Hylaeus nalo is an enigmatic bee endemic to the island of Oahu in Hawaii. It is distinguished by its large size, obscure facial marks, deep paraocular depression, and truncate gonoforceps. It is known only from a single specimen collected in 1914, and may be extinct.
Males
Black, face with small, obscure paraocular marks; paraocular depressions distinct. Gonoforceps short, somewhat truncate. Punctation of abdomen not distinct.
Females
Unknown. Hylaeus nalo is larger and more robust than most Hawaiian species, but is not a member of the pubescens species group, which have a characteristic punctate abdomen. It is not closely related to any other Hawaiian species.
Taxonomic Status
Hylaeus nalo was collected in 1914 and described in Daly and Magnacca (2003).
Completely unknown. Because it shows no close affiliation to other species, nothing can even be inferred from its relatives.
The specific distribution of H. nalo is unknown; the locality label of the single specimen simply says “Oahu”.
Xerces Red List Status: Critically Imperiled
Other Rankings:
Canada – Species at Risk Act: N/A
Canada – provincial status: N/A
Mexico: N/A
USA – Endangered Species Act: None
USA – state status: None
NatureServe: GNR
IUCN Red List: N/A
This species is extremely rare and possibly extinct.
The rarity of H. nalo and lack of any knowledge about its requirements make it impossible to assess threats.
The top conservation priorities are to identify extant populations and document the continued existence of the species. Research is needed in order to locate populations and determine habitat requirements.
Daly, H. V., and K. N. Magnacca. 2003. Insects of Hawaii, Vol. 17: Hawaiian Hylaeus (Nesoprosopis) Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu. 234 pp.ent here.
Citation
Magnacca, K. N. 2005. Species Profile: Hylaeus nalo. In Shepherd, M. D., D. M. Vaughan, and S. H. Black (Eds). Red List of Pollinator Insects of North America. CD-ROM Version 1 (May 2005). Portland, OR: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Profile prepared by Karl Magnacca, USGS-BRD, Kilauea Field Station
