Family: Apidae
Subfamily: Xylocopinae
Tribe: Ceratinini
Genus: Ceratina Latreille, 1802
Subgenus: Catoceratina Vecht, 1952
Common name: small carpenter bees
Ceratina (Catoceratina) are robust bees with black integument with distinct yellow markings on the body. They can range in body length from 8.0–10.5 mm (Michener 2007).
(modified from Hirashima 1971a)
Ceratina (Catoceratina) resemble species in C. (Ceratinidia) with their abundant yellow markings and the presence of a preoccipital carina. C. (Catoceratina) can be distinguished from C. (Ceratinidia) by the impunctate paraocular area above the antennal socket and by the dense, curled scopal hairs on the sterna.
Ceratina perforatrix has been documented visiting flowers of a number of different plant species in different families including; Costaceae (Cheilocostus speciosus), Goodeniaceae (Scaevola sericea), Acanthaceae (Asystasia gangetica, Ruellia malacosperma, and Strobilanthes cusia), Cucurbitaceae (Luffa aegyptiaca), Lamiaceae (Vitex trifolia); Melastomataceae (Dissotis rotundifolias and Melastoma malabathricum), and Turneraceae (Turnera subulata) (Kwan 2020; Soh and Ngiam 2013).
Nesting habits are unknown, but in general all species of the genus Ceratina nest in pithy or hollowed stems and twigs (Michener 2007).
Ceratina (Catoceratina) includes two species; although the placement of Ceratina (Catoceratina) spledida has been questioned and may need to be investigated further (Shiokawa 2008; Warrit 2009).
There are no known invasives.
Ceratina (Catoceratina) occur from Burma, Thailand, and the Philippine Islands south to Sumatra, Java, and Borneo (Vecht 1952; Hirashima 1971a).
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