D I S C O V E R    L I F E   
Bee Hunt! Odonata Lepidoptera 
  HomeAll Living ThingsIDnature guidesGlobal mapperAlbumsLabelsSearch
  AboutNewsEventsResearchEducationProjectsStudy sitesHelp


Andrena nothoscordi Robertson, 1897
Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Andrenidae   Andrena
Subgenus: Notandrena


Click on map for details about points.

Links
    Notes from the Bee Lab: This species may be a specialist on Nothoscordum bivalve and perhaps Nothoscordum gracile...this remains to be completely documented and we encourage people to continue collecting off of this plant group. Jack Neff notes that in TX he does NOT collect this species on Nothoscordum species despite the commonness of that plant.
  • Hosts
Overview
Reprinted with permission of the American Entomological Society from: LaBerge, W. E. 1985. A revision of the bees of the genus Andrena of the Western Hemisphere. Part XI. Minor subgenera and subgeneric key. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 111: 440-567.

Please report text errors to: leah at discoverlife dot org.

This small species superficially resembles Andrena (Rhacandrena) robertsonii (LaBerge 1977:98) in the female sex. However, the female of nothoscordi has very distinct pronotal humeral angles and dorsoventral ridges and broader genal areas. The male resembles a Gonandrena in having broad genal areas carinate posteriorly but has a yellow clypeus and small yellow parocular maculae. Both sexes of nothoscordi are marked by well formed tergal apical pale fasciae and by dark tarsi.

FEMALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. � N = 20; length, 7-8 mm; width, 2.0-2.5 mm; wing length, M = 2.57 � 0.088 mm; FL/FW, M = 0.98 � 0.004; FOVL/FOVW, M = 3.13 � 0.045.

INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. � Black except as follows: mandible with apical half rufescent; flagellar segments 2 or 3 to 10 dark reddish-brown below; wing membranes hyaline, clear, veins red to orange; terga and sterna with apical areas translucent, colorless to yellow; pygidial plate often rufescent; tarsi dark reddish-brown to black.

STRUCTURE. � Scape length equals first four flagellar segments or slightly more; flagellar segment 1 longer than segments 2 plus 3 by almost length of segment 2; segment 2 about as long as 3, much broader than long, shorter than segment 4; median segments distinctly broader than long. Eyes each four times as long as broad, inner margins diverging toward vertex. Mandible moderate in length, when closed extending beyond midlabrum by one-fourth its own length or less; with basal tooth. Malar space minimal, linear. Galea broad near base, pointed, outer margin in apical third slightly concave; dulled by smooth reticular shagreening; stipes longitudinally shagreened, punctures small. Maxillary palpus long, extending beyond galea by more than last two segments; segmental ratio about 0.8:1.0:0.8:0.8:0.8:0.7. Labial palpus with first segment long, slightly flattened and broadened apically; segmental ratio about 1.0:0.7:0.5:0.6. Labral process entire, flat, apical margin curved, more than twice as broad as long; labrum apical to process with shiny transverse sulcus, without cristae. Clypeus gently rounded, apical margin not strongly turned up; surface dulled by regular reticular shagreening and small round sparse punctures separated by one to two or three puncture widths throughout. Supraclypeal area dulled by reticular shagreening. Face above antennal fossae with fine longitudinal rugulae parallel to diverging slightly toward ocelli; interrugal spaces finely punctured, dull. Facial fovea short, extending below almost to a line at lower level antennal fossae, separated from lateral ocellus by one ocellar diameter or almost. Vertex above lateral ocellus short, equal half an ocellar diameter, surface opaque, finely tessellate. Genal area in profile distinctly broader than eye; surface dull, shagreened, and minutely punctate.

Pronotum reticularly shagreened, punctures not evident. Mesoscutum coarsely and reticularly shagreened with sparse small punctures similar to clypeus, but punctures separated mostly by two to four puncture widths. Scutellum similar, but punctures sparser. Propodeum tessellate except short rugulae along basal margin. Mesepisternum finely tessellate, punctures obscure. Hind tibia cuneate.

Metasomal tergum shiny or moderately shiny; surface with extremely weak, coarse shagreening and extremely small, sparse, obscure punctures. Terga 2-4 with coarse shagreening more evident, less shiny. Pygidial plate U-shaped, apex broadly rounded without raised internal triangle. Sterna 2-5 with narrow apical areas shiny, impunctate; basal areas with small punctures crowded near apical areas, becoming sparse at bases, surfaces dulled by reticular shagreening.

VESTITURE. � Generally white, short, and sparse. Facial fovea with short white hairs. Terga 2-4 with distinct apical pale fasciae, often narrowly interrupted medially on tergum 2. Propodeal corbiculum incomplete anteriorly, with abundant long simple internal hairs; tibial scopal hairs long, simple; trochanteral flocculus incomplete, basal half or more with hairs short.

MALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. � N = 4; length, 6-7 mm; width, about 1.5 mm; wing length, M = 2.41 � 0.232 mm; FL/FW, M = 1.00 � 0.037; FS1/FS2, M = 2.71 � 0.242.

INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. � As in female except as follows: clypeus yellow except apical margin and small spots below tentorial pits; parocular areas with small yellow maculae; tarsi dark reddish-brown to brown.

STRUCTURE. � Antenna short, female-like; scape length equals first four flagellar segments; flagellar segment 1 as long as segments 2 plus 3 plus two-thirds of 4; segment 2 about as long as 3, shorter than 4, and about twice as broad as long; median segments slightly broader than long. Eyes each about three and one-half times as long as broad, inner margins diverging toward vertex. Mandibles of moderate length, when closed outer mandible surpassing midlabrum by about one-fourth mandible length; with small subapical tooth. Galea and malar space as in female, Maxillary palpus as in female but segmental ratio about 1.0:0.7:1.0:1,0:0.5:0.( Labial palpus as in female, but ratio about 1.0:0.6:0.5:0.5. Labral process small, entire, shiny; labrum below process shiny, nonsulcate. Clypeus broad, gently rounded moderately shiny, with sparse round punctures separated by one to three puncture widths and with weak shagreening near basal margin. Supraclypeal area and face above antennal fossae as in female. Vertex above lateral ocellus equals slightly less than one ocellar diameter, sculptured as in female. Genal area in profile distinctly broader than eye, posterior margin with distinct carina, sculptured as in female.

Thoracic sculpturing as in female except as follows: pronotum unshagreened, with few punctures; propodeum with dorsal enclosure slightly roughened throughout.

Metasomal terga 1-5 sculptured as female terga 1-4, but apical areas shiny, unshagreened. Sterna 2-5 as in female, but basal areas with punctures minute, sparse. Sternum 6 flat, emarginate apically. Penis valves narrow, elongate, apex bent downward; dorsal lobe gonocoxite short. Sternum 7 deeply emarginate; sternum 8 blunt-tipped, elongate (Figs. 32-36).

VESTITURE. � As in female, white, short, and sparse; terga 2-5 with apical pale fasciae of white pubescence usually interrupted medially on terga 2 and 3 by less than one-third width of tergum; sterna 2-5 with subapical fimbriae of long curled hairs.



Reprinted with permission from: Mitchell, T.B. 1960. Bees of the Eastern United States. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 141.

No specimens of this poorly known species have been found in any of the collections that have been made, or received for determination. It is closely related to the species of Micrandrena, but differs from most of the eastern species of that group in the somewhat broader cheeks. The following brief description was made of the type specimen in the collection of the Illinois Natural History Survey:

FEMALE. � Length 7 mm.; foveae broad, filling most of space between eyes and lateral ocelli; cheeks slightly broader than eyes; clypeus dull, punctures sparse and shallow; face below ocelli finely striate; malar space inevident; basal segment of flagellum equal to 2nd and 3rd combined; pubescence thin and whitish over head and thorax; scutum impunctate, dull anteriorly, more shining posteriorly, and scutellum somewhat shining; propodeal triangle finely tessellate, not granular; legs dark, with pubescence whitish, including tibial scopa and trochanteral floccus; wings hyaline, veins and stigma testaceous; 1st intercubital vein reaching marginal cell very close to stigma, 2nd submarginal narrowed toward marginal; tegulae testaceous; abdominal terga rather dull, punctures minute and obscure, apical margins narrowly testaceous, segments 2-4 with thin, whitish, apical fasciae.

DISTRIBUTION. � Carlinville, Illinois, is the type locality.

FLOWER RECORDS. � Robertson records this only on Nothoscordum bivalve.

Identification
Extracted from: Robertson, C. (1897). North American Bees - Description and Synonyms. Transactions of the Academy of Science od St. Louis. Vol. 7. No. 14.

Female - Black, clothed with very thin pale pubesceuce; head broader than thorax, cheeks rounded, rather strongly produced hehind eyes, front before ocelli finely striate; clypeus opaque, minutely roughened, with sparse shallow pUIlctures; basal process of labrum short, truncate or rounded; mandibles except base rufous; antennae short, third joint as long as fourth and fifth together, sixth and following joints ferruginous beneath; mesonotum impunctate, with thin pubescence, shining posteriorly, scutellu m somewhat shining; inclosure of methathorax bounded by impressed line, finely roughened; wings hyaline, nervures, stigma and tegulae exteriorly testacoons; second submarginal cell narrowed above, half as long as third, or longer, receiving recurrent nervure at or before the middle; legs blackish, more or less dull ferruginous towards� tips, scopa and Boccus thin and whitish; abdomen slightly shining at base, finely roughened, almost impul1ctate, segments with narrow pale testaceous margins, 2-4 with thin fasciae of whitish pubescence, fimbria subfuscous. Length 7 mm.


Names
Scientific source:

Supported by

Hosts · map
FamilyScientific name @ source (records)
Brassicaceae  Lesquerella filiformis @ AMNH_BEE (1)

go to Discover Life's Facebook group

Updated: 2024-03-19 02:32:35 gmt
Discover Life | Top
© Designed by The Polistes Corporation