Megachile umatillensis (Mitchell, 1927)

Megachiloides umatillensis Mitchell, 1927: 118 [♂, ♀]

     Holotype ♂. USA, Washington, Camp Umatilla, 26 June 1882, by S. Henshaw [MCZ no. 15714]

Biology

The nesting biology was studied in detail by Bohart and Youssef (1972) who indicated that it nested on east-facing slopes in loose sparsely vegetated sand; at least 80% of the sand surface was exposed to direct sunlight. Nesting cells were constructed from flower petals of Oenothera sp., its floral host (Bohart and Youssef 1972). Nests are parasitized by Coelioxys mesae Cockerell (Bohart and Yousseff 1972; as Coelioxys flagrata Baker)

Distribution

In Canada, this species has only been recorded from southern British Columbia (Sheffield et al. 2011; Sheffield and Heron 2019).

References

Bohart GE, Youssef NN (1972) Notes on the biology of Megachile (Megachiloides) umatillensis Mitchell (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) and its parasites. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 124: 1-19. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.1972.tb00356.x

Mitchell TB (1927) New megachilid bees. Psyche 34: 104-121. https://doi.org/10.1155/1927/86083

Sheffield CS, Heron JM (2019 [2018]) 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

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. http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/ejournal/srpg_18/srpg_18.html