Ceratina (Protopithitis)

Taxonomy

Family: Apidae
Subfamily: Xylocopinae
Tribe: Ceratinini
Genus: Ceratina Latreille, 1802
Subgenus: Protopithitis Hirashima, 1969
Common name: small carpenter bees

Overview

Ceratina (Protopithitis) consists of medium-sized bees that have strongly metallic dark blue-green integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
with distinct, coarse punctationpunctation:
overall pattern of the punctures on a surface of a bee, includes size of punctures and the distance between them
. They have a body length of about 8 mm (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Hirashima 1969Hirashima 1969:
Hirashima, Y. 1969. Synopsis of the genus Pithitis Klug of the world (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae). Pacific Insects 11: 649ndash;669.; Eardley and Daly 2007Eardley and Daly 2007:
Eardley, C. and H.V. Daly. 2007. Bees of the genus Ceratina LATREILLE in southern Africa (Hymenoptera, Apoidea). Entomofauna- Zeitschrift Fuuml;r Entomologie 13: 1ndash;96.)

• Axillae not spined.
• Propodeum propodeum:
  the last segment of the thorax
  with vertical posterior face not separated from dorsaldorsal:
  in general, the upper surface
  area by a carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  .
• T2 without gradulusgradulus:
  A transverse line on abdominal segments of some bees that is formed by a groove or a step between two regions that differ in height. This line can be well developed and present across the entire segment but can also be diminished or absent through part of the segment, requiring close inspection.
  and T3T3:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  with a weak gradulusgradulus:
  A transverse line on abdominal segments of some bees that is formed by a groove or a step between two regions that differ in height. This line can be well developed and present across the entire segment but can also be diminished or absent through part of the segment, requiring close inspection.
  .
• Male T7T7:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  bidentatebidentate:
  having two teeth
  at apexapex:
  end of any structure
  .
• Male sternasterna:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  , particularly S4S4:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  and S5S5:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  , each with special pubescencepubescence:
  short, fine hair
  in the middle.
• Female with area of wax glands on S2S2:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  and S3S3:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  .
• Female basitibial platebasitibial plate:
  a small plate at the base of the hind tibia, like a kneecap
  absent.

May be confused with

Ceratina (Protopithitis) may be confused with some species of the Ceratina (Pithitis) because of the lack of graduligraduli:
A transverse line on abdominal segments of some bees that is formed by a groove or a step between two regions that differ in height. This line can be well developed and present across the entire segment but can also be diminished or absent through part of the segment, requiring close inspection.
on T2T2:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
to T6T6:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
, the strong punctationpunctation:
overall pattern of the punctures on a surface of a bee, includes size of punctures and the distance between them
on the integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
, and the lack of a strong basitibial platebasitibial plate:
a small plate at the base of the hind tibia, like a kneecap
in the female. Ceratina (Protopithitis) can be separated by the shape of the axillae, which are not produced into a spine, the absence of a carinacarina:
a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
separating basalbasal:
originating at the foundation of a structure
area of propodeumpropodeum:
the last segment of the thorax
from posterior surface, and the shape of T7T7:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
of the male that is bidentatebidentate:
having two teeth
in C. (Protopithitis) and rounded or pointed in C. (Pithitis).

Host associations

Host associations are unknown.

Nesting behavior

The nesting behavior of Protopithitis is unknown, but it is likely that they nest inside pithy stems and twigs as in other subgenera of Ceratina.

Diversity

Ceratina (Protopithitis) includes two species; Ceratina aereola and Ceratina daressalamica (Eardley and Daly 2007Eardley and Daly 2007:
Eardley, C. and H.V. Daly. 2007. Bees of the genus Ceratina LATREILLE in southern Africa (Hymenoptera, Apoidea). Entomofauna- Zeitschrift Fuuml;r Entomologie 13: 1ndash;96.; Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Distribution

Ceratina (Protopithitis) are known from Gabon to Tanzania, and south through coastal South Africa (Hirashima 1969Hirashima 1969:
Hirashima, Y. 1969. Synopsis of the genus Pithitis Klug of the world (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae). Pacific Insects 11: 649ndash;669.; Eardley and Daly 2007Eardley and Daly 2007:
Eardley, C. and H.V. Daly. 2007. Bees of the genus Ceratina LATREILLE in southern Africa (Hymenoptera, Apoidea). Entomofauna- Zeitschrift Fuuml;r Entomologie 13: 1ndash;96.; Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

​Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.

References

Eardley, C. and H.V. Daly. 2007. Bees of the genus Ceratina LATREILLE in southern Africa (Hymenoptera, Apoidea). Entomofauna- Zeitschrift Für Entomologie 13: 1–96.

Hirashima, Y. 1969. Synopsis of the genus Pithitis Klug of the world (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae). Pacific Insects 11 (3–4): 649–669.

Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.