Centris (Centris) poecila Lepeletier, 1841

Genaro, Julio A. & Breto, Dayron, 2024, The genus Centris Fabricius in Cuba, with a new record and the description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), Insecta Mundi 2024 (41), pp. 1-26 : 3-5

Centris (Centris) poecila Lepeletier

( Fig. 1–9 )

Centris poecila Lepeletier 1841: 154 . Holotype female in OUM.

Anthophora versicolora Sagra 1857: 326 .

Anthophora versicolor apicalis Guérin-Méneville 1844: 455 . Holotype female whereabouts unknown.

Centris poecila segregata Crawford 1906: 159 ; Lutz and Cockerell 1920: 559. Female. Misidentification. Elevated to species level by Snelling (1974).

Vivallo (2019) included this species in his study of the primary types of Centris described by Lepeletier, offering information about its taxonomic history, conservation status in the collection and distribution.

Natural history. C. poecila was commonly observed in diverse habitats and types of vegetation, found in pine forests, semi-deciduous forest, secondary vegetation, ruderal vegetation, and complex of sandy coastal vegetation ( Breto 2021a, 2021b). The species was more active during the warm hours of the day, its flight was fast and it emitted a perceptible buzz a few meters away. It is often seen visiting flowers, sometimes near nesting areas. Females visited flowers in a fast flight and collected pollen and oils by strong vibration of the thoracic muscles. They were often observed rearranging pollen and oils by rubbing their legs together while hovering in front of flowers.

Nests can be found on horizontal and uneven terrain, in coastal areas, roadsides and riverbanks. Nests observed were solitary, never occurring in aggregations. Mesoplia cubensis Genaro and Breto has been observed entering the nest of this species and is one of its possible cleptoparasites ( Genaro and Breto 2022). Males generally sip nectar from flowers or stalk other males. At times, males rested on twigs, leaves, or flowers where they groomed and/or guarded their territory. Males appear to have emerged before females and aggregated near flower patches, where they fed and waited for them.

The species is multivoltine, more active during April to July, during the raining season, although collection efforts may be biasing the results ( Fig. 8 ).

Two beetle specimens Ceratocanthus gundlachi (Harold) ( Hybosoridae ) as Acanthocerus gundlachi , Acanthoceridae , emerged from a brood cell ( Genaro 1996).

Floral relations. Previous records: Ouratea agrophylla (Tiegh.) Urb. ( Ochnaceae ); Tolumnia guibertiana (A. Rich.) Braem ( Orchidaceae ); Stigmaphyllon diversifolium (Kunth) A. Juss. Malpighiaceae ( Vale et al. 2011) ; Bourreria havanensis (Willd. ex Roem. and Schult.) Miers ( Boraginaceae ) ( Alameda et al. 2023). New records: Senna occidentalis (L.) Link, S. hirsuta (L.) H.S. Irwin and Barnaby, S. alata (L.) Roxb., Poeppigia procera Presl. , Chamaecrista diphylla (L.) Greene ( Caesalpiniaceae ); Calopogonium caeruleum (Benth.) C. Wright. ( Fabaceae ); Malpighia emarginata D.C, Mascagnia lucida (Kunth) W.R. Anderson and C. Davis , Byrsonima pinetorum Griseb. , B. wrightiana Nied. , B. crassifolia (L.) Kunth, B. spicata (Cav.) D.C., Stigmaphyllom sagranum A. Juss. ( Malpighiaceae ); Melochia spicata (L.) Fryxell, M. savannarum Britton ( Byttneriaceae ); Miconia octona (Bonpl.) Judd and Majure , Conostegia xalapensis (Bonpl.) D. Don ex D.C. ( Melastomataceae ); Mimosa pudica L. ( Mimosaceae ); Eugenia farameoides A. Rich. , E. rocana Britton and P. Wils. ( Myrtaceae ); Securidaca elliptica Turcz. ( Polygalaceae ); Antigonon leptopus Hook. and Arn. ( Polygonaceae ); Solanum sp. ( Solanaceae ); Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Rich.) Vahl , S. jamaicensis (L.) Vahl. ( Verbenaceae ).

Between May 1 and 6, 2021, San Diego de Los Baños, several C. poecila males were observed foraging on inflorescences of Securidaca elliptica . The flowers of this plant were also visited by males of C. taina new species, C. aethiops and C. tarsata .

During two days, in 1 hr of sampling with an entomological net passed three times every 15 minutes at flowers, eight and 11 males of C. poecila were captured, respectively. The individuals were kept in nylon bags, identified and released at the end of the sampling period.

Distribution. Cuba , Isla de La Juventud and Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago (Coco, Sabinal, Guajaba, Romano, Cruz and Mégano Grande keys) ( Fernández et al. 1990; Genaro 2004).

Genaro (2007) incorrectly listed the species for Hispaniola, the Bahamas and Panama, however it may actually live in the Bahamas as it occurs in other Cuban islands or keys, as Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago, which is very close to Bahamas, demonstrating dispersion. Other authors also published erroneous records on the distribution of this species ( Friese 1900); Michener (1954) mentioned its presence from Panama and offered male terminalia drawings, but according to Moure et al. (2007) and Vivallo (2019) the species occurs only in Cuba . Snelling (1974) published male terminalia images, which are somewhat different from those of Michener (1954), and indicated how to differentiate the species from C. segregata Crawford.

Other entomologists also mentioned only Cuba in the range of distribution ( Smith 1854; Dalla Torre 1896; Ashmead 1900; Friese 1902; Lutz and Cockerell 1920; Snelling 1974).

Although discontinuous, the range of its occurrence in Cuba is wide, potentially reflecting insufficient sampling ( Fig. 8 ).

Figures

Figures 1–7. Centris poecila. Head in frontal view. 1) Female.2) Male. 3) Dorsal habitus of female. 4) Male visiting flowers of Melochia spicata, Malvaceae, San Diego de los Baños, Pinar del Río (photo D. Breto). 5) Female visiting flowers of Mascagnia sp., Malpighiaceae, Guantánamo (photo courtesy of W. Fidler). Female. 6) Basitibial plate. 7) Pygidial plate.

Figures 8–9. Centris poecila. 8) Seasonal occurrence, according to sex. 9) Distribution.