Oligochlora

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Oligochlora
Temporal range: Burdigalian
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Oligochlora semirugosa.jpg
Oligochlora semirugosa holotype
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Halictidae
Tribe: Augochlorini
Genus:† Oligochlora
Engel, 1996
Subgenera and species
  • Oligochlora (Oligochlora)
    • O. eickworti
    • O. grimaldii
    • O. micheneri
    • O. semirugosa
  • Oligochlora (Soliapis)
    • O. marquettorum
    • O. rozeni

Oligochlora is an extinct genus of sweat bee in the Halictidae subfamily Halictinae. [1] The genus currently contains six species, all of which are known from the early Miocene Burdigalian [2] stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola. [3]

Contents

History and classification

The genus was first described by Dr. Michael Engel in a 1996 paper published in the Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society . [1] The genus name is a combination of "Oligo", from Oligocene a possible age of the amber and "chlora" from the genus Augochlora, the type genus of the tribe Augochlorini where Oligochlora is placed. [1] Along with the genus description, the paper contained the description of the type species O. eickworti and the second species O. micheneri. [1] Dr Engel described a third species, O. grimaldii in 1997. [4] A fourth species, O. rozeni was published in 2000 and the genus was split into two subgenera, Oligochlora (Oligochlora) and Oligochlora (Soliapis). [5] The subgenus Soliapis is named from the Latin words sola, meaning "alone", and apis, meaning "bee" in reference the lack of an acarinarium on O. rozeni. [5] A fifth species, O. marquettorum was also published in 2000, jointly described by Dr. Engel and Molly G. Rightmyer and placed into O. (Soliapis). In 2009, with the publication of O. semirugosa by Dr. Engel, the total number of species was raised to six. [2]

Description

Oligochlora is most similar to the extant genus Neocorynura, from which it can be separated by the shapes of the mesoscutum and preoccipital ridge [1] or the monotypic genus Thectochlora which also has a mutualistic relationship with specialized acarid mites. The genus also superficially resembles the genus Corynura but differs in a number of features including the lack of eye hairs. [1]

O. eickworti

O. eickworti is known from the holotype only, a single 7.6 millimetres (0.30 in) long female currently in the private collection owned by Ettore Morone of Turin, Italy as number "684". [1] The species is named in honor of Dr. George Eickwort, who specialized in Halictidae systematics. [1]

O. micheneri

The O. micheneri holotype is also a female in the Morone collection, as specimen number "167" and has a body length of approximately 7.8 millimetres (0.31 in). [1] The head and metasoma are a brilliant metallic green with brown edges. [1] Dr. Engel named O. micheneri for Dr. Charles D. Michener who devoted most of his research career studying bees. [1]

O. grimaldii

Dr. Engel described O. grimaldii in the journal Apidologie in 1997 from a female specimen. [4] The single 7.2 millimetres (0.28 in) long bee specimen is deposited in the American Museum of Natural History Department of Entomology as number "DR-14-839". [4] The species has a heavily sclerotized black Sc+R vein and the remaining veins are brown. [4] The species is named in honor of Dr. David Grimaldi for his contributions to insect paleontology and study of amber. [4]

O. rozeni

O. rozeni is known from the 8.2 millimetres (0.32 in) long holotype female, number "M-2523" of the Morone collection. [5] The species, named in honor of Jerome G. Rozen, Jr. of the American Museum of Natural History, is distinguishable from other members of the genus by the lack of and acarinarium on the upper side of the metasoma. [5]

O. marquettorum

The first species to be described from more than one individual bee was O. marquettorum, which was described from both a holotype and a paratype, both females, preserved in a single amber specimen. [6] Published in the May/June 2000 issue of the journal Apidologie, the amber containing the two bees is in the American Museum of Natural History as number "DR-14-1484". [6] Lack of an acarinarium places O. marquettorum in O. (Soliapis) and the species can be distinguished from O. rozeni by the obtuse angle of the pronotum. [6] The species is named in honor of George Edward Marquette and Jennie Smith Proskine Marquette, grandparents of M. Rightmyer. [6]

