Electrapini

Specimen of Protobombus indecisus in Baltic amber, from Engel (2001).

Belongs within: Corbiculata.

The Electrapini are an extinct group of bees, similar to modern bumblebees, known from the Eocene of Europe.

Characters (from Engel 2001): Moderately sized (ca. 5.5–16 mm long), robust, densely pubescent bees. Mandible with weakened outer mandibular grooves. Labral width 2–3 times length. Clypeus slightly convex and weakly protuberant in lateral view or flat (in Thaumastobombus). Compound eyes bare or with sparse, microscopic setae. Supra-alar carina present; scutellum broadly rounded posteriorly and variously produced (ranging from projecting over metanotum and propodeum to over metanotum only). Claws of female with inner tooth; arolium strong and present; single, reduced metatibial spur present; malus of strigilis with short, thickened anterior prong in addition to primary ventral velum; metabasitarsus with distinct auricle at base; metatibia without penicillum. Distal venation of forewing strong and present; marginal cell large and narrowly rounded at apex, slightly offset from wing margin, truncate or feebly appendiculate, cell longer than distance from its apex to wing apex; pterostigma present and short to moderately sized, much longer than prestigma, r-rs arising near to just after midpoint, margin within marginal cell variously produced; 1m-cu relatively straight; hind wing with distinct jugal lobe, lobe broadly and deeply incised; hamuli numerous or reduced (numerous in Electrapis and Protobombus, reduced in Thaumastobombus); wing membrane without alar papillae. Sting not reduced; with or without microscopic barbs.

<==Electrapini [Electrapina]
    |--Thaumastobombus Engel 2001 E01
    |    `--*T. andreniformis Engel 2001 E01
    |--Electrapis Cockerell 1908 WE03 [=Elektrapis (l. c.) E01; incl. Eckfeldapis Lutz 1993 E01]
    |    |--*E. meliponoides (Buttel-Reepen 1906) [=Apis meliponoides] E01
    |    |--E. electrapoides (Lutz 1993) WE03 [=*Eckfeldapis electrapoides E01]
    |    |--E. krishnorum Engel 2001 E01
    |    |--E. martialis (Cockerell 1908) [=Chalcobombus martialis] E01
    |    |--E. micheneri Wappler & Engel 2003 WE03
    |    |--E. prolata Engel & Wappler in Wappler & Engel 2003 WE03
    |    `--E. tornquisti Cockerell 1908 (see below for synonymy) E01
    `--Protobombus Cockerell 1908 WE03 [incl. Chalcobombus Cockerell 1908 E01, Sophrobombus Cockerell 1908 E01]
         |--*P. indecisus Cockerell 1908 (see below for synonymy) E01
         |--P. basilaris Engel 2001 E01
         |--P. fatalis (Cockerell 1908) [=*Sophrobombus fatalis] E01
         |--P. hirsutus (Cockerell 1908) [=Chalcobombus hirsutus] E01
         |--P. messelensis Engel & Wappler in Wappler & Engel 2003 WE03
         |--P. pristinus Wappler & Engel 2003 WE03
         `--P. tristellus Cockerell 1909 [=Electrapis (Protobombus) tristellus] E01

Electrapis tornquisti Cockerell 1908 [incl. E. bombusoides Kelner-Pillault 1974, E. cockerelli Bischoff in Kelner-Pillault 1974 (n. n.), E. cokerelli (l. c.), E. hermenaui Bischoff in Kelner-Pillault 1974 (n. n.)] E01

*Protobombus indecisus Cockerell 1908 [=Electrapis (Protobombus) indecisus; incl. *Chalcobombus humilis Cockerell 1908, Electrapis (Electrapis) apoides Manning 1960] E01

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[E01] Engel, M. S. 2001. A monograph of the Baltic amber bees and evolution of the Apoidea (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 259: 1-192.

[WE03] Wappler, T., & M. S. Engel. 2003. The Middle Eocene bee faunas of Eckfeld and Messel, Germany (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Journal of Paleontology 77 (5): 908-921.