A taxonomic revision of Habralictus Moure, 1941 from Brazil, with description of four new species (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Keywords: bees, diversity, Halictinae, systematics

Abstract

Habralictus Moure, 1941 currently comprises 27 described species distributed across the Western Hemisphere, from Argentina to the Jalisco state in Mexico. The genus belongs to the Caenohalictini Michener, 1954 and has been divided into two subgenera in the past. This study aims to revise the species of Habralictus found in Brazil, providing redescriptions of known species, descriptions of new species, and identification keys for both sexes. A total of 1537 Brazilian specimens from different collections were examined. We identified eleven species in Brazil, four of which are newly described: Habralictus acuminatus sp. nov., H. cyaneus sp. nov., H. nitidus sp. nov., and H. obscuratus sp. nov. Furthermore, Habralictus flavopictus Moure, 1941, is considered a junior synonym of Augochlora callichroma Cockerell, 1901, and Habralictus orites Moure, 1941 a junior synonym of Zikaniella crassiceps Moure, 1941. We designate a lectotype for Augochlora callichroma Cockerell, 1901. Additionally, the new occurrence of Habralictus ligeus (Schrottky, 1911) in Brazil is reported, a species previously known only from Bolivia. Identification keys and occurrence maps are provided for all species.

References

Alvarez L.J., Ramello P.J., Avalos A.A., Almada V., Aguirre M.S., Torretta J.P. & Lucia M. 2024. Contributions to the wild bee fauna in Argentina (Hymenoptera: Anthophila). Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 64: 1–13. https://doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2024.64.006

Cameron P. 1903. Descriptions of new species of Hymenoptera taken by Mr. Edward Whymper on the “Higher Andes of the Equator”. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 29: 225–238. Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10445175 [accessed 5 Mar. 2024].

Cockerell T.D.A. 1900. Descriptions of new bees collected by Mr. H.H. Smith in Brazil. I. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 52: 356–377. Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/24694236 [accessed 5 Mar. 2024].

Cockerell T.D.A. 1901. Descriptions of new bees collected by Mr. H.H. Smith in Brazil. II. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 53: 216–222. Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10089225 [accessed 5 Mar. 2024].

Cockerell T.D.A.1918. A group of American halictine bees simulating the Old-World genus Nomioides. The Canadian Entomologist 50: 348–350. Available from https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/bee_lab_co/598 [accessed 5 Mar. 2024].

Coleman C.O., Lowry J. & Macfarlane T. 2010. DELTA for neginners. An introduction into the taxonomy software package DELTA. ZooKeys 45: 1–75. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.45.263

Dallwitz M.J. 1980. A general system for coding taxonomic descriptions. Taxon 29: 41–46. https://doi.org/10.2307/1219595

Dallwitz M.J., Paine T.A. & Zurcher E.J. 1993 onwards. User’s guide to the DELTA System: A general system for processing taxonomic descriptions. Available from https://www.delta-intkey.com/www/uguide.pdf [accessed 5 Mar. 2024].

Dallwitz M.J., Paine T.A. & Zurcher E.J. 1999 onwards. User’s guide to the DELTA Editor. Available from https://www.delta-intkey.com/ [accessed 5 Mar. 2024].

Danforth B.N., Brady S.G., Sipes S.D. & Pearson A. 2004. Single-copy nuclear genes recover Cretaceous-age divergences in bees. Systematic Biology 53 (2): 309–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150490423737

Eickwort G.C. 1969. A comparative morphological study and generic revision of the augochlorine bees. The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 48 (13): 325–524. Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3279444 [accessed 5 Mar. 2024].

Ferreira M.C.C.S. 2022. The Importance of Ecosystem Services Provided by Bees in Organic Tomato Crops: Production and Increase of Pollinators. PhD thesis, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia. https://doi.org/10.14393/ufu.te.2022.503

Friese H. 1916. Zur Bienenfauna von Costa Rica (Hym.). Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung 77: 287–350. Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8826443 [accessed 5 Mar. 2024].

Gibbs J. 2012. A new species of Habralictus Moure from Dominica, Lesser Antilles (Hymenoptera, Halictidae). ZooKeys 168: 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.168.2524

Gibbs J. 2016. Bees of the family Halictidae Thomson, 1869 from Dominica, Lesser Antilles (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). European Journal of Taxonomy 180: 1–50. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2016.180

Gibbs J., Bass A. & Morgan K. 2022. Habralictus and Lasioglossum of Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Lesser Antilles (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Halictidae). ZooKeys 1089: 125–167. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1089.72645

Gonçalves R.B. & Melo G.A.R. 2010. Phylogeny of the bee subtribe Caenohalictina Michener (Hymenoptera, Apidae s.l., Halictinae s.l.). Zoologica Scripta 39: 187–197. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.2009.00414.x

Gonçalves R.B. & Pereira F.W. 2022. New species of the cuckoo bee genus Austrosphecodes Michener, 1978 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Sphecodini) and a key for Brazilian species. European Journal of Taxonomy 819 (1): 55–89. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2022.819.1777

Gutiérrez-Chacón C., Vélez D. & González V.H. 2022. Abejas de la Subcuenca del Río Meléndez, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Guía de campo. Wildlife Conservation Society, Colombia.

