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Andrena mesillae Cockerell, 1896
Andrena (Tylandrena) mesillae Cockerell, 1896

Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Andrenidae   Andrena
Subgenus: Melandrena

Andrena mesillae, side
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 1
Andrena mesillae, side

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Andrena mesillae, face
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 1
Andrena mesillae, face
Andrena mesillae, top
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 1
Andrena mesillae, top

Andrena mesillae, wing
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 1
Andrena mesillae, wing
Overview
Reprinted with permission of the American Entomological Society from: LaBerge, W. E., Bouseman, J. K. 1970. A revision of the bees of the genus Andrena of the Western Hemisphere. Part III. Tylandrena. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 96: 543-605.

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Andrena mesillae is a dark bee of the southwest related to perplexa and wilmattae but not closely. The female can be readily distinguished from any of the foregoing by its black scopal hairs, black vestiture on head, thoracic pleurae and abdomen, and the weak humeral angles. The male is also marked by black hairs on the terga and legs and is further distinguished by the extremely short first flagellar segment.

FEMALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. — N = 20; length, 11-13 mm; width, 3.5-4.0 mm; wing length, M = 4.72 ± 0.136 mm; FL/FW, M = 0.92 ± 0.006; FOVL/FOVW, M = 3.30 ± 0.050. INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. — Black except as follows: mandible with apical half or less rufescent; flagellar segments 3 or 4 to 10 dark brown below; wing veins dark brown, pterostigma rufescent, membrane moderately infumate, brown; distitarsi rufescent.

STRUCTURE. — Antennal scape length equals first four flagellar segments or almost; flagellar segment 1 no longer than segments 2 plus 3, segment 2 subequal in length to 3, shorter than broad and shorter than segment 4, segments 4-10 slightly longer than broad. Eyes each about three and three-fourths times as long as broad, inner margins parallel. Malar space short, eight times as broad as minimum length. Galea as in perplexa. Maxillary palpus as in perplexa but segmental ratio about 0.8:1.0:0.8: 0.7 :0.6:0.6. Labial palpus as in perplexa but ratio about 1.0:0.7:0.4:0.7. Labral process entire, short, about twice as broad at base as long; labrum below process with a transverse sulcus crossed by numerous short weak rugulae, no prominent cristae, surface in sulcus moderately shiny. Clypeus rounded, with round punctures separated largely by half a puncture width, slightly more along midline but no prominent impunctate midline evident, surface moderately shiny, with weak shagreening (denser posteriorly). Supraclypeal area finely punctate and shagreened. Genal areas, and face above antennae as in perplexa. Vertex above lateral ocellus relatively short, less than one and one-half ocellar diameters (about as 11 or 12:9), sculpture as in perplexa.

Pronotum shaped as in perplexa laterally but humeral angle reduced and set close to mesonotum (more so than in wilmattae), lower lateral surface dulled by dense tessellation posteriorly. Mesoscutal punctures deep, small, close-set except in small posteromedian area, surface shiny, lightly shagreened if at all. Scutellum similar to posteromedian mesoscutal area. Propodeum with dorsal enclosure with irregular rugulae in posterior half or more often converging to center of area near base, apically often with transverse rugulae, surface dulled by fine tessellation; dorsal and posterior surfaces dulled by crowded punctures and dense tessellation; corbicular area moderately shiny, coarsely tessellate with scattered punctures. Mesepisternum as in perplexa but punctures smaller. Venation as in perplexa but second submarginal cell not quite so long. Tergum 1 with apical area impunctate submarginally, with small round punctures separated mostly by one to one and one-half puncture widths in basal half or more; basal area punctures separated mostly by one to two puncture widths or more; surface shiny, lightly shagreened if at all. Terga 2-4 similar but apical area punctures more extensive and smaller and basal area punctures separated mostly by one-half to one puncture width. Pygidial plate V-shaped with small rounded apex; without raised internal triangle, punctate (unless worn). Sterna with impunctate apical areas, basally with punctures separated by two to three puncture widths, sparser towards bases, surfaces dulled by moderately coarse, reticular shagreening.

