Eickwortapis
Encyclopedia
Eickwortapis is an extinct monotypic
genus
of sweat bee
in the Halictidae
subfamily Halictinae
and containing the single species Eickwortapis dominicana.
The genus name Eickwortapis is derived from a combination of Eickwort in honor of halictid systematicist Dr. George Eickwort and the Latin
apis, meaning "bee". The species is named in reference to the Miocene
(Burdigalian
stage) Dominican amber
from deposits on the island of Hispaniola
which entombs the specimens. The species, averaging 5 millimetre (0.196850393700787 in) long, was described from two partial females and a single complete male specimen in one polished piece of amber which is housed in the Poinar Amber Collection at the University of California, Berkeley
. The male is numbered "H 10-70" and designated the holotype
, while the two females are numbered "H 10-70B" and ""H 10-70C" are both designated Paratype
s. The amber specimens with the three bees was first studied by Drs Charles Michener
& George Poinar
. They published the type description in the Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society
volume number 69 and published in 1996. The male is well preserved in a curled position with the metasoma and the posterior surface of the propedium visible. Female paratype "H 10-70B" is mostly complete however the majority of the head was removed during polishing of the amber, likewise the female paratype "H 10-70C" is also a partial due to the dorsum of the thorax and vertex being removed.
In general Eickwortapis has a blackish body with a indistinct metallic coloration, possibly brassy greenish. The wing veins and stigma
of the females are black while the those of the male are a brown tone. The underside of the males antenna are yellowish brown with the males legs being a brownish. Eickwortapis is one of only five Halictidae genera which are known from the Dominican amber record, and one of three which are totally extinct. Closely related to the extinct genus Nesagapostemon and the living Caenohalictus, Eickwortapis is placed with both in the halicted tribe Caenohalictini. It can be identified from Nesagapostemon and Caenohalictus by a group of features. The basal area of the propodium, not slanting in profile, is only half of the length of the vertical posterior surface in Nesagapostemon. Eickwortapis has a longer basal area on the propodium and it does slant in profile. The living species Caenohalictus eberhardorum has long hairs on the eyes and denser scopa. The Eickwortapis holotype is the only male halictid to have been documented from Dominican amber.
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of sweat bee
Halictidae
Halictidae is a cosmopolitan family of the order Hymenoptera consisting of small to midsize bees which are usually dark-colored and often metallic in appearance...
in the Halictidae
Halictidae
Halictidae is a cosmopolitan family of the order Hymenoptera consisting of small to midsize bees which are usually dark-colored and often metallic in appearance...
subfamily Halictinae
Halictinae
Within the insect order Hymenoptera, Halictinae is the largest, most diverse, and most recently diverged of the four unique Halictidae subfamilies...
and containing the single species Eickwortapis dominicana.
The genus name Eickwortapis is derived from a combination of Eickwort in honor of halictid systematicist Dr. George Eickwort and the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
apis, meaning "bee". The species is named in reference to the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
(Burdigalian
Burdigalian
The Burdigalian is, in the geologic timescale, an age or stage in the early Miocene. It spans the time between 20.43 ± 0.05 Ma and 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma...
stage) Dominican amber
Dominican amber
Dominican amber is amber from the Dominican Republic. Resin from the extinct species Hymenaea protera is the source of Dominican amber and probably of most amber found in the tropics....
from deposits on the island of Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
which entombs the specimens. The species, averaging 5 millimetre (0.196850393700787 in) long, was described from two partial females and a single complete male specimen in one polished piece of amber which is housed in the Poinar Amber Collection at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. The male is numbered "H 10-70" and designated the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
, while the two females are numbered "H 10-70B" and ""H 10-70C" are both designated Paratype
Paratype
Paratype is a technical term used in the scientific naming of species and other taxa of organisms. The exact meaning of the term paratype when it is used in zoology is not the same as the meaning when it is used in botany...
s. The amber specimens with the three bees was first studied by Drs Charles Michener
Charles Duncan Michener
Charles Duncan Michener is an American entomologist born in Pasadena, CA.-Biography:Much of his career has been devoted to the systematics and natural history of bees. His first peer-reviewed publication was in 1934, at the age of 16. He received his B.S. in 1939 and his Ph.D. in Entomology in...
& George Poinar
George Poinar, Jr.
George O. Poinar, Jr. is an entomologist and writer. He is known for popularizing the idea of extracting DNA from insects fossilized in amber, an idea which received widespread attention when adapted by Michael Crichton for the book and movie Jurassic Park.Poinar earned a B.S. and M.S. at Cornell...
. They published the type description in the Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society
Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society
The Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Kansas Entomological Society. The journal has a 2009 impact factor of 0.607....
volume number 69 and published in 1996. The male is well preserved in a curled position with the metasoma and the posterior surface of the propedium visible. Female paratype "H 10-70B" is mostly complete however the majority of the head was removed during polishing of the amber, likewise the female paratype "H 10-70C" is also a partial due to the dorsum of the thorax and vertex being removed.
In general Eickwortapis has a blackish body with a indistinct metallic coloration, possibly brassy greenish. The wing veins and stigma
Stigma (anatomy)
A stigma in mammalian reproductive anatomy refers to the area of the ovarian surface where the Graafian follicle will burst through during ovulation and release the ovum....
of the females are black while the those of the male are a brown tone. The underside of the males antenna are yellowish brown with the males legs being a brownish. Eickwortapis is one of only five Halictidae genera which are known from the Dominican amber record, and one of three which are totally extinct. Closely related to the extinct genus Nesagapostemon and the living Caenohalictus, Eickwortapis is placed with both in the halicted tribe Caenohalictini. It can be identified from Nesagapostemon and Caenohalictus by a group of features. The basal area of the propodium, not slanting in profile, is only half of the length of the vertical posterior surface in Nesagapostemon. Eickwortapis has a longer basal area on the propodium and it does slant in profile. The living species Caenohalictus eberhardorum has long hairs on the eyes and denser scopa. The Eickwortapis holotype is the only male halictid to have been documented from Dominican amber.