About Stingless Bee

STINGLESS BEES COLLECTED BY PROF. S. MATSUMURA FROM SINGAPORE

(Hymenoptera, Apidae)

By. SHOlCHI F. SAKAGAMI 2)

Zoological Institute, Faculty of Science,

Hokkaido University

Trigona (Heterotrigona) itama COCKERELL

Trigona itama COCKERELL 1918: Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (9), II: 387; SCHW ARZ 1937: Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Rist., 73 : 272, 322, 327.

Trigona (Heterotrigona) itama, ScHWARZ 1939: Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Rist., 76: 92 & 96.

Specimens examined: 3 workers, Singapore, Sept. 22, 1932. S. MATSUMURA leg.

This species is widely distributed throughout the Malayan Region (Siam, Malaya, Sumatra, Bangka Is., Borneo and Java).

Trigona (Tetragonal sarawakensis sarawakensis SCHWARZ

Trigona sarawakensis SCHWARZ 1937: Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Rist., 73 : 283, 290, 313, 318.

Trigona (Tetragona) sarawakensis sarawakensis, SCHWARZ 1939: Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 76 : 92, 106.

Specimen examined: 1 worker, Singapore, Sept. 22, 1932, S. MATSUMURA leg.

The single specimen examined differs from the detailed original description by SCHWARZ in the following characters:

1. Besides ferruginous clpyeus and supraclypeus, possessing a narrow dull red stripe along the inner orbits reaching upwards to about two thirds of the total eye length.

2. Pronotum and tubercles virturely ferruginous. Mesonotum black, with a distinct brownish tint. Other thoracic sc1erites, notably, mesopleura and propodeum nearly dark chestnut brown. Outer surface of tibia II and III much darker.

The specimen shows, therefore, a marked flavinistic tendency in comparison with the typical form. For the scarcity of material and the correlation between pale colour at ion and callow stage  frequently seen in stingless bees, it is here regarded as a mere colour variation of typical form instead of splitting a new varietal name. SCHWARZ (1937) distinguished T. sarawakensis from T. laeviceps SMITH by the tegulae and legs being ferruginous instead of black. The specimen examined possesses ferruginous tegulae and legs characteristic of T. sarawakensis, although it was collected from Singapore, the type locality of T.laeviceps, which was later considered by ScHWARZ (1939) as synonymous to T. (Tetragona) iridipennis SMITH. Up to present, T. sarawakenisis sarawakenisis is known from Siam, N. Borneo, Sarawak, and W. Java, and another variety, T. s. drescheri from Middle and E. Java.

Trigona (Tetragona) matsumurai sp. nov.

Closely allied to T. (T.) moorei ScHWARZ but distinguished by the following characters:

T. moorei	T. matsumurai
Antennae black; socket, base of scape (occasionally whole scape) ferruginous.	Antennae dull red; socket, scape, pedicel and the apex of apical flagellum ferruginous.
Legs black except more or less ferruginous to deep red tarsal joints.	Legs dark brown; trochanters and tarsal joints ferruginous; Basitarsi III dull red brown underneath, with concolorous stripes along the anterior and posterior margins of outer side.
Abdomen black, with a narrow ivory to .faint yellowish, transverse stripe at the apex of tergite 1 (occasionally absent). Apical tip of tergite 6 likewise ivory-coloured (occasionally very feasible).	Abdomen ferruginous, 4. to 6. Segments gradually darkening to the abdominal tip, where nearly blackish; without any maculation.
Stigma and venation darkish. Length 3.25-3.5 mm. Width 1.25mm. Wing length 3.75 mm.	Stigma and venation pale brown. Length 4.0-4.5 mm. Width 1.5 mm. Wing length 4.2-4.6 mm.

Specimens examined: 2 workers (Holo- and paratopotype). Singapore, Sept. 22, 19320 S. MATSUMURA leg.

Except for the differences tabled above, the examined specimens fairly accord with T. moo rei SCHWARZ in form, relative proportion, sculpture and pubescence, as far as recognized from the original description of the latter species. For the difference of both size and colouration, not only in the intensity but also in the pattern, the specimens are tentatively regarded as an independent species rather than a variety of T. moorei, as treated by SCHWARZ in the similar cases. For its distinct flavinism, T. matsumurai resembles superficially certain minute species of Tetragona such as T. iridipennis, T. fusco-baltheata and T. sarawakensis, from which it is readily distinguishable by the well developed malar space being 1.5 times as long as wide and slightly longer than the width of flagella. Hence, it is not always improbable that further specimens might be discovered, mixed with short malar species, among the material studied by earlier writers.

1) Contribution No. 439 from the Zoological Institute, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.

2) The writer is much indebted to Prof. TOICHI UCHIDA of the Entomological Institute, Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, where all the specimens studied are deposited. His cordial thanks are also due to Prof. TOHRU UCHIDA of the Zoological Institute, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, for his kind direction to the present study.

