Scauracea Engel, 2022

Engel, Michael S., 2022, Notes on the stingless bee genera Scaura and Geotrigona (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of Melittology 2022 (108), pp. 1-4 : 2-3

Scauracea Engel , new subgenus

ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AC071DFD-EF46-4149-BB3D-3835FD5B2A47

TYPE SPECIES: Trigona argyrea Cockerell, 1912 .

DIAGNOSIS: The new subgenus can be distinguished by the following combination of features: mandible virtually edentate (as in Scaura s.str.); malar space shorter than flagellar diameter (as in Scaura s.str.); gena in profile narrower than compound eye (as in Scaura s.str.); metabasitarsus as wide as or wider than metatibia (as in Scaura s.str.); metasoma subtriangular, length 1.5× width (as in Schwarzula ); metasomal tergum VI with white setae (as in Schwarzula ); penis valves not strongly arched apically (pronouncedly arched apically in Schwarzula and Scaura s.str.). In addition, brood cells are arranged in horizontal discs rather than the irregular or columnar arrangements of Schwarzula and Scaura s.str.

ETYMOLOGY: The new subgeneric name is a combination of Scaura Schwarz (Latin, scaurus, meaning, “with a clubfoot”, as a reference to the expanded metabasitarsus) and the Latin suffix – āceus (meaning, “belonging to” or “having the nature of”). The gender of the name is feminine.

INCLUDED SPECIES: Scaura amazonica Nogueira, F. Oliveira, & M. Oliveira ; S. argyrea (Cockerell) ; S. aspera Nogueira & M. Oliveira ; S. atlantica Melo ; and S. cearensis Nogueira, Santos Júnior, & M. Oliveira.