Stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) of the Indian subcontinent: Diversity, taxonomy and current status of knowledge Author Rasmussen, Claus text Zootaxa 2013 3647 3 401 428 journal article 43573 10.11646/zootaxa.3647.3.1 8d7ba7be-98bd-4555-b3e7-cd2b018e6bbf 1175-5326 219391 3E2DFCFC-9D75-4245-82F5-9B9FD977160A

TABLE 2. Notable differences found by direct examination of the four primary types of the “ iridipennis ” species group in the Indian subcontinent, other than Tetragonula ruficornis being the generally lightest and T. praeterita the darkest of the four primary types.

Plumose hairs on clypeus and frons	abundant	sparse, maybe worn	abundant	abundant
Mandible	chestnut-brown without black apical area	(not visible)	amber-yellow with near black apical area	amber-yellow with near black apical area
Erect setae on margin of scutelum	a few dark brown	very light	very light	very light
Pubescence on metasomal T3-T4	almost none, except on apical third	almost none, except on apical third	sparsely covered	almost none, except on apical third
Stout setae of outer surface of hind tibia	dark brown	dark brown	white	brown
Inner surface of hind basitarsus	basal sericeous area more than half the length of basitarsus	basal sericeous area more than half the length of basitarsus	basal sericeous area less than half the length of basitarsus	basal sericeous area more than half the length of basitarsus
Marginal cell of forewing	lightly infuscate, as rest of wing (Fig. 4i)	lightly infuscate, as rest of wing (Fig. 4i)	less infuscate, as rest of wing (Fig. 6g)	less infuscated, as rest of wing (Fig. 6g)