Apis meriana Olivier, 1789

Nemésio, André & Rasmussen, Claus, 2011, Nomenclatural issues in the orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossina) and an updated catalogue, Zootaxa 3006, pp. 1-42 : 9-10

Apis meriana Olivier, 1789 and Apis dimidiata Fabricius, 1793

Description of the NEOTYPE male (same specimen for both species) ( Fig. 4 ): Measurements: total length ca. 26.0 mm; head width ca. 7.3 mm; eye length ca. 5.0 mm; scutellum width ca. 5.5 mm; scutellum length ca. 3.2 mm; abdominal width ca. 11.0 mm. Color and vestiture. Face and head entirely black ( Fig. 4 C), mesosoma dark brown with black hairs, T1–T4 dark with greenish metallic hues, first 2/3 of its length clothed in black setae and distal 1/3 clothed in yellow setae; T5–T7 brown with predominantly long reddish setae ( Fig. 4 A); fifth sternum with very sparse setae ( Fig. 4 B). Legs. Velvet area of mesotibia not reaching the distal portion, leaving only a broad black area around; mesotibial tuft small, occupying the basal first quarter of the velvet area ( Fig. 4 D); metatibia covered with very sparse black hairs.

Diagnosis. Eulaema meriana is similar to the sympatric El. bombiformis ( Packard, 1869) . Nevertheless, they can easily be distinguished by the presence of dense setae on the fifth sternum of El. bombiformis , leaving only a glabrous median longitudinal line (only sparse and short setae on the fifth sternum in El. meriana ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Eulaema meriana (Olivier, 1789) and El. dimidiata (Fabricius, 1793) neotype (same specimen). A. Dorsal view, B. Ventral view, C. Head, frontal view, D. Mesotibia.