Bees of the Socotra Archipelago (Hymenoptera: Anthophila), their biogeography and association with parasites

Abstract

Taxonomy of bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) of the Socotra Archipelago is evaluated based on historical and newly available specimens. Four new species of Halictidae are described from the Socotra Island: Austronomia socotrana Pauly & Straka sp. nov., Lasioglossum (Hemihalictus) boswelliae Pauly & Straka sp. nov., Lasioglossum (Sphecodogastra) dioscoridis Pauly & Straka sp. nov., and Lasioglossum (Ctenonomia) dracaenae Pauly & Straka sp. nov. The correct original spelling of Eucera wfkirbyi Kohl, 1906 is restored, Eucera kirbyi Friese, 1909 being its unjustified emendation and junior objective synonym. Identity of both Socotran species of Xylocopa Latreille, 1802 is clarified. Lasioglossum (Evylaeus) kowitense (Cockerell, 1937), Nomioides facilis (Smith, 1853), and Nomioides rotundiceps Handlirsch, 1888 are removed from the list of bees of Socotra. In total, 28 species in 16 genera are reported from the archipelago, of which nearly two thirds are considered endemic at the species level. Biogeographic origin of Socotran bees is analysed and proposed. Host associations with beetle parasites of the families Meloidae and Ripiphoridae (Coleoptera) and cleptoparasitic bees are evaluated for the Socotran bee fauna. Obligate bee parasitoid Ripiphorus arabiafelix arabiafelix Batelka, 2009 (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae) is reported from the archipelago (Socotra Island) for the first time.