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Michael Veit · 6
Andrena confederata, m on Rubus -- |
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Andrena confederata, M, Back, Calvert Co |
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Andrena confederata, M, Face, Calvert Co |
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Andrena confederata, M, Side, MD, Calvert Co |
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Andrena confederata, U, Back, PG county, MD |
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Andrena confederata, U, Face, PG county, MD |
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Andrena confederata, U, Side, PG county, MD |
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Andrena confederata, f, back, Pr Georges Co, MD |
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Andrena confederata, f, face, Pr Georges Co, MD |
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Andrena confederata, f, side, Pr Georges Co, MD |
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Mitchell, Bees of the Eastern United States, Vol. I, 1960 · 1
Andrena confederata, figure22b |
Ted Kropiewnicki · 1
Andrena confederata |
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Ted Kropiewnicki · 1
Andrena confederata |
Ted Kropiewnicki · 1
Andrena confederata |
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Overview |
Identification Tips: This is an uncommon species, but in the male its identification can be narrowed down by the combination of its large size; the very long, thin ORANGE colored basitarsi and tarsal segments as well as the lack of a pronotal ridge or corner; the generally dull and heavily lined tergites, and the location along the rim of S3-5 of white hairs that are noticeably denser and thicker (but not by much) and while not longer than the surrounding hairs they do form a neat and tidy fringe of hairs which is characterized by being shorter in the middle of the rim and slightly longer towards the sides.
Reprinted with permission of the American Entomological Society from:
Bouseman, J. K., LaBerge, W. E. 1978. A revision of the bees of the genus Andrena of the Western Hemisphere. Part IX. Subgenus Melandrena. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 104: 275-390.
Please report text errors to: leah at discoverlife dot org.
This medium-sized slender species can be distinguished from all other American Melandrena by having a short vertex in both sexes. The vertex above the lateral ocellus is no taller than one ocellar diameter. This character, together with the subgential plates of the male and several other features, indicate that confederata is a primitive species having been derived near the basic stock of the Melandrena, The male genital capsule has the penis valves extremely slender apically and the female has an incomplete; trochanteral flocculus and, therefore, confederata seems to be | more closely related to the vicina group of Melandrena than to the carlini group. The short vertex, presence of incomplete sternal fimbriae and the narrow genal area make confederata an almost ideal link between the primitive Euandrena of the A. astragali type and the Melandrena. At the same time, at least three apomorphic characters held in common with A. platyrhina indicate that confederata is related to platyrhina and should be considered as a sister species of the platyrhina stem.
FEMALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. — N = 20; length, 11-13 mm; width, 2.5-3.5 mm; wing length, M = 4.88 ± 0.178 mm; FL/FW, M = 0.97 ± 0.001; FOVL/FOVW, M = 2.91 ± 0.032.
INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. — Black except as follows: mandible with apical half rufescent; flagellar segments 2-10 below dark brown; tegula testaceous to translucent brown; wing membranes slightly to moderately infumate, yellow to yellowish-brown, veins reddish-brown; tergal apical areas translucent, yellowish-brown to brown; sternal apical areas translucent, colorless apically to brown near bast; distitarsi dark rufescent; tibial spurs testaceous.
STRUCTURE. — Antennae long; scape length equals about first three flagellar segments; flagellar segment 1 as long as following two and one-third segments; segment 2 slightly shorter than segment 3, quadrate or slightly longer, segments 3-10 distinctly longer than broad. Eyes each about four times as long as broad, inner margins parallel. Malar space and galea as in vicina. Maxillary palpus as in views but segmental ratio about as 0.9:1.0:0.7:0.6:0.5:0.5. Labial palpus as in vicina but segmental ratio about as 1.0:0.6:0.5:0.5. Labral process trapezoidal in outline, usually with apical margin emarginate, basal depression with several weak transverse striae; labrum below process without sulcus or median crista. Clypeus evenly rounded, with small punctures separated by half a puncture width or more, median impunctate line absent or narrow and not evident basally; surface dulled by shagreening. Supraclypeal area dulled by shallow punctures and fine shagreening. Face above antennal fossae with longitudinal rugulae laterally (near foveae) but irregular medially (below ocelli). Facial fovea as in vicina. Vertex short, above lateral ocellus equals about one ocellar diameter or less; sculptured us in vicina, Genal area in profile not much broader than eye if any, sculptured as in vicina.
