Augochlorella Sandhouse, 1937

ENGEL, MICHAEL S., 2000, Classification Of The Bee Tribe Augochlorini (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2000 (250), pp. 1-89 : 32-33

Genus Augochlorella Sandhouse

Augochlorella Sandhouse, 1937: 66 . Type species: Augochlora gratiosa Smith, 1853 , original designation.

Oxystoglossidia Moure, 1943a: 473 . Type species: Oxystoglossidia uraniella Moure, 1943a [= Oxystoglossa ephyra Schrottky, 1911 ], original designation.

DIAGNOSIS: This genus can be separated from other members of the Augochloragroup ( Augochlora , Ceratalictus , and Pereirapis ) by the combination of an orthogonal epistomal sulcus, the acute marginal cell apex, and the absence of a large basal lobe on the inner metatibial spur.

DESCRIPTION: Female. Mandible with weak subapical tooth. Labral distal process narrowly triangular; basal elevation orbicular to transverse; teeth weak. Prementum not greatly elongate. Galeal apex rounded; galeal comb absent. Hypostomal ridge carinate; anterior angle rounded. Length of malar space less than basal mandibular width. Epistomal sulcus orthogonal. Ocelli not greatly enlarged; ocellar furrow absent. Vertex neither expanded nor ridged behind ocelli. Preoccipital ridge carinate. Pronotal lateral angle not produced, orthogonal to obtuse; dorsal ridge carinate; lateral ridge angled, but distinctly not carinate. Mesoscutal anterior border rounded; mesoscutal lip rounded. Tegula oval. Anterior basitarsal brush present. Basitibial plate with well-developed borders. Inner hind tibial spur serrate. Apex of marginal cell apex acute. Distal hamuli with irregular spacing pattern. Basal area of propodeum striate, rugose, or granular. Male. Mandible simple. Labrum with distal process; basal area not notched. Antenna extending back to scutellum; F2 shorter than F1. Inner hind tibial spur serrate. Metasoma oval. Apical margins of S4 and S5 unmodified. Apical margin of S6 emarginate. Apical margins of S7 and S8 with median processes; spiculum narrow. Proctiger with anal filaments. Gonobasal bridge narrow; dorsal lobes variously produced. Parapenial lobe and basal process of gonostylus absent; ventral process divided; dorsal process variously constructed, a large partially membranous or sclerotized flange. Ventral surface of penis valve with prong.

REVISIONS: The species of Augochlorella occurring in the United States and Mexico have been revised by Ordway (1966b). A new revision of the genus, including the South American species, is currently under preparation (B. Coelho, in prep.). Moure and Hurd (1987) listed sixteen extant species; however, their Augochlorella cladopyga (Cockerell) is a junior synonym of Pereirapis semiaurata (Spinola) (see appendix 1).

BIOLOGY: Species of Augochlorella are primitively eusocial and nest in the soil (Eickwort and Eickwort, 1973a; Knerer, 1968; Knerer and Atwood, 1962, 1966; Ordway, 1961, 1964, 1966a; Sakagami and Moure, 1967). One species, A. striata (Provanch- er), has been the focus of a number of studies concerning nestmate relatedness (Mueller 1991, 1996; Mueller et al., 1994) and social development (Ordway, 1965; Packer, 1990) The mature larva and pupa have been described for A. edentata Michener by Eickwort and Eickwort (1973a) (table 2).

DISTRIBUTION: Species of Augochlorella are distributed from northern Argentina to southern Canada. No species occur in the West Indies.