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Lasioglossum cephalotes (Dalla Torre, 1896)
Halictus cephalicus_homonym Robertson, 1892; Halictus cephalotes Dalla Torre, 1896, replacement name; Paralictus cephalotes (Dalla Torre, 1896)

Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Halictidae   Lasioglossum
Subgenus: Dialictus

Lasioglossum cephalotes MALE mm .x ZS PMax
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7
Lasioglossum cephalotes MALE mm .x ZS PMax

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Lasioglossum cephalotes, Barcode of Life Data Systems
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Lasioglossum cephalotes, Barcode of Life Data Systems
Overview

Identification Summary: Large; parasitic; massively wide head; cheeks huge, nearly 2x the width of the eye; has very long, thin, evenly tapering mandibles; abdomen has a good deal of thin brown hairs but no appressed white ones.

Reprinted with permission from: Mitchell, T.B. 1960 Bees of the Eastern United States. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 141.


FEMALE—Length 5-6 mm.; head and thorax greenish, abdomen reddish-piceous; pubescence quite copious but very’ short and thin, entirely pale; head much broader than long; clypeus extremely broad and very short, quite flat; eyes sub parallel, not converging at all below; antennae very slightly nearer each other than to eyes; mandibles long, sickle- shaped, without distinct teeth; cheeks very broad, with a rounded posterior angle opposite middle of eye; face below ocelli shining, punctures deep and distinct but fine and distinctly separated, becoming more minute and distinct on vertex and cheeks, those on supraclypeal area and clypeus very minute and quite sparse; scutum and scutellum polished, punctures minute and irregularly scattered; pleura somewhat shining, obscurely but rather closely and more coarsely punctate; dorsal area of propodeum smooth and shining except for a basal fringe of very short striae, lateral surfaces smooth and shining; wings hyaline, veins and stigma testaceous; tegulae brownish-testaceous; legs brownish, tarsi more testaceous; abdominal terga somewhat shining, minutely punctate, punctures rather sparse on the more basal terga, becoming more minute and obscure on the apical terga, apical margin of each tergum yellowish-hyaline.

MALE—Length 5.0-5.5 mm.; head and thorax bluish-green, abdomen brownish-piceous; pubescence entirely pale, rather copious on head and thorax; head very slightly broader than long; clypeus rather flat, much broader than long; eyes somewhat converging below; antennae much nearer eyes than to each other, basal segment of flagellum very slightly longer than pedicel, about as broad as long, the following segments about one and a half times longer than broad, brownish; cheeks slightly broader than eyes, posterior margin very slightly angulate medially; face below ocelli somewhat shining, punctures very fine and close but distinct, becoming somewhat more minute and obscure on vertex; cheeks becoming very finely striate; clypeus and supraclypeal area more shining, with exceedingly minute punctures; scutum and scutellum shining, punctures quite deep and distinct but rather fine and quite sparse, except for extreme lateral areas; pleura somewhat shining, obscurely punctate; dorsal area of propodeum rather coarsely and quite completely striate medially, becoming very closely and finely striate laterally, lateral faces very finely and obscurely striate, somewhat shining; wings hyaline, veins and stigma testaceous; tegulae pale ferruginous; basal segments of legs brownish, tarsi more yellowish; abdominal terga shining, the more basal terga with exceedingly minute and obscure punctures, these becoming more distinct and close on the more apical terga, apical margin of each tergum somewhat depressed, yellowish-hyaline.

DISTRIBUTION—Minnesota to New York and Connecticut, south to North Carolina; April to August.

FLOWER RECORDS — Leucanthemum. Recorded by Robertson (1929) on Gonolobus laevis and Salix nigra.


Retrieved from: Gibbs, J. 2010. Revision of the metallic species of Lasioglossum (Dialictus)in Canada (Hymenoptera, Halictidae, Halictini). Zootaxa; 2591, 93-97


Halictus cephalicus Robertson, 1892: 270. ♀ ♂. (Preocc. Morawitz, 1873) Lectotype. ♀ USA, Illinois, Carlinville , 15.vii., (C. Robertson); [INHS: 179,606] by W.E. LaBerge. Examined. Halictus cephalotes Dalla Torre, 1896: 57. (new name for H. cephalicus Robertson)


Taxonomy. Robertson, 1901: Paralictus cephalicus, p. 229 (generic description); Viereck, 1916: Halictus (Paralictus) cephalicus, p. 706 (key); Michener, 1951: Lasioglossum (Paralictus) cephalotes, p. 1119 (catalogue); Mitchell, 1960: Paralictus cephalotes, p. 447 (redescription); Krombein, 1967: Lasioglossum (Paralictus) cephalotes, p. 467 (catalogue); Hurd, 1979: Paralictus cephalotes, p. 1974 (catalogue); Moure & Hurd, 1987: Paralictus cephalotes, p. 143 (catalogue).


