Megachile addenda Cresson, 1878
Properties
Scientific Name: Megachile addenda Cresson, 1878
Common Name: Cranberry Leafcutter Bee
Taxonomy
Megachile addenda Cresson, 1878: 124 [♀, ♂].
Lectotype ♀, desingated by Cresson (1916: 110). USA, Georgia [ANSP no. 2418].
Megachile manumuskin Viereck, 1902: 328 [♀, ♂]. Synonymy by Viereck (1910: 696).
Lectotype[s] ♀, designated by Cresson (1928: 68). USA, New Jersey, Manumuskin, 24 June 1901, by E. Daecke [ANSP no. 10136].
Taxonomic notes: Though Mitchell (1927: 178) placed M. manumuskin Viereck into synonymy under M. addenda Cresson, Viereck (1910: 696) indicated this two decades previous, so is given credit here.
Cresson (1928: 68) designated a lectotype ♀ of Megachile manumuskin Viereck from Viereck’s “cotype” series (two ♀ specimens) from Manumuskin, NJ (chosen as the type locality by Viereck 1902: 329). Because both specimens share the same date and location, they are not distinguishable from one another, and both must be considered cotypes unless the catalogue number indicated by Cresson (1928: 68) is applicable to one specimen only. Mitchell (1927: 178) also examined the “type” of M. manumuskin, making the synonymy above, though did not provide enough information to distinguish the two specimens.
DNA Barcode Index Number (BIN): BOLD:AAE1212
Biology: This species is considered oligolectic on cranberry (Cane et al. 1996). Cane et al. (1996) described its foraging behaviour and nesting ecology. Graenicher (1905) indicated that nests of this species were attacked by the cuckoo Coelioxys funeraria Smith (as C. lucrosa Cresson) or a closely related species.
Distribution in Canada: Provancher 1888 [Canada?; misidentifed as M. acuta Smith, see Sheffield and Perron 2014]; Mitchell 1935b [ON], 1962 [ON, QC]; Sheffield et al. 2011 [ON, QC].
This species in uncommon in Canada [Payette 2013).
Body length: ♀ 11-14 mm
References
Viereck HL (1902) Descriptions of North American bees. The Canadian Entomologist 34(12): 325-331.https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent34325-12
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.
Payette A (2013) First record of the bee Melitta americana (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Melittidae) for Québec and Canada. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 127(1): 60-63.
Mitchell TB (1927) Notes on the Megachilidae. Psyche 34(5): 178-181.
Cane JH, Schiffhauer D, Kervin LJ (1996) Pollination, foraging, and nesting ecology of the leafcutting bee Megachile (Delomegachile) addenda (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) on cranberry beds. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 89(3): 361-367. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/89.3.361
Cresson ET (1928) The types of Hymenoptera in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia other than those of Ezra T. Cresson. Memoirs of the American Entomological Society 5: 1-90.
Graenicher S (1905) Some observations on the life history and habits of parasitic bees. Bulletin of the Wisconsin Natural History Society 3(4): 153-167.
Viereck HL (1910) Hymenoptera, pages 579-699 in: Fowler HW, Smith JB, Stone W: The Insects of New Jersey. Annual Report of the New Jersey State Museum for 1909. New Jersey State Museum, MacCrellish & Quigley, Trenton, N.J.
Sociality: Solitary
Nesting: Ground
Pollen Specialization: Narrow Oligolecty
Wintering Stage: Mature Larva
Crop Preference: Not Available
Non Crop Preference: Not Available
Distribution: Ontario, Quebec
Ecozone: Boreal Shield, Mixwood Plains