Xylocopa (Copoxyla) iris ( Christ, 1791 )

Lucia, Mariano, Villamil, Soledad C. & Gonzalez, Victor H., 2015, A gynandromorph of Xylocopa augusti and an unusual record of X. iris from Brazil (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopini), Journal of Melittology 2015 (53), pp. 1-7 : 5

Xylocopa (Copoxyla) iris ( Christ, 1791)

putative Brazilian record

( Figs. 9–13 )

MATERIAL EXAMINED: 1♀ ( Figs. 9–13 ); Brazil , MUSEUM PARIS-Coll. J. Perez 1915; deposited in the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France .

COMMENTS: This specimen is part of the J.M. Pérez collection, and it was found among specimens of Xylocopa (Schonnherria) splendidula Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau from Brazil, a species that resembles X. iris in the small body size and integument with distinctive blue metallic highlights. The two species are not only easily distinguished by the wing coloration (dark in X. iris and hyaline in X. splendidula ), but also by the subgeneric characters [i.e., presence of gradulus on T1–T5, pygidial plate without preapical spines in X. iris (of subgenus Copoxyla Maa ) ( Figs. 11–13 )] indicated in the key to the subgenera of Xylocopa in Michener (2007). Two scenarios are equally plausible to explain the specimen of this Old World species possibly collected in Brazil nearly a century ago. Either it might represent an unsuccessful introduction event in the New World or a mislabeled specimen. Both hypotheses are equally possible because similar cases are commonly reported among bees, including Xylocopa (e.g., Burmeister, 1876; Gonzalez & Griswold, 2011). The fact that X. iris has not since been collected in Brazil does not favor either hypothesis. A few South American species of Xylocopa , such as X. maidli Maa , are known only from the type specimen and have not since been collected (M. Lucia, unpubl. data). The handwriting of the locality label does not provide insights to the identity of its collector either. According to Mrs. Agnièle Touret-Alby, curator of the museum in Paris, the general appearance of the writing, particularly the capital letter, is clearly different from that of J.M. Pérez as well as from that of A.L.M. Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau. The second label that reads “collection Pérez, 1915” only indicates that this specimen was part of the Pérez collection, which the museum acquired in 1915.

Figures

Figure 9. Dorsal habitus and labels of female specimen of Xylocopa (Copoxyla) iris (Christ) possibly collected in Brazil. Scale: 2 mm.

Figures 10–13. Female specimen of Xylocopa (Copoxyla) iris (Christ) possibly collected in Brazil. 10. Facial view. 11. Metasoma, dorsal view. 12. Detail of T2 and T3 showing gradulus. 13. Pygidial plate of T6. Scale: 2 mm.