Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 1
Andrena melliventris, face |
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Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 1
Andrena melliventris, side |
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 1
Andrena melliventris, top |
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Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 1
Andrena melliventris, wing |
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Overview |
Reprinted with permission of the University of Nebraska State Museum from:
LaBerge, W. E. 1967. A revision of the bees of the genus Andrena of the Western Hemisphere. Part I. Callandrena (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae). Bulletin of the University of Nebraska State Museum 7: 1-316.
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A. melliventris is a large species of the southern plains area. It is not closely related to any of the foregoing species but belongs in the same group as aliciae as is evidenced by the yellow female clypeus, the yellow male parocular areas, the short facial foveae (although longer than in aliciae), the smooth propodeal enclosure and the short vertex. It differs from aliciae by the more or less reddened terga in both sexes and by the coarser punctation throughout. In addition, melliventris females usually have dark scopal hairs and have the middle basitarsus markedly expanded medially.
FEMALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. — N = 20; length, 12.0-15.0 mm; width, 4.0-5.5 mm; wing length, M = 4.48 ± 0.167 mm; FL/FW, M = 1.04 ± 0.016; FOVL/FOVW, M = 2.55 ± 0.045.
INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. — Black except as follows: clypeus yellow except testaceous to brown apical margin (with sinuous or broadly scalloped posterior margin), and small triangular dark maculae below and mesad of tentorial pits; parocular areas often with small yellowish maculae near mandibles; supraclypeal area usually rufescent; mandible red basally; flagellum red-brown below; tegulae testaceous, hyaline; wing membranes hyaline, veins red to red-brown; terga entirely red except hyaline, yellowish apical margin, or slightly reddened just basad of apical margins (usually tergum 1 more extensively reddened), or intermediate between these extremes, terga 5 and 6 generally less reddened than terga 1-4; sterna entirely orange-red with narrow hyaline apical margins, or reddened basally and near hyaline margins, or intermediate in color, basal sterna generally more reddened than apical; legs generally only slightly rufescent in palest specimens, especially femora and trochanters reddened.
STRUCTURE. — Scape slightly longer than flagellar segments 1-3; flagellar segment 1 slightly longer than segments 2 plus 3 which are subequal in length and shorter than segment 4. Eyes slightly more than three and one-half times as long as broad, inner margins parallel or converging extremely slightly toward mandibles. Malar space linear, more than six limes as broad as long. Mandible (outer) in repose extends about 1/3 its length beyond middle of labrum, bidentate, ventrobasal lamella moderately well developed. Subgenal coronet present; hypostomal carina without process at apical angle. Galea tessellate, opaque, curved evenly down at sides, lateral surface about equal to dorsal in width. Maxillary palpus short, not extending to tip of galea, segments in ratio of about 1.2:1.1:1.0:1.0; 0.7:1.0. Labial palpus as in aliciae but segmental ratio about 3.3:1.6; 1.0:1.3. Labral process twice as broad as long or slightly broader, bidentate. Clypeus evenly rounded, not flattened medially and not much bowed out, protruding beyond ends of eyes by almost half its own length, with moderate-sized, regular, round punctures separated by less than one puncture width and mostly by about half a puncture width, narrow median longitudinal impunctate area usually present, surface moderately dulled by reticular shagreening. Supraclypeal area dulled by minute, crowded punctures and reticular shagreening. Genal area distinctly broader than eye in profile (about as 7:5), with minute punctures which near eye separated mostly by one puncture width, posteriorly by two puncture widths, surface moderately shiny, reticularly shagreened. Vertex short, above lateral ocellus equals no more than one and one-half ocellar diameters, with abundant small punctures above ocelli becoming sparse laterally, surface dulled by dense tessellation. Face above antennal fossae with longitudinal rugulae, interrugal spaces with crowded punctures. Facial fovea more than half length of eye, extends down to level of lower margin of antennal fossa or almost so, broad and rounded above with less than half an ocellar diameter between fovea and lateral ocellus, narrow but well-rounded below, shallow.
Pronotum normal, above with moderate-sized to minute punctures separated mostly by one to two puncture widths, becoming sparse on lower lateral surface, surfaces moderately dulled by reticular shagreening. Mesoscutum, scutellum and metanotum with crowded, moderate-sized, deep, round, punctures separated mostly by less than half a puncture width, surfaces irregularly shagreened. Propodeum with enclosure smooth, regularly and coarsely tessellate, lateral margins slightly concave; dorsolateral and posterior surfaces with regular, round, shallow punctures separated mostly by one to two puncture widths, surfaces tessellate; corbicular surface with widely scattered small punctures and regular reticular shagreening scarcely dulling surface. Mesepisternum with small, shallow, indistinct punctures separated by one to two puncture widths, surface tessellate. Metepisternum below similar to corbicular area but impunctate. Fore wing with three submarginal cells; vein 1st m-cu meets second submarginal cell at or before middle of cell; pterostigma narrow as in accepta, portion basad of vein Rs longer than prestigma. Middle basitarsus broad, expanded at middle or just above middle of anterior margin, broader than hind basitarsus which is also broader than usual. Tibial spurs and claws normal.
Metasomal terga 1-4 with broad apical areas with small punctures separated mostly by half a puncture width, basal areas with smaller punctures separated by about two puncture widths (more widely separated on tergum 1 and less so on tergum 4), surfaces dulled by fine dense tessellation. Terga 5 and 6 more densely punctate. Pygidial plate V-shaped with truncate apex and sides straight or slightly concave. Sterna with narrow apical impunctate areas, crowded punctures near apical areas, and becoming sparse basally (especially sparse on basal sternum), surfaces moderately dulled by fine reticular shagreening.
