Observations on a parasitic allodapine bee and its hosts in java and Malaysia (hymenoptera anthophoridae allodapine)

Abstract

Braunsapis breviceps (Cockerell 1920), a parasitic species hitherto known from a single specimen, was found in nests of the nonparasitic species Braunsapis hewitti (Cameron 1908) and B. puangensis (Cockerell 1929) in Java and Malaysia. B. breviceps is probably a social parasite; a female probably functionally replaces the egg layer in a host nest. The species has never been taken on flowers in spite of extensive collection near nest sites in Java. Morphological attributes of the parasite and of the related nonparasitic species are described, including shortened mouthparts and head as well as the reduced pollen carrying scopa. Characters of larvae are also illustrated and described. © 1990 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.