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Fossil nest of sweat bees (Halictinae) from a Miocene paleosol, Rusinga Island, western Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

Glenn D. Thackray
Glenn D. Thackray*
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403
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Abstract

A fossilized nest found in a 17 Ma paleosol on Rusinga Island is similar in many respects to those constructed by bees. The nest consists of subellipsoidal cells arranged in paired, parallel rows, which are themselves arranged in clusters. Typical cells average approximately 6 mm by 3.5 mm, and have curved dorsal surfaces and nearly flat ventral surfaces. The nest is here referred to a new ichnospecies: Celliforma habari. The cell shape and nest architecture are most like those of modern bees of the subfamily Halictinae (Apoidea: Halictidae), and probably were constructed by bees with a societal structure that was at least communal and quite possibly more highly social. The nest suggests a subhumid to humid climate and angiosperm-dominated vegetation for Rusinga Island during Early Miocene time.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 68 , Issue 4 , July 1994 , pp. 795 - 800
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

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