Megachile coquilletti Cockerell, 1915
Properties
Scientific Name: Megachile coquilletti Cockerell, 1915
Common Name: Coquilletti\\\'s Leafcutter Bee
Taxonomy
Megachile mendica coquilletti Cockerell, 1915: 535 [♂].
Holotype ♂. USA, California, Los Angeles County, by Coquillett [USNM no.].
Taxonomic notes: Cockerell (1915: 536) indicated that, although desribing this taxon as a subspecies of M. mendica Cresson, 1878, he felt it was equally close to M. brevis Say, 1837, but its true affiliation would not be possible until the ♀ was discovered. The ♀ was described by Mitchell (1935: 21), who recognized this taxon as a valid species.
Bzdyk (2012: 41) incorrectly recorded Texas as the type locality.
DNA Barcode Index Number (BIN): BOLD:AAE8844
Biology: This species nests in cavities, and apparently accepts trap-nests (Bohart 1957; Thorp et al. 1992; Barthell et al. 1998).
Distribution in Canada: Mitchell 1935 [BC]; Buckell 1950 [BC]; Sheffield et al. 2011 [BC]; Sheffield and Heron 2019 [BC].
References
Mitchell TB (1935) A revision of the genus Megachile in the Nearctic region. Part II. Morphology of the male sternites and genital armature and the taxonomy of the subgenera Litomegachile, Neomegachile and Cressoniella. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 61(1): 1-44.https://www.jstor.org/stable/25077331
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
Buckell ER (1950) Record of bees from British Columbia: Megachilidae. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of British Columbia 46: 21-31.
Sheffield CS, Ratti C, Packer L, Griswold T (2011) Leafcutter and mason bees of the genus Megachile Latreille (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Canada and Alaska. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification 18: 1-107. https://doi.org/10.3752/cjai.2011.18
Bzdyk EL (2012) A revision of the Megachile subgenus Litomegachile Mitchell with an illustrated key and description of a new species (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae, Megachilini). ZooKeys 221: 31-61. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.221.3234
Cockerell TDA (1915) Descriptions and records of bees.—LXVII. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 8 15(90): 529-537. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222931508693669
Sociality: Solitary
Nesting: Cavity Renter
Pollen Specialization: Polylectic
Wintering Stage: Mature Larva
Crop Preference: Not Available
Non Crop Preference: Not Available
Distribution: British Columbia
Ecozone: Montane Cordillera, Western Interior Basin