Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

TWO NEW SPECIES OF THE CLEPTOPARASITIC GENUS COELIOXYS (HYMENOPTERA: MEGACHILIDAE) FROM INDIA

Ataur Rahman, Prarthna Rajkumari* and Janardan Saikia

Abstract

Coelioxys is a cleptoparasitic genus of the family Megachilidae. Two new species of the genus Coelioxys viz, C. singulus Rahman, and C. indicus Rahman have been recorded from India. The species singulus was collected from, Medicago sativa, Trifolium alexandrum and Coreopsis spp. during March, April and C.indicus was collected from M. sativa during May while foraging on these crops. The species have characteristic mesosoma having eight spots in singulus and two pubescent white spots on the base of scutellum in indicus.