VESTITURE. — Head ochraceous, average length. Thorax ochraceous, dorsum with hairs extremely short, densely plumose, erect, having a mat-like appearance hiding surface. Propodeal corbicula incomplete anteriorly, with sparse, long, simple, internal hairs. Terga 1-4 with weak but usually complete pale apical fasciae (often interrupted on terga 1 and 2), basally with short, erect, barbed hairs, hairs pale ochraceous. Terga 5 and 6 with long golden-ochraceous hairs. Sterna with abundant, long, suberect, white to pale ochraceous hairs near apical impunctate areas, hairs becoming short and sparse basad. Propodeal corbicula incomplete anteriorly, complete above, with several long, simple internal hairs especially in upper two-thirds. Trochanteral flocculus complete, dense. Tibial scopal hairs relatively short, plumose. Leg hairs white to pale ochraceous except as follows: tibial scopa dark ochraceous to pale brown, basitarsi brown to dark brown, middle tibiae with outer surface reddish-brown to dark ochraceous.
MALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. — N = 20; length, 11.0-14.5 mm; width, 3.0-4.5 mm; wing length, M = 4.45 ± 0.160 mm; FL/FW, M = 1.11 ± 0.006; FS1/FS2, M = 2.50 ± 0.032.
INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. — As in female with as much variation but with following differences: parocular areas yellow to level of lower margins of antennal fossae or almost; supraclypeal area yellow; flagellar segments 3-11 red beneath; posterior pronotal lobes often rufescent; terga 1-6 like terga 1-4 of female but basal areas of 5 and 6 usually dark; distitarsi rufescent.
STRUCTURE. — Antennae not exceeding tegulae in repose; scape slightly longer than flagellar segments 1-3; flagellar segment 1 slightly longer than segments 2 plus 3 which are subequal in length and each shorter than segment 4. Eyes about three times as long as broad, converging slightly toward mandibles. Malar space, galeae, mandibles, and labral process as in female. Maxillary palpus as in female but segments in ratio of about 1.6:1.5:1.1:1.0:0.6:1.0. Labial palpus as in female but segments in ratio of about 2.8:1.0:0.6:0.9. Clypeus as in female but punctures coarser, more crowded laterally and median impunctate area narrower or more frequently absent. Supraclypeal area as in female. Genal area sculptured as in female but broader, in profile almost one and one-half times as broad as eye (about as 8:5). Vertex and face as in female but facial rugulae finer and punctures more distinct.
Pronotum as in female. Mesoscutum, scutellum, and metanotum as in female but punctures slightly larger and spaced slightly farther. Propodeal enclosure, dorsolateral and posterior surfaces of propodeum as in female; lateral surfaces with sparse, minute punctures, surface dulled by coarse reticular shagreening. Episternal surfaces as in female. Wings as in female. Metasomal terga sculptured as in female but tergum 5 similar to 4 and terga 6 and 7 as in terga 5 and 6 of female. Sterna 2-5 as in female but punctures slightly more abundant near apices. Sternum 6 with broad, shallow, apical emargination and margin moderately to slightly reflexed in median third. Genital capsule and sterna 7 and 8 as figured (Figs. 70-73). Note the following structures: blunt gonoforceps; long dorsal lobes of gonocoxites; relatively small opening in gonobase.
VESTITURE. — In general as in female but paler and with following differences: dorsum of thorax with hairs moderately short, plumose, erect, but not having mat-like appearance nor obscuring surface; tergum 1 with apical pubescent fascia weak, often not evident except at extreme sides; terga 6 and 7 with long hairs pale ochraceous; sterna 2-5 with thick, short, subapical bands of suberect hairs; leg hairs entirely white to pale ochraceous except inner surfaces basitarsi brownish and inner surfaces distitarsi golden-yellow.
GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION. The specimens from Texas average darker in color than those from Kansas. This variation is presumably in a north-south dine but too few specimens are available to adequately describe the dine in detail.
TYPE MATERIAL. — The holotype female of melliventris is from Texas, Belfrage collector (USNM No. 1755).
DISTRIBUTION. — A. melliventris is known only from Kansas and Texas (Fig. 6) with the exception of a single male which is dubiously labeled as from southern Arizona. It has been taken from June 12th through July 19th in Kansas and April 11th through June 6th in Texas. A total of 44 females and 82 males have been examined from the localities listed below (not including the dubious Arizona record).
KANSAS: Clark Co.; Dodge City; Ellis Co.; Gove Co.; Hamilton Co.; Isabel (8 miles N.E.); Kingman; Lamed; Medicine Lodge; Morton Co.; Quinter, Sheridan Co. (5 miles N.); Sheridan Co.; Trego Co. TEXAS: Bexar Co.; Catarina; Sherry Springs; Cyprus Mills, Blanco Co.; Dalhart; Dallas; Denton; Lytle, Atascosa Co.; McDade; Midland; Palmetto State Park, Gonzales Co.; Roanoke, Denton Co.; Sabinal; Weser, Goliad Co.
FLORAL RECORDS. — A. melliventris has been collected most often from. species of Gaillardia (11 out of 14 collections with data). However, two few reliable flower records exist to be able to draw reliable conclusions regarding the flower preferences of this species. A. melliventris has been collected from the following flowers: Aster tenacetifolium. Coreopsis cardamineolia, Gaillardia sp., G. pulchella, Monarda punctata.
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References |
Andrena melliventris Cresson, 1872, Transactions of the American Entomological Society, vol. 4, p. 257.
Andrena (Pterandrena) melliventris: Lanham, 1949, University of California Publications in Entomology, vol. 8, p. 200.
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Updated: 2024-04-26 14:53:15 gmt
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