VESTITURE. — Black except as follows: often with a few pale hairs near antennae, pale on posterior part of head, thoracic dorsum, posterior pronotal lobes, propodeal dorsal and posterior surfaces; hind femora with white hairs at least anteriorly; a few to several black hairs mixed with the pale on posterior lateral corners of mesoscutum and axillae. Thoracic dorsum with hairs rather short and erect. Terga without trace of apical fasciae. Sterna with subapical fimbriae of long hairs at least twice as long as more basal hairs. Pollen-collecting hairs much as in perplexa but corbicula with anterior plumose hairs shorter and sparser. MALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. — N = 9; length, 10-12 mm; width, 2.5-3.5 mm; wing length, M = 4.44 ± 0.295 mm; FL/FW, M = 0.89 ± 0.007; FSI/FS2, M = 0.89 ± 0.013.

INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. — Black except as follows: mandible with at least apex rufescent; flagellar segments 2-11 brown below; wing veins dark brown to reddish-brown, pterostigma reddish-brown, membranes hyaline, only slightly infumate; distitarsi often rufescent.

STRUCTURE. — Antennae moderately long, in repose reaching back beyond posterior margins tegulae; scape length equals first two and one-fourth flagellar segments; flagellar segment 2 slightly shorter than 3, longer than broad, segments 3-10 subequal in length to each other, longer than broad. Eyes each a little more than three times as long as broad, inner margins parallel. Malar space and galeae as in female. Mandible as in female but longer, moderately decussate. Maxillary palpus as in perplexa but segmental ratio about 0.8: 1.0:0.8:0.8:0.7:0.7. Labral palpus as in perplexa but ratio about 1.0:0.6:0.4:0.6. Labral process as in wilmattae. Clypeus rounded, with close-set, small, irregular punctures separated mostly by half a puncture width or less, surface moderately shiny, finely shagreened especially posteriorly. Supraclypeal area, genal area and face above antennae as in perplexa. Vertex relatively short, above lateral ocellus equals one and one-half ocellar diameters or less, sculptured as in female. Thoracic sculpturing as in female except as follows: mesoscutal, posteromedial, sparsely punctate area larger, surface shiny, unshagreened; propodeal dorsal enclosure without rugulae, coarsely granulate mediobasally; mesepisterna duller, tessellation and punctures denser. Wing venation as in female. Tergum 1 with apical area impunctate except in basal fourth to third; basal area with small punctures separated by two to four puncture widths or more, surface shiny, unshagreened. Terga 2-5 similar but basal areas with punctures separated mostly by one to two puncture widths (sparser on 5), surfaces unshagreened except lightly so on tergum 5. Sterna as in female but punctures sparser, moderately shiny, reticularly shagreened; sternum 6 duller and without shallow longitudinal sulcus.

Terminalia as figured (Figs. 51-55) but note the following: sternum 7 with V-shaped emargination; sternum 8 with apex slightly expanded, apical part set off abruptly from basal part and with short stout hairs medially.

VESTITURE. — Generally white or pale ochraceous except as follows: terga 3-7 and usually apical third of tergum 2 with sparse hairs black or dark brown; inner surfaces hind tibiae and tarsi reddish-brown. Terga 1 and 2 with relatively long white hairs contrasting with sparse short dark hairs of remaining terga. Sterna 2-5 with extremely weak subapical fimbriae; sternum 6 with subapical fimbriae of short, decumbent hairs moderately well developed.

Names
Scientific source:

Supported by

Hosts · map
FamilyScientific name @ source (records)
Bignoniaceae  Chilopsis linearis @ BBSL (1)
Brassicaceae  Lesquerella gordonii @ BBSL (1)

Lesquerella sp @ BBSL (2)

Physaria gordonii @ AMNH_BEE (4)
_  Withheld @ BBSL__CAVE (5)

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Updated: 2024-03-28 21:09:24 gmt
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