Three new species of the bee genus Caenaugochlora from Central America and Colombia (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

Abstract

Three distinctive new species of the augochlorine bee genus Caenaugochlora Michener (Halictinae: Augochlorini) are described and figured as Caenaugochlora (Caenaugochlora) leoi Engel, new species, from Costa Rica, C. (C.) hestia Engel, new species, from Panama, and C. (C.) gonzalezi Engel, new species, from Colombia. The new species are distinguished from among their congeners and the diversity of Caenaugochlora tabulated. In addition, a third subgenus is established within the genus and a revised key to the subgenera proposed. Metaugochlora Engel, new subgenus, is based on two species described earlier from the Andes of Ecuador and exhibiting traits intermediate between Caenaugochlora s.str. and Ctenaugochlora Eickwort. It is possible that these groups would be more suitably treated as individual genera in the future and as our knowledge of the total diversity is refined.