Colletes gypsicolens Cockerell, 1897
Properties
Scientific Name: Colletes gypsicolens Cockerell, 1897
Common Name: Gypsum Plasterer Bee
Taxonomy
Colletes gypsicolens Cockerell 1897: 47 [♂].
Lectotype ♂, [hereby designated]. USA, New Mexico, White Sands by Whitewater, 6 October, by C.H.T. Townsend (C-36), on Bigelovia [CAS no. 15567].
Taxonomic notes: The ♀ described by Timberlake (1943: 400).
Stephen (1954: 334) indicated that the holotype in the Cockerell Collection seems to be lost. However, Cockerell (1897: 47) did not specifically designate a holotype among the 4 ♂s. It appears that only one of these 4 specimens can be found (Stephen 1954: 334) which was examined and retained by Timberlake (1943: 400), but subsequently placed within CAS, though this specimen was never designated as a lectotype, which is done so here to secure the name to this specimen.
Distribution in Canada: Stephen 1954 [BC]; Hurd 1979 [BC]; Sheffield and Heron 2019 [BC].
Body length: ♀ 12 mm ♂ 10.5 mm
Forewing length: ♀ 7.25 mm ♂ 6.25 mm
References
Cockerell TDA (1897) Contributions from the New Mexico biological station.—III. The bees of the genus Colletes found in New Mexico. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 6 19(109): 39-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222939708680506
Hurd PD (1979) Superfamily Apoidea. In: Krombein KV, Hurd Jr PD, Smith DR, Burks BD (Eds) Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, 2735 pp.
Stephen WP (1954) A revision of the bee genus Colletes in America north of Mexico (Hymenoptera Colletidae). University of Kansas Science Bulletin 36: 149-527.
Timberlake PH (1943) Bees of the genus Colletes chiefly from Colorado. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 81: 385-410.
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
Sociality: Solitary
Nesting: Ground
Pollen Specialization: Broad Oligolecty
Wintering Stage: Mature Larva
Crop Preference: Not Available
Non Crop Preference: Aster sp., Ericameria nauseosa
Distribution: British Columbia
Ecozone: Western Interior Basin