Homalictus aponi (Cheesman & Perkins, 1939)

Zakardjian, Marie, Jourdan, Herve, Cochenille, Thomas, Mahe, Prisca & Geslin, Benoit, 2023, Checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) of New Caledonia, Biodiversity Data Journal 11, pp. 105291-105291 : 105291

Homalictus aponi (Cheesman & Perkins, 1939)

Feeds on

Amaranthaceae : Achyranthes aspera (alien); Anacardiaceae : Schinus terebinthifolia (alien); Araliaceae : Polyscias sp. (native); Asteraceae : Bidens pilosa (alien), Blumea lacera (native), Conyza sp. (alien), Calendula sp. (alien), Emilia sonchifolia (alien), Tridax procumbens (alien), Tridax sp. (alien), Youngia japonica (alien); Brassicaceae : Lepidium virginicum (alien); Caesalpiniaceae : Crotalaria sp. (alien); Cunoniaceae : Geissois sp. (native), Pancheria billardierei (native); Dilleniaceae : Hibbertia deplancheana (native), Hibbertia lucens (native), Hibbertia podocarpifolia (native), Hibbertia pulchella (native), Hibbertia tontoutensis (native), Hibbertia sp. (native); Ericaceae : Styphelia cf. cymbulae (native); Euphorbiaceae : Euphorbia hypericifolia (alien), Euphorbia lophogona (alien), unknown (native); Goodeniaceae : Scaevola beckii (native), Scaevola montana (native), Scaevola sp. (native); Loganiaceae : Geniostoma densiflora (native); Malpighiaceae : Acridocarpus austrocaledonicus (native); Malvaceae : Sida acuta (alien), Sida rhombifolia (alien); Mimosaceae : Acacia spirorbis (native), Leucaena leucocephala (alien), Mimosa diplotricha (alien); Myrtaceae : Melaleuca quinquenervia (native), Metrosideros operculata (native), Sannantha leratii (native), Sannantha virgata (native), Xanthostemon sp. (native); Onagraceae : Bougainvillea sp. (alien), Ludwigia octovalvis (native); Orchidaceae : Eriaxis rigida (native); Papaveraceae : Argemone mexicana (alien); Proteaceae : Stenocarpus phyllodineus (native); Rubiaceae : Normandia neocaledonica (native); Sapotaceae : Leptostylis petiolata (native); Solanaceae : Solanum lycopersicum (alien), Solanum torvum (alien), Solanum sp. (alien); Tiliaceae : Corchorus sp. (native); Verbenaceae : Duranta erecta (alien), Stachytarpheta indica (alien), Verbena sp. (alien); Violaceae : Agatea longipedicellata (native); Zygophyllaceae : Tribulus cistoides (alien) ( Donovan et al. 2013).

Native status

Native

Distribution

Vanuatu

Notes

This bee appears as the most common native bee in New Caledonia. It has been observed in a wide range of habitats (including urban, non-ultramafic, ultramafic and altitude environments) in the whole archipelago.

Potential confusion with Homalictus urbanus from Australia; Pauly and Villemant (2009) highlighted a slight difference between the specimens of Vanuatu and New Caledonia compared to specimens from Australia. Based on preliminary biomolecular analysis (unpublished data), we confirm that H. aponi is a different species from H. urbanus and we confirm its status as a native species from Vanuatu and New Caledonia.