Coelioxys (Neocoelioxys), MITCHELL, 1973: 64

Rocha Filho, Léo Correia Da & Packer, Laurence, 2017, Phylogeny of the cleptoparasitic Megachilini genera Coelioxys and Radoszkowskiana, with the description of six new subgenera in Coelioxys (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 180 (2), pp. 354-413 : 403

COELIOXYS ( NEOCOELIOXYS) MITCHELL, 1973: 64

= Coelioxys ( Acrocoelioxys) Mitchell, 1973: 71 syn. nov.

= Coelioxys ( Melanocoelioxys) Mitchell, 1973: 78 syn. nov.

Type species: Coelioxys simillima Smith, 1854 .

Diagnosis: Most species of C. ( Neocoelioxys) can be diagnosed through the combination of supraclypeal area elevated medially, forming a rounded ridge in both sexes ( Fig. 53 ) (not elevated; Fig. 54 ), and T 5 lacking lateral spines in males ( Fig. 61 ). Nevertheless, C. otomita does not possess the former characteristic, and C. dolichos and C. abdominalis do not possess the second; however, all three can be correctly assigned using the key. Both these characteristics also show parallelisms elsewhere within Coelioxys , but only in Old World species that are very different morphologically, with the sole exception of C. bisoncornua from North America, but this species has the postgradular grooves of both T 2 and T 3 complete ( Fig. 24), whereas they are broadly interrupted medially (Fig. 25) in all C. ( Neocoelioxys) spp.

Comments: As the type species of both C. ( Acrocoelioxys) and C. ( Melanocoelioxys) were nested among C. ( Neocoelioxys) spp., the latter is regarded as a valid subgenus with which the other two are now synonymized. Species of this subgenus are mostly Neotropical, with several species distributed in the Caribbean, and a few: Coelioxys dolichos Fox, 1890 , Coelioxys menthae Cockerell, 1897 , and Coelioxys slossoni Viereck, 1902 found in the Nearctic. In both Moure et al. (2012) and Ascher & Pickering (2015) databases, many species are listed as C. ( Acrocoelioxys), but three are assigned herein to C. ( Leuraspidia), and Coelioxys praetextata Haliday, 1836 is regarded as belonging to C. ( Glyptocoelioxys), based upon the results of the phylogenetic analyses.

List of species: Coelioxys abdominalis Guerin-Meneville, 1844 *, Coelioxys aculeata Schrottky, 1902 , Coelioxys albifrons Friese, 1916 *, Coelioxys bipustulata Friese, 1921 *, Coelioxys brachypyga Friese, 1921 *, C. dolichos *, Coelioxys eximia Friese, 1921 *, Coelioxys foxii Viereck, 1902 *, Coelioxys laevicollis Friese, 1921 *, Coelioxys laevigata Smith, 1854 *, Coelioxys laevis Friese, 1921 *, C. menthae *, C. otomita *, Coelioxys popovi Strand, 1934 *, Coelioxys producta Cresson, 1865 *, C. rufipes *, C. simillima *, C. slossoni *, Coelioxys spinipyga Strand, 1910 *, Coelioxys tolteca Cresson, 1878 *, Coelioxys trispinosa Friese, 1921 *, Coelioxys turbinata Krombein, 1953 *, and Coelioxys vigilans Smith, 1879 *.

Figures

Figures 52–54. Female. 52, Coelioxys menthae, dorsal view of mid ocellus. 53, 54, frontal view of head (for supraclypeal area): 53, Coelioxys tolteca; 54, Coelioxys bertonii. Scale bars: 1.5 mm.

Figures 61–64. Male. 61, Coelioxys abdominalis: dorsal view of T5–T6 (lateral tooth of T5 indicated by black arrow). 62, Coelioxys menthae: ventral view of S4 (apical margin indicated by black arrow). 63, 64, Coelioxys azteca: 63, dorsal view of T5–T6 (lateral tooth of T5 indicated by black arrow); 64, ventral view of S4 (U-shaped process indicated by black arrow). Scale bars: 1.5 mm.