Oxytrigona flaveola

Oxytrigona flaveola (Friese, 1900) (Figures 3B, D, F) Trigona flaveola Friese, 1900: 389, syntype (whereabouts unknown), 11 female workers from Colombia, Guatemala (collected by Stoll) and Espírito Santo, Brazil (collected by Michaëlis). Comments. The whereabouts of the original syntype series is unknown. The majority of the bee specimens for species described by H. Friese can be tracked to the ZMB, but type specimens of O. flaveola have not been found there (G. A. R. Melo, personal communication). At the AMNH there is a series from Bolivia with three metatypes identified by Friese upon which the recognition of the species has been based by some subsequent authors (Schwarz 1948; Gonzalez & Roubik 2008). The original type series was composed of specimens belonging to at least two or three species (Camargo & Pedro 2007). The specimen from Espirito Santo likely corresponds to a yellowish worker of O. cagafogo, the only species found in the region. The specimen from Guatemala is probably Oxytrigona mediorufa (Cockerell, 1913), the only species recorded for the country (Camargo et al. 2023), even though it can also correspond to a specimen of O. pallida sp. nov. The specimen from Colombia is the most likely to correspond to the species currently recognized as O. flaveola, which occurs in the Amazon region (Gonzalez & Roubik 2008, Camargo et al. 2023). However, there is also a possibility that the specimen corresponds to Oxytrigona mellicolor (Packard, 1869), Oxytrigona isthmina Gonzalez & Roubik, 2008, or Oxytrigona pallida sp. nov., all species with lighter color occurring in Colombia. A series of O. flaveola workers from Medina, Colombia, is present in RPSP. However, these specimens do not have all characteristics common to most specimens of O. flaveola (see Variation section), and may turn out to be a distinct species. Specimens identified as Oxytrigona aff. mediorufa in Gonzalez (2007) and Flórez-Gómez et al. (2023) run in the key as O. flaveola, although the basitarsus has a slightly different shape. The specimens from Medina could be interpreted as belonging to this undescribed species, but I refrain from describing those specimens as a new species due to the lack of knowledge about the variation of O. flaveola in Colombia. Diagnosis. Following the historical concept of the species (e.g., Schwarz 1948, Gonzalez & Roubik 2008), female workers of O. flaveola are characterized by the light erect setae on the vertex; head and mesosoma mostly yellow to brown; distal half of forewing membrane mostly hyaline, with marginal cell not darkened (Figure 3F); and by the shape of the hind basitarsus, which is relatively slender and have a slightly curved dorsal margin, with the posterior distal corner somewhat angled towards a straight distal margin (Figure 3D); S4–S6 with relatively denser coverage of yellowish and brownish setae; and posterior margin of T4 mostly with sparse simple setae. The species can also be differentiated from O. mediorufa and O. pallida sp. nov. by the scarcity of short setae on the frons (Figure 3B). Variation. Based on the material at RPSP, one can conclude that J.M.F. Camargo considered O. flaveola, in the sense used herein, as representing at least three different species. The first, occurring in the Amazon region of Pará, Tocantins, and Maranhão, has