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Megachile latimanus Say, 1823
Megachile femorata Smith, 1853; Megachile acuta Smith, 1853; Megachile vidua Smith, 1853; Megachile (Delomegachile) vidua Smith, 1853; Xanthosarus latimanus (Say, 1823)

Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Megachilidae   Megachile
Subgenus: Xanthosarus

Megachile latimanus, face 2012-07-13-18.17.33
© Copyright source/photographer · 9
Megachile latimanus, face 2012-07-13-18.17.33

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Megachile latimanus FEM Small
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Megachile latimanus FEM Small
Megachile latimanus MALE Small
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Megachile latimanus MALE Small

Megachile latimanus, f on Helian --
Michael Veit · 6
Megachile latimanus, f on Helian --
Megachile latimanus, f on Helian --
Michael Veit · 6
Megachile latimanus, f on Helian --

Megachile latimanus, f on Helian --
Michael Veit · 6
Megachile latimanus, f on Helian --
Megachile latimanus, m on Cup F --
Michael Veit · 6
Megachile latimanus, m on Cup F --

Megachile latimanus, m on Cup F --
Michael Veit · 6
Megachile latimanus, m on Cup F --
Megachile latimanus, m on Cup F --
Michael Veit · 6
Megachile latimanus, m on Cup F --

Megachile latimanus, m on Cup F --
Michael Veit · 6
Megachile latimanus, m on Cup F --
Megachile latimanus, m on Cup F --
Michael Veit · 6
Megachile latimanus, m on Cup F --

Megachile latimanus, F, Back, MI, Alger County
© Copyright source/photographer · 5
Megachile latimanus, F, Back, MI, Alger County
Megachile latimanus, F, Face, MI, Alger County
© Copyright source/photographer · 5
Megachile latimanus, F, Face, MI, Alger County

