Revision of the Bee Genus Chlerogella
(Hymenoptera, Halictidae) Part 2

South American Species & Generic Diagnosis
ZooKeys No. 47

By Michael S. Engel
August 2010
Pensoft
Distributed by Coronet Books
ISBN: 9789546425515
100 pages, Illustrated
$57.50 Paper original

The genus Chlerogella historically has been one of the most infrequently encountered lineages of augochlorine bees (Apoidea: Anthophila: Halictidae: Augochlorini). By 1993 only three species were described and less than 40 specimens were known of a group presumed to be species poor and of limited geographic scope.

With their frequently elongate heads and characteristic habitus, species of the genus are quite distinctive, and although the available material of thses rare bees has grown to only 165, the number of species and their broader distribution has expanded significantly. This volume completes a revision of the world's species of Chlerogella, completing the large South American fauna (Part I, covering Central America, is available in ZooKeys 23). In total, the genus has grown from three species to 34 (27 are treated in the current work).

Color photomicrographs, detailed descriptions, and keys are provided to permit identification of the currently known taxa and aid the future discovery of new species. Unfortunately, almost nothing is known of the biology of these fascinating bees and this work will hopefully aid the discovery and elucidation of their natural history.

 

 

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