A REVISION OF THE BEE GENUS CTENOCOLLETES (HYMENOPTERA STENOTRITIDAE

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 1 decade ago

Abstract
The endemic Australian genus Ctenocolletes Cockerell, 1929, is revised with recognition of eight species including four new ones: C. centralis, C. fulvescens, C. rufescens and C. tricolor. The male of C. albomarginatus and female of C. ordensis are described for the first time.

The following are new synonyms: C. notabilis Michener, 1965 = C. nicholsoni (Cockerell, 1929); Melitribus glauerti Rayment, 1930, and Stenotritus speciosus Rayment, 1935 = C. smaragdinus (Smith, 1868).

Ctenocolletes murrayensis Rayment, 1935, is removed to the genus Stenotritus. With its removal, Ctenocolletes as presently known becomes essentially western Australian in distribution.

Males of some species exhibit allometric variation with larger individuals showing greater convergence of the compound eyes on the vertex.

The species are described, keyed and figured and their distributions are plotted.