Thoracic form and sculpturing as in vicina except as follows: scutellum often moderately shiny; metanotum flat, not much elevated above level of propodeum posteriorly; propodeal dorsal enclosure irregularly roughened in basal half or more; propodeum outside of enclosure roughened by punctures and tessellation; lateral surface propodeum with few to several, short, irregular rugulae posteroventrally. Wing venation as in vicina but second submarginal cell receiving vein 1st m-cu in outer third of cell. Tibial spurs and tarsal claws normal.
Metasomal terga 1-5 virtually impunctate, dulled by coarse, dense, reticulotransverse to reticular shagreening. Pygidial plate V-shaped with rounded apex, without raised internal triangle but punctate medially with shiny impunctate margins. Sterna 2-5 sculptured as in vicina but apical areas much longer and dulled by dense tessellation.
VESTITURE. — Ochraceous except as follows: facial fovea with upper half occasionally brown; terga 5 and 6 with long apical hairs brown; basitibial plate and surrounding hairs brown; inner surfaces tarsi pale yellow. Form and distribution of hair as in vicina except as follows: dorsal thoracic hairs moderately long, sparse, not at all hiding surface; propodeal corbiculum with anterior margin without long plumose hairs, dorsal margin with only a few to several long hairs near apex of trochanter; terga without pale fasciae.
MALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. — N = 20; length, 9-14 mm; width, 2-3 mm; wing length, M = 4.16 ± 0.197 mm; FL/FW, M = 0.99 ± 0.004; FS1/FS2, M a 1.40 ± 0.024.
INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. — Black except as follows: mandible with apical fourth or third rufescent; flagellar segments dark reddish-brown below; tegula translucent, ferruginous; wing membranes hyaline, slightly infumate, veins reddish-brown; tergal apical areas translucent, clear apically to brown basally; sterna with narrow apical rims hyaline, basally with rufescent reflections; tarsi dark rufescent to orange; tibial spurs testaceous.
STRUCTURE. — Antenna long, reaching midscutellum in repose; scape length equals about first two and one-third flagellar segments; flagellar segment 1 equal to one and one-third times second segment or more; segment 2 shorter than segment 3; median flagellar segments one and one-third to one and one-half times as long as broad. Eyes each about three and one-half times as long as broad, inner margins parallel or converging slightly toward mandibles. Maxillary palpus as in vicina but segmental ratio about as 0.9:1.0:0.7:0.6:0.5:0.4. Labial palpus as in vicina but ratio about as 1.0:0.7:0.5:0.5. Labral process emarginate apically, occasionally with a few distinct punctures on apical half, basal depression usually with a few weak transverse striae; labrum apical to process shiny, without sulcus or cristae. Clypeus much as in female but punctures more crowded and lacking median impunctate line. Supraclypeal area, face above antennal fossae, vertex and genal area as in female but genal area slightly broader than eye in profile.
Thoracic form and sculpturing as in female but propodeum with area outside of enclosure with punctures larger, with shiny bottoms; lateral surface propodeum coarsely punctate and tessellate with a few isolated, short, dorsoventral rugulae along ventral margin. Wing venation, tarsal claws and tibial spurs as in female.
Metasomal terga 1-5 virtually impunctate, dulled by reticulotransverse shagreening but apical rims often shiny. Pygidial area broad, pointed, narrowly V-shaped, tessellate. Sterna almost impunctate, dulled by reticular shagreening. Sternum 6 with apical margin weakly emarginate.
Terminalia as in figures 114-118; note sternum 8 apical lobe narrow, rounded.
VESTITURE. — Ochraceous to white but inner surfaces tarsi pale yellow. Thoracic dorsum with hairs long, sparse. Metasomal terga without pale apical fasciae, hairs sparse; sterna 2-5 with short subapical fimbriae of white plumose hairs but incomplete laterally. Sternum 6 without long dependent hairs.
Reprinted with permission from: Mitchell, T.B. 1960. Bees of the Eastern United States. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 141.