O. semirugosa

O. semirugosa is the newest addition to the genus and the fourth species in the subgenus O. (Oligochlora). [2] The holotype is a 7.9 millimetres (0.31 in) female specimen, number KU-DR-21 in the collections of the University of Kansas Natural History Museum, is named from the Latin semi meaning "half" or "partial" and rugosus meaning, "wrinkled". [2] This name refers to the species' distinct rugulose gena which along with the pronotal angle, the partially and sculpturing of the face, mesosoma, and metasomal terga are unique. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halictidae</span> Family of bees

Halictidae is the second-largest family of bees with nearly 4,500 species. They are commonly called sweat bees, as they are often attracted to perspiration. Halictid species are an extremely diverse group that can vary greatly in appearance. These bees occur all over the world and are found on every continent except Antarctica. Usually dark-colored and often metallic, halictids are found in various sizes, colors and patterns. Several species are all or partly green and a few are red, purple, or blue. A number of them have yellow markings, especially the males, which commonly have yellow faces, a pattern widespread among the various families of bees. The family is one of many with short tongues and is best distinguished by the arcuate basal vein found on the wing. Females in this family tend to be larger than the males. They are the group for which the term 'eusocial' was first coined by entomologist, Suzanne Batra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acarinarium</span> Specialized anatomical structure which is evolved to facilitate the retention of mites

An acarinarium is a specialized anatomical structure which is evolved to facilitate the retention of mites on the body of an organism, typically a bee or a wasp. The term was introduced by Walter Karl Johann Roepke.

Fibla carpenteri is an extinct species of snakefly in the Inocelliidae genus Fibla. F. carpenteri is named in honor of the paleoentomologist Dr Frank Carpenter, for his vast knowledge and interest in Raphidioptera.

Neocorynura electra is an extinct species of sweat bee in the Halictidae genus Neocorynura.

<i>Nesagapostemon</i> Extinct genus of bees

Nesagapostemon is an extinct monotypic genus of sweat bee in the Halictidae subfamily Halictinae. At present, it contains the single species Nesagapostemon moronei.

Eickwortapis is an extinct monotypic genus of sweat bee in the Halictidae subfamily Halictinae which contains the single species Eickwortapis dominicana.

Augochlora leptoloba is a species of sweat bee in the genus Augochlora and the extinct monotypic subgenus Electraugochlora.

Protosialis casca is an extinct species of alderfly in the Sialidae subfamily Sialinae. The species is solely known from the early Miocene, Burdigalian stage, Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola. Protosialis casca is one of only two known alderfly species present in the West Indies, the only other species is the living Protosialis bifasciata native to Cuba.

<i>Protomycena</i> Extinct genus of fungi

Protomycena is an extinct monotypic genus of gilled fungus in the family Mycenaceae, of order Agaricales. At present it contains the single species Protomycena electra, known from a single specimen collected in an amber mine in the Cordillera Septentrional area of the Dominican Republic. The fruit body of the fungus has a convex cap that is 5 mm (0.2 in) in diameter, with distantly spaced gills on the underside. The curved stipe is smooth and cylindrical, measuring 0.75 mm (0.030 in) thick by 10 mm (0.39 in) long, and lacks a ring. It resembles extant species of the genus Mycena. Protomycena is one of only five known agaric fungus species known in the fossil record and the second to be described from Dominican amber.

<i>Lutzomyia adiketis</i> Extinct species of fly

Lutzomyia adiketis is an extinct species of sandfly in the moth fly subfamily Phlebotominae. L. adiketis is a vector of the extinct Paleoleishmania neotropicum and both species are solely known from early Miocene Burdigalian stage Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

<i>Dryinus grimaldii</i> Extinct species of insect

Dryinus grimaldii is an extinct species of wasp in the dryinid genus Dryinus. The species is solely known from the early Miocene, Burdigalian stage, Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

<i>Dryinus rasnitsyni</i> Extinct species of insect

Dryinus rasnitsyni is an extinct species of wasp in the dryinid genus Dryinus. The species is solely known from the early Miocene, Burdigalian stage, Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola.

