Succinapis goeleti, Engel, 2001

ENGEL, MICHAEL S., 2001, A Monograph Of The Baltic Amber Bees And Evolution Of The Apoidea (Hymenoptera), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2001 (259), pp. 1-1 : 1-

Succinapis goeleti , new species Figures 86–92 Plate 7d

DIAGNOSIS: Succinapis goeleti is the most primitive species of the genus as it is presently understood (see phylogenetic discussion below; fig. 99). The species can be distinguished from all other Succinapis by the short clypeal protrusion that does not extend above the level of the antennae by more than the diameter of an antennal socket (figs. 86– 88), the greatly narrowed second submarginal cell (fig. 91), and the impunctate pleura, among other features.

DESCRIPTION: Female. Total body length 3.55 mm; forewing length 3.30 mm. Head wider than long (length 0.93 mm, width 1.23 mm). Clypeal protrusion short, not extending dorsally above level of antennal sockets by more than diameter of an antennal socket (figs. 86–88), protrusion not bent anteriorly. Upper interorbital distance 0.92 mm; lower interorbital distance 0.82 mm. Interocellar distance 0.27 mm; ocellocular distance 0.32 mm; median to lateral ocellus 0.08 mm. Intertegular distance 0.78 mm. Basal vein basad cu­a by 2.5 times vein width; 1m­cu basad 2rs­m by five times vein width; 2rs­m distad 2m­cu by 1.5 times vein width; first submarginal cell shorter than second and third combined; length of anterior border of second submarginal cell one­tenth that of posterior border (i.e., second submarginal cell strongly narrowed anteriorly); length of posterior border of third submarginal cell 1.5 times that of anterior border, anterior border seven times length of anterior border of second submarginal cell; six distal hamuli, arranged in a single, evenly spaced series.

Clypeus impunctate and smooth. Face, vertex, and gena with sparse, minute punctures, integument between smooth. Pronotum with sparse, faint, minute punctures, integument between smooth. Mesoscutum and scutellum sculptured as on mesoscutum. Tegula impunctate and smooth. Metanotum impunctate and faintly imbricate. Pleura impunctate and smooth. Propodeum glabrous. Metasoma impunctate and faintly imbricate.

Head, mesosoma, and metasoma black without maculations; legs dark brown. Wing membrane hyaline; veins strong and dark brown.

Pubescence fuscous. Labrum with moderate­length, simple, erect setae scattered on surface. Clypeus with sparse, minute, suberect, simple setae and short, simple, suberect, anteriorly­directed setae on dorsal­facing surface of clypeal protrusion. Face with sparse, suberect, minute, simple setae. Setae of vertex and gena as described for face. Postgena with short, simple, erect setae. Pubescence of pronotum as described for face. Mesoscutum with short, sparse, simple, erect setae. Scutellum with erect, long (2.5–4 OD) setae on posterior border, setae minutely plumose. Pleural pubescence as described for face. Lateral surface of propodeum with pubescence as described for face; basal area of propodeum without pubescence. Inner surface of metafemur and metatrochanter without pubescence except apical sixth of metafemur with dense field of keirotrichiae; inner surface of metatibia with keirotrichiate field, field separated by its width from metatibial apex; corbicula bordered by long, minutelyplumose setae; metatarsus with simple, stout setae; seven comb rows on inner surface of metabasitarsus. Metasomal terga with sparse, simple, short, appressed setae, slightly more numerous laterally; sterna with scattered, simple, erect (2.5–3 OD) setae.

MATERIAL: Two specimens. Holotype. Female, worker caste, B­JH 90 ( AMNH) labeled: ‘‘Baltic amber: Eocene, Kaliningrad, Yantarny’’ // ‘‘ Holotype, Succinapis goeleti Engel’’.

Paratype. Female, worker caste, B­W 162 ( AMNH) labeled: ‘‘Baltic amber: Eocene, Kaliningrad, Yantarny’’ // ‘‘ Paratype, Succinapis goeleti Engel’’.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet is a patronymic honoring Mr. Robert G. Goelet, Chairman Emeritus of the AMNH Board of Trustees. Mr. Goelet has generously support­ ed my work at the AMNH, while at the same time greatly augmenting the collection of living and amber­fossil insects. It is only fitting that one of these spectacular fossils bear his name.

Figures

Figs. 86–88. Head of holotype female of Succinapis goeleti, new species. 86. Frontal view. 87. Lateral view. 88. Frontodorsal, oblique view. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 89–90. Metatibia and metatarsus of holotype female of Succinapis goeleti, new species. 89. Outer surface. 90. Inner surface. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Figs. 91–92. Wings of holotype female of Succinapis goeleti, new species. 91. Forewing. 92. Hind wing. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.