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Lasioglossum simplex (Robertson, 1901)
Paralictus simplex Robertson, 1901; Halictus (Chloralictus) malinus Sandhouse, 1924; Dialictus malinus (Sandhouse, 1924); Lasioglossum (Dialictus) malinum (Sandhouse, 1924)

Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Halictidae   Lasioglossum
Subgenus: Dialictus

Lasioglossum simplex, F, back, raleigh, nc
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Lasioglossum simplex, F, back, raleigh, nc

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Lasioglossum simplex, F, face, raleigh, nc
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Lasioglossum simplex, F, face, raleigh, nc
Lasioglossum simplex, F, side, raleigh, nc
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Lasioglossum simplex, F, side, raleigh, nc
Overview

Identification Summary: Small to moderate sized; rare; nest parasite; head extra wide, but more in a way that a Sphecodes would look like rather than the other parasitic species; thorax relatively dark with greenish metallic overtones; cheeks rounded but not extremely wide like the other nest parasites; mandibles thin and taper uniformly; propodeal triangle with striations about 75% of the way.


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 mm.; head and thorax greenish, abdomen brownish-piceous; pubescence short, entirely white, rather thin, but more copious on head and thorax, somewhat more dense on the more apical abdominal terga; head much broader than long; clypeus very slightly convex, much broader than long; eyes somewhat convergent below; antennae very slightly nearer to each other than to eyes; mandibles slender, sickle-shaped, without teeth; labrum with a very low, median tubercle; cheeks slightly broader than eyes, rounded posteriorly; face below ocelli rather dull, punctures very fine and close but deep and distinct, becoming more minute and obscure on the shining vertex, cheeks somewhat shining, microscopically roughened, somewhat smooth below; hypostomal carinae sub parallel; scutum and scutellum shining, punctures deep and distinct but rather fine, irregularly scattered and sparse medially, becoming close at extreme sides; pleura dull, finely rugoso-striate; dorsal area of propodeum rather coarsely rugosostriate, lateral surfaces shining and rather smooth; wings subhyaline, veins and stigma pale ferruginous; tubercles pale ferruginous; basal segments of legs brownish, becoming somewhat more yellowish on the apical tarsal segments; abdominal terga somewhat shining, punctures on basal tergum exceedingly minute and obscure, barely visible, those on the succeeding, more apical terga somewhat more distinct, close but very minute and obscure, apical margins of terga rather broadly depressed, more reddish.

MALE�Length 6 mm.; head and thorax greenish, abdomen piceous; pubescence short and thin, entirely pale, somewhat more copious on head and on thorax ventrally; head slightly broader than long; clypeus rather flat, median length equal to about half distance between eyes below; eyes slightly convergent below; antennae much nearer eyes than to each other, basal segment of flagellum about as broad as long, only slightly longer than pedicel, length of the following segments nearly twice their breadth; cheeks subequal to eyes in width; punctures of face below ocelli deep and distinct, quite coarse but close, becoming minute and obscure on the shining vertex and upper cheeks, lower surface of cheeks finely substriate; lower half of face more shining, clypeus and supraclypeal area minutely punctate; scutum and scutellum polished, with widely separated, fine to minute punctures; pleura shining, with rather fine but deep, irregularly scattered punctures; dorsal area of propodeum with a few rather coarse and more or less complete striations; wings hyaline, veins and stigma testaceous; tegulae testaceous; basal segments of legs piceous, tibiae yellow at base and apex, tarsi entirely yellow; abdominal terga shining, minutely punctate, punctures well separated but hardly sparse, apical margins rather narrowly depressed and impunctate.

DISTRIBUTION�Michigan to Massachusetts, south to North Carolina; April to August.

FLOWER RECORDS�Solidago. Recorded by Robertson (1929) on Achillea, Ranunculus, Rubus and Zizia.
The male of this species has not previously been recognized nor described.

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

Lasioglossum (Dialictus) simplex (Robertson)

Paralictus simplex Robertson, 1901: 230. ♀.

Lectotype. ♀ USA, Illinois, Macoupin Co., Carlinville, 17.iv.1893 (C. Robertson); [INHS: 13817] by W. E. LaBerge (in Webb 1980). Examined.