Megachile latimanus, F, Side, MI, Alger county
© Copyright source/photographer · 5
Megachile latimanus, F, Side, MI, Alger county
Megachile latimanus, partial side
© Copyright source/photographer · 5
Megachile latimanus, partial side
Overview
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 13-14 mm.; entirely black, including tegulae and legs, spurs pale yellow; eyes parallel; clypeal margin straight, minutely and rather sparsely denticulate; mandibles 5-dentate (fig. 51); lateral ocelli slightly nearer margin of vertex than to eyes; cheeks slightly broader than eyes; punctures vertex deep and distinct, rather fine, close medially, becoming very slightly separated laterally, minute, close and obscure on cheeks; face below ocelli densely rugoso-punctate, somewhat smoother or very minutely rugose laterally beneath the pubescence, supraclypeal area shining, with scattered, rather but deep and distinct punctures, clypeus with rather deep, distinct and fine, closely crowded punctures throughout; pubescence around and on face below pale yellowish, quite copious but not very long, somewhat longer and thinner, entirely yellowish on cheeks below, becoming shorter above, entirely quite dense and copious on thorax laterally and posteriorly, vertex and scutum with considerable, somewhat shorter but erect and conspicuous, black pubescence; scutum and scutellum very finely, closely and quite deeply punctate throughout; pleura rather beneath the pubescence, very finely and densely punctate, propodeum somewhat more shining and smooth, posterior face with minute, rather close, vague punctures; mid and hind basitarsi nearly as broad as their tibiae, hind basitarsi nearly equal to their tibiae in length; tegulae rather dull, minutely and very closely punctate; wings subhyaline, faintly clouded apically, veins brownish-testaceous; abdominal terga 2-4 shallowly depressed across base, basal margin of depressions distinct but hardly carinate, apical margins of terga rather narrowly depressed, yellowish fasciate; discal pubescence of terga 1 and 2 long, erect and quite copious, entirely pale yellowish, short and yellowish toward base, black apically on 3 and 4, and black over most of 5, punctures of terga very minute but rather close, becoming very close at extreme sides; tergum 6 very slightly concave in profile, with only a few inconspicuous, suberect hairs visible, the more apical pubescence yellowish, subappressed and rather dense, punctures very fine and densely crowded throughout; sternum 6 rather well covered with yellowish scopal hairs, but these becoming somewhat sparse apically, with a dense fringe of short hairs apically; scopa otherwise orange in color, the more basal sterna very finely and densely punctate, punctures becoming slightly more widely separated and coarse on the more apical sterna, apical margins very narrowly yellowish-hyaline, sternal fasciae entirely absent.
MALE—Length 12-13 mm.; black, tegulae brownish-testaceous, mid and hind legs black, front legs in large part yellowish or testaceous; eyes very slightly convergent below; clypeal margin very slightly incurved on each side; mandibles 3-dentate, outer margin curved as seen from above (fig. 51), inferior basal process quite narrow and elongate, apex obliquely acute, densely pubescent on inner surface; apical segment of flagellum elongate and slightly dilated, rather strongly flattened; lateral ocelli subequally distant from eyes and margin of vertex; breadth of cheeks nearly twice that of eyes, with a concave, shelf-like tubercie at inferior margin that receives tip of the basal, mandibular projection when closed; vertex very finely and closely punctate medially, punctures becoming somewhat more coarse and distinctly separated laterally, very fine and dense on cheeks; surface below ocelli finely and densely rugose, subantennal areas and clypeus very finely and densely punctate; pubescence pale yellowish, copious and elongate around antennae and lower half of face, thinner and erect on vertex, short and thin on cheeks which have a pair of lines of short white hairs along lower margin; pubescence entirely pale on thorax, more whitish on venter and on pleura below, yellow on propodeum and on pleura above, that on scutum and scutellum dense, elongate and bright yellow; scutum dull, punctures indistinct, very fine and densely crowded through, those on scutellum very minute, close but relatively dis tinct, pleura somewhat shining beneath the pubescence, punctures very fine, shallow and close throughout, propodeum shining laterally, posterior face rather dull, with minute, indistinct, fine and close punctures; front coxal spines robust, rather slender, subacute apically, anterior face of coxa entirely bare, without patches of setae; front tarsi yellow, basitarsus quite broadly dilated at base, slightly narrowed apically, quite deeply excavated anteriorly, tarsal fringe pale yellow, very dense and elongate; front tibiae largely ferruginous, becoming yellow at tip; posterior face of femur piceous apically, but this segment otherwise largely testaceous, densely fringed posteriorly, outer hairs pale yellowish, inner hairs more orange; mid and hind femora much swollen, mid basitarsus with a much thickened, quadrate process, covering most of lower surface, hind basitarsus about half as long as broad, anterior margin evenly curved; tegulae minutely and very closely punctate; wings subhyaline basally, becoming faintly clouded apically, veins brownish-testaceous; abdominal terga 2-5 rather shallowly depressed across base, basal margin of groove distinct but hardly carinate, apical margins of terga rather abruptly depressed, at least laterally and on the more apical terga medially, margins yellowish-hyaline, fringed with pale hairs that form rather loose, indefinite fasciae; discal pubescence of all terga rather long, erect, entirely pale yellow; punctures of terga very minute and quite close, becoming somewhat more distinct on the more apical terga, 6 very finely and densely punctate, carina definite but rather low, irregularly serrate across median area, emargination very shallow or absent, median teeth of apical margin prominant and acute, considerably nearer the small, barely visible, lateral teeth than to each other; tergum 7 prominant, transverse, rather broadly triangular, apex obtusely angulate; sterna 1-4 exposed, finely and closely punctate, apical margins rather deeply depressed, yellowishhyaline, more or less fringed with rather elongate, pale yellowish hairs; setose area of sternum 5 broad but quite short, separated from base of plate by a wide membraneous area, setae slender and simple (fig. 46); sternum 6 with expansive, setose areas on each side of mid-line, that project apically much beyond the lateral areas, setae elongate and hair-like, apical lobe short but very broad, lateral angles produced and narrowly rounded; gonocoxites robust, constricted above base, sinuate above, setose dorsally toward the apex, this bibbed, dorsal lobe broad and flat, ventral lobe slender, and curved (figs. 42 & 50).
DISTRIBUTION—Alberta to Nova Scotia, south to Kansas and Georgia, May to October. In the southeast it is limited tothe higher elevations of the Appalachians.
FLOWER RECORDS—A gastache, Al- thea, Amorpha, Asciepias, Aster, Baptisia, Cam panula, Carduus, Cephalanthus, Chamaemerion, Chrysopsis, Cirsium, Cleome, Convolvulus, Eupatorium, Gaillardia, Grindelia, Helianthus, Hieraceum, Kuhnistera, Liatris, Medicago, Melilotus, Mentzeiia, Monarda, Pentstemon, Petalostemum, Physostegia, Potentilla, Psoralea, Rudbeckia, Sanchus, Solidago, Stachys, Taraxacum, Teucrium, Traumeria, Trifolium, Verbena and Vicia. The following additional genera are recorded by Robertson (1929): Abutiion, Arabis, Bidens, Blephilia, Boltonia, Cassia, Coreopsis, Gerardia, Helenium, Hydrophyllum, Lactuca, Lepachys, Lespedeza, Polymonium, Pycnanthemum, Rosa, Ruellia, Strophostyles, Verbesina and Vernonia.

