|
The following material taken with permission from: Mitchell, T.B. 1962. Bees of the Eastern United States, Volume II. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. Tech. Bul. No.152, 557 p.
Genus: Epeoloides
This genus is represented in the eastern United States by a single species which probably is a parasite in the nests of Macropis. In the front wing the stigma is well developed but rather short, the marginal cell is elongate, obliquely truncate apically, and there are three submarginal cells, the 2nd shorter than the others. Both sexes are entirely black, smooth and shining; with fine or minute puncturation, and in both the abdomen is acutely pointed posteriorly, with the pygidium well developed, but there is no pseudopygidial area. The pubescence is short but densely plumose. The eyes in the female are parallel, but in the male they are strongly convergent above, the ocellar area thus much restricted.
Species: Epeoloides pilosula
FEMALE—Length 7-9.5 mm.; black, antennal flagella somewhat more piceous, apical tarsal segments becoming brownish, spurs pale testaceous; tegulae black, minutely and rather sparsely punctate; wings hyaline basally, becoming lightly infuscated at apex, veins brownish to piceous; cheeks slightly narrower than eyes; clypeus rather strongly protuberant, its median length about half the distance between eyes; eyes subparallel; mandibles with a small, inner, subapical tooth; median length of labrum about half the breadth, margin broadly truncate and straight; shorter side of basal segment of flagellum slightly longer than pedicel, the longer side subequal to segment 2, following segments only slightly longer than broad; surface of head and thorax shining, punctures quite coarse, deep and distinct, quite close over lower half of face and clypeus, rather sparse on each side above antennae and on vertex medially, well separated on scutum and scutellum, quite close on pleura, minute and sparse over most of propodeum; abdominal terga smooth and shining, punctures exceedingly minute and rather sparse, apical margins only very slightly impressed, becoming narrowly yellowish-hyaline on the rims; median length of pygidium about equal to basal width, margins carinate, strongly converging to the very narrowly rounded or subtruncate apex; scutellum rather deeply grooved medially; pubescence white, rather short and thin over most of head, somewhat more dense on cheeks; scutum with erect, black pubescence medially, lateral margins and a very narrow median line white pubescent; axillae with a tuft of black pubescence; pleura, propodeum and scutellum entirely pale pubescent, hairs rather long and copious; pubescence of legs largely whitish, but mid tibiae with some brownish pubescence apically, basitarsi with brownish pubescence beneath; abdominal terga with rather indefinite, whitish, apical fasciae evident toward sides but widely interrupted medially, discal pubescence extremely short and obscure, hardly evident, apparently largely pale.
MALE—Length 7.5-10 mm.; black, antenna! flagella brownish beneath, more piceous above, mandibles becoming reddened apically, apical tarsal segments brownish-testaceous, spurs pale testaceous; tegulae piceous, smooth and shining, very minutely and rather sparsely punctate; wings hyaline basally, becoming somewhat clouded apically, veins testaceous to brownish; abdominal terga becoming narrowly yellowish-hyaline along rims; cheeks sub- equal to eyes in width; clypeus rather strongly protuberant, its median length somewhat greater than half the distance between eyes below; eyes strongly divergent below; lateral ocelli separated from eyes by about half their diameter; mandibles with a distinct, inner, subapical tooth; median length of labrum considerably less than half the breadth, margin very shallowly incurved on each side, but nearly straight medially, with a strong denticle; surface of head and thorax shining, punctures deep, distinct and quite coarse, quite close over most of face, somewhat more sparse on cheeks, close over most of scutum, but becoming rather sparse posteriorly and rather sparse on scutellum anteriorly, quite close over most of pleura; propodeum shining, punctures minute and sparse posteriorly, becoming somewhat deeper and closer on each side; abdominal terga shining, punctures minute, well separated, rather close at sides but becoming rather sparse medially, apical margins of terga only very slightly and narrowly impressed; pubescence of head rather copious but short, entirely whitish, not hiding surface, scutum with fuscous pubescence medially, and axillae with a tuft of fuscous hairs, thorax otherwise largely covered with rather copious, whitish pubescence that does not obscure the surface; abdominal terga with rather indefinite, whitish, apical fasciae, these widely interrupted on the more basal terga, discal pubescence very short but erect, apparently entirely pale; pygidial plate narrow, tongue-like, slightly narrower toward base than toward apex, rounded apically; sterna 7 and 8, and genital armature.
DISTRIBUTION—Michigan to the New England states, south to Georgia, June and July.
FLOWER RECORDS — Apocynum, Galax, Houstonia and Rubus.
|