Halictus (Chloralictus) malinus Sandhouse, 1924: 40. ♂. [new synonymy]

Holotype. ♂ USA, Virginia, East Falls Church, 16.vii., on Daucus carota (S.A. Rohwer); [NMNH: 26445]. Examined. [gynandromorph]

Taxonomy. Michener, 1951: Lasioglossum (Chloralictus) malinum, p. 1115, L. (P.) simplex, p. 1119 (catalogue); Mitchell, 1960: Paralictus simplex, p. 449 (redescription); Hurd, 1979: Dialictus malinus, p. 1968 (catalogue); Moure and Hurd, 1987: Dialictus malinus, p. 111, Paralictus simplex, p. 143 (catalogue).

Diagnosis. Female L. simplex can be recognised as a parasitic Dialictus by head wide (length/width ratio = 0.84� 0.86) (Fig. 192B); mandible without preapical tooth; labrum with apical process flat, dorsal keel absent (Fig. 6B); and scopal hairs weak. They may be further distinguished by mandible relatively short, not extending beyond opposing clypeal angle; gena subequal in width to eye; and pronotal ridge rounded. Female L. simplex is most similar to L. furunculum, L. izawsum, and L. sitocleptum Gibbs, all of which have the pronotal ridge carinate. Female L. izawsum have a distinct preapical tooth.

Male L. simplex can be recognised by the combination of face with dense subappressed tomentum (Fig. 194B); flagellomeres short (length/width ratio = 1.40�1.58); mesoscutum polished, punctures fine and sparse between parapsidal lines (i=1�2d) (Fig. 195); metapostnotum with anastomosing rugae, posterior margin narrowly rounded; and metasomal terga with apical impressed areas nearly impunctate with a few scattered punctures.

Description. FEMALE. Length 5.32�5.63 mm; head length 1.49�1.51 mm; head width 1.73�1.80 mm; forewing length 3.51�3.93 mm.

Colouration. Head and mesosoma bluish green. Clypeus with apical 1/2 blackish brown. Antenna dark brown, F8� F10 with ventral surface orange-yellow. Tegula amber. Wing venation and stigma dark yellowish brown. Legs brown, except tarsi reddish brown. Metasoma dark brown, terga and sterna with apical margins translucent brownish yellow.

Pubescence. Dull white. Sparse. Head and mesosoma with moderately dense woolly hairs (1�1.5 OD), longest on genal beard, metanotum, and mesopleuron (2�2.5 OD). Face without appressed hairs. Pronotal collar without dense tomentum. Propodeum with moderately sparse plumose hairs on lateral and posterior surfaces (1.5�2 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. Metasoma moderately sparse, fine hairs. T1 acarinarial fan sparse, incomplete with dorsal opening greater than width of lateral appressed hair patches. T2�T3 basolaterally and T4 entirely with very sparse tomentum. T2 apicolateral and T3�T4 apical margins with very sparse fringes. Sternal hairs erect, posteriorly directed (1.5�2 OD).

Surface sculpture. Face polished, weakly imbricate, punctation fine. Clypeus polished, punctation sparse (i=1�4d). Supraclypeal area with punctation moderately sparse (i=1�3d). Lower paraocular and antennocular areas with punctation moderately sparse (i=1�2d). Upper paraocular area and frons reticulate-punctate. Ocellocular area polished, punctate (i=1�2d). Gena faintly lineolate. Postgena imbricate. Mesoscutum weakly imbricate, more polished posteriorly, punctation fine, sparse between parapsidal lines (i=1�2.5d), moderately sparse laterad of parapsidal line (i=0.5�1.5d) and dense on anterolateral portion (i≤d). Mesoscutellum similar to mesoscutum, submedial punctation sparse (i=1�3d). Axilla punctate. Metanotum imbricate. Pre�pisternum rugulose. Hypoepimeral area ruguloso-imbricate. Mesepisternum upper half rugulose, lower half imbricate. Metepisternum with upper 1/3 carinulate, lower 2/3 imbricate. Metapostnotum completely rugoso-carinulate, posterior margin imbricate. Propodeum with dorsolateral slope carinulate, lateral surface imbricate, posterior surface imbricate-tessellate. Metasomal terga polished except apical impressed areas faintly coriarious, punctation on basal halves moderately sparse (i=1�2.5d), apical half sparse (i=2.5�4d).

Structure. Head very wide (length/width ratio = 0.84�0.86). Eyes convergent below (UOD/LOD ratio = 1.25�1.26). Labrum enlarged and flattened with distinct basal tubercle, apical process without dorsal keel. Mandibles slender without preapical tooth. Clypeus 1/3 below suborbital tangent, apicolateral margins strongly convergent. Antennal sockets distant(IAD/OAD > 0.