Engel, Engel & Herhold & Davis & Wang & Thomas, 2021

Engel, Michael S., Herhold, Hollister W., Davis, Steven R., Wang, Bo & Thomas, Jennifer C., 2021, Stingless bees in Miocene amber of southeastern China (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of Melittology 2021 (105), pp. 1-83 : 78

Aphaneuropsis Engel , new subgenus

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8B67997E-43D5-432E-8C5F-8E155232B3E4

TYPE SPECIES: Centris cilipes Fabricius, 1804 .

DIAGNOSIS: This group includes those species of Trigona with four teeth that build temporary support pillars in the nest as well as regular horizontal brood combs (cf. Koilotrigona , infra). The subgenus is characterized by the following combination of traits: integument entirely dark brown to black; forewing membrane dichroic, proximally infuscate, apically whitish; mandible quadridentate; labrum simple, surface gently and evenly convex; vertex with distinct postocellar ridge (ridge absent or weak in Aphaneura Gray ); distance from median ocellus to postocellar ridge subequal to ocellar diameter; metatibia with distinct corbicula, with retromarginal fringe setae abundant.

ETYMOLOGY: The new subgeneric name is a combination of Aphaneura Gray [aphanḗs (ἀφᾰνής, meaning, “unseen”) and neûron (νεῦρον, meaning, “nerve”)] and the Greek ópsis (ὄψῐς, meaning, “appearance”). The gender of the name is feminine.

INCLUDED SPECIES: Aside from the type species, the subgenus includes T. lacteipennis Friese , T. mazucatoi Almeida , and T. pellucida Cockerell.