D I S C O V E R    L I F E   
Bee Hunt! Odonata Lepidoptera 
  HomeAll Living ThingsIDnature guidesGlobal mapperAlbumsLabelsSearch
  AboutNewsEventsResearchEducationProjectsStudy sitesHelp


Melissodes bidentis Cockerell, 1914
Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Apidae   Melissodes
Subgenus: Eumelissodes

Melissodes bidentis, female, face
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 9
Melissodes bidentis, female, face

Click on map for details about points.

Links
80x5 - 240x3 - 240x4 - 320x1 - 320x2 - 320x3 - 640x1 - 640x2
Set display option above.
Click on images to enlarge.
Melissodes bidentis, female, side
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 9
Melissodes bidentis, female, side
Melissodes bidentis, female, top
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 9
Melissodes bidentis, female, top

Melissodes bidentis, female, wing
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 9
Melissodes bidentis, female, wing
Melissodes bidentis FEM mm x f
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7
Melissodes bidentis FEM mm x f

Melissodes bidentis MALE CF
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7
Melissodes bidentis MALE CF
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 9 mm., breadth of abdomen 3.5 mm.; black, the apical tarsal segments becoming somewhat brownish on mid aad hind legs; tegulae brownish-piceous; wings lightly infuscated, veins brownish to piceous; spurs pale testaceous; cheeks considerably narrower than eyes; clypeus very slightly protuberant, its median length about half the distance between eyes below; eyes very slightly convergent below; clypeus dull and densely tessellate, the punctures rather coarse but shallow, slightly separated above, becoming densely crowded toward apical margin, those on labrum somewhat closer and deeper; supraclypeal area very sparsely punctate, lateral areas of face above clypeus finely and rather closely punctate, the punctures becoming minute and sparse above on each side where surface is shining, median area below ocelli relatively dull and closely punctate; vertex rather closely and finely punctate behind ocelli; cheeks shining, minutely punctate, punctures somewhat coarser toward posterior margin; scutum shining between the deep, distinct and rather coarse punctures, these slightly separated on posterior half medially, becoming finer and closer laterally and anteriorly, fine and irregular on scutellum; pleura somewhat shining between rather coarse and deep punctures, these well separated medially, becoming somewhat finer and more obscure posteriorly and anteriorly, posterior face of propodeum densely tessellate, finely and rather closely punctate, dorsal area dull and rather shallowly rugose, lateral faces somewhat shining, with fine, well separated punctures; basal abdominal tergum with fine but rather distinct, well separated punctures across base, apical area entirely impunctate; terga 2 and 3 very minutely and obscurely punctate, punctures hardly visible even at high magnification; terga 4 and 5 dull, minutely and very closely punctate; pygidium elongate-triangular, apex narrowly rounded; pubescence of head entirely yellowish, and dorsum of thorax, entire propodeum and upper part of pleura, pale yellowish, pleura below and legs in large part fuscous to black, the hind tibial scopa yellowish, hairs abundantly plumose; basal abdominal tergum with some copious, more or less erect, yellowish pubescence across anterior face, and with some dark, suberect, fuscous pubescence at each extreme side; following terga with no evident pale pubescence or fasciae, discal pubescence very short, obscure, suberect, largely fuscous, hairs at extreme sides of 5 and 6 somewhat paler.

MALE—Length 9 mm., breadth of abdomen 3.5 mm.; black, the entire clypeus, median basal area of labrum, and outer apex of manclibles, yellow; segments of flagellum beyond the 1st testaceous beneath, piceous above; apical tarsal segments only slightly brownish, spurs pale yellowish; tegulae rather dark, with abundant pale pubescence; wings subhyaline, veins testaceous to brownish; apical margins of abdominal terga quite broadly yellowish-hyaline; cheeks slightly narrower than eyes; clypeus little if any protuberant, median length somewhat greater than half distance between eyes below; eyes rather strongly convergent below; shorter side of basal segment of flagellum very slightly longer than pedicel, segment 2 fully four times this length; punctures of clypeus close and rather coarse but not very deep, those on labrum somewhat. closer, deeper and more distinct; supraclypeal area largely impunctate, lateral areas of face above clypeus with rather fine, well separated punctures, these becoming more minute above where surface is shining, median area below ocelli quite closely punctate; vertex rather closely punctate behind ocelli, cheeks shining and very finely punctate; scutum shining between rather coarse, deep and distinct punctures, these well separated medially over posterior half, becoming close laterally, anteriorly and narrowly along posterior margin, those on scutellum rather sparse on each side; pleura with rather coarse, close and deep punctures, well separated medially, becoming close beneath wing bases; posterior area of propodeum dull, punctures rather fine, shallow and scattered, dorsal face rather coarsely, irregularly rugose, lateral faces rather dull, with close punctures posteriorly, punctures becoming minute and vague anteriorly and below; basal abdominal tergum with fine, slightly separated punctures across basal area of disc, these becoming more minute and sparse toward apical margin; terga 2-4 with very fine. rather well separated punctures across disc, apical impressed areas largely impunctate; tergum 5 dull and densely tessellate, the punctures minute, obscure but well separated, this plate not conspicuously angulate laterally; tergum 6 with a narrowly rounded, subtriangular, spine-like apical projection on each side; pubescence entirely whitish-ochraceous on head, thorax, legs and basal abdominal tergum; tergum 2 with a thin, basal, whitish fascia largely obscured by the preceding tergal plate and with a subapical fascia that borders the depressed apical margin, this widely interrupted medially, disc otherwise with very short, inconspicuous, more or less erect, darker pubescence, terga 3 and 4 with subapical, whitish fasciae also bordering the depressed apical margin, basal pubescence more elongate and erect, somewhat darker, tergum 5 not conspicuously fasciate but with a few pale hairs along the margin of the depressed area, 6 with fuscous pubescence basally but apical margin fringed with somewhat paler brownish hair; median length of pygidial plate somewhat greater than basal width, margins slightly convergent apically to a rather abruptly constricted apex which is rather broadly truncate.


DISTRIBUTION—Texas to North Dakota, east to New York, July to October.
FLOWER RECORDS—According to LaBerge (1961) bidentis has been collected on species of Bidens, Echinacea, Gossypium, Helianthus, Physostegia, Rudbeckia and Sonchus.

Names
Scientific source:

Supported by

Hosts · map
FamilyScientific name @ source (records)
Asteraceae  Helianthus annuus @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Helianthus maximiliani @ AMNH_BEE (2)

Helianthus tuberosus @ AMNH_BEE (3)

Inula helenium @ CUIC_ENT (9)

Rudbeckia laciniata @ BBSL (1); AMNH_BEE (3)
Lamiaceae  Physostegia parviflora @ AMNH_BEE (1)

go to Discover Life's Facebook group

Updated: 2024-03-28 23:25:24 gmt
Discover Life | Top
© Designed by The Polistes Corporation