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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Pollinating Insect-Biology, Management, Systematics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #240239
Title: Two New Species of Nocturnal Bees of the Genus Megalopta (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) with Keys to Species

Author
item Gonzalez, Victor
item Griswold, Terry
item AYALA, RICARDO - Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico

Submitted to: Revista De Biologa Tropical
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2009
Publication Date: 2/1/2010
Citation: Gonzalez, V.H., Griswold, T.L., Ayala, R. 2010. Two New Species of Nocturnal Bees of the Genus Megalopta (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) with Keys to Species. Revista de Biologia Tropical. 58(1):255-263.

Interpretive Summary: Most bees search for food on flowers during the day but some forage at night. Megalopta is a genus of dark-loving bees that live in dead, broken branches in tropical forests from Mexico to Brazil. A few rare species are parasites on nests of other Megalopta. We describe and illustrate two new species of Megalopta from Mexico and Ecuador. We also provide a guide to identify the species from Central America and those that are parasites on other Megalopta.

Technical Abstract: Two new species of the nocturnal bee genus Megalopta are described: M. (Megalopta) tetewana, n. sp., from Mexico and M. (Noctoraptor) huaoranii, n. sp., from Ecuador. Identification keys to the Mesoamerican species of Megalopta s. str. and the species of the cleptoparasitic subgenus Noctoraptor are presented.