Diagnosis. See diagnosis for L. asteris.


Redescription. FEMALE. Length 4.76–4.88 mm; head length 1.44–1.73 mm; head width 1.82–1.85 mm; forewing length 3.90–4.03 mm.


Colouration. Head and mesosoma very dull metallic greenish blue, nearly brown. Clypeus with apical 2/3 blackish brown. Antenna dark brown, flagellum with ventral surface reddish. Tegula pale translucent amber. Wing membrane subhyaline, venation and pterostigma amber. Legs brown, tarsi reddish to brownish yellow. Metasoma reddish brown, terga and sterna with apical margins pale translucent brownish yellow.


Pubescence. Dull white. Sparse. Head and mesosoma with moderately sparse woolly hairs (1–1.5 OD), longest on genal beard, metanotum and mesopleuron (2–2.5 OD). Face without tomentum. Frons and upper paraocular area with moderately dense setae, most apparent when viewed from below. Pronotal collar without dense tomentum. Propodeum with sparse plumose hairs on lateral and posterior surfaces (2–2.5 OD). Mesofemoral and mesotibial combs dense but short relative to non-parasitic species. Metafemoral scopa reduced relative to nest-building species, only a few elongate hairs curved onto ventral surface. Penicillus reduced to a few thick bristles. Metasomal terga with moderately sparse, fine setae. T1 acarinarial fan visible only as a few appressed lateral hairs. T2–T3 basolaterally and T4 entirely with scattered tomentum. T3–T4 with moderately dense elongate setae. Sternal hairs, subappressed, not arranged as scopa (2–3 OD).


Surface sculpture. Face weakly imbricate, punctation extremely fine. Clypeus polished, punctation sparse (i=1–3d). Supraclypeal area with punctation sparse (i=1–6d). Lower paraocular and antennocular areas with punctation moderately dense (i=1–1.5d). Upper paraocular area and frons punctation dense (i

Structure. Head enormous, very wide (length/width ratio = 0.78–0.82). Eyes subparallel (UOD/LOD ratio = 1.00–1.02). Labrum enlarged and flattened without distinct basal tubercle, apical process flat and wide without dorsal keel (Fig. 3B). Mandible large, scythe-like, without subapical tooth, very narrow, tapering evenly to apex reaching to opposing mandibular base. Clypeus 1/5 below suborbital line, apicolateral margins convergent. Antennal sockets distant (IAD/OAD = 0.8). Frontal line carinate, ending >2 OD below median ocellus. IOD less than OOD. Median ocellus at upper ocular tangent. Gena huge, one and half times as wide as eye. Hypostomal carinae divergent towards mandible. Pronotal dorsolateral angle acute (Fig. 6B). Pronotal ridge angled, uninterrupted. and protrochanter unmodified. Basitibial plate lower carinae absent. Inner metatibial spur pectinate with 3–4 short teeth. Metapostnotum truncate (MMR ratio = 1.41–1.50), posterior margin weakly angled onto posterior surface. Propodeum with oblique carina very weak, lateral carina short, not reaching dorsal margin. T5 medial specialized area reduced in size relative to non-parasitic species.


MALE. Similar to female except for the usual secondary sexual characters and as follows. Length 5.80 mm; head length 1.38–1.58 mm; head width 1.49–1.70 mm; forewing length 4.03 mm.


Colouration. Flagellum with ventral surface reddish brown. Tegula translucent brownish yellow. Tibial bases and apices, and tarsi brownish yellow.


Pubescence. Face with sparse tomentum. Lower paraocular area with dense tomentum obscuring surface. Gena without tomentum. S2–S5 apicolateral portions with sparse plumose hairs (1 OD).


Surface sculpture. Clypeus uniformly punctate (i=1–1.5d). Supraclypeal area with punctation sparse (i=1– 3d). Metanotum rugose. Metapostnotum completely rugoso-striate. Propodeum with dorsolateral slope rugose. Metasomal terga polished, punctation uniform (i=1.5–2d) except apical impressed areas impunctate.


Structure. Head wide (length/width ratio = 0.93). Eyes convergent below (UOD/LOD ratio = 1.27–1.34). Clypeus 1/2 below suborbital tangent, apicolateral margins subparallel. Antennal sockets distant (IAD/OAD > 1.7). Frontal line carinate, ending 2 OD below median ocellus. IOD subequal to OOD. Pedicel shorter than F1. F2 length 1.7–1.8X F1. F2–F10 moderately elongate (length/width ratio = 1.43–1.55). Hypostomal carinae weakly divergent. Metapostnotum moderately elongate (MMR ratio = 1.29–1.35), posterior margin weakly angled onto posterior surface.