Protostephanus is an extinct genus of crown wasp in the Hymenoptera family Stephanidae known from an Eocene fossil found in the United States of America. The genus contains a single described species, Protostephanus ashmeadi placed in the stephanid subfamily Stephaninae.

Termitaradus dominicanus is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from a Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. T. dominicanus is the third species in the genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber after Termitaradus avitinquilinus and Termitaradus mitnicki.

Termitaradus protera is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from several Late Oligocene to Early Miocene fossils found in Mexico. T. protera is the only species in the extant genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Mexican amber and is one of four species from new world amber; the others are Termitaradus avitinquilinus, Termitaradus dominicanus and Termitaradus mitnicki. T. protera was also the first termite bug described from the fossil record.

Termitaradus avitinquilinus is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from several possibly Miocene fossils found in the Dominican Republic. T. avitinquilinus is the first species in the genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of four species from New World amber, the others being Termitaradus protera, Termitaradus dominicanus and Termitaradus mitnicki.

Anthophorula (Anthophorula) persephone is an extinct species of bee in the subfamily Apinae known from a pair of possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. A. persephone is the first species of the bee tribe Exomalopsini to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is the only species of Anthophorula found in the West Indies.

Dicromantispa moronei is an extinct species of mantidfly in the neuropteran family Mantispidae known from a fossil found in the Caribbean.

<i>Myanmyrma</i> Extinct genus of ants

Myanmyrma is an extinct genus of ants not placed into any Formicidae subfamily. Fossils of the single known species, Myanmyrma gracilis, are known from the Middle Cretaceous of Asia. The genus is one of several ants described from Middle Cretaceous ambers of Myanmar.

<i>Augochlorella aurata</i> Species of insect

Augochlorella aurata is a primitively eusocial species of sweat bee in the family Halictidae. It is one of three species of Augochlorella found east of the Rocky Mountains in North America. The body is a brilliant green metallic color, diffused to varying extents with a copper, red, or yellow color. A. aurata is a generalist pollen feeder and likely an important pollinator for some horticultural crops. A common name is golden green sweat bee.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Engel, M.S. (1995). "New Augochlorine Bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) in Dominican Amber, with a Brief Review of Fossil Halictidae". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 69 (4): 334–349. JSTOR   25085728.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Engel, M.S. (2009). "Two new halictine bees in Miocene Amber from the Dominican Republic (Hymenoptera, Halictidae)". ZooKeys (29): 1–12. Bibcode:2009ZooK...29....1E. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.29.257 . hdl: 1808/5625 .
  3. ↑ Iturralde-Vinent, M.A.; MacPhee, R.D.E. (1996). "Age and Paleogeographical Origin of Dominican Amber". Science. 273 (5283): 1850–1852. Bibcode:1996Sci...273.1850I. doi:10.1126/science.273.5283.1850. S2CID   129754021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Engel, M.S. (1997). "A new fossil bee from the Oligo-Miocene Dominican amber (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)". Apidologie. 28 (2): 97–102. doi: 10.1051/apido:19970207 .
  5. 1 2 3 4 Engel, M.S. (2000). "Classification of the bee tribe Augochlorini (Hymenoptera, Halictidae)" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 250: 1. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2000)250<0001:COTBTA>2.0.CO;2. hdl:2246/1598. S2CID   85810077.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Engel, M.S.; Rightmyer, M. (2000). "A new augochlorine bee species in Tertiary amber from the Dominican Republic (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)". Apidologie. 31 (3): 431–436. doi: 10.1051/apido:2000133 .
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