New data on resin bees belonging to Trachusa (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) from eastern Africa

Authors

  • Max Kasparek Mönchhofstr. 16, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
  • Robert S. Copeland International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17161/jom.vi146.24254

Abstract

The resin bee Trachusa massauahensis Pasteels, 1984, previously known only from the female holotype collected in Massawa on the Eritrean Red Sea coast, is newly reported from Kenya and a small Red Sea island. The previously undescribed male of the species is described here for the first time. The morphological characters observed as well as genetic barcoding support the species’ placement within the subgenus Trachusa (Paraanthidium). Additionally, new material of Trachusa eburneomaculata Pasteels, 1984 is presented from Kenya, expanding the known range of this species, which had also been known only from the type locality. Additional diagnostic characters are provided.

References

Coe, M. 1999. Introduction. In: Coe, M., N. McWilliam, G. Stone, & M. Parker (Eds.), Mkomazi: The Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation of a Tanzanian Savanna: 5–13. Royal Geographic Society with the Institute of British Geographers; London; 608 pp.

Flaminio, S., P. Nalinrachatakan, N. Warrit, G. Cilia, & G. Quaranta. 2021. Trachusa vietnamensis, a new species from Vietnam (Hymenoptera Apoidea Megachilidae). Bulletin of Insectology 74(2): 307–310.

Greenway, P.J. 1973. A classification of the vegetation of East Africa. Kirkia 9: 1–68.

Griswold, T., & R.S. Copeland. 2026. New Cyphanthidium (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): highly modified female hindtibial spurs and convergence across bee families in a center of dryland diversity. Journal of Melittology (in press).

Kasparek, M. 2017. Resin bees of the anthidiine genus Trachusa. Identification, taxonomy, distribution and biology of the Old World species. Entomofauna Supplement 21: 1–152.

Kasparek, M. 2018a. A new species of Trachusa Panzer, 1804 (Megachilidae: Anthidiini) from southern Africa, with notes on the subgeneric classification and a key to the Afrotropical species. Zootaxa 4399(3): 329–340. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4399.3.3

Kasparek, M. 2018b. Taxonomic revision proves Trachusa pubescens (Morawitz, 1872) sensu lato to be a complex of allopatric and sympatric species in South-Eastern Europe and Western Asia (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Anthidiini). ZooKeys 764: 111–144. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.764.24581

Kasparek, M. 2019. A new species in the Trachusa ovata species group (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) from Peninsular Malaysia with an overview of the Old World species within the genus Trachusa. Journal of Natural History 53: 1079–1094. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2019.1632953

Kasparek, M. 2020. Revision of the West Palaearctic Trachusa interrupta species complex (Apoidea: Anthidiini) with description of four new species. Zootaxa 4728(1): 1–48. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4728.1.1

Michener, D.C. 2007. The Bees of the World [2nd Edition]. Johns Hopkins University Press; Baltimore, MD; xvi+[i]+953 pp., +20 pls.

Niu, Z.-Q., J.S. Ascher, M.C. Orr, T. Griswold, & C.-D. Zhu. 2019. Overview of the bee genus Trachusa Panzer, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Megachilidae: Anthidiini) from China with description of three new species. Zootaxa 4646(2): 251–270. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4646.2.3

Pasteels, J.J. 1984. Révision des Anthidiinae (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Megachilidae) de l’Afrique subsaharienne. Académie Royale de Belgique, Mémoires de la Classe des Sciences, Collection in-4° - 2e série, 19(1): 1–165.

Pauly, A., & R.S. Copeland. 2019. Meganomia somalica (Friese, 1915) comb. nov. and new records of Meganomiinae for East Africa (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Melittidae). Belgian Journal of Entomology 89: 1–22.

Ratnasingham, S., & P.D.N. Hebert. 2007. BOLD: the barcoding of life data system (www.barcodinglife.org). Molecular Ecology Notes 7: 355–364. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-8286.2007.01678.x

bee

Downloads

Published

21-05-2026

How to Cite

Kasparek, M., & Copeland, R. S. (2026). New data on resin bees belonging to Trachusa (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) from eastern Africa. Journal of Melittology, 146. https://doi.org/10.17161/jom.vi146.24254