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Calliopsis scitula scitula (Cresson, 1878)

Properties

Scientific Name: Calliopsis scitula scitula (Cresson, 1878)

Common Name: Calliopsis scitula

Taxonomy

Calliopsis scitulus Cresson, 1878: 64 [♀].

     Lectotype ♀ [designated by Cresson 1916: 130]. USA, Colorado, by Morrison [ANSP no. 2191].

Calliopsis pictipes Cresson, 1878: 65 [♂].

     Holotype ♂. USA, Colorado, by Morrison [ANSP no. 2193]. Synonymy by P.H. Timberlake, in Michener (1951: 1102).

Spinoliella lawae Michener 1937, 324 [♀]. Synonymy by Rozen (1958: 159), as a subspecies of Nomadopsis scutula (Cresson) [=Calliopsis scutula Cresson].

     Holotype ♀. USA, California, Mono County, Gull Lake, 3 July 1934, by J.E. Lay [Snow Ent Collection].

 

Taxonomic Notes: Rozen (1958: 159) recognized two subspecies, the typical form and C. lawae (Michener, 1937), the latter occurring in California and Nevada. Michener (1937) even indicated its similarity to C. scitula Cresson and C. australior Cockerell.

Like other males in the scutellaris group in the subgenus Nomadopsis Ashmead (as per Rozen 1958), the ♂ of Calliopsis scitula have a modified hind tarsi. In Canada, the only other Calliopsis sharing this is C. australior Cockerell, which is found in the Prairie provinces of SK and MB.

DNA Barcode Index Number (BIN)BOLD:AEX8420

Diagnosis: Calliopsis scitula scitula 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. australior Cockerell, 1897, the two latter species recorded in Canada only from the Prairies Ecozone (SK, MB), with C. scitula known 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. scitula (at least in Canada) have the clypeus mostly dark medially, while C. australior have the clypeus largely pale medially. 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. scitula and C. australior are very similar; those of C. scitula have the hind tarsomere 2 not produced on the outer side; while in C. australior it is produced on the outer side nearly as far as tarsomere 1.

Biology: Little is known about the biology of this species. Rozen (1958) indicated that females collect pollen from Cleome serrulata (=Peritoma serrulata) and Sisymbrium altissimum, the latter an introduced species in Canada.

Distribution in Canada: Rozen 1958 [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

Cresson ET (1916) The Cresson types of Hymenoptera. Memoirs of the American Entomological Society 1: 1-141.

Rozen JG (1958) Monographic study of the genus Nomadopsis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 15: 1-202.

Michener CD (1951) Subfamily Panurginae. In: Muesebeck CF, Krombein KV, Townes HK (Eds) Hymenoptera of America north of Mexico Synoptic Catalog. 2. United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Monograph, Washington. Pp. 1087-1104.

Sociality: Solitary
Nesting: Ground
Wintering Stage: Mature Larva

Crop Preference: Not Available
Non Crop Preference: Peritoma serrulata

Distribution: British Columbia
Ecozone: Western Interior Basin

Distribution Map