Description of five new species of Tetragonula (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) from India

Abstract

We describe five new species of Tetragonula namely, Tetragonula vikrami Viraktamath, sp. n. (from Karnataka), T. sumae Viraktamath, sp. n. (from Tamil Nadu), T. ashishi Viraktamath and Jagruti, sp. n. (from Maharashtra), T. shishirae Viraktamath sp. n. (from Rajasthan) and T. shubhami Viraktamath, sp. n. (from Chhattisgarh) with associated female and male bees. These new species are distinct in having robust penis valve. Besides, T. sumae, T. ashishi, T. shishirae and T. shubhami have robust gonostylus which is lamellate, broad and apically outwardly curved finger-like structure. Tetragonula vikrami resembles T. iridipennis, however, the five new species differ from the other known species of Tetragonula in morphometry, shape, size, and structure of gonostylus, penis valve and the structure of the sternum 5 and 6. The discovery of these five new species elevates the total number of stingless bee species to 22 and the number of species in the genus Tetragonula to 17 from India.