Lisotrigona cacciae (Nurse 1907)

Rasmussen, Claus, 2013, Stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) of the Indian subcontinent: Diversity, taxonomy and current status of knowledge, Zootaxa 3647 (3), pp. 401-428 : 407

Lisotrigona cacciae (Nurse 1907)

( Figs 3 a–i, map 2)

Melipona cacciae Nurse 1907: 619 : Lectotype (BMNH 17b.1103, worker): examined, “ LECTOTYPE ” (blue border), “ Type ” (red border), “B.M. TYPE / HYM. / 17B.1103”, “ Melipona / cacciae / (Nurse)”, “Col. C.G. Nurse / Collection. / 1920-72 ”, “Hoshung- / -abad / Type ”, “ LISOTRIGONA / cacciae (Nurse) / det. M. S. Engel, 1999”, “ LECTOTYPE / Melipona / cacciae Nurse / design. J. S. Moure, 1961 / (ref: Engel, Oriental Insects, 2000)”. Type locality: INDIA, Madhya Pradesh, Hoshangabad [ca. 23.25°N, 78.2°E].

Provenance: Charles George Nurse (1862–1933) based his description on specimens collected by A.M.F. Caccia, of the Indian Forest Department, and presented to Nurse though the courtesy of Isaac Henry Burkill (1870–1965), reporter on Economic Products to the Government of India since 1902.

Comments: Engel (2000) synonymized Trigona scintillans Cockerell, 1920 from Sandakan, Borneo, under L. cacciae (from India). Engel (2000) found no structural differences between the specimens and although coloration varied both within and between specimens from different locations, he pointed out that even the original type series of L. cacciae from a single locality, as described by Nurse (1907), included specimens with variable coloration (“abdomen dark red … [to] almost black in some specimens”). Jobiraj and Narendran (2004) in their account of Lisotrigona from India did not have access to the type specimen of L. cacciae and made a few misinterpretations in their comparisons to this species: in L. cacciae the head is near black in some specimens (not brown to dark brown), the gena is finely punctate (not impunctate) ( Fig. 3 g), pubescence on clypeus is too short to clearly distinguish whether or not it is plumose (stated as being simple) ( Fig. 3 d), but the hypoepimeron (immediately above the scrobal groove) has very fine hairs (not without hairs). In addition, the metanotum is imbricate but approaching reticulate sensu Harris (1979). The diagnostic characters for L. mohandasi thus approach L. cacciae , and a direct comparison of the two primary type specimens is necessary to encounter reliable diagnostic characters for their separation.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Lisotrigona cacciae (Nurse): lectotype of Melipona cacciae. 3 A. Habitus, dorsal view. 3 B. Frontal view of head. 3 C. Habitus, left lateral view. 3 D. Lower frontal view of head, including partially hidden mandibles. 3 E. Labels. 3 F. Habitus, right lateral view. 3 G. Lateral view of head including genal area. 3 H. Right forewing. 3 I. View towards propodeum.