Ceratina (Hirashima)

Taxonomy

Family: Apidae
Subfamily: Xylocopinae
Tribe: Ceratinini
Genus: Ceratina Latreille, 1802
Subgenus: Hirashima Terzo and Pauly, 2001
Common name: small carpenter bees

Overview

Ceratina (Hirashima) have dull black coloration and deeply punctured integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
(Eardley et al. 2010Eardley et al. 2010:
Eardley, C., M. Kuhlmann, and A. Pauly. 2010. The Bee Genera and Subgenera of sub-Saharan Africa. Abc taxa 7: 1-145.). The body length can be between 5–8.5 mm (Friese 1905Friese 1905:
Friese, H. 1905. Die Keulenhornbienen Afrikas Genus Ceratina . Wiener entomologische Zeitung 24: 1ndash;24.).

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Pauly et al. 2001Pauly et al. 2001:
Pauly A., Brooks R.W., Nilsson L.A., Apesenko Y., Eardley C.D., Terzo M., Griswold T., Schwarz M., Munzinger J., and Y. Barbier. 2001. Hymenoptera Apoidea de Madagascar et des Iles Voisines. Annalen Zoologische Wetenschappen amp; Annales Sciences Zoologiques 286: 1ndash;406.; Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.; Eardley et al. 2010Eardley et al. 2010:
Eardley, C., M. Kuhlmann, and A. Pauly. 2010. The Bee Genera and Subgenera of sub-Saharan Africa. Abc taxa 7: 1-145.)

• Area between eye and antenna with a distinct, elevated ridge.
• Axilla axilla:
  the triangular or rounded point on the thorax where thoracic muscles meet the forewing of an insect
  sometimes, but not always, spine-like.
• Hind tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  with a spine present towards the center (can be difficult to see among hairs).
• Labrum labrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  as long as wide or longer.
• Propodeum propodeum:
  the last segment of the thorax
  with dorsaldorsal:
  in general, the upper surface
  area separated by a carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  .
• T1 and often T2–T4 with apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  band of white hair, at least laterally.
• T2–T4 with graduligraduli:
  A transverse line on abdominal segments of some bees that is formed by a groove or a step between two regions that differ in height. This line can be well developed and present across the entire segment but can also be diminished or absent through part of the segment, requiring close inspection.
  and T5T5:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  without a gradulusgradulus:
  A transverse line on abdominal segments of some bees that is formed by a groove or a step between two regions that differ in height. This line can be well developed and present across the entire segment but can also be diminished or absent through part of the segment, requiring close inspection.
  .
• T6 with median protuberanceprotuberance:
  rising or produced above the surface or the general level of a feature
  or keel.
• Male hind femurfemur:
  the third segment of the leg, situated between the trochanter and the tibia
  with a ventralventral:
  of, on, or relating to the underside of an animal, or segment of an animal
  comb of long hairs.

May be confused with

Ceratina (Hirashima) resembles Ceratina (Ctenoceratina) in their strongly punctured black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
, spine on hind tibiatibia:
the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
, and keel or protuberanceprotuberance:
rising or produced above the surface or the general level of a feature
on T6T6:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
. C. (Hirashima) can be distinguished by the lack of the spine-like tergal and sternal setaesetae:
a still hair-like structure or bristle
that are present in C. (Ctenoceratina) (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.; Pauly et al. 2001Pauly et al. 2001:
Pauly A., Brooks R.W., Nilsson L.A., Apesenko Y., Eardley C.D., Terzo M., Griswold T., Schwarz M., Munzinger J., and Y. Barbier. 2001. Hymenoptera Apoidea de Madagascar et des Iles Voisines. Annalen Zoologische Wetenschappen amp; Annales Sciences Zoologiques 286: 1ndash;406.).

Host associations

Ceratina (Hirashima) have been observed visiting flowers from the following genera: Asystasia (Acanthaceae), Lantana (Verbenaceae), Lobelia (Campanulaceae), Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae), and Portulacca (Portulacaceae) (Pauly et al. 2001Pauly et al. 2001:
Pauly A., Brooks R.W., Nilsson L.A., Apesenko Y., Eardley C.D., Terzo M., Griswold T., Schwarz M., Munzinger J., and Y. Barbier. 2001. Hymenoptera Apoidea de Madagascar et des Iles Voisines. Annalen Zoologische Wetenschappen amp; Annales Sciences Zoologiques 286: 1ndash;406.).

Nesting behavior

Ceratina (Hirashima) nyassensis has been known to make nests in hollow and dry stems, with only two to three cells per stem (Pauly et al. 2001Pauly et al. 2001:
Pauly A., Brooks R.W., Nilsson L.A., Apesenko Y., Eardley C.D., Terzo M., Griswold T., Schwarz M., Munzinger J., and Y. Barbier. 2001. Hymenoptera Apoidea de Madagascar et des Iles Voisines. Annalen Zoologische Wetenschappen amp; Annales Sciences Zoologiques 286: 1ndash;406.).

Diversity

Ceratina (Hirashima) contains nine described species and likely several more undescribed species (Eardley et al. 2010Eardley et al. 2010:
Eardley, C., M. Kuhlmann, and A. Pauly. 2010. The Bee Genera and Subgenera of sub-Saharan Africa. Abc taxa 7: 1-145.).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Distribution

The subgenus Hirashima ranges from Tanzania and Nigeria, and south to South Africa, Madagascar, and the islands of Seychelles (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

​Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.

References

Eardley, C., M. Kuhlmann and A. Pauly. 2010. The Bee Genera and Subgenera of sub-Saharan Africa. Abc taxa 7: 145 pp.

Friese, H. 1905. Die Keulenhornbienen Afrikas Genus Ceratina. Wiener entomologische Zeitung 24: 1–24.

Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.       

Pauly, A., R.W. Brooks, L.A. Nilsson, Y. Apesenko, C.D. Eardley, M. Terzo, T. Griswold, M. Schwarz, J. Munzinger, and Y. Barbier. 2001. Hymenoptera Apoidea de Madagascar et des Iles Voisines. Annalen Zoologische Wetenschappen & Annales Sciences Zoologiques 286: 390 pp.