Sphecodes hudsoni Cockerell, 1911

Sphecodes hudsoni Cockerell, 1913: 12 [♀].

     Holotype ♀. CANADA, Hudson Bay[‘s] [BMNH no. 17.a.577].

Taxonomic Notes: The ♂ is unknown.

Known only from the holotype, Cockerell (1913: 13) recorded the type locality as “Hudson Bay” with accession number 44. 17, for the 17^th accession of 1844 (see Cockerell 1912: 354); according to Cockerell (1913: 13), the specimen had been at the BMNH for at least 67 years. Cockerell described or mentioned other species of bees from this locality and accession code (i.e., 44. 17), including Osmia subarctica Cockerell and O. tersula Cockerell (Cockerell 1912: 357; 358) and Megachile melanophaea Smith. Smith (1853: 142) likely also described Osmia frigida Smith [= Osmia nigriventris (Zetterstedt)] from this material.

The holotype labels for these specimens indicates Hudson’s Bay which could be interpreded as any area near the large body of water of northern Canada (Nunavut, Ontario and Quebec), as such, with very poor precision. However, the ‘locality” is in reference to a tradng post of the Hudson’s Bay company in northern Ontario (Handfield and Handfield 2020; Handfield 2022). Francis Walker (e.g., Walker 1848, 1852, 1855) described and/or listed many insect specimens from “St. Martin’s Falls, Albany River, Hudson’s Bay” that were presented to the BMNH by G[eorge]. Barnston, Esq (1800-1883) which were accessioned under number 44-17 (Handfield and Handfield 2020: 439). Though these works by Walker treated Diptera (1848), Neuroptera (1852), and Lepidoptera (1855), many other groups of insects were collected by Barnston at Martin’s Falls (he was an employee of the Hudson’s Bay Company at this post) and deposited in the BMNH (Handfield and Handfield 2020), including 720 specimens of Hymenoptera. Preble (1902) gave a detailed account of biological investigations of the Hudson Bay region, including many observations of birds also noted by Barston at “Martin’s Falls” on the Albany River. Handfield and Handfield (2020) and Handfield (2022) discussed the insects described by Walker in the mid 1800’s and indicated that the correct locality for specimens labelled as Hudson’s Bay in those works should be “Martin’s Falls” for this trading post on the Albany River in northern Ontario (51.534 N, 86.505 W). Thus, Cockerell’s and Smith’s type locality of “Hudson Bay” is assumed to be this location in northern Ontario.

It has been suggested that S. hudsoni may be the valid name for S. townesi Mitchell, 1951 [M. Arduser, as per Ascher and Pickering (2023, Discover Life), though this synonymy was not made by Gibbs et al. (2017: 97) who treated other Sphecodes species with similar status]. The shining scutum [mesothorax] with scattered punctures and other characters described by Cockerell (1913: 12-13) are more in agreement with S. levis Lovell and Cockerell, 1907, a species known from eastern Canada.

Distribution in Canada: Cockerell 1913 [ON, as “Hudson Bay”]; Gibson 1914 [ON, as “Hudson’s Bay”]; Meyer 1919 [ON, as “Hudson Bay”].

Biology: This species is a cleptoparasite, most likley of other Halictinae, though no details are known of its biology.

Distribution in Canada: Cockerell 1913 ["Hudson Bay"]; Gibson 1914 [Hudson’s Bay]; Meyer 1919 [Hudson Bay].

Extent of Occurrence (EOO) in Canada (http://geocat.kew.org/): N/A

Index of Area of Occupancy (IAO) in Canada (http://geocat.kew.org/): 4 km2