taxonID	type	description	language	source
29DED54714D857E98F46611E0C8D4209.taxon	description	Figs 2, 3 [New Japanese name: Tajima-mitsubachi]	en	Takahashi, Yui, Takahashi, Jun-ichi (2025): A honey bee fossil (Hymenoptera, Apidae) from the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene Teragi Group, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan: Bridging a gap in Apis evolutionary history. ZooKeys 1255: 291-301, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1255.162389
29DED54714D857E98F46611E0C8D4209.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Medium-sized honey bee (body length approximately 10.0 mm). Wings hyaline. Forewing length approximately 8.4 mm. Vein 1 Rs strongly slanted posterobasally, as long as vein 1 Rs + M, subparallel to vein 2 Rs, forming a slender subparallelogram-shaped 1 st submarginal cell. Cross vein 1 cu-a 0.7 – 0.8 times its length distant to vein 1 M (basal vein). Cubital index 4.5. Hind tibia 2.3 times longer than wide, as long as basitarsus. Abdomen 1.4 times wider than thorax.	en	Takahashi, Yui, Takahashi, Jun-ichi (2025): A honey bee fossil (Hymenoptera, Apidae) from the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene Teragi Group, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan: Bridging a gap in Apis evolutionary history. ZooKeys 1255: 291-301, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1255.162389
29DED54714D857E98F46611E0C8D4209.taxon	description	Description. Worker. Total body length 9.81 mm (as preserved). Head almost lacking, black in color. Mesosoma apparently darker colored than metasoma, 3.52 mm long, 3.94 mm wide, with rounded outline. Pronotum black colored, not well preserved. Scutum 2.04 mm long, 2.98 mm wide, both anterior and posterior margins rounded. Scutoscutellar groove deep. Scutellum black colored, 0.52 mm long, with rounded posterior margin. Propodeum 0.56 mm long, 3.47 mm wide, with rounded posterior margin. Forewing hyaline with complete venation, 7.8 – 8.1 mm long (as preserved). Reconstructed length approximately 8.4 mm long, width 2.9 mm wide. Marginal cell elongated, 3.12 mm long, 0.36 mm wide, about 8.6 times as long as wide, scarcely tapering apically, bluntly rounded at apex. Pterostigma small, 0.32 mm long, not projecting beyond cross vein r-rs. Vein 1 Rs straight, 0.54 – 0.57 mm long, strongly slanted posterobasally almost in line with vein 1 M, subparallel to vein 2 Rs. Vein 2 Rs weakly sinuate, 0.59 – 0.64 mm long, as long as vein Rs + M. Three submarginal cells present. 1 st submarginal cell slender subparallelogram in shape, vein Rs + M 0.56 – 0.60 mm long. Cross vein r-rs 0.30 – 0.36 mm long, as long as anterior margin of 2 nd submarginal cell. 2 nd submarginal cell elongated, due to posterobasally slanted 2 Rs and posteroapically slanted cross vein 1 rs-m. Vein 2 M straight, 0.54 – 0.56 mm long. Vein 3 M anteriorly arched, 1.23 – 1.25 mm. Anterior margin of cell short, 0.26 – 0.30 mm long, one-third of cross vein 1 rs-m. 3 rd submarginal cell relatively not large, subparallelogram in shape, anterior border not long, 0.61 – 0.67 mm long, posterior margin 0.59 mm long. Cross vein 1 rs-m sinuate, 0.90 – 0.91 mm long, almost parallel to cross vein 2 rs-m, meeting 2 nd medial cell in five-seventh of its upper base. Vein 4 M posteriorly arched, 0.49 mm. Cross vein 2 rs-m sinuate, 0.93 mm long, a without abscissal stub “ aRs 2 ”. 1 st medial cell subtrapezoid in shape, about 3.7 – 4.0 times as long as wide. Vein 1 Cu 1.45 – 1.55 mm long. Cross vein 1 m-cu 0.50 – 0.54 mm long, strongly arched outwardly at middle, joining 2 nd submarginal cell in one-fourth of its base. 2 nd medial cell large, subparallelogram in shape, about 2.2 times as long as wide. Vein 2 Cu 0.40 mm. Vein 3 Cu straight, 1.57 mm long. Cross vein 2 m-cu 0.85 mm long, weakly arched outwardly, meeting 3 rd submarginal cell in about five-sixth of its base (vein 5 M 0.11 mm long, cubital index about 4.5). Vein 1 M (basal vein) 0.93 – 1.01 mm long, slightly sinuate. Cross vein 1 cu-a 0.34 – 0.37 mm long, 0.27 – 0.28 mm distant to vein 1 M, perpendicular to vein A. Vein 2 Cu slightly slanted posterobasally, almost in line with cross vein 2 cu-a. 2 nd cubital cell elongated, apically widest, 1.67 – 1.80 mm long, 0.77 – 0.81 mm wide. Cross vein 2 cu-a 0.39 – 0.42 mm long, parallel to 1 cu-a. Hindwing hyaline, reconstructed length 5.8 mm long. Humeri not preserved. Vein Sc + R straight. Rs almost straight, forming an angle of approximately 30 ° with vein R. Distal abscissa of vein Rs present. Distal abscissa of vein M uncertain. Cross vein cu-a 0.20 – 0.23 mm long, slightly inclined posteroapically. Vein A parallel to vein 1 M + Cu, forming elongated cubital cell. Jugal and vannal lobes uncertain. Hind tibia not dark colored, widening apically, 2.01 mm long, 0.86 mm wide at most, dorsal margin slightly concave, ventral margin straight, without tibial spurs. Basitarsus enlarged and flattened, rectangular in shape, 1.92 mm long, 1.02 mm wide at middle, dorsal margin almost straight, ventral margin convex. 1 st mediotarsus largely widening apically, 0.40 mm long, 0.36 mm wide. 2 nd mediotarsus 0.25 mm long, 0.18 mm wide. 3 rd mediotarsus 0.25 mm long, 0.15 mm wide. Remaining portion poorly preserved. Metasoma not dark colored, 5.15 mm long, 5.45 mm wide, with five terga (T 1 – T 5) visible. Darker colored bands remained on posterior parts of T 4 and T 5. T 1 widely transverse, 0.87 mm long, 4.49 mm wide. T 2 widest, 1.17 mm long, 5.45 mm wide. T 3 0.97 mm long. T 4 0.66 mm long, 4.77 mm wide. T 5 1.03 mm long, 4.09 mm wide. Sting? present at T 5, may be displaced forward during fossilization.	en	Takahashi, Yui, Takahashi, Jun-ichi (2025): A honey bee fossil (Hymenoptera, Apidae) from the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene Teragi Group, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan: Bridging a gap in Apis evolutionary history. ZooKeys 1255: 291-301, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1255.162389
29DED54714D857E98F46611E0C8D4209.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The species is named to honor Hiroaki Aiba, a Japanese paleontologist who described a new fossil species of a nymphalid butterfly found at the same fossil site in Umigami (Aiba et al. 2025). He not only studied Japanese fossil insects but also contributed to Earth science education through the development of fossil collection activities.	en	Takahashi, Yui, Takahashi, Jun-ichi (2025): A honey bee fossil (Hymenoptera, Apidae) from the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene Teragi Group, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan: Bridging a gap in Apis evolutionary history. ZooKeys 1255: 291-301, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1255.162389
