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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 8 mm.; dark blue; face considerably longer than distance between eyes above; eyes very slightly convergent below; lateral ocelli subequally distant from each other and margin of vertex, slightly more distant from eyes; clypeus convex, considerably produced apically, margin straight, narrowly polished and impunctate medially, but with a few irregular striations; median length of labrum about equal to basal width; mandibles not much broadened apically, dentition about as in atriventris (fig. 32); cheeks slightly broader than eyes; wings subhyaline basally, becoming faintly infuscated apically, recurrent veins reaching 2nd submarginal cell subequally distant from base apex; tarsal segments simple and unmodified, mid and hind spurs piceous; pubescence largely whitish on head and thorax, clypeus with erect, more or less fuscous hairs, a few erect fuscous hairs on face above antennae; pubescence of thorax entirely white, rather short and thin, somewhat copious behind wing bases; basal abdominal tergum entirely pale pubescent, scopa black, discal pubescence of the terga very short and inconspicuous, erect and dark on 3-5, 6 with dense, subappressed, silvery pubescence; punctures quite deep and distinct, rather close in general, close but not crowded on vertex and cheeks, becoming rather densely crowded below ocelli and especially on clypeus, crowded on scutum anteriorly and laterally, but becoming well separated medially toward scutellum, the latter with somewhat finer punctures and a narrow median impunctate line; pleura dull, punctures rather shallow but subcontiguous; lateral and posterior faces of propodeum rather smooth but dull, dorsal area velvety, becoming very narrowly and obscurely substriate along upper margin; abdominal terga polished, punctures minute, well separated, becoming quite close at extreme sides, apical margins narrowly depressed, somewhat invaded by sparse, minute punctures, only the very narrow rims impunctate, tergum 6 minutely and densely punctate.
MALE — Length 8 mm.; bluish-green, but dorsum of head and thorax somewhat more brassy green; face considerably longer than distance between eyes above, eyes slightly convergent below; lateral ocelli subequally distant from eyes and each other, considerably nearer margin of vertex; clypeus only slightly convex, considerably produced apically, margin nearly straight, narrowly polished and impunctate medially; labrum considerably shorter than its basal width; mandibles bidentate; cheeks sub- equal to eyes in width; wings subhyaline basally, becoming faintly infuscated apically, 2nd recurrent vein reaching 2nd submarginal cell considerably nearer apex than 1st does to base; tarsal segments slender and simple, anterior margin of hind basitarsus with a very small tubercle near apical third, mid and hind spurs piceous; pubescence entirely whitish, rather dense on lower part of face, on cheeks, and on posterior areas of thorax; punctures deep and distinct, quite close in general, close but not crowded on vertex, becoming more densely crowded below ocelli and on clypeus, very fine and close on cheeks below; punctures quite fine and close on scutum laterally and anteriorly, becoming slightly separated medially toward scutellum, this with distinctly but not widely separated punctures and with a median, impunctate line; punctures of pleura nearly contiguous; lateral faces of propodeum quite smooth but dull, dorsal area of posterior face velvety, becoming very narrowly and obscurely substriate along upper margin; abdominal terga shining, punctures minute, distinctly but not widely separated, becoming somewhat closer at extreme sides, apical margins largely impunctate; tergum 6 rather shallowly and sparsely punctate toward sides apically, the margin with a rather shallow but distinct, median, semicircular emargination, 7 rather broadly produced medially, with a deep, semicircular emargination; sternum 2 rather broadly outcurved apically, largely covering 3 and base of 4, 3 with a deep, median, triangular, apical emargination which is entirely filled with converging setae, 4 rounded apically, this area rather finely and closely setose, 5-8 entirely retracted, submembraneous; genital armature resembling that in albiventris (fig. 35).
DISTRIBUTION — Alaska to Nova Scotia, south to Idaho, Wyoming, Illinois and Georgia, May to September.
FLOWER RECORDS — Houstonia, Pentstemon, Rubus and Trifolium.
Although the name sericea has page precedence over proxima, the latter name has been commonly in use, and was selected by Sandhouse (1939).
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