Discovery of Mourecotelles (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Colletinae) in Brazil: nesting biology and pollen preferences of a remarkable new species of the genus

By

Ferrari, Rafael R.
Buschini, Maria L. T.
Diniz, Mary E. R.
Zhu, Chao-Dong
Melo, Gabriel A. R.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022-2-28

Original Publication

MycoKeys

Volume

89

Pages

211--231

Subjects

bee , Colletini , floral host , Neotropical region , sex ratio , trap nest

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 2011-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.89.77485

 

Abstract

Mourecotelles Toro & Cabezas (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Colletinae) currently includes only nine valid species of cellophane bees found mostly in relatively-dry regions of western South America (Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador). In this paper, we describe and illustrate a new species of the genus – M. braziliensis Ferrari & Melo, sp. nov. – based on individuals of both sexes captured through trap-nesting in an environmental protection area (Araucárias Municipal Natural Park) and in flowers in different localities in southern Brazil. In total, we obtained 16 nests of M. braziliensis, each consisting of two to eleven brood cells arranged horizontally and lined with a cellophane-like substance. Of the 57 adult bees that emerged, 41 were male (mean weight 46.5 mg) and 16 were female (mean weight 58.9 mg), resulting in biased sex and investment ratios of 2.56:1 and 2.02:1, respectively. Both the numbers of provisioned cells and mortality rate were higher for trap nests with the narrowest bore diameter, although the differences in relation to other trap nests were not statistically significant. Pollen of nine different plant families were found in brood cells of M. braziliensis, but the species showed a clear preference for Fabaceae and Polygalaceae. Indeed, some of the specimens were collected while foraging in flowers of an unidentified species of Monnina Ruiz & Pav. (Polygalaceae) growing in swampy areas. The evolutionary and biogeographical implications of our discovery are briefly discussed.