Coelioxys (Neocoelioxys), MITCHELL, 1973: 64

Rocha Filho, Léo Correia Da & Packer, Laurence, 2017, Phylogeny of the cleptoparasitic Megachilini genera Coelioxys and Radoszkowskiana, with the description of six new subgenera in Coelioxys (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 180 (2), pp. 354-413 : 403

COELIOXYS (NEOCOELIOXYS) MITCHELL, 1973: 64

= Coelioxys (Acrocoelioxys) Mitchell, 1973: 71 syn. nov.

= Coelioxys (Melanocoelioxys) Mitchell, 1973: 78 syn. nov.

Type species: Coelioxys simillima Smith, 1854 .

Diagnosis: Most species of C. (Neocoelioxys) can be diagnosed through the combination of supraclypeal area elevated medially, forming a rounded ridge in both sexes ( Fig. 53 ) (not elevated; Fig. 54 ), and T 5 lacking lateral spines in males ( Fig. 61 ). Nevertheless, C. otomita does not possess the former characteristic, and C. dolichos and C. abdominalis do not possess the second; however, all three can be correctly assigned using the key. Both these characteristics also show parallelisms elsewhere within Coelioxys , but only in Old World species that are very different morphologically, with the sole exception of C. bisoncornua from North America, but this species has the postgradular grooves of both T 2 and T 3 complete ( Fig. 24), whereas they are broadly interrupted medially (Fig. 25) in all C. (Neocoelioxys) spp.

Comments: As the type species of both C. (Acrocoelioxys) and C. (Melanocoelioxys) were nested among C. (Neocoelioxys) spp., the latter is regarded as a valid subgenus with which the other two are now synonymized. Species of this subgenus are mostly Neotropical, with several species distributed in the Caribbean, and a few: Coelioxys dolichos Fox, 1890 , Coelioxys menthae Cockerell, 1897 , and Coelioxys slossoni Viereck, 1902 found in the Nearctic. In both Moure et al. (2012) and Ascher & Pickering (2015) databases, many species are listed as C. (Acrocoelioxys), but three are assigned herein to C. (Leuraspidia), and Coelioxys praetextata Haliday, 1836 is regarded as belonging to C. (Glyptocoelioxys), based upon the results of the phylogenetic analyses.

List of species: Coelioxys abdominalis Guerin-Meneville, 1844 *, Coelioxys aculeata Schrottky, 1902 , Coelioxys albifrons Friese, 1916 *, Coelioxys bipustulata Friese, 1921 *, Coelioxys brachypyga Friese, 1921 *, C. dolichos *, Coelioxys eximia Friese, 1921 *, Coelioxys foxii Viereck, 1902 *, Coelioxys laevicollis Friese, 1921 *, Coelioxys laevigata Smith, 1854 *, Coelioxys laevis Friese, 1921 *, C. menthae *, C. otomita *, Coelioxys popovi Strand, 1934 *, Coelioxys producta Cresson, 1865 *, C. rufipes *, C. simillima *, C. slossoni *, Coelioxys spinipyga Strand, 1910 *, Coelioxys tolteca Cresson, 1878 *, Coelioxys trispinosa Friese, 1921 *, Coelioxys turbinata Krombein, 1953 *, and Coelioxys vigilans Smith, 1879 *.

Figures

Figures 52–54. Female. 52, Coelioxys menthae, dorsal view of mid ocellus. 53, 54, frontal view of head (for supraclypeal area): 53, Coelioxys tolteca; 54, Coelioxys bertonii. Scale bars: 1.5 mm.

Figures 61–64. Male. 61, Coelioxys abdominalis: dorsal view of T5–T6 (lateral tooth of T5 indicated by black arrow). 62, Coelioxys menthae: ventral view of S4 (apical margin indicated by black arrow). 63, 64, Coelioxys azteca: 63, dorsal view of T5–T6 (lateral tooth of T5 indicated by black arrow); 64, ventral view of S4 (U-shaped process indicated by black arrow). Scale bars: 1.5 mm.