Euglossa avicula Dressler, 1982b

Nemésio, André, 2012, Species of Euglossa Latreille, 1802 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossina) belonging to the purpurea species group occurring in eastern Brazil, with description of Euglossa monnei sp. n., Zootaxa 3151, pp. 35-52 : 40-41

Euglossa avicula Dressler, 1982b

Euglossa avicula is here reported for the first time outside the state of Espírito Santo. This species had only been recorded in the type locality (Conceição da Barra, northern Espírito Santo—Dressler 1982, Nemésio 2011c) and at Reserva Natural Vale, in Linhares (northern Espírito Santo—Bonilla-Gómez 1999). I recorded this species at all sampled areas in the state of Espírito Santo and in five forest remnants in the state of Bahia ( Fig. 3 ): (i) RPPN Veracel (Santa Cruz Cabrália), (ii) PN Pau Brasil (Porto Seguro), (iii) PN Monte Pascoal, (iv) PN Descobrimento, and (v) a non-protected forest fragment of ca. 300 ha in Itaramaju. The occurrence of this species in Santa Cruz Cabrália, the northernmost record of this species to date, extends its known geographic range in ca. 200 km northwards. The available data suggest this is the species with the shortest distributional range among the species of the Euglossa purpurea group occurring in the Atlantic Forest.

Among the ca. 70 males collected in “Hileia Baiana”, around 70% were attracted to vanillin. The remaining specimens were attracted to trans -methyl cinnamate, p -cresol acetate, cineole, skatole, p -tolyl acetate, β-ionone, dimethoxybenzene and mixtures (1:1) p -tolyl acetate + trans -methyl cinnamate, and p -tolyl acetate + vanillin. Dressler (1982b) had only recorded this species at cineole and vanillin baits, but it proved to be attracted to a very wide bouquet of scents.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Map showing the known geographic distribution (black circles) of Euglossa avicula Dressler, 1982 b in the Neotropics.