[Ins. Mats., Vol. 22, Nos. 3/4, pp. 119-121, March, 1959]

SARAWAK HYMENOPTERA SMITH, 1857

Genus Trigona, Jurine.

1.      Trigona Ventralis.

Worker. Length 1,75 line. Head and thorax black; the extreme base of the scape, and the flagellum rufo-fuscous; the type of mandibles ferruginous; the clypeus and lower part of the face with a cinereous pile. Thorax : narrower than the head; the mesothorax margined with short withish pubescence, the outer margin of the tegulae rufopiceous; the wings hyaline and iridescent, the nervures dark  ferruginous; the apical joint of the tarsi pale; the posterior tibiae broadly expanded toward their apex, their upper margin thinly fringed with pale hairs, the basal joint of the tarsi clothed with golden pubescence within. Abdomen dark rufo-piceous; the basal segment white, beneath entirely so.

Hab. Borneo (Sarawak). Malacca (Mounth Ophir)

2.      Trigona Atripes

Worker. Length 2,50 line. Pale reddish-yellow; the  flagellum fuscous above; wings reddish – brown, with their apex beyond the stigma milky-white; the intermediate and posterior tibiae and tarsi black, the apical joint of their tarsi ferruginous; the anterior legs entilery reddish-yellow; the scutellum fringed with  fuscous hairs.

Hab. Malacca (Mounth Ophir)

3.      Trigona Thoracica

Worker. Length 3,50 line. Black: the scape of the antennae at the base, the clypeus and mandibles at their base, ferruginous. Thorax: obscurely ferruginous, the legs more or less ferruginous toward their base; the wings flavo-hyaline. Abdomen smooth and shining, pale testaceous at the base.

Hab. Singapore

4.      Trigona Nitidiventris

Worker. Length 3,50 line. Black; the extreme base of the scape ferrugious; the wings subhyaline and iridescent, slighty fuscous toward their base, the nervures testaceous; the margin of the thorax and the scutellum with ochraceous pubescence; the coxcae and claw joint of the tarsi rufo-testaceous. Abdomen shining black, its the extreme base, and beneath entirely, pale testaceous.

Hab. Malacca (Mounth Ophir)

5.      Trigona Laeviceps

Worker. Length 1,50 line. Head and thorax black; , the face above the insertion of the antennae, smooth and shining; the antennae rufo-testaceous; the clyveus with a hoary pusbescence; its anterior margin, and also the mandibles, ferruginous. Thorax smooth and shining, the metathorax highly polished; the wings subhyaline and iridescent, the stigma and nervures ferruginous. Abdomen ferruginous, smooth and shining.

Hab. Singapore 

6.      Trigona Apicalis

Worker. Length 2,50 line. Head and thorax black; the abnomen negro-piceous; the clypeus, and lower part of the face, testaceous-yellow; the mandibles ferruginous; antenae pale feruuginous; the head covered with cinereous pile. Thorax: the tegulae testaceous; the wings from the base to the stigma brown, beyond which they are hyaline; the scutellum  covered with short stiff black hair; the sides, and beneath with scattered black pubescence; the legs dark rufopiceous;  the posterior tibiae pale, flattened and widened toward their apex; the outer margin thickly fringed with black pubescence; the disk of the thorax with a cinereous pile; the apex of the abdomen pale rufo-testaceous.

Hab. Borneo (Sarawak)

7.      Trigona Canifrons

Worker. Length 2,50 line. Black : the face covered with cinereous pile. The thorax thickly covered above with sooty-black pubescence, which is long and tufted on the scutellum; the tegulae black and shining: the wings hyaline, the nervures testaceous; the posterior tibiae, with the uper margin, thickly fringed with black hairs. Abdomen shining black.

Hab. Borneo (Sarawak)

8.      Trigona Colina

Worker. Length 2,25 line. Black: the scape, flagellum beneath, and its apex, as well as the mandibles, ferruginous; the clypeus with a pale testaceous spot in the midle; the wings brown at their base as far as the stigma, beyond which they are milky-white; the abdomen obscurely rufo-piceous at the base.

Hab. Malacca (Mounth Ophir)

9.      Trigona Fimbriata

Worker. Length 3,50 line. Head rufo-testaceous, the face covered with very short ochraceous pubescence, and springkled with longer stiff black hairs; the colour and pubescence of the thorax are similiar to that of the head, but the disk  is of the rather darker colour, and the black hairs are longer and more rigid; the intermediate and posterior tibiae being very broadly dilated toward their apex; the wings hyaline, their nervures bright ferruginous. Abdomen: the two basal segment rufo-testaceous, their apical margins, as well as the whole of the following segmebt, nigro-fuscous.

Hab. Singapore.