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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Pollinating Insect-Biology, Management, Systematics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #345622
Title: The Resin and Carder bees of south India (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Anthidiini)

Author
item KUMAR, VEERESH - Bangladesh Agricultural University
item Griswold, Terry
item VELAVADI, VASUKI - Bangladesh Agricultural University

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2017
Publication Date: 9/5/2017
Citation: Kumar, V., Griswold, T.L., Velavadi, V.V. 2017. The Resin and Carder bees of south India (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Anthidiini). Zootaxa. 4317(3):436–468.

Interpretive Summary: Southern India is one of the least known area in terms of its native bee fauna. A study of the resin and carder bees in the Indian state of Karnataka was conducted. This is the first study of its kind in southern India. Though the number of species found, thirteen, is not large, it represents a rich diversity of genera eight genera. As a result of this study, one species described from India, Eoanthidium tricolor Pasteels, was found to be the same as an earlier named species E. salemense (Cockerell) and is therefore removed from the list of valid species. The identity of one species of the carder bee genus Anthidium remains unclear; further study will be needed. All species are described and floral associations and season of activity are provided.

Technical Abstract: Little is known about the Anthidiini of southern India. A study focused on the state of Karnataka found a hitherto unknown diversity of thirteen species. Though the number of species is not large, the generic diversity is noteworthy (eight genera represented): Anthidiellum (2 species), Anthidium (2 species), Eoanthidium (2 species), Euaspis (2 species), Pachyanthid-ium (1 species), Pseudoanthidium (2 species), Stelis (1 species) and Trachusoides (1 species) are recorded from southern India. Eoanthidium tricolor Pasteels is here synonymized with E. salemense (Cockerell). The identity of a species of An-thidium (Anthidium) remains unclear. Species descriptions, floral associations, flight periods and specimen records are provided.