Thyreus lieftincki Rozen

ROZEN, JEROME G. & ÖZBEK, HIKMET, 2003, Oocytes, Eggs, and Ovarioles of Some Long-Tongued Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), American Museum Novitates 3393, pp. 1-36 : 28

Thyreus lieftincki Rozen

The egg and egg deposition habits of this species were described by Rozen (1969). Two eggs from that study were preserved and have an average length of 3.53 mm. However, Rozen (1969) stated that five eggs ranged in length from 3.5 to 3.75 mm, which gives a median of 3.63 mm. To calculate the egg index of this species, we measured the intertegular distance of the holotype and the two other known females (paratypes), which averaged 4.29 mm. The egg index based on the two preserved females is 0.82, and based on the median value calculated from the range of lengths of five eggs is 0.84, both medium in the classification of Iwata and Sakagami (1966). These indices are close to 0.85, reported by Iwata and Sakagami (1966) for Thyreus japonicus (Friese) .

The specimens, preserved in Kahle’s solution, are in fair condition, too poor to be illustrated. The only information to add to the original description is that the chorion is dull. There are no features that seem to distinguish them from the eggs of other Melectini.

MATERIAL STUDIED: Two eggs, Republic of South Africa: Cape Province, 3 mi S Avontuur, XI­15–1966 (J.G. Rozen) .