Ceratina (Xanthoceratina)

Taxonomy

Family: Apidae
Subfamily: Xylocopinae
Tribe: Ceratinini
Genus: Ceratina Latreille, 1802
Subgenus: Xanthoceratina Vecht, 1952
Common name: small carpenter bees

Overview

Ceratina (Xanthoceratina) have black to red integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
, usually with extensive yellow markings on the head, thorax, and abdomen (Hirashima 1971aHirashima 1971a:
Hirashima, Y. 1971. Subgeneric classification of the genus Ceratina Latreille of Asia and West Pacific, with comments on the remaining subgenera of the world (Hymenoptera, Apoidea). Journal of the Faculty of Agriculture Kyushu University 16 (4): 349ndash;375.). Their body length can vary from 5.0–10.5 mm (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Hirashima 1971aHirashima 1971a:
Hirashima, Y. 1971. Subgeneric classification of the genus Ceratina Latreille of Asia and West Pacific, with comments on the remaining subgenera of the world (Hymenoptera, Apoidea). Journal of the Faculty of Agriculture Kyushu University 16 (4): 349ndash;375.)

• Maxillary palpipalpi:
  sensory appendages part of the labium and maxilla
  6-segmented.
• Paraocular paraocular:
  the area extending along the sides of the face parallel to the eye
  areas with yellow maculations.
• Paraocular paraocular:
  the area extending along the sides of the face parallel to the eye
  area above antennal socket impunctateimpunctate:
  marked with punctures or pits
  .
• Preoccipital ridge preoccipital ridge:
  the carina that dorsolaterally surrounds the back of the head
  rounded.
• Terga terga:
  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 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 on T1–T5.
• Female hind tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  with a basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  spine.
• Female with wax areas 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
  and 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
  present.
• Male 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 on S1S1:
  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
  and S6S6:
  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
  , although 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.
  on S6S6:
  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
  sometimes evanescent or nearly absent.
• Male 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
  to S5S5:
  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
  of male densely covered with short, white setaesetae:
  a still hair-like structure or bristle
  .
• Male S6S6:
  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
  with two small, rounded teeth medially on apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  portion.
• Male 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
  two rounded median teeth in the middle.
• Male T7T7:
  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
  bluntly rounded or faintly bituburculate.
• Male genitaliagenitalia:
  all the genital structures collectively
  with four patches of setaesetae:
  a still hair-like structure or bristle
  .

May be confused with

Ceratina (Xanthoceratina) looks very similar to Ceratina (Lioceratina), and it has been suggested that these subgenera may be synonymous (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). Female Ceratina (Xanthoceratina) differ in the distinct basitibial spine and male Ceratina (Xanthoceratina) differ in the four bundles of hairs on genitaliagenitalia:
all the genital structures collectively
which are absent in Ceratina (Lioceratina) (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 (Xanthoceratina) are known to visit the following plant species: Saurauia nudiflora (Actinidiaceae), Rubus moluccanus (Rosaceae), Impatiens platypetala (Balsaminaceae), Persicaria chinensis (Polygonaceae), Trevesia sundaica (Araliaceae), and an undetermined Cucurbitaceae (Van Der Vecht 1952Van Der Vecht 1952:
Van Der Vecht J. 1952. A preliminary revision of the Oriental species of the genus Ceratina (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Zoologische Verhandelingen 16: 1‒85.).

Nesting behavior

There are no published records on the nesting habits of Ceratina (Xanthoceratina), but as in other Ceratina, they are suspected to use pithy stems and small, hollowed branches of plants.

Diversity

Ceratina (Xanthoceratina) includes seven described species (Van Der Vecht 1952Van Der Vecht 1952:
Van Der Vecht J. 1952. A preliminary revision of the Oriental species of the genus Ceratina (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Zoologische Verhandelingen 16: 1‒85.; Ascher and Pickering 2020Ascher and Pickering 2020:
Ascher, J.S. and J. Pickering. 2020. Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila). https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=Carinulaamp;name=Megachileamp;flags=subgenus :).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Distribution

Ceratina (Xanthoceratina) are found in southeastern Asia, from the southern part of China south through Indonesia (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

Ascher J. S. and J. Pickering. 2020. Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila). http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?guide=Apoidea_species.

Hirashima, Y. 1971. Subgeneric classification of the genus Ceratina Latreille of Asia and West Pacific, with comments on the remaining subgenera of the world (Hymenoptera, Apoidea). Journal of the Faculty of Agriculture Kyushu University 16 (4): 349–375.

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

Vecht, J. Van Der. 1952. A preliminary revision of the Oriental species of the genus Ceratina (Hymenoptera, Apidae). 2001. Verhandel., Leiden, 16: l–85.