O grupo Partamona (Partamona) testacea (Klug) : suas espécies, distribuição e diferenciação geográfica (Meliponinae, Apidae, Hymenoptera)

Abstract

Abstract: In this paper are described six new species of yellouwish Partamona - vicina, pseudomusarum, mulata, mourei, ailyae and aequatoriana - as well as testacea (Klug, s,str. ) and peckolti (Friese) already knoiun. Key to these species is included. The species testacea (s.str.), vicina and, peckolti are studied in relation to distribution and geographic variation. Some data about nidification habits are also included. The use of "transect method" for the study of the geographic variation of testacea (s.str.), that inhabits the Amazon forest, conduced to the following conclusions: this species included" at least three different geographic forms. In relation to this some comments are done about the possible mode of differentiation, mainly related with the paleoclimatic events in the quaternary period. The vicina species inhabits the "cerrados" of the central Brazil and has disjuncts populations in the Amazon enclaves of "cerrados". The peckolti is considered a polytypic species including musarum (Cockerell), n. stat., as a subspecies.