mostly brownish coloration and a slightly longer metasoma. The second occurs in the Amazonas state, spreading to Venezuela and Colombia, showing mostly yellowish color and regularly shaped metasoma. The third is found in Mato Grosso, Rondônia, and Bolivia, being characterized by a strong bicolor pattern with a long metasoma with yellow-banded terga. I refrain from using this delimitation for now since these forms overlap, and the scenario becomes more complex when considering material from other regions. Nevertheless, it would not be surprising if these morphs were confirmed as representing separate species in the future. Specimens from Medina, Colombia, have shorter setae on the posterior margins of T3–T5. Specimens from northwestern Amazonas state in Brazil, have a darker mesosoma, with darker pubescence. A few specimens from Peru have been found with dark brown mesoscutum, but their identity is uncertain since there must be an error in labeling (Camargo 1984). Distribution. Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru (see Table 1), occurring mainly in the Amazon rainforest, but also in other biomes of central South America. Examined material. BOLIVIA. Beni. AMNH: 3 ♀ “Ivon Beni\Bolivia\ W.M.Mann \February\Mulford\Bio Expl\1921-22”; DZUP: 8 ♀ “LORETO MARBAN\ Bolivia XI-1962 \ N. Kempff Mercado ”; NPIC: 1 ♀ “ Ruirrenabaque \Depto. Beni \ BOLIVIA 175m. \ Oct. 1956 \ L.E. Pena ”; RPSP: ♀ “Ivon Beni \ Bolivia \ WMMann \ February\Mulford\Biol Exp\1921-22”; SEMC: 68 ♀ “ BOLIVIA Beni \Rurrenabaque\ 175 m., 10/23\ October 1956 ”; 83 ♀ “BOLIVIA-Beni, Rur-\renabaque,175mts.\ 17 october 1956 \(L. Pena)”; 4 ♀ “BOLIVIA-Beni, Rur-\ renabaque,175mts.\ 5 october 1956 \(L. Pena)”; Cochabamba. AMNH: 2 ♀ “ Bolivia \Tarata\1900”; DZUP: ♀ “LIMBO BOLIVIA \ COCHABAMBA IV 53 \ Martinez leg”; RPSP: ♀ “ Bolivia \Tarata\1900”; La Paz. AMNH: 73 ♀ “ BOLIVIA, La Paz:\Alto Rio Beni, south\of Rio Inicua, 1100 m.\ January 15 -18,1976\ Luis E. Peña ”; ♀ “ Bolivia \ Mapiri\1900”; 3 ♀ “Tumupasa\Boliv. Dec.\ W. M. Mann \Mulford\Bio Expl\1921-22”; RPSP: ♀ “ BOLIVIA, La Paz: Alto Rio Beni, south\of Rio Inicua, 1100 m.\ January 15 -18,1976\ Luis E. Peña ”; Santa Cruz. AMNH: 4 ♀ “ Santa Cruz \ Bolivia \NKMercado\Letter ‘53\53-451-17”; 4 ♀ “RioColorado\ Bolivia \September\ MR Lopez coll”. BRAZIL. Amazonas. AMNH: ♀ “Amazonas\Faro\12.1905”; 2 ♀ “BENJAMIN CONSTANT\AM. Brasil,SB-19,70 4c\13,14- I-1977,Camargo\M.Mazucato leg.”; DZUP: 3 ♀ “ Brasil, Amazonas, Rio\Negro, 0°09’S 66°51’W \ 30.vi-1999, G. Melo”; 2 ♀ “ Brasil, Amazonas, Rio\Negro, 0°22’S 66°17’W \ 05.vii.1999, GAR Melo,\Ninho em tronco no chão,\ área de terra firme\margem esquerda”; 8 ♀ “ Brasil, Amazonas, Rio\Negro, 0°22’S 66°17’W \ 05.vii.1999, GAR Melo,\Ninho em tronco no chão,\área de terra firme\margem esquerda”; ♀ “TEFE AM\BR-I-1962\E. Carvalho”; MZUSP: ♀ “Serra da Neblina\(230 m) (Rio Tucano)\AM - Brasil - 4. XII. 65\E. Dente”; RPSP: 16 ♀ “BENJAMIN CONSTANT\AM. Brasil,SB-19,70-4c\13, 14-I01977,Camargo\M.Mazucato leg.”; 45 ♀ and 7 ♂ “Cachoeira J. Bani, 3 Km W\rio Negro, AM 05.VII.1999 \ Brasil, 66°17’W, 00°22’S \Camargo, Pedro, Mazucato”; ♀ “Camanaus. R. Negro AM.