Identification
Extracted from: Sheffield C. S., et al (2011). Leaf cutter and Mason Bees of the Genus Megachile Latreille (Hymenoptera; Megachilidae) in Canada and Alaska. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification No. 18

Megachile (Xanthosarus) latimanus Say, 1823

Megachile latimanus Say, 1823. West. Quart. Rptr. 2: 81 (♂). Megachile femorata Smith, 1853. Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus. 1: 188 (♂). Megachile acuta Smith, 1853. Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus. 1: 192 (♀). Megachile vidua Smith, 1853. Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus. 1: 192 (♀).

Diagnosis. The female of M. latimanus can be recognized by the combination of 5-dentate mandibles, with the 4th tooth approximately parallel-sided throughout its length, with an oblique emargination between 3rd and 4th teeth which is much deeper than emargination between 2nd and 3rd teeth, the metasomal terga with fasciae less dense and usually interrupted medially on the more basal terga, the black pubescence of mesoscutum scarcely occupying half of surface and usually not extending to the scutellum, T2 with discal pubescence entirely pale or almost so, T6 with mostly pale pubescence, and by the absence of a distinct median impunctate area on the clypeus. They are most similar to M. dentitarsus and M. perihirta. Females of M. dentitarsus have relatively dense and conspicuous white metasomal fasciae, and the absence of dark pubescence on the mesosoma. Females of M. perihirta have the black pubescence of mesoscutum usually occupying the posterior half and extending to scutellum, T2 with discal pubescence usually black in apical half, T6 with intermixture of black and pale pubescence, and a distinct median impunctate area on the clypeus. The male of M. latimanus can be recognized by the mid-tibial spur being absent, and the mid basitarsus bearing a large, quadrate, ventral protuberance, and the low carinae on the mesosternum. They are most similar to M. dentitarsus and M. perihirta. The male of M. dentitarsus has small sharp spines on the mesosternum. Males of M. perihirta have the mid basitarsus bearing a keel-shaped protuberance.

FEMALE: Length 13-14 mm.

Head. 1) compound eyes slightly converging below; lateral ocelli nearer margin of vertex than eyes (5.5:7), 2) clypeal margin straight, minutely and rather sparsely denticulate, 3) mandibles 5-dentate, the 4th tooth approximately parallel-sided throughout its mid-length; deep oblique emargination between the 3rd and 4th teeth much deeper than the emargination between the 2nd and 3rd teeth, width of emargination between 3rd and 4th teeth subequal or at most two times the width of the 4th tooth at midlength, with complete cutting edges between 3rd and 4th and 4th and 5th teeth, incomplete between the 2nd and 3rd teeth (Plate 1, Figure M36), 4) gena slightly broader than compound eye, 5) punctures of vertex deep and distinct, rather fine, close medially, becoming very slightly separated laterally, minute, close and obscure on gena; frons densely rugosopunctate, somewhat smoother or very minutely rugose laterally beneath the pubescence, supraclypeal area shining medially, with scattered, rather fine but deep and distinct punctures, clypeus with rather deep, distinct and fine, closely crowded punctures throughout, without a distinct median impunctate area, 6) pubescence around and on face below pale yellowish, quite copious but not very long, somewhat longer and sparser and entirely yellowish on gena below, becoming shorter above, vertex with considerable, somewhat shorter but erect and conspicuous black pubescence, 7) F1 about as long as broad, slightly longer than pedicel, and subequal in length to F2, remaining flagellomeres longer than broad (5:4), apical flagellomere more elongate, twice as long as broad.

