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Melissodes agilis Cresson, 1878
Melissodes aurigenia Cresson, 1878

Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Apidae   Melissodes
Subgenus: Eumelissodes

Melissodes agilis, Mid-Atlantic Phenology
© Copyright source/photographer · 9
Melissodes agilis, Mid-Atlantic Phenology

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    Identification Summary - Male had wide, clear, transparent rims on the tergites; all pale hairs on head and thorax; base of mandibles yellow; labrum yellow in center with usually narrow outline of brown around the edge
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Melissodes agilis, female
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture · 8
Melissodes agilis, female
Melissodes agilis
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture · 7
Melissodes agilis

Melissodes agilis FEM mm .x f
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7
Melissodes agilis FEM mm .x f
Melissodes agilis MALE mm x f
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7
Melissodes agilis MALE mm x f

Melissodes agilis, Agile Long-horned Bee
© Copyright John Ascher, 2006-2014 · 7
Melissodes agilis, Agile Long-horned Bee
Melissodes agilis
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture · 6
Melissodes agilis

Melissodes agilis, m on Helenium --
Michael Veit · 6
Melissodes agilis, m on Helenium --
Melissodes agilis, m on Solidago --
Michael Veit · 6
Melissodes agilis, m on Solidago --

Melissodes agilis
© Copyright Micheal Veit 2010 · 6
Melissodes agilis
Melissodes agilis, mandible gold base, gold tip, labrum and clypeus yellow
David Biddinger · 5
Melissodes agilis, mandible gold base, gold tip, labrum and clypeus yellow

Melissodes agilis male, head view
David Biddinger · 5
Melissodes agilis male, head view
Melissodes agilis
Ted Kropiewnicki · 1
Melissodes agilis
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 10.5-15 mm., breadth of abdomen 4-5 mm.; black, mandibles with an obscure yellowish spot apically; segments of flagellum beyond the 2nd brownish-testaceous below, black above; apical tarsal segments brownish-testaceous, spurs pale yellowish; tegulae testaceous, but obscured by dense pubescence; wings whitish-hyaline, veins testaceous to brownish; cheeks considerably narrower than eyes; clypeus only slightly protuberant, its median length about half the distance between eyes below; eyes very slightly convergent below; basal segment of flagellum less than twice the length of segment 2, shorter side of the latter about equal to its apical width; clypeus rather dull, punctures quite coarse, close and deep, those on labrum somewhat more widely separated; supraclypeal area largely impunctate medially, lateral areas of face below antennae very closely and finely punctate, becoming minutely punctate above where surface is shining, somewhat more coarsely and deeply punctate medially; vertex with fine and close punctures medially; cheeks shining, closely punctate posteriorly, becoming minutely and obscurely punctate toward margin of eye; scutum and scutellum quite coarsely and deeply punctate beneath dense pubescence; punctures rather coarse and slightly separated on scutum medially, becoming closer and finer laterally and anteriorly, quite coarse and slightly separated on scutellum; punctures of pleura rather coarse and shallow, slightly separated, becoming somewhat finer and closer posteriorly; posterior face of propodeum dull, punctures very shallow and vague, dorsal area dull but shallowly rugose, lateral faces somewhat more shining and more closely and finely punctate, becoming quite smooth below; discs of abdominal terga with fine, slightly separated punctures across basal half, tergum 1 impunctate apically, 2 and 3 with very minute and sparse punctures apically, 3-5 with very fine, densely crowded punctures basally; pygidium elongate-triangular, apex narrowly rounded; pubescence entirely bright ochraceous or fulvous on head and thorax, ochraceous on legs, with some brownish hairs on front basitarsi and mid tibiae, hind tibial scopa ochraceous, the hairs quite densely plumose; basal abdominal tergum with copious, erect and rather long, ochraceous pubescence, with no dark hairs in evidence; tergum 2 with a basal, yellowish fascia and a submedian fascia, the intervening pubescence thin and entirely pale; tergum 3 with a somewhat broader, subapica1, ochraceous fascia, and 5 with a broad, dense, uninterrupted, apical tomentose area; tergum 5 largely fuscous pubescent, with some elongate ochraceous hairs on each side, apical margin largely occupied by a dense fuscous fimbria; tergum 6 fuscous pubescent on each side of pygidium.