\Brasil 12-14-VII-1980 \SA-19,66°54’W, 0°8’S \Camargo, Mazucato, leg.”; ♀ “Ponta Camucari, rio Negro\AM, BRASIL 09.VII.1999 \ 65°59’47”W, 00°20’58”S \Camargo, Pedro, Mazucato”; ♂ “São Jorge, rio Curicuriari\AM Brasil 26-27.VI.1999 \ 66°50’W, 00°13’S \Camargo, Pedro, Mazucato”; 6 ♀ “Tapurucuara-mirim,\ rioNegro, AM, BRASIL \ 00°23’28”S, 66°26’27”W \ 15.II.2001 Camargo leg.”; SEMC: 2 ♀ “BENJAMIN CONSTANT\AM. Brasil SB-19,70-4c\13,14- I-1977,Camargo\M.Mazucato leg.”; Goiás. DZUP: 33 ♀ “ARAGARÇAS\ BRASIL Goiás \ I-1955 \F.M.Oliveira”; 20 ♀ “C. do Araguaya-GO\Brasil 24-X-1965 \Irmã V. Eucaristia”; ♀ “JATAI Goiás \ BRASIL I-1955 \F.Pereira”; MZUSP: 2 ♀ “Faz. Aceiro\Jataí, Goiás - Brasil \ X. 1962 \ Exp. Depto. Zool.”; RPSP: 3 ♀ and 10 ♂ “Bom Jardim de Goiás \GO Brasil VII.2006 \Nunes, T. M. Leg.\Ninho 3”; 2 ♀ and 2 ♂ “Parque Buriti / Goiânia, GO\Ninho: B3-T2\Data: 09.09.2008 \Coletor: Bozza Jr. R. C.”; UnB: 6 ♀ “ Brasil, GO, Alto Paraíso de\ Goiás, Fazenda Volta da Serra,\- 14.167736W, - 47.743210S \ 12.ii.2020, #bioabelhas\A. J. C. Aguiar & A. C. Martins”; 2 ♀ “Brasil, Goiás, Alto Paraíso,\Fazenda Volta da Serra,\- 14.167493S, - 47.744216W,\ 01-07.II.2019;\Excursão Dep. Zoo. UnB”; ♀ “ Brasil, Goiás, Cristalina,\S 16.53579 W 47.77994,\ 11.08.2018, MMCarvalho”; ♀ “Brasil, Goiás, Hidrolândia,\Banana Menina, 27.vi.09\Oliveira, DE col”; ♀ “ Brasil, Goiás, Hidrolândia,\Cefaeh, 07.xi.08, 07:00,\Melo, MS col”; ♀ “Brasil, Goiás, Hidrolândia,\Morro Feio, 27.vii.09, DE-\col, B 25”; ♀ “ Brasil, Goiás, Hidrolândia,\Morro Feio\27.vi.09, 10:40, B25\Oliveira, DE col”; 2 ♀ “ BRASIL:GO\ Goiás,cor\Paciência\A.Raw col\ 9-7-1984 ”; Maranhão. DZUP: 2 ♀ “Imperatriz, MA\ I-1973 \ Exc.Depto.Zool.”; MZUSP: ♀ “ Brasil: MA: Balsas\Gerais de Balsas\ 08°31’32”S 46°044’11”W \ 13.xi.1999 \ Brandão, Yamamoto, Dietz col.”; RPSP: 89 ♀ and 16 ♂ “ 60 km de Lizarda-MA\Brasil, 18/XI/1994 \ 46° 14’ W, 9° 21’ S \Camargo, Pedro leg”; 8 ♀ “ 80 km SW-Alto Parnaíba\MA-Brasil- 23-I-1993 \Sc,23, 46°28’W - 9°36’S \Camargo, Tavares\Pedro leg.”; 5 ♀ and 3 ♂ “Balsas - MA\ 19/XII/2005 \Rêgo & Ramos leg.”; ♀ “Chapadinha - MA\ 43°21’W, 3°44’S \ Brasil, 11/XI/1994 \Camargo\Pedro leg.”; 31 ♀ “GRAJAU - MA\Brasil-28-VII-82\Camargo leg”; 20 ♀ “Timon-MA\ BRASIL \ 4.III.1984 \Camargo\Mazucato”; UnB: 3 ♀ “Brasil, Maranhão, Balsas\ 9°14’13,7”S 46°42’32,5”W,\Brejoda Limpeza 11.vii.2017 \C.M. Maia leg”; Mato Grosso. AMNH: 93 ♀ “ BRAZIL:Barra do\ Tapirape,Mato\Grosso, XII-28-1965 \- I-15-1965 ”; DZUP: ♀ “Barra do Garças\MT - BRASIL \ 10-24.I.1971 \Col. WE. Kerr”; 2 ♀ “Brasil, Mato Grosso,\Sinop, Jd. Jacarandás,\ 10.vi.2005,\J. Figueiredo col. 010”; 3 ♀ “ Brasil, MT, Itiquira\Fazenda Espigão, 672m,\ 17°19’S 53°50’W,\ 25.viii.2010, Luz, D. R.”; 13 ♀ “Cáceres, MT\ 10-III-1984 \ C.Elias leg\POLONOROESTE”; 4 ♀ “Cáceres, MT\ 14-XI-1984 \Buzzi, Mielke, Elias\Casagrande leg\PROJ. POLONOROESTE”; 20 ♀ “Cáceres, MT\ 21-XI-1984 \C.Elias leg\POLONOROESTE”; 4 ♀ “Cáceres, MT\ 24-XII-1984 \C.Elias leg\POLONOROESTE”; 2 ♀ “Cáceres, MT\ 4-XII-1984 \C.Elias leg\POLONOROESTE”; 3 ♀ “Chap. Guimaraes-MT\ 02.XII.1983 \Exc.Dep.Zool-UFPR\(Polonoroeste)”; ♀ “Chap.Guimaraes-MT\ 07.XII.1983 \Exc. Dep.Zool-UFPR\(Polonoroeste)”; 4 ♀ and ♂ “Chapada do Guimaraes\MT-Brasil -30-I-63\Sebastiao Laroca leg”; 29 ♀ “CHAVANTINA-MT\Brasil-VII-1962\Alvarenga-Oliveira”; ♂ “Cuiabá\M.Grosso Brasil\ XI-1960 \M. Alvarenga leg”; 12 ♀ “FAZ.P.BRANCA\DIAMANTINA\M.GROSSO\ 25-V-1964 \B.BRUNO”; ♀ “FAZENDA BURITI\NOVA MUTUN-MT\ BRASIL 11/VII/96\G.C.RIBEIRO,\H.F.MENDES, COL.”; 4 ♀ “Jacare-P.