Mesosoma. 1) pubescence quite dense and copious laterally and posteriorly, mesoscutum with considerable, somewhat shorter but erect and conspicuous black pubescence in posterior half of disc, scutellum with pubescence entirely pale, 2) mesoscutum and scutellum very finely, closely and quite deeply punctate throughout; pleura very finely and densely punctate beneath the pubescence, propodeum somewhat more shining and smooth, posterior face with minute, rather close, vague punctures, 3) mid and hind basitarsi nearly as broad as their tibiae, hind basitarsus nearly equal to its tibia in length, spurs pale yellow, 4) tegula rather dull, minutely and very closely punctate, 5) wings subhyaline, faintly clouded apically, veins brownish-black.

Metasoma. 1) T2-T4 shallowly depressed across base, basal margin of depressions distinct but scarcely carinate, apical margins of terga rather narrowly depressed, yellowish fasciate; discal pubescence of T1 and T2 long, erect and quite copious, entirely pale yellowish (some specimens may have some dark hairs apically on T2), short and yellowish toward base, black apically on T3 and T4, and black over most of T5, punctures of terga very minute but rather close, becoming very close at sides; T6 very slightly concave in profile, with well scattered suberect hairs visible, most of which are pale yellowish, subappressed and rather dense; punctures very fine and densely crowded throughout, 2) S6 rather well covered with yellowish scopal hairs, but these becoming somewhat sparse apically, with a dense fringe of short hairs apically, scopa otherwise yellowish-orange in color; the more basal sterna very finely and densely punctate, punctures becoming slightly more widely separated and coarse on the more apical sterna, apical margins very narrowly yellowish-hyaline.

MALE: Length 12-13 mm.

Head. 1) compound eyes very slightly convergent below; lateral ocelli subequally distant from eyes and margin of vertex, 2) clypeal margin very slightly incurved on each side, 3) mandibles 3-dentate, outer margin curved as seen from above, lower edge amber in colour, lower process quite narrow and elongate, apex obliquely acute, densely pubescent on inner surface, basal in position, 4) gena much broader than compound eye (5:3.5), with a concave, shelf-like tubercle at lower margin that receives tip of the ower mandibular process when closed, 5) vertex very finely and closely punctate medially, punctures becoming somewhat more coarse and distinctly separated laterally, and with a small but distinct impunctate area just behind upper eye margin, very fine and dense on gena; frons finely and densely rugose, supraclypeal area and clypeus very finely and densely punctate, 6) pubescence pale yellowish, copious and elongate around antennae and lower half of face, sparser and erect on vertex, short and sparse on gena, which have a pair of lines of short white hairs along lower margin, 7) F1 slightly longer than broad (5:4), subequal in length to pedicel, shorter than remaining flagellomeres, which are longer than broad (4:2), apical flagellomere slightly dilated, rather strongly flattened.

