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Extracted from: LaBerge W.E., (1963). New Species and Records of Little-known Species of Melissodes from North America (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae). The University of Nebraska State Museum, Volume 4, Number 10, pp. 227-242
Melissodes baileyi is a peculiar species in which the female scopal
hairs are simple, that is, without branches. There is only one other species in the genus klelissodes which has simple scopal hairs-M. fimbriata Cresson, also an Apomelissodes. M. baileyi was placed in the subgenus Apomelissodes because of this resemblance to M. fimbriata and also because the pale distal tergal fasciae are apical and the clypeus is at least somewhat protuberant in the female.
Two males which belong to M. baileyi were collected in Texas by Lucille D. Beamer. A description of the male is given below. These males would be placed in the subgenus Eumelissodes, according to the key to subgenera given by LaBerge (1956 and 1961). However, this species should be retained in Apomelissodes on the basis of the female characters cited above and on the basis of the male terminalia. Also, the male does have apical or subapical pale tergal fasciae and a slightly protuberant clypeus which help to place it in the Apomelissodes; although these characters are not so well developed in the male of baileyi as it is in other species of the subgenus.
The male of baileyi resembles somewhat the male of M. intorta Cresson in the weak vestiture and the relatively short antennae. Perhaps intorta; which has been placed in the monotypic subgenus Psilomelissodes (LaBerge, 1956a), is merely a more differentiated Apomelissodes. The author does not feel it is necessary to eliminate the subgenus Psilomelissodes on this basis.
Male. Measurements and ratios: N, 2; length, 10-11 mm.; width, 3.5-4.0 mm.; wing length, 3.57-3.67 mm.; hooks in hamulus, 13; flagellar segment 2/segment 1,5.13-5.38.
Structure and color: Integument black except as follows: clypeus yellow except brown apical margin; labrum with mediobasal white macula equal to about one-third of labrum; mandibles without basal pale maculae; flagellar segments 2-11 yellow to red below, dark brown above; eyes green; wing membranes somewhat infumate, yellowish, veins dark reddish brown; tergal apices hyaline, somewhat infumate; tibial spurs hyaline; tarsi rufescent.
Antennae short, in repose not reaching prestigma, penultimate flagellar segment less than three times as long as broad, ultimate segment about three times as long as broad at base; head rounded in outline, with vertex between ocelli and compound eye sloping up to ocelli, not depressed below level of compound eye; maxillary palpal segments in ratio of about 1.6:1.8:1.3:0.5. Sculpturing much as in female but tergal interband zones with punctures sparser, separated mostly by one or more puncture widths. Pygidial plate deeply incised laterally, but basal portion not elevated above apical portion. Sterna with punctures coarse, sparse, surface highly shiny, unshagreened.
Terminalia essentially as in M. fimbriata (LaBerge, 1956a, p. 1192, figs. 111-113) except as follows: penis valve with distinct lateral process directed dorsolaterally; sternum 7 with median plate with numerous long, rather stout hairs on neck region and at base of neck, plate with sparse exceedingly minute spicules; sternum 8 with apicoventral tubercle rather blunt, apical margin with hairs less numerous but longer.
Hair: Head white to very pale ochraceous. Thorax white below to pale ochraceous above with sparse, long, weak, brown hairs, posteromedially on mesoscutum and medially on scutellum. Tergum I with long, weak, erect to suberect, pale ochraecous to white hairs almost to apical margin; tergum 2 with basal tomentum white, sparse, interband zone hairs white, suberect, long, sparse, distal pale band composed of long, weak, silky, white hairs, apical or subapical; terga 3-5 similar to 2; terga 6 and 7 white; sternal hairs sparse, pale brown medially to white apically and laterally. Legs white except inner surfaces tarsi yellow to orange.
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