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Extracted with permission from: Onuferko, T.M. 2017. Cleptoparasitic Bees of the Genus Epeolus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Canada. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification No. 30: March 30, 2017. doi:10.3752/cjai.2017.30
http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/o_30/o_30.html
Diagnosis. The combination of the following features
separates Epeolus canadensis from all other species in
Canada except E. compactus, E. minimus, and E. olympiellus:
integument mostly black; axilla (except perhaps tip) and
mesoscutellum all black; legs partially ferruginous; and Ti with
longitudinal band �1 x as wide as breadth of apical fascia in
dorsal view. This species most closely resembles E.
compactus, and the character that separates both species from
all other Epeolus in Canada is the presence of a small
anteromedial patch of pale tomentum in the shape of a
chevron, horseshoe, or V on the mesoscutum. By contrast, in
all other Canadian species (except E. bifasciatus, in which the
mesoscutum is without distinct pale hairs) the mesoscutum is
with paramedian bands if not entirely obscured by tomentum.
The fascia of T2 is without anterolateral extensions of
tomentum, which are present in E. minimus and E. olympiellus.
In E. canadensis, TI is with a median triangular to semicircular
black discal patch enclosed by pale tomentum (except for
medial separation at apex), unlike the quadrangular discal
patch of E. compactus. In Canada, both species are also be
separated by geography, with E. canadensis not known to
occur in provinces or territories west of Ontario and E.
compactus not known to occur in provinces east of Manitoba.
Distribution in Canada: Atlantic and Central Canada (Map 5).
Reprinted with permission from: Mitchell, T.B. 1962 Bees of the Eastern United States. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 152.
FEMALE�Length 9 mm.; black, basal segments of antennae, mandibles, tubercles, tegulae, tibiae and tarsi brownish-testaceous, spurs yellow and femora dark, segments of flagellum beyond segment 1 slightly longer than broad, piceous in color; space separating lateral ocelli from margin of vertex about equal to their diameter; cheeks about half width of eyes, posterior margin sub-carinate, rather strongly narrowed below; median length of labrum somewhat greater than half the breadth, tip excavated medially between a pair of apical denticles; inner margin of mandible with a distinct, subapical tooth; scutellum somewhat outcurved, rather deeply impressed medially (fig. 110); axillae joined quite broadly to sides of scutellum, tips only slightly protuberant, reaching a point slightly beyond its mid transverse line; wings with the usual three submarginal cells, lightly infuscated, somewhat darker in region of marginal cell and apex, veins brownish-testaceous; face rather densely whitish tomentose around bases of antennae and toward eyes, hairs on upper part of face and vertex more elongate and erect, cheeks with very short, sparse, white pubescence; venter of thorax rather densely white tomentose, pleura below bare but becoming quite densely pale tomentose above, margin of pronotum densely pale tomentose, and tubercles with a fringe of the same color; scutum with a semicircular patch of pale tomentum enclosing a median, anterior triangular area which is more finely and densely rugoso-punctate than remainder of disc, the scutello-mesothoracic suture with a conspicuous fringe of yellowish tomentum; metanotum densely tomentose on each side, rather widely interrupted medially, and corresponding surfaces of scutellum above also tomentose; anterior face of basal, abdominal tergum densely pale yellowish tomentose, this broadly continuous with an apical, tomentose fascia, the resulting black tomentose patch triangular in form, apical band rather widely interrupted medially; terga 2-4 with apical, yellow, tomentose fasciae slightly separated from apical rims which are yellowish-hyaline, the fascia slightly interrupted on 2, discs covered with extremely short, black tomentum, tergum 5 with a transverse, broad, tomentose band which encloses the pseudopygidium; punctures coarse, deep, distinct and quite close on upper part of face just below ocelli, becoming finely and densely rugose back of ocelli and eyes, cheeks with more distinct but very close and deep punctures, lower portion of face and clypeus very finely and closely punctate; scutum rather coarsely rugoso-punctate, axillae with similar close punctures, those on scutellum somewhat more coarse and distinct; lower half of pleura with rather irregular but distinct punctures, with a few shining interspaces evident, becoming densely rugose over upper half; abdominal terga with very fine, close, evenly distributed punctures obscured by black tomentum, these becoming still finer and densely crowded on the more apical terga; pseudopygidium transverse, very short, median length less than half the apical width; tegulae uniformly, closely, very finely and deeply punctate.
MALE�Agrees generally with description of female, but front of face more densely silvery tomentose; segments of flagellum no longer than broad, somewhat redder in color; silvery tomentum of venter of thorax somewhat more extensive; and pygidial plate somewhat broader than its median length, the margin carinate, and surface very shallowly punctate.
TYPES � Holotype: Female, Ingonish, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Aug. 7, 1928 [M.C.Z.]. Allotype: 9-Mile Creek, Ithaca, N. Y., July 10, 1937 (P. P. Babiy) [Cornell Univ.]. Paratypes: 1 ♂, Goderich, Ont., June 28, 1906; 1 ♀, St. Annes, Que., July 21, 1931; 1 ♀, Cheboygan Co., Douglas Lake, Mich., Aug. 1928; 1 ♀, Clark Co., Ind., State Forest, Aug. 12, 1950.
Paratypes are in collections of the U. S. National Museum, Purdue University, the University of Michigan and T. H. Hubbell.
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