Taxonomic and phylogenetic problems in Old World eucerine bees, with special reference to the genus Tarsalia Morawitz, 1895 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophoridae)

Abstract

A tribe Ancylini was established by Michener (1944: 273) for the two genera Ancyla and Tarsalia, but the two are not closely allied and Tarsalia appears rather to be an aberrant member of the Eucerini. The previously-described species-group taxa of Ancyla are listed, and Ancyloscelis heterodoxa Cockerell, 1937, is synonymized with Ancyla oraniensis Lepeletier, 1841. The previously described species-group taxa of Tarsalia, including cellularis (Cameron, 1898), transferred from Tetralonia, and mimetes (Cockerell, 1933), transferred from Tetraloniella, both new combinations in Tarsalia, are reviewed. Tarsalia strobilanthae, sp. nov., is described from India. Glazunovia, gen. nov., is proposed for Melissina of Popov, 1962, a misidentified taxon. The position of the anomalous eucerine Tetralonia brevipennis Cameron, 1898, is discussed.

Keywords :

• Ancylini
• Ancyla
• Melissina
• Glazunovia gen. nov.
• Tarsalia strobilanthae sp. nov.
• asymmetrical structures in Eucerini
• taxonomy
• biodiversity