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Melecta separata separata Cresson, 1879

Properties

Scientific Name: Melecta separata separata Cresson, 1879

Common Name: Melecta separata separata

Taxonomy

Melecta separata Cresson, 1879: 204 [♀]

     Holotype ♀. USA, Nevada, by Morrison [ANSP no. 2287]

 

Species Notes

The ♂‚ was described by Linsley (1939). Though this species was not recorded from Canada in by Hurd and Linsley (1951), Bombomelecta maculata Viereck (not Cresson) a synonym of this subspecies; Linsley (1939) suggested possibly synonymy with M. separata callura (Cockerell), though this was later changed (Hurd and Linsley 1951). In an earlier work, Linsley (1938) mentions Bombomelecta separata maculata Viereck [presumably the same] from Victoria and Royal Oak, British Columbia, though in the subsequent year (Linsley 1939) associates these Canadian locations with the other subspecies.  Unfortunately, neither Linsley (1939) or Hurd and Linsley (1951) record this subspecies from Canada (therfore, neither did Sheffield and Heron 2019), so until the material at the CNC can be examined and the status clarified, this subspecies is left as valid in Canada.

 

References

Cresson ET (1879) Catalogue of North American Apidae. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 7: 215-232. https://doi.org/10.2307/25076374

Hurd PD Jr., Linsley EG (1951) The melectine bees of California (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae). Bulletin of the California Insect Survey 1(5): 119-140.

Linsley EG (1938) Notes on the synonymy and distribution of some North American bees of the genus Bombomelecta (Hymenoptera). Entomological News 49: 160-163.

Linsley EG (1939) A revision of the Nearctic Melectinae. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 32(2): 429-468.

Sheffield CS, Heron JM (2019) The bees of British Columbia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, Apiformes). Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia 115 https://journal.entsocbc.ca/index.php/journal/article/view/1001

Sociality: Parasitic
Nesting: Ground
Pollen Specialization: Polylectic

Crop Preference: Not Available
Non Crop Preference: Not Available

Distribution: British Columbia
Ecozone: Pacific Maritime

Distribution Map