Melissites, 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-

Melissites , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Melissites trigona Engel , new species.

DIAGNOSIS: See Diagnosis for Roussyana (below).

DESCRIPTION: Malar space short, shorter than basal mandibular width (fig. 105). Epistomal sulcus forming obtuse angle (fig. 105); clypeus without basal clypeal protrusion. F1 longer than F2; F2 shorter than F3. Compound eyes strongly converging below and emarginate (fig. 105). Preoccipital ridge rounded. Mesoscutal anterior border broadly rounded; tegula oval; scutellum bulging, projecting over metanotum and basal area of propodeum. Basal area of propodeum declivitous. Keirotrichiate field not elevated (fig. 107); metatibial spur ciliate; auricular basket sparse, setae short (fig. 106); rastellum strong and formed of stiff setae; lateral margins of metabasitarsus converging toward apex (figs. 106, 107). Three submarginal cells; anterior border of second submarginal cell as long as r­rs (fig. 109). Metasomal terga banded.

ETYMOLOGY: The new genus­group name is a combination of melissa (Greek, meaning ‘‘bee’’) and the suffix ­ ites (Greek, meaning ‘‘nature of’’ or ‘‘likeness’’, a common suffix for fossil genera). The name is feminine.