MALE—Length 9-12 mm., breadth of abdomen 3.5-4 mm.; black, the clypeus entirely, labrum in large part, and base of mandibles, yellow, labrum black at each extreme side; segments of flagellum beyond the 1st pale testaceous beneath, brownish above; apical tarsal segments brownish-testaceous, spurs pale yellow; tegulae covered with dense, pale pubescence; wings whitish-hyaline, veins pale testaceous; apical margins of abdominal terga broadly pale yellowish-hyaline; cheeks considerably narrower than eyes; clypeus only very slightly protuberant, its median length very slightly greater than distance between eyes below; eyes rather strongly convergent below; shorter side of basal segment of flagellum very little longer than pedicel, segment 2 six or seven times longer; punctures of clypeus rather deep and close, moderately coarse, but obscured by the yellow color and abundant pubescence, those on labrum somewhat closer and coarser; supraclypeal area largely impunctate, but lateral areas of face above clypeus very finely but distinctly punctate, punctures becoming minute and more widely separated above, between eyes and ocelli; vertex rather finely and closely punctate, and cheeks with deep, distinct but rather fine, well separated punctures which become very minute toward eye margin; scutum and scutellum shining between quite deep, distinct and rather coarse punctures, these well separated medially over posterior half, becoming somewhat finer and closer laterally and anteriorly, well separated also on scutellum; punctures of peura well separated, rather coarse and shallow, becoming finer and closer posteriorly; posterior face of propodeum rather dull, the punctures shallow but rather coarse, irregularly scattered, dorsal area dull, becoming rather coarsely rugoso-punctate, lateral faces with rather close and coarse punctures posteriorly, becoming finer and more obscure anteriorly and below; discs of abdominal terga with distinct but rather shallow punctures, these rather coarse on basal tergum, becoming progressively finer and closer on the more apical terga, apical margins with only very minute, widely scattered and sparse punctures; tergum 5 obscurely angulate at each extreme side, and tergum 6 with a triangular, acute, spine-like posterior projection on each extreme side; pubescence entirely whitish or pale ochraceous on head, thorax and legs, somewhat more yellowish on tarsal segments, almost brownish on basitarsi beneath; basal abdominal tergum with copious, elongate and more or less erect, pale ochraceous pubescence; tergum 2 with a broad, loose, pale, basal fascia, covered in part by disc of tergum 1, and terga 2-5 with pale yellowish fasciae that border the apical hyaline margins, the more basal pubescence on each thinner but entirely pale and suberect; median length of pygidial plate somewhat greater than basal width, margins somewhat converging apically to a deep subapical constriction, the apex rather broadly truncate; sterna 7 and 8 and genital armature as shown (fig. 84).

DISTRIBUTION—With the apparent exception of Florida, agilis occurs throughout the United States, Southern Canada and Northern Mexico, and is in flight from May to November in the East.

FLOWER RECORDS—LaBerge (1961) states that agilis is apparently an oligolege of Helianthus. Other plants visited, including records from the literature, are species of Abutilon, Althaea, Aplopappus, Arctium, Argemone, Bidens, Blephilia, Brassica, Brauneria, Carduus, Carya, Cassia, Centromadia, Chrysopsis, Chrysothamnus, Cirsium, Clematis, Cleome, Convolvulus, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Datura, Enceliopsis, Engelmannia, Ericameria, Eupatorium, Eustoma, Gaillardia, Grindelia, Gutierrezia, Haplopappus, Helenium, Heliopsis, Heliotropium, Hibiscus, Ipomoea, Lactuca, Lepachys, Liatris, Medicago, Melilotus, Mentha, Monarda, Penstemon, Pepo, Petalostemum, Phacelia, Physostegia, Platycodon, Pluchea, Prionopsis, Pycnanthemum, Pyrrhopappus, Rudbeckia, Schrankia, Senecio, Silphium, Sium, Solidago, Teucrium, Verbena, Verbesina, Vernonia, Veronica, Vitex and Wistizenia.

Names
Scientific source:

Supported by

Hosts · map
FamilyScientific name @ source (records)
Apiaceae  Apium sp @ BBSL (1)
Asteraceae  Chrysothamnus sp @ BBSL (1)

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus @ BBSL (4)

Ericameria nauseosa @ BBSL (3)

Grindelia sp @ BBSL (5); AMNH_BEE (1)

Grindelia squarrosa @ BBSL (16); AMNH_BEE (2)

Grindelia @ AMNH_BEE (3)

Gutierrezia @ UCRC_ENT (3)

Helianthus annuus @ BBSL (50); AMNH_BEE (27); I_JSA (1)

Helianthus anomalus @ BBSL (24)

Helianthus maximiliani @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Helianthus petiolaris @ AMNH_BEE (6)

Helianthus rigidus @ AMNH_BEE (3)

Helianthus sp @ BBSL (11)

Helianthus tuberosus @ AMNH_BEE (3)

Helianthus x @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Helianthus @ AMNH_BEE (8); CUIC_ENT (95)

Pluchea camphorata @ BBSL (1)

Ratibida pinnata @ MLSB__N16- (1)

Solidago sp @ BBSL (1)

Viguiera sp @ BBSL (2)
Capparaceae  Cleome sp @ BBSL (2)
Chenopodiaceae  Salsola sp @ BBSL (1)
Fabaceae  Medicago sativa @ BBSL (4); AMNH_BEE (1)
Malvaceae  Malva rotundifolia @ BBSL (1)
Polygonaceae  Eriogonum sp @ BBSL (1)
Tamaricaceae  Tamarix gallica @ BBSL (1)
_  Sam @ PN- (1)

Withheld @ BBSL (154)

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Updated: 2024-03-29 01:45:14 gmt
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