Lepidotrigona latipes ( Friese, 1900 )

Ascher, John S., Soh, Zestin W. W., Chui, Shao Xiong, Soh, Eunice J. Y., Ho, Benjamin M., Lee, John X. Q., Gajanur, Anya R. & Ong, Xin Rui, 2022, The bees of Singapore (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila): First comprehensive country checklist and conservation assessment for a Southeast Asian bee fauna, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 70, pp. 39-64 : 50

39. Lepidotrigona latipes ( Friese, 1900) Broad-legged Stingless Bee

Both the taxonomic status and the type locality of this species have been controversial, with some authors treating it as a synonym or potential subspecies of L. nitidiventris ( Smith, 1857) ( Schwarz, 1937, 1939; Sakagami, 1975; Rasmusen, 2008). Attasopa et al. (2020) studied type material and concluded that L. latipes and also L. trochanterica ( Cockerell, 1920c) from Sandakan, Borneo, belonged to the L. nitidiventris group but that they, “clearly differ from each other as well as from L. nitidiventris as stated in the diagnosis of the latter species”. However, the diagnosis in question only notes differences in colour (of terga, tegulae, and vertex hairs) separating these forms and does not account for potential geographic variation within this complex. There are many remaining uncertainties about species delimitation in Lepidotrigona (see Sakagami, 1975), and in the absence of revisionary study of extensive material, the true status of L. latipes remains in doubt. Furthermore, the type locality of L. latipes has been a source of confusion as it is cited as “ Malacca ( Singapore)” in the description whereas the type label cites “ India / Singapore ”. Bees in this group are known from Southeast Asia, not India, so the latter is not a plausible locality, but it is not clear if the bee was from Singapore or from Malacca (= Melaka) state (or city) in southern Peninsular Malaysia. Attasopa et al. (2020) interpreted Singapore as pertaining to “the broader geographic-political designation of the locality in Friese’ s time, not the collecting site” without further justifying this. We are not familiar with a broad usage for Singapore, whereas Malacca remains the name of the straits separating Singapore from Sumatra (in addition to the city and state of that name) so in our view this (as opposed to Singapore) is a more plausible name for a general region. We therefore conclude that Singapore (not Malacca) is the most plausible precise type locality for this enigmatic bee. Nonetheless, the absence of collections subsequent to 1890 when the type material was collected leads to some remaining doubt as to the provenance of the specimens. For the moment we treat this as a valid taxon with DD status in Singapore (with both taxonomic status and provenance as sources of uncertainty). However, it may be a genuine and distinct member of the historical fauna now nationally extinct. We have not seen this bee at PBS, but further studies in Peninsular Malaysia may shed light on the identity and status of the nearest historical and extant populations of Lepidotrigona belonging to the nitidiventris group.