Mesosoma. 1) pubescence entirely pale, more whitish on pleura below, yellow on propodeum and on pleura above, dense, elongate and bright yellow on mesoscutum and scutellum, 2) mesoscutum dull, punctures indistinct, very fine and densely crowded throughout, those on scutellum very minute, close but relatively distinct, pleura somewhat shining beneath the pubescence, punctures very fine, shallow and close throughout, propodeum shining laterally, with fine punctures, triangle dull and impunctate, 3) front coxal spine robust, rather slender, subacute apically, anterior face of coxa entirely bare, without patch of setae; front tarsus yellow, basitarsus quite broadly dilated at base, slightly narrowed apically, quite deeply excavated anteriorly, tarsal fringe pale yellow, very dense and elongate; front tibia largely reddish-brown, becoming yellow at tip; posterior face of front femur black apically, but otherwise largely yellowish-brown, inner face with two thin dark lines in basal third, densely fringed posteriorly, outer hairs pale yellowish, inner hairs more orange; mid and hind femora much swollen, mid basitarsus with a thickened, quadrate process covering most of lower surface, hind basitarsus about half as long as broad, anterior margin evenly curved, 4) tegula yellowish-brown, minutely and very closely punctate, 5) wings subhyaline basally, becoming faintly clouded apically, veins brownish.

Metasoma. 1) T2-T5 rather shallowly depressed across base, basal margin of groove distinct but hardly carinate, apical margins of terga rather abruptly depressed, at least laterally, and also medially on the more apical terga, margins yellowish-hyaline, fringed with pale hairs forming rather loose, indefinite fasciae; discal pubescence of all terga rather long, erect, entirely pale yellow; punctures of terga minute and quite close, becoming somewhat more distinct on the more apical terga, T6 finely and densely punctate, carina definite but rather low, irregularly serrate across median area, emargination very shallow or absent, median teeth of apical margin prominent and acute, considerably nearer the small, barely visible, lateral teeth than to each other; T7 prominent, transverse, rather broadly triangular, apex obtusely angulate, 2) S1-S4 exposed, finely and closely punctate, apical margins rather deeply depressed, yellowish-hyaline, more or less fringed with rather elongate, pale yellowish hairs.

Genitalia. Plate 2, Figure G36.

Discussion. This common species and M. perhirta can be regarded as an eastern (M. latimanus) and a western (M. perihirta) sibling species pair, although their ranges overlap in central Canada (ON-AB). Megachile latimanus is a ground-nesting species (Table 1).

Distribution: Widespread throughout most of Canada from NS as far west as AB.


Names
Scientific source:

Supported by

Hosts · map
FamilyScientific name @ source (records)
Anacardiaceae  Rhus copallina @ UCMS_ENT (11)
Apocynaceae  Asclepias sp @ CUIC_ENT (2); UCMS_ENT (9)

Asclepias syriaca @ AMNH_BEE (1)
Asteraceae  Achillea millefolium @ UCMS_ENT (3)

Aster @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Calendula @ UCRC_ENT (1)

Callistephus chinensis @ AMNH_BEE (2)

Centaurea cyanus @ CUIC_ENT (6)

Centaurea jacea @ AMNH_BEE (2)

Centaurea maculosa @ CUIC_ENT (1)

Centaurea @ CUIC_ENT (1)

Chrysopsis @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Cichorium [duplicate] @ UCMS_ENT (1)

Cichorium [duplicate] @ UCMS_ENT (1)

Cichorium [duplicate] @ UCMS_ENT (1)

Cichorium [duplicate] @ UCMS_ENT (1)

Cichorium [duplicate] @ UCMS_ENT (1)

Cirsium altissimum @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Cirsium arvense @ CUIC_ENT (9); UCMS_ENT (1)

Cirsium discolor @ BBSL (2)

Cirsium sp @ CUIC_ENT (2)

Cirsium undulatum @ AMNH_BEE (9)

Cirsium vulgare @ CUIC_ENT (12); UCMS_ENT (30)

Cirsium @ UCRC_ENT (1)

Echinacea pallida @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Echinacea purpurea @ B_AW (1)

Eupatorium maculatum @ CUIC_ENT (1)

Eupatorium perfoliatum @ BBSL (2); AMNH_BEE (1)

Eurybia macrophylla @ CUIC_ENT (3)

Grindelia squarrosa @ AMNH_BEE (13)

Helianthus annuus @ AMNH_BEE (7)

Helianthus maximiliani @ AMNH_BEE (6)

Helianthus sp @ CUIC_ENT (4)

Helianthus tuberosus @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Helianthus x @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Hieracium sp @ UCMS_ENT (2)

