Ceratina (Rhysoceratina)

Taxonomy

Family: Apidae
Subfamily: Xylocopinae
Tribe: Ceratinini
Genus: Ceratina Latreille, 1802
Subgenus: Rhysoceratina Michener, 2000
Common name: small carpenter bees

Overview

Ceratina (Rhysoceratina) are small bees that have black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
with weak metallic green or blue reflections with or without yellow maculations on the face, pronotal lobes, and legs (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). Their body length varies from 4.8–8.5 mm (Roig-Alsina 2016Roig-Alsina 2016:
Roig-Alsina, A. 2016. A revision of the bee genus Ceratina , subgenus Rhysoceratina (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Xylocopinae). Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 18(2): 125‒146.).

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.; Roig-Alsina 2016Roig-Alsina 2016:
Roig-Alsina, A. 2016. A revision of the bee genus Ceratina , subgenus Rhysoceratina (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Xylocopinae). Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 18(2): 125‒146.)

• Gena gena:
  the cheek or side of the head
  and fronsfrons:
  the area between the antennae and ocelli on the bee's head
  distinctly punctatepunctate:
  studded with tiny holes
  .
• Preoccipital carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  present.
• S2–S3 and 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.
  present.
• Female hind leg with basitibial platebasitibial plate:
  a small plate at the base of the hind tibia, like a kneecap
  indicated by a strong tooth.
• Female with wax plate present on S2S2:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  but not S3S3:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  .
• Female 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
  with preapicalpreapical:
  referring to a section of a bee that is physically found just before the outermost (or apical) end of the section or segment
  carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  present.
• Male mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  with two teeth.

May be confused with

Ceratina (Rhysoceratina) may be confused with species of Ceratina (Zadontomerus) by their similar size and shape, but they can be distinguished by their strongly punctatepunctate:
studded with tiny holes
body and absence of the two smooth convexities on the fronsfrons:
the area between the antennae and ocelli on the bee's head
that are found in C. (Zadontomerus). Additionally, C. (Rhysoceratina) is the only Ceratina subgenus that has a strong carinacarina:
a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
delimiting the dorsaldorsal:
in general, the upper surface
surface of 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
(Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Host associations

Ceratina (Rhysoceratina) are known to visit multiple genera of plants in several families including: Echinopsis (Cactaceae), Oxalis (Oxalidaceae), Senecio (Asteraceae), and Baccharis (Asteraceae) (Schlumpberger et al. 2009Schlumpberger et al. 2009:
Schlumpberger, B.O., A.A. Cocucci, M. Moreacute;, A.N. Seacute;rsic, and R.A. Raguso. 2009. Extreme variation in floral characters and its consequences for pollinator attraction among populations of an Andean cactus. Annals of Botany 103(9): 1489ndash;1500.; Roig-Alsina 2016Roig-Alsina 2016:
Roig-Alsina, A. 2016. A revision of the bee genus Ceratina , subgenus Rhysoceratina (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Xylocopinae). Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 18(2): 125‒146.).

Nesting behavior

The nesting biology of Ceratina (Rhysoceratina) is not well known. There is only one study that describes the nesting biology of Ceratina volitans Schrottky in southern Brazil. According to Sakagami and Laroca (1971), nests of this species were found on dead branches of composite plants at a height of around 50 cm from the ground with an entrance 2.5–3 mm in diameter and a burrow 17–24 cm in length.

Diversity

Ceratina (Rhysoceratina) includes nine species (Roig-Alsina 2016Roig-Alsina 2016:
Roig-Alsina, A. 2016. A revision of the bee genus Ceratina , subgenus Rhysoceratina (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Xylocopinae). Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 18(2): 125‒146.).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Distribution

Ceratina (Rhysoceratina) is restricted to South America, with species known from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay (Roig-Alsina 2016Roig-Alsina 2016:
Roig-Alsina, A. 2016. A revision of the bee genus Ceratina , subgenus Rhysoceratina (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Xylocopinae). Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 18(2): 125‒146.).

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

References

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

Roig-Alsina, A. 2016. A revision of the bee genus Ceratina, subgenus Rhysoceratina (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Xylocopinae). Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 18(2): 125‒146.

Sakagami, S.F. and S. Laroca. 1971. Observations on the bionomics of some NeotropicalNeotropical:
biogeographic region that includes South and Central America, the Caribbean Islands, southern Florida, and the southern Mexican lowlands
xylocopine bees, with comparative and biofaunistic notes. Journal of the Faculty of Sciences, Hokkaido University (VI) 18: 57‒127.

Schlumpberger, B.O., A.A. Cocucci, M. Moré, A.N. Sérsic, and R.A. Raguso. 2009. Extreme variation in floral characters and its consequences for pollinator attraction among populations of an Andean cactus. Annals of Botany 103(9): 1489–1500.