Megachile glaesaria, the first megachilid bee fossil from amber (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae). American Museum novitates ; no. 3276

Abstract

"A bee of the family Megachilidae is recorded as an amber inclusion for the first time. The individual is representative of a primitive new subgenus and species of the genus Megachile, Chalicodoma subgeneric complex. Megachile glaesaria, new species, is described and figured from a single female preserved in Miocene Dominican amber. The subgenus Chalicodomopsis, new subgenus, is proposed for this taxon. The fossil appears most similar to species of the subgenus Chelostomoides and, in particular, the recent M. manni Mitchell, an exceedingly uncommon species presently known only from southern Arizona. The known fossil Megachilidae are briefly reviewed (none are older than the Eocene-Oligocene) and recent debates on early megachilid nest evolution considered"--P. [1].