. Whether the plant in each site was 
always a different species is not known, but 
Eremophila species are mainly shrubs with flowers 
that can be readily watched and, after this study, 
with accurate identification of both plant and bees 
now possible, it is hoped pollination studies will be 
encouraged. 
In this paper, although only closely similar 
Euhesma species recorded from Eremophila are dealt 
with, they are not considered monophyletic. Based 
on the form of the labial palps 20 species collected 
from Eremophila spp. can be identified and these 
form three groups. Males have not been collected 
as often as females and sex association is not 
always clear so the key presented is for females 
only. 
Houston (1983) mentioned collecting many 
Euhesma with enlarged labial palps from bluish- 
flowered Eremophila species and interspecific 
variation relates in the main to the development of 
the labial palps and head length. The head may be 
lengthened behind the ocelli or the clypeus may be 
extended well beyond the level of the eyes. There 
is usually a clear malar space (unknown in most 
Euryglossinae). The whole labio-maxillary complex 
may be elongate or various segments of the labial 
palps enlarged (Figures 1-7). Apart from head 
shape and labial palps the species described below 
look very similar and some show only small 
structural differences concerning texture of frons 
or clypeus. Whether these indeed indicate species 
will only be known when more specimens, 
particularly males, become available. 
METHODS 
In the descriptions of species, 'relative head 
measurements' express most concisely the size 
relation between measurements on one head. Most 
of the specimens were coated with pollen or nectar, 
or were initially preserved in ethyl alcohol. 
Characters are obscured and some descriptions are 
not as complete as others. 
Although the first criterion for inclusion in this 
paper is "collected from Eremophila" , 3 specimens 
recorded here were taken elsewhere: one specimen 
of E. (E.) yelloivdinensis from Melaleuca; and two 
specimens of £. (E.) walkeri from Eucalyptus sp. 
All species names are to be treated as nouns in 
apposition to Euhesma. 
