Grants awarded

 

Folder EARDLEY Connal Desmond, South Africa

Abstract

The bee genus Megachilidae (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is the most diverse bee genus in Africa and ranks among the most abundant bees. Also they are important pollinators for crops and wild plants, which creates a big demand for identification services.

J. Pasteels, a Belgian citizen, revised the genus in 1965 (PASTEELS, J. J. 1965. Revision des Megachilidae (Hymenoptera Apoidea) De L'Afrique Noire. Les Genres Creightoniella, Chalicodoma et Megachile (s. str.). Musee Royal de L'Afrique Centrale- Tervuren, Belgique Annales, Serie In-8- Sciences Zoologiques (137), 1-563). This is an outstanding piece of work dealing with over 500 valid species, but his work has become dated. Also Pasteels did this work when he was old and his eyes were failing, and he missed some important features. Also new material of many species has been collected and this will help make decision where he was unable to do so. It is necessary to re-revise the genus.

The Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale and the Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique both have invaluable historic collections for this project. They include, inter alia, type material and other material identified by Pasteels.

This proposal is a request for funds to travel to Belgium, and accommodation in Belgium, for two weeks to study the material in the two organizations mentioned above so that it can be incorporated into my taxonomic revision. Because of its size of the resultant publication it will be published in Zootaxa, an electronic taxonomy journal.

 

Remarks:

  • During his stay in Belgium Dr Eardley has trained Kenyan student Mr. J. Macharia in the taxonomy of stingless African bees.
  • Together with M. Kuhlmann from the Natural History Museum in London and Dr A. Pauly from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Dr Eardley has prepared a comprehensive volume for Abc Taxa on the taxonomy of subsaharan bee genera and subgenera. This book will be released by Spring 2010.

 

  J Maccharia

Connal Eardley (left), reknown South African bee taxonomist; tutor of J. Macharia from Kenya (right; picture taken in Leeds)