Heterocentris Cockerell

Genaro, Julio A. & Breto, Dayron, 2024, The genus Centris Fabricius in Cuba, with a new record and the description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), Insecta Mundi 2024 (41), pp. 1-26 : 12-14

Subgenus Heterocentris Cockerell

Diagnosis. The maxillary palps are three-segmented; some scopal hairs, especially near the base of the metatibia, are simple; there is a groove on the inner ventral edge of the front coxa; the female secondary basitibial plate does not have a distinct overhanging margin; the males have a carina along the posterior margin of the metabasitarsus, which usually terminates in a prominent tooth-like process ( Snelling 1974, 1984; Michener 2007).

Thiele (2003) did not recognize the synonymization of the subgenera Heterocentris and Hemisiella as proposed by other authors ( Michener 1951; Snelling 1984). Vivallo and Vélez (2016) recognized Hemisiella as a valid subgenus because its species form a distinct monophyletic group which is closely related to subgenera Heterocentris and Trachina Klug , with which it shares several synapomorphies in male morphology. Martins and Melo (2016) also recognized both subgenera in the New World molecular phylogeny and biogeographical analyses.

The bees in this subgenus adopt a variety of preexisting cavities as nest sites ( Frankie et al. 1993; Vinson et al. 1996, 2011; Viera de Jesus and Garófalo 2000).

Two species occur in the Antilles: C. cornuta and C. analis (Fabr.) .