Melecta (Melecta) thoracica Cresson, 1875

Melecta thoracica Cresson, 1875: 726 [♀].

     Holotype ♀. USA, Nevada, eastern Nevada [Colorado?], 1872, by H.C. Yarrow [ANSP no. 2286].

Melecta (Melecta) sierrae Linsley, 1939a: 437 [♀, ♂]. Synonymy by Hurd and Linsley (1951: 126).

     Holotype ♀. USA, California, Lake Tahoe, 16 June 1933, by E.G. Linsley [CAS no. 4771].

Taxonomic Notes: Though Cresson (1875: 726) indicated a type location of “eastern Nevada” for the single specimen of M. thoracica, he later (Cresson 1916: 132) indicated “Colorado” (for ANSP no. 2286), which suggests that the type locality originally recorded by Cresson (1875) is incorrect (presumably the opinion of Hurd and Linsley (1951: 126)), or that the type material is lost, as was indicated as a possibility by Linsley (1945: 153); Linsley (1939: 437) seemed dubious of this species occurring in Colorado (citing the record of Ashmead 1890). Linsley (1945: 153) provided label information for specimen ANSP no. 2286, but no year was indicated, suggesting that this was not the type, but further searching at the USNM did not reveal a specimen from Nevada (C.F.W. Muesbeck, as cited by Linsley 1945: 153).

DNA Barcode Index Number (BIN): BOLD:AAD8523

 All Canada material share this DNA barcode, though material from the USA (UT) have been assigned BIN BOLD:AAD8522.

Biology: This species was reported as a cleptoparasite of Habropoda cineraria by Hurd and Linsley (1951).

Distribution in Canada: Harrington 1902 [BC]; Elwell 2012 [BC]; Sheffield et al. 2014 [AB]; Sheffield and Heron 2019 [BC]; RSKM [SK].