Proplebeia, Michener, 1982: 44, 1982

CAMARGO, JOÃO M. F., GRIMALDI, DAVID, A. & PEDRO, SILVIA R. M., 2000, The Extinct Fauna of Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) in Dominican Amber: Two New Species and Redescription of the Male of Proplebeia dominicana (Wille and Chandler), American Museum Novitates 3293, pp. 1-1 : 1-

GENUS PROPLEBEIA MICHENER

Figures 1–22

Trigona (Proplebeia) Michener, 1982: 44 .

Typespecies Trigona (Liotrigona) dominicana Wille and Chandler, 1964 , by original designation.

DIAGNOSIS: Small bees; body length 2.0– 4.4 mm. General body form, legs and pattern of wing venation as in Plebeia (s.s.). Differs from Plebeia principally by broad, smooth, depressed posterior margin of the inner surface of tibia III (2 ⁄ 7 to ⅓ the width of keirotrichiate area; in Plebeia ca. 1 ⁄ 6 to 1 ⁄ 5), rastellum with 7–9 long, cylindrical, spinelike hairs, and S6 of male with long, broad median projection (in Plebeia , the projection of S6 reduced or absent).

Figures

Figs. 1, 2. Proplebeia dominicana; 1. male, specimen AMNH­DR­14­1178; 2. worker, specimen AMNH­DR­14­1111. Scale = 1.0 mm.

Figs. 3, 4. Proplebeia dominicana, tibia III. 3. outer surface, specimen AMNH­DR­14­1179; 4. inner surface, detail of the keirotrichiate area and rastellum, specimen AMNH­DR­14­1175. Scale = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 5. Proplebeia dominicana, male, specimen AMNH­DR­14­1178. Scale = 1.0 mm.

Figs. 6, 7. Proplebeia dominicana, genitalia of male, posterior view and profile, specimen AMNH­ DR­14­954; S5–S7 = 5th–7th metasomal sterna, respectively. Scale = 1.0 mm.

Figs. 8–10. Forewing, worker; 8. Proplebeia vetusta, sp.n., holotype, specimen, AMNH­DR­14­854; 9. Proplebeia dominicana, specimen AMNH­DR­14­1175; 10. Proplebeia tantilla, sp. n., paratype, specimen AMNH­DR­14­911. Scale = 1.0 mm.

Figs. 11–13. Proplebeia vetusta, sp. n., holotype, AMNH­DR­14­1481, head, detail of mandible, tibia and tarsus III, detail of penicillum and rastellum. Minor scale bar = 1.0 mm (fig. 11), large scale bar = 1.0 mm (figs. 12–13).

Fig. 14. Proplebeia vetusta, sp. n., holotype, AMNH­DR­14­1481. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figs. 15–19. Proplebeia tantilla, sp. n. 15–17. holotype, male, AMNH­DR­14­1439, head, forewing, and tibia and tarsus III. 18, 19. paratype, worker, same amber piece, fragments of tibia and tarsus III, detail of rastellum, and mandible, detail of denticles.

Fig. 20. Proplebeia tantilla, sp. n., holotype, male, AMNH­DR­14­1439, detail of pregenital sterna and genitalia, ventral view.

Fig. 21. Photomicrograph of Proplebeia tantilla, sp. n., male, holotype, AMNH­DR­14­1439. Scale = 1.0 mm.

Fig. 22. Photomicrographs of Proplebeia vetusta, sp. n., worker, paratype, AMNH­DR­14­1440. Scale = 1.0 mm.