Terminalia. S7 with medial lobe wide, acuminate, apex rounded. S8 with apicomedial margin strongly convex. Genitalia as in Fig. 88D–E. Gonobase with ventral arms thick, widely separated. Gonostylus small, dorsal setae elongate. Retrorse lobe elongate, weakly attenuated, reflexed apically.


Range. Ontario south to North Carolina, west to Mississippi and Minnesota


Extracted from Jason Gibbs. 2011. Revision of the metallic Lasioglossum (Dialictus) of eastern North America (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Halictini.) Zootaxa.


Lasioglossum (Dialictus) cephalotes (Dalla Torre)

Halictus cephalicus Robertson, 1892: 270. ♀ ♂. (junior primary homonym of Halictus cephalicus Morawitz, 1873)

Lectotype. ♀ USA, Illinois, Macoupin Co., Carlinville, 21.vii.1891, (C. Robertson); [INHS]. by W. E. LaBerge (inWebb 1980). Examined.

Halictus cephalotes Dalla Torre, 1896: 57. (new name for H. cephalicus Robertson)

Taxonomy. Robertson, 1901: Paralictus cephalicus, p. 229 (generic description); Viereck, 1916: Halictus (Paralictus) cephalicus, p. 706 (key); Michener, 1951: Lasioglossum (Paralictus) cephalotes, p. 1119 (catalogue); Mitchell, 1960: Paralictus cephalotes ♀♂, p. 447 (redescription, key); Krombein, 1967: Lasioglossum (Paralictus) cephalotes, p. 467 (catalogue); Hurd, 1979: Paralictus cephalotes, p. 1974 (catalogue); Moure & Hurd, 1987: Paralictus cephalotes, p. 143 (catalogue).

Diagnosis. Female L. cephalotes can be recognised by the following diagnostic combination: head massive (head width = 2.02 mm), mandible large nearly reaching opposing mandible base, preapical tooth absent, gena much wider than eye, pronotal ridge carinate, mesepisternum punctate, and metapostnotum smooth with short rugae limited to base. They are similar to L. lionotum, L. rozeni and L. platyparium. Female L. rozeni and L. platyparium both have the metapostnotum extensively rugose. Female L. lionotum are much smaller (head width = 1.13–1.20 mm).

Male L. cephalotes can be recognised by the following diagnostic combination: head wide and large (length/width ratio = 0.91; head width 1.54 mm), gena and postgena lineolate, antennal sockets widely separated (IAD/OAD > 1.9), pronotal ridge carinate, and mesepisternum punctate. They are most similar to L. lionotum and L. wheeleri. Male L. lionotum are much smaller (head width 1.15–1.22 mm) and have gena and postgena relatively polished. Male L. wheeleri have a less modified head and postgena imbricate.

Redescription. FEMALE. Length 6.05–6.23 mm; head length 1.50–1.68 mm; head width 1.80–2.02 mm; forewing length 4.48–4.60 mm

Colouration. Head and mesosoma very dull metallic bluish green. Antenna dark brown, flagellum with ventral surface reddish brown. Tegula dark amber. Wing membrane faintly dusky, venation and stigma amber. Legs brown, except tibial bases and apices, and medio- and distitarsi amber, basitarsi suffused with amber. Metasoma brown, terga and sterna with apical margins translucent brownish yellow.

Pubescence. Dull white. Sparse throughout. Head and mesosoma with moderately sparse woolly hairs (1–1.5 OD), longest on genal beard, metanotum, and mesopleuron (2–2.5 OD). Face without appressed hairs. Pronotal collar with dense tomentum. Propodeum with moderately dense plumose hairs on lateral and posterior surfaces (2–2.5 OD).

Mesofemoral and mesotibial combs dense but short relative to non-parasitic species. Metafemoral scopa reduced relative to nest-building species, only a few elongate hairs curving above ventral surface. Penicillus greatly reduced, indistinguishable from other hairs. Metasomal terga with moderately sparse, fine hairs but no apparent tomentum. T1 acarinarial fan absent, medial portion of declivitous surface without erect hairs. T3–T4 without evident fringes. Sternal hairs erect, posteriorly directed (2–3 OD).

Surface sculpture. Face polished, weakly imbricate, punctation fine. Clypeus an supraclypeal area punctation obscured in holotype. Lower paraocular and antennocular areas with punctation moderately sparse (i=1–2d). Upper paraocular area and frons punctation contiguous (i≤d). Ocellocular area punctate (i=1–1.5). Gena polished. Postgena imbricate. Mesoscutum polished, punctation sparse between parapsidal lines (i=1–2d), relatively dense laterad of parapsidal line (i=0.5–1.5d) and dense on anterolateral portion (i≤d). Mesoscutellum similar to mesoscutum. Axilla punctate. Metanotum rugulose-imbricate. Preëpisternum rugulose. Hypoepimeral area imbricate-punctate. Mesepisternum polished, finely punctate (i=1–1.5d). Metepisternum dorsal half rugulose, ventral half imbricate. Metapostnotum with longitudinal rugae not reaching 1/3 distance to posterior margin, posterior surface weakly imbricate. Propodeum with dorsolateral slope weakly imbricate, lateral and posterior surfaces tessellate. Metasomal terga polished except apical impressed areas faintly coriarious, punctation fine (i=1–1.5d), apical impressed areas impunctate.

