Atoposmia abjecta abjecta (Cresson, 1878)
Properties
Scientific Name: Atoposmia abjecta abjecta (Cresson, 1878)
Common Name: Atoposmia abjecta abjecta (Cresson, 1878)
Taxonomy
Osmia abjecta Cresson, 1878: 103 [♀].
Holotype ♀. USA, Colorado, by Ridings [ANSP no. 2521].
Hoplitis mesae Cockerell, 1930: 2 [♂]. Synonymy by Michener (1954: 43).
Holotype ♂. USA, Colorado, Mesa Verge, 3-7 July 1919 [AMNH].
Anthocopa (Atoposmia) nigrior Michener, 1943: 54 [♀, ♂]. Synonymy by Michener 1954: 43).
Holotype ♀. USA, Oregon, Grant County, Onion Creek Meadows, 7700 feet elevation, 18 July 1936, by R.E. Rieder [CAS no. 5170].
Taxonomic Notes: Hurd and Michener (1955: 99) reduced the rank of A. abjecta to subspecies; Atoposmia abjecta alta (Michener, 1936) was also recognized as a valid subspecies, though it is a pale form in southern California, USA (Michener 1936: 41; Hurd and Michener 1955: 99). Michener (1954: 43) indicated the the male initially associated with A. nigrior Michener was not that species (and likely represented an undescribed species), though the female was indistinguishable from A abjecta, hence the synonymy.
DNA Barcode Index Number (BIN): BOLD:AAM5524
Biology: The nesting biology was studied by Parker (1975) who indicated that it nests under flat stones, using dark masticated plant materials. It is likely that Penstemon is the main pollen source (Hurd and Michener 1955; Parker 1975). An unknown species of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Stelis (Parker 1975).
Distribution in Canada: Rowe 2017 [BC]; Sheffield and Heron 2019 [BC].
References
Cresson ET (1878) Descriptions of new North American Hymenoptera in the collection of the American Entomological Society. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 7: 61-136.
Sheffield CS, Heron JM (2019) The bees of British Columbia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, Apiformes). Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia 115: 44-85.https://journal.entsocbc.ca/index.php/journal/article/view/1001/1097
Michener CD (1954) Descriptions and records of North American Hoplitis and Anthocopa (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae). The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 30(1): 37-52. https://biostor.org/reference/246383
Michener CD (1936) Some western bees of the genus Osmia. The Canadian Entomologist 68(2): 39-43.https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent6839-2
Michener CD (1943) The American bees of the genus Anthocopa with notes on Old World subgenera (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 36(1): 49-86. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/36.1.49
Cockerell TDA (1930) Bees from Mesa Verde, Colorado, in the American Museum of Natural History. American Museum Novitates 397: 1-8.
Hurd PD, Michener CD (1955) The megachiline bees of California. Bulletin of the California Insect Survey 3: 1-247.
Sociality: Solitary
Nesting: Cavity Renter
Wintering Stage: Mature Larva
Crop Preference: Not Available
Non Crop Preference: Not Available
Distribution: British Columbia
Ecozone: Montane Cordillera