Sistemática de Ceratina (Calloceratina) Cockerell, 1924 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopinae) e sua relação com os demais subgêneros de Ceratina no Novo Mundo

Abstract

The bee genus Ceratina Latreille, 1802 (Xylocopinae: Ceratinini) comprises approximately 380 species distributed among 23 subgenera, six of which are exclusive to the New World: Calloceratina Cockerell, 1924; Ceratinula Moure, 1941; Crewella Cockerell, 1903; Neoclavicera Roig-Alsina, 2013; RhysoceratinaMichener, 2000; and Zadontomerus Ashmead, 1899. The subgenus Ceratina (Calloceratina) is nearly exclusively Neotropical, ranging from Tamaulipas and Nayarit (Mexico) to Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). In this study, two new South American species were described: Ceratina mourei Mahlmann & Oliveira, 2023, and Ceratina silveirai Mahlmann & Oliveira, 2023. The silveirai species-group was proposed to accommodate these two new species, and a second species-group, chloris, was proposed to accommodate Ceratina chloris (Fabricius, 1804), and Ceratina triangulifera Cockerell, 1914. Furthermore, an identification key for South America was presented. Subsequently, a taxonomic study for all species of the subgenus was conducted, proposing seven additional new species: Ceratina aurisetis n. sp., Ceratina camargoi n. sp., Ceratina manauara n. sp., Ceratina major n. sp., Ceratina michi n. sp., Ceratina multimaculata n. sp., and Ceratina pseudochloris n. sp. Four new groups of species were proposed: azteca species-group: Ceratina azteca Cresson, 1878, Ceratina rufipes Smith, 1879, and Ceratina michi n. sp.; cobaltina species-group: Ceratina cobaltina Cresson, 1878 (n. stat.), and Ceratina regalis Cockerell, 1912 (n. stat.); eximia species-group: Ceratina eximia Smith, 1862, and Ceratina viridicincta Cockerell, 1931; mexicana species-group: Ceratina mexicana Cresson, 1878, and Ceratina major n. sp. Four new synonymies were proposed: Ceratina dimidiata Friese, 1910 (syn. nov.) under C. rufipes; Ceratina yucatanica Cockerell, 1931 (syn. nov., n. stat.) under C. regalis; Ceratina rhodochrysea Cockerell, 1912 (syn. nov.) under C. eximia; and Ceratina xanthostoma Cockerell, 1912 (syn. nov.) under C. mexicana. Additionally, four new combinations to species, previously considered incertae sedis, were proposed: C. cobaltina (n. stat.), C. regalis (n. stat.), C. yucatanica (syn. nov., n. stat.), and Ceratina regalimimus Cockerell, 1949 (n. stat., junior synonym of C. regalis). To establish a stable nomenclature for the taxa Ceratina amabilis Cockerell, 1897 (junior synonym of C. eximia), C. dimidiata (syn. nov.), and C. rhodochrysea (syn. nov.), lectotypes were designated. All species were illustrated. Three males and two females are being described for the first time. Diagnoses, descriptions, and redescriptions, as well as updates on the geographical distribution, illustrations, and comments for each species, were provided, along with an identification key for all 20 species now included in the subgenus. Except for C. (Ceratinula), the phylogeny recovered an American clade for the genus: (Zadontomerus (Rhysoceratina, Neoclavicera), (Crewella, Calloceratina))). Almost all proposed species groups were retrieved in the phylogeny, except for chloris and mexicana. Despite efforts to understand the phylogenetic relationships within C. (Calloceratina), molecular analyses or other tools auxiliary to taxonomy may help elucidate aspects of the internal relationships among groups and species.