Harris R. 1979. A glossary of surface sculpturing. Occasional Papers in Entomology 28: 1–31.

Janjic J. & Packer L. 2003. Phylogeny of the bee genus Agapostemon (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Systematic Entomology 28: 101–124. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3113.2003.00204.x

Lepeco A. & Gonçalves R.B. 2018. The colour and the shape: Morphological variation on a facultatively eusocial bee Augochlora (Augochlora) amphitrite (Schrottky). Sociobiology 65 (4): 662–670. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v65i4.3388

Maldonado-Cepeda J.D., Gómez J.H., Benavides P., Jaramillo J. & Gil Z.N. 2024. Taxonomic and functional diversity of flower-visiting insects in coffee crops. Insects 15 (3): 143. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15030143

Melo G.A. & Liz J.A.D. 2025. The type material of the Neotropical bee genus Habralictus Moure (Apidae, Halictinae) in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 65: e202565005. https://doi.org/10.11606/1807-0205/2025.65.005

Michener C.D. 1954. Bees of Panama. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 104: 1–175. Available from http://hdl.handle.net/2246/1183 [accessed 19 Mar. 2024].

Michener C.D. 2000. The Bees of the World. 1st ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

Michener C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World. 2nd ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

Michener C.D., Lange R.B., Bigarella J.J. & Salamuni R. 1958. Factors influencing the distribution of bees' nests in earth banks. Ecology 39 (2): 207–217. https://doi.org/10.2307/1931865

Michener C.D., Breed M.D. & Bell W.J. 1979. Seasonal cycles, nests, and social behavior of some Colombian halictine bees (Hymenoptera; Apoidea). Revista de Biología Tropical 27 (1): 13–34. Available from https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/view/25687

Moure J.S. & Melo G.A.R. 2022. Halictini Thomson, 1869. In: Moure J.S., Urban D. & Melo G.A.R. (Orgs) Catalogue of Bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) in the Neotropical Region – online version. Available from http://www.moure.cria.org.br/catalogue [accessed 19 Mar. 2024].

Moure J.S., Urban D. & Melo G.A.R. 2007. Catalogue of Bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) in the Neotropical Region. Sociedade Brasileira de Entomologia, Curitiba.

Moure P.J. 1940. I – Apoidea Neotropica. Arquivos de Zoologia 2: 39–64. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2176-7793.1941239-64

Moure P.J. 1941. Apoidea Neotropica – III. Arquivos do Museu Paranaense 1: 41–99.

Muñoz C., Palacios A.C., Prado C.M.M., Nasamues M.C., Murillo D.E.R. & Alejandro R. 2023. Polinización del Aguacate (Persea americana Mill): Diversidad de Abejas y Flora Local. Corporación colombiana de Investigación agropecuaria – AGROSAVIA, Colombia. Available from http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12324/38745 [accessed 19 Mar. 2024].

Paz F.S., Pinto C.E., Brito R.M., Imperatriz-Fonseca V.L. & Giannini T.C. 2021. Edible fruit plant species in the Amazon forest rely mostly on bees and beetles as pollinators. Journal of Economic Entomology 114 (2): 710–722. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaa284

Roberts R.B. 1972. Revision of the bee genus Agapostemon (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 49 (9): 437–590. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/147652

Roberts R.B. & Brooks R.W. 1987. Agapostemonine bees of Mesoamerica (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 53: 357–392.

Schrottky C. 1910. Descripção de abelhas novas do Brazil e de regiões visinhas. Revista do Museu Paulista 8: 71–88. Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10798589 [accessed 19 Mar. 2024].

Schrottky C. 1911. Neue südamerikan. Hymenoptera. 5. Fortsetzung. Entomologische Rundschau 28: 38–39. Available from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43670057 [accessed 19 Mar. 2024].

Silveira F.A., Melo G.A.R. & Almeida E.A.B. 2022. Abelhas Brasileiras: Sistemática e Identificação. Authors’ edition, Belo Horizonte.

Smith F. 1853. Catalogue of Hymenopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. Part I. Andrenidae and Apidae. British Museum, London. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.20858

Smith-Pardo A.H. 2009. A new species of Habralictus (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) from the Island of Grenada (Lesser Antilles) with comments on the insular species of the genus. ZooKeys 27: 51–58. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.27.265

Vachal J. 1904. Étude sur les Halictus d’Amérique (Hym.). Miscellaneous Entomology 12: 137–144.

Published
2025-05-21
How to Cite
Liz, J. A. de, & Gonçalves, R. B. (2025). A taxonomic revision of Habralictus Moure, 1941 from Brazil, with description of four new species (Hymenoptera: Apidae). European Journal of Taxonomy, 991(1), 1–53. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.991.2907
Section
Monograph