Structure. Head enormous, very wide (length/width ratio = 0.83). Eyes subparallel (UOD/LOD ratio = 1.00–1.04). Labrum enlarged and flattened without distinct basal tubercle, apical process without dorsal keel. Mandibles large, scythe-like, with minute subapical angle. Clypeus 1/3 below suborbital tangent, apicolateral margins widely convergent. Antennal sockets distant (IAD/OAD > 0.75). Frontal line carinate, ending 2.5 OD below median ocellus. IOD less than OOD. Gena huge, nearly 1.5 times as wide as eye. Hypostomal carinae divergent towards mandible bases. Pronotal dorsolateral angle acute. Pronotal ridge carinate, weakly interrupted by sulcus. Basitibial plate with posterior carina weak. Inner metatibial spur pectinate with 4 short branches. Metapostnotum truncate (MMR ratio = 1.32), posterior margin rounded onto posterior surface. Propodeum with oblique carina fine, lateral carina short, not reaching dorsal margin. T5 medial specialized area reduced in size relative to non-parasitic species.

MALE. Similar to female except for the usual secondary sexual characters and as follows. Length 4.38 mm; head length 1.39 mm; head width 1.54 mm; forewing length 3.87 mm.

Colouration. Head and mesosoma dull green with bluish reflections. Flagellum with ventral surface brownish orange. Tegula orange. Wing venation and pterostigma yellowish brown. Legs brown, tibial base and tarsi yellow.

Pubescence. Face with subappressed tomentum obscuring lower paraocular area and partially obscuring clypeus. S3–S4 with apicolateral tufts.

Surface sculpture. Clypeus and supraclypeal area with sparse punctation (i=1–2d). Frons with dense but distinct punctation (i≤d). Gena and postgena lineolate. Hypoepimeral area and mesepisternum polished, distinctly punctate. Metapostnotum with coarse rugae nearly reaching posterior margin. Propodeum with dorsolateral slope rugose.

Structure. Head wide (length/width ratio = 0.91). Eyes strongly convergent below (UOD/LOD ratio = 1.33). Clypeus 1/2 below suborbital line, apicolateral margins convergent. Antennal sockets very distant (IAD/OAD > 1.9). Frontal line carinate, ending 2 OD below median ocellus. Hypostomal carinae only slightly divergent towards mandibles. Pedicel subequal to F1. F2 length 2.0X F1. F2–F10 moderately elongate (length/width ratio = 1.53– 1.67). Metapostnotum truncate (MMR ratio = 1.55), posterior margin rounded onto posterior surface.

Terminalia. Not examined.

Range. New York west to Iowa (Fig. 74). USA: IA, IL, NY.

Additional specimens examined. USA: ILLINOIS: 1♂ paratype, Carlinville, (C. Robertson); [INHS]; IOWA: 1♂ Sioux City, 21.ix.1923 (C.N. Ainslie); [2 submarginal cells in left wing, metasoma missing]; 1♀ Sioux City, 21.ix.1923 (C.N. Ainslie) [head missing]; 1♀ Sioux City, clay bank, ?20.ix.1918? (C.N. Ainslie), [stylopized, pinned with male L. zephyrum]; [AMNH]; NEW YORK: Suffolk Co., N41.0371 W071.9248, 7.ix.2005 (S.W. Droege); [PCYU].

DNA barcode. Available. Partial sequence.

Comments. Uncommon.

Lasioglossum cephalotes is the type species of Paralictus.

Lasioglossum cephalotes has been collected at banks with nesting L. zephyrum (Robertson 1901, 1926) and is presumably a social parasite on that species. Krombein (1967) reports L. imitatum (as L. inconspicuum) as a host of L cephalotes but this was likely a misidentification of L. lionotum. Morphological and molecular comparison show close affinities to L. lionotum (Gibbs et al. in press.). Lasioglossum lionotum is a social parasite of L. imitatum and closely related to both L. imitatum and L. zephyrum (Danforth et al. 2003; Gibbs et al. in press.).

The range of L. zephyrum greatly exceeds the known range of L. cephalotes (see L. zephyrum below). Ontario records for L. cephalotes reported by MacKay and Knerer (1979) are in fact L. lionotum.

Gibbs (2010b) misidentified an undescribed species (L. rozeni below) for L. cephalotes. The holotype of L. cephalotes was recently re-examined and the mistake was realized.


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