Paleomelitta nigripennis

Taxonavigation

Taxonavigation: Apoidea

Superregnum: Eukaryota Cladus: Unikonta Cladus: Opisthokonta Cladus: Holozoa Regnum: Animalia Subregnum: Eumetazoa Cladus: Bilateria Cladus: Nephrozoa Cladus: Protostomia Cladus: Ecdysozoa Cladus: Panarthropoda Phylum: Arthropoda Cladus: Pancrustacea Cladus: Allotriocarida Subphylum: Hexapoda Classis: Insecta Cladus: Dicondylia Subclassis: Pterygota Infraclassis: Neoptera Cladus: Eumetabola Cladus: Holometabola Superordo: Hymenopterida Ordo: Hymenoptera Subordo: Apocrita Superfamilia: Apoidea

Familia: †Paleomelittidae
Genus: †Paleomelitta
Species: Paleomelitta nigripennis

Name

Paleomelitta nigripennis Engel, 2001: 42, figs 17–20, plates 1c,d, 2a

Holotype: AMNH B-JH 101, ♀, labeled: ‘‘Baltic amber: Eocene, Kaliningrad, Yantarny’’ // ‘‘Holotype, Paleomelitta nigripennis Engel’’. The block of amber containing the two bees is an impressive size (pl. 2a) and measures approximately 13.5 cm in length, 5.5 cm in width, and 3.75 cm in height.

Etymology: The epithet is a combination of the Latin words nigra (meaning ‘‘black’’) and penna (meaning ‘‘wing’’) and is a reference to the darkened membrane of the forewings.

References

• Engel, M.S. 2001a: A monograph of the baltic amber bees and evolution of the Apoidea (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 259: 1–192. PDF.