Nomada scita Cresson, 1878
Properties
Scientific Name: Nomada scita Cresson, 1878
Common Name: Nomada scita
Taxonomy
Nomada scita Cresson, 1878: 77 [♂].
Holotype ♂. USA, Colorado, by Morrison [ANSP no 2580].
Taxonomic Notes: The ♀ has not been described, but specimens with matching BINs have been DNA barcodes from Saskatchewan. Cockerell (1911: 648) gave a brief mention of the female, and also indicated again that he felt N. martinella Cockerell (described from the female) was probably conspecific with N. scita, which he stated when he described it (Cockerell 1903: 590) but indicated that the female of N. scita was somewhat smaller, and a bit darker. Swenk (1913: 27) also mentioned females but did not describe them.
The males are similar to N. erigeronis Robertson in sharing the characteristic spine on flagellum 3, though differ in having the middle region of the flagellum (annulus) pale, not dark as in N. erigeronis (Cockerell 1903: 592). Cockerell (1903: 591) described N. scitiformis, also from the male, and suggested it could represent a variety, the differences mostly in extent of colouration.
Biology: The specific host is unknown, but some members of the erigeronis group (=Centrias) are cleptoparasites of Agapostemon (Giles and Ascher 2006: 217).
DNA Barcode Index Number (BIN): BOLD:ACE5883
Distribution in Canada: Criddle et al. 1924 [BC]; Sheffield and Heron 2019 [BC], [AB, SK]
References
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.
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
Criddle N, Curran CH, Viereck HL, Buckell ER (1924) The entomological record, 1923. Annual Report of the Entomological Society of Ontario 54: 87-102.
Swenk MH (1913) Studies of North American bees I. Family Nomadidae. Univeristy Studies of the University of Nebraska 12(1): 1-113.
Cockerell TDA (1903) North American bees of the genus Nomada. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 55: 580-614.https://www.jstor.org/stable/4062915
Giles V, Ascher JS (2006) A survey of the bees of the Black Rock Forest Preserve, New York (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Journal of Hyemnoptera Research 15: 208-231.https://biostor.org/reference/368
Cockerell TDA (1911) Bees in the collection of the United States National Museum. 1. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 39(1806): 635-658.
Sociality: Parasitic
Nesting: Ground
Pollen Specialization: Not Applicable
Crop Preference: Not Available
Non Crop Preference: Not Available
Distribution: Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan
Ecozone: Prairie, Western Interior Basin