Inula helenium @ CUIC_ENT (5)

Lactuca pulchella @ AMNH_BEE (4)

Leucanthemum vulgare @ UCMS_ENT (2)

Liatris aspera @ BBSL (2)

Pityopsis falcata @ UCMS_ENT (1)

Pluchea odorata @ UCMS_ENT (7)

Pluchea purpurascens @ UCMS_ENT (10)

Rudbeckia hirta @ CUIC_ENT (2)

Rudbeckia laciniata @ AMNH_BEE (2)

Solidago rigida @ BBSL (1); AMNH_BEE (1)

Solidago rugosa @ UCMS_ENT (2)

Solidago sempervirens @ UCMS_ENT (4)

Solidago sp @ CUIC_ENT (12); UCMS_ENT (1)

Solidago @ AMNH_BEE (1); UCRC_ENT (12)

Sonchus arvensis @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Symphyotrichum lanceolatum @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Tanacetum vulgare @ UCMS_ENT (2)

Taraxacum campylodes @ UCMS_ENT (1)

Taraxacum officinale @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Vernonia gigantea @ UCRC_ENT (8)

Vernonia @ UCRC_ENT (3)
Boraginaceae  Echium vulgare @ CUIC_ENT (1)
Brassicaceae  Brassica sp @ CUIC_ENT (3)

Erysimum asperum @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Raphanus raphanistrum @ UCMS_ENT (6)
Campanulaceae  Campanula rotundifolia @ AMNH_BEE (1)
Cleomaceae  Peritoma serrulata @ AMNH_BEE (2)
Cucurbitaceae  Cucurbita maxima @ UCMS_ENT (1)
Fabaceae  Amorpha canescens @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Chamaecrista fasciculta @ B_AW (1)

Dalea purpurea @ AMNH_BEE (4)

Lathyrus japonicus @ UCMS_ENT (3)

Lathyrus latifolius @ UCMS_ENT (5)

Lotus corniculatus @ CUIC_ENT (1); UCMS_ENT (7)

Medicago sativa @ AMNH_BEE (9); CUIC_ENT (3)

Melilotus officinalis @ AMNH_BEE (3); CUIC_ENT (3)

Petalostemon purpureus @ BBSL (2)

Trifolium hybridum @ CUIC_ENT (1)

Trifolium repens @ UCMS_ENT (1)

Vicia cracca @ UCMS_ENT (8)

Vicia sp @ BBSL (1); CUIC_ENT (1); UCMS_ENT (1)

Vicia @ AMNH_BEE (1); UCRC_ENT (1)
Iridaceae  Iris versicolor @ UCMS_ENT (1)
Lamiaceae  Caryopteris x @ CUIC_ENT (17)

Monarda fistulosa @ B_AW (4)

Nepeta cataria @ UCMS_ENT (2)

Nepeta sp @ UCMS_ENT (3)

Nepeta @ UCMS_ENT (1)

Physostegia parviflora @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Prunella vulgaris @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Stachys palustris @ AMNH_BEE (2)

Teucrium canadense @ UCMS_ENT (4)

Teucrium occidentale @ AMNH_BEE (1)
Loasaceae  Mentzelia decapetala @ AMNH_BEE (1)
Malvaceae  Alcea rosea @ AMNH_BEE (1)
Oleaceae  Ligustrum vulgare @ UCMS_ENT (6)
Onagraceae  Epilobium angustifolium @ AMNH_BEE (1)
Plantaginaceae  Veronica @ AMNH_BEE (1)
Polygonaceae  Persicaria bungeana @ UCMS_ENT (1)
Rosaceae  Potentilla recta @ CUIC_ENT (1)

Rosa rugosa @ UCMS_ENT (2)

Rubus flagellaris @ AMNH_BEE (1); UCMS_ENT (1)
Scrophulariaceae  Penstemon grandiflorus @ BBSL (1)
_  Lactua serriola @ B_AW (1)

cucurbit @ NLA (3)

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Updated: 2024-03-19 11:18:46 gmt
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