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Extracted from: LaBerge, W. E., 1961. A Revision of the Bees of the Genus Melissodes in North and Central America. Part III (Hymenoptera, Apidae). The University of Kansas Science Bulletin, Vol. 43. 1-107.
This small distinctive bee is not closely related to any of the
other members of the subgenus. The female is readily recognized
by the diffuse pale pubescence on the abdominal terga and by the
abundant, long, hooked galeal hairs. The male is readily recog-
nized by the cream-colored clypeus, the extended, hyaline, almost
colorless, apical margins of sterna 3 to 5 and by the terminalia as described below.
Female. Measurements and ratios: N, 20; length, 8-11 mm.::;
width, 2.5-4.0 mm.; wing length, M = 2.95 0.139 mm.; hooks in
hamulus, M — 11.05 0.160; flagellar segment 1/segment 2, M =
1.58 0.019.
Male. Measurements and ratios: N, 20; length, 8-11 mm.;
width, 2.5-3.5 mm.; wing length, M = 2.95 0.124 mm.; hooks in
hamulus, M = 10.45 0.209; flagellar segment 2/segment 1, M =
6.61 0.138.
Structure and color: Integument as in /upina except as follows:
clypeus often red anteromedially; metasomal terga 1-4 often dark
reddish brown apically. Structure as in /upina except last flagellar
segment longer than broad, maxillary palpal ratio about 4:3:2:1 and
galeae with abundant long hooked hairs. Sculpturing as in lupina
except as follows: clypeus with punctures large, in apical half or
more elongated, in posteromedian area separated by one to two
puncture widths, surface tessellate especially posteriorly; supra-
clypeal area impunctate medially, tessellate; vertex with flattened
area posteromesad of compound eye with irregular-sized punctures
separated mostly by one puncture width or more, surface unsha-
greened or slightly so; galeae dulled above by regular tessellation;
mesoscutum with large posteromesad area impunctate, shiny, an-
terior third and laterally with large punctures separated by half a
puncture width or less, surface shiny; scutellum with small round
punctures separated by one-half to one puncture width, unsha-
greened; mesepisternal punctures round, deep, almost confluent,
separated by one-third puncture width or less, surface dulled by
dense shagreening; metasomal tergum 1 with basal half or slightly
more punctate, punctures crowded basally to sparse apically, api-
cal area impunctate, surface reticulotransversely shagreened; ter-
gum 2 with basal area punctures separated by one-half to one
puncture width, surface shiny, interband zone with punctures
irregular, separated by one to two puncture widths, reticulotrans-
versely shagreened, apical area (beneath pale pubescence ) with
shallow punctures separated by one-half to one puncture width,
surface as in interband zone; terga 3 and 4 similar to tergum 2 but
interband zone punctures distinctly smaller and more crowded.
Hair: Head pale ochraceous, yellowish on vertex. Thorax pale
ochraceous laterally to yellowish on dorsum, scutellum with sparse
brown hairs medially, mesoscutum with posteromedial area bare
but a few brown hairs occasionally present on periphery of bare
area. Metasomal tergum 1 with long pale ochraceous hairs basally
and to apical margin at extreme sides, bare apically; tergum 2 with
dense white pubescence at extreme base, apical area with diffuse,
appressed, short, white to subochraceous pubescence (often worn
away in mediobasal part of apical area), interband zone with scat-
tered pale pubescence and suberect pale hairs; terga 3 and 4 similar
to tergum 2 but tomentum at extreme bases pale brown and inter-
band zones with more abundant diffuse pale pubescence; terga 5
and 6 dark ochraceous medially and with white tufts at extreme
sides; sternal hairs reddish brown to yellow medially, apically and
laterally white. Legs pale ochraceous to white except as follows:
fore tarsi, inner surfaces fore tibiae, inner surfaces middle and hind
tarsi dark brown to reddish brown; scopal hairs white except brown
near basitibial plates, highly plumose.
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