Halcroft Etal 2015 Delimiting the Species of Austroplebeia
Apidologie Original article * INRA, DIB and Springer-Verlag France, 2015 DOI: 10.1007/s13592-015-0377-7 Delimiting the species within the genus Austroplebeia , an Australian stingless bee, using multiple methodologies 1,2 3 4 Megan Therese HALCROFT , Anne DOLLIN , Tiago Mauricio FRANCOY , 5 6 1 Jocelyn Ellen KING , Markus RIEGLER , Anthony Mark HAIGH , 1 Robert Neil SPOONER-HART 1School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia 2Bees Business, PO Box 474, Lithgow, NSW 2790, Australia 3Australian Native Bee Research Centre, PO Box 74, North Richmond, NSW 2754, Australia 4Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Arlindo Béttio, 1000, São Paulo, SP 03828-000, Brazil 5Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research & Development, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia 6Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia Received 18 January 2015 – Revised 17 May 2015 – Accepted 26 June 2015 Abstract – Austroplebeia Moure is an Australian stingless bee genus. The current descriptions for the species within this genus are inadequate for the identification of specimens in either the field or the laboratory. Here, using multiple diagnostic methodologies, we attempted to better delimit morphologically identified groups within Austroplebeia . First, morphological data, based on worker bee colour, size and pilosity, were analysed. Then, males collected from nests representing morphologically similar groups were dissected, and their genitalia were imaged using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Next, data for the geometric morphometric analysis of worker wing venations were obtained.
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