Calliopsis australior Cockerell, 1897

Calliopsis australior Cockerell, 1897: 349 [♀, ♂(?)].

     Holotype ♀. USA, New Mexico, Mesilla, sand hills 29 May [no year provided], by T.D.A. Cockerell, on Dithyrea wislizeni Engelm [USNM no. 3700].

Taxonomic Notes: The ♂ was described by Rozen (1958: 150).

As noted by Cockerell (1897: 349), this species is very similar to C. scitula Cresson, though distinguished it based on slight differences in maculation pattern. He was uncertain about the identity of the ♂.

DNA Barcode Index Number (BIN): BOLD:AAK2178

Diagnosis: Calliopsis australior is a member of the subgenus Nomadopsis Ashmead, characterized by a metasoma with pale maculations, in Canada shared only with C. barri Rozen, 1959 and C. scitula scitula Cresson, 1878, the latter species recorded in Canada only from the Western Interior Basin of BC. The large size (< 11 mm) of both sexes of C. barri will separate it from the smaller (< 8 mm) C. scitula and C. australior. Females of C. australior have the clypeus mostly pale medially, while C. scitula have the clypeus dark (at least in Canada), and though Rozen (1958) indicates that the clypeus varies considerably throughout the range of C. scitula, he also indicated that if a pale maculation is present medially, then tergum 5 will also be maculated; in Canada, both species have tergum 5 unmaculated, but these species have only been recorded a few times.

The males of C. australior and C. scitula and are very similar; those of C. australior have tarsomere 2 produced on the outer side nearly as far as tarsomere 1, while C. scitula have the hind tarsomere 2 not produced on the outer side.

Distribution in Canada: Gibbs et al. 2023 [MB]; Onuferko et al. 2023 [AB] RSKM [SK].