The Panama microplate, island studies and relictual species of Melipona ( Melikerria ) (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

A new species of stingless bee, Melipona (Melikerria) insularis, has been discovered on Coiba and Ranchería Islands in Pacific Panama, alongside a proposed sister species, M. ambigua, from northeast Colombia. The study reveals that the poor fauna diversity on Coiba Island, including social bees, amphibians, and birds, suggests historical habitat barriers that prevented recolonization during glacial periods. Melipona insularis is identified as a relictual species isolated on accreted terranes of Coiba rainforest within the Panama microplate, with its distribution supported by phylogenetic hypotheses indicating disjunct patterns. The research also highlights the potential for taxon cycles and rafting colonies to facilitate recolonization, offering insights into the biogeographical history of Melipona bees in Central America.

ROUBIK, D. W., & DE CAMARGO, J. M. F. (2011). The Panama microplate, island studies and relictual species of Melipona ( Melikerria ) (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini). Systematic Entomology, 37(1), 189–199. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.2011.00587.x