FEMALE. — Length 13 mm.; clypeus broadly convex, projecting about one-third below suborbital line, rather dull, with an obscure, narrow, median, impunctate line, otherwise with moderately coarse, close and shallow punctures; facial foveae broad above, occupying most of area between eyes and ocelli, covered with pale ochraceous tomentum; space between margin of vertex and lateral ocelli only slightly greater than their diameter; cheeks subequal to eyes in width, rounded posteriorly, rather dull, exceedingly minutely and sparsely punctate; length of malar space equal to about one-fourth basal width of mandibles; basal segment of flagellum slightly longer than 2nd and 3r combined; process of labrum rather large, broad and rather short, obscurely subtriangular, but very broadly truncate apically; pubescence of head yellowish-white below, becoming ochraceous above, ochraceous on dorsum of thorax, becoming whitish below and on legs; thoracic integument rather dull, punctures of scutum rather shallow and fine, rather close anteriorly, becoming quite sparse posteriorly; scutellum somewhat more shining, bore finely but distinctly punctured, punctures rather sparse and irregular; pleura more densely tessellate, rather closely punctured, but punctures quite shallow and indistinct; enclosure of propodeum dull, tessellate, becoming subrugose toward basal margin; propodeal corbicula ochraceous, very short, anterior fringe not well developed; trochanteral floccus white, poorly developed, very short; hind tibiae very narrow and elongate, scopa rather dense, hairs simple and elongate, faintly yellowish; all basitarsi very slightly narrower than their respective tibiae; 2nd submarginal cell slightly shorter than 3rd, receiving 1st recurrent slightly beyond middle; abdominal terga dull, microscopically tessellate, apical depressed areas quite narrow and obscure, faintly reddened toward rims, entire discs sparsely and very minutely and obscurely punctate, punctures visible only at certain angles, discal pubescence very short, suberect, pale, fasciae not developed, tergum 5 with a quite dense, apical, brownish fimbria.
MALE. — Length 11 mm.; clypeus slightly convex, projecting about one-third below suborbital line, uniformly, closely, deeply and rather coarsely punctate beneath the quite dense pubescence; space between margin of vertex and lateral ocelli subequal to their diameter; cheeks slightly broader than eyes, rounded posteriorly (as in hilaris, fig. 21), very minutely and obscurely punctate; malar space short; basal segment of flagellum longer than 2nd segment, but considerably shorter than 2nd and 3rd combined; process of labrum broad and rather short, slightly narrowed apically, apex rather broadly truncate; mandibles slender, short, lacking the usual subapical inner tooth, overlapping but very slightly; pubescence of head and thorax entirely ochraceous, somewhat more whitish on cheeks below and on pleura, entirely whitish on legs; thoracic integument rather dull, punctures of scutum rather shallow but quite close and distinct anteriorly, becoming quite sparse posteriorly, those on scutellum finer, irregularly distributed, surf ace somewhat more shining; pleura more densely tessellate, punctures rather close above but obscure; enclosure of propodeum dull, densely tessellate; basitarsi slender and elongate, considerably narrower than their respective tibiae, ferruginous in contrast with the darker, more basal segments of the legs; 2nd submarginal cell slightly shorter than 3rd, receiving 1st recurrent slightly beyond middle; abdominal terga dull, microscopically tessellate, apical depressed areas quite narrow, becoming very narrowly hyaline along apical rims, punctures extremely minute and obscure, visible only under high magnification, discal pubescence entirely pale, slightly elongate basally, but very short, suberect on the more apical segments, fasciae not developed; apical portion of sternum 8 slender and elongate, slightly broadened apically, with rather short, dense pubescence to the rather broadly truncate tip, apex of sternum 7 rather broadly produced, this area deeply incised medially; penis valves somewhat expanded basally, but not excavated, gonocoxites very slender, scarcely at all dilated apically, gonocoxal lobes only very slightly produced, narrowly rounded.
DISTRIBUTION. — Ohio to New Jersey, south to Florida; March to May.
FLOWER RECORDS. — Amelanchier, Castanea, Crataegus, Fragaria, Ilex, Malus, Padus, Prunus, Pyracantha and Rubus.
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Updated: 2024-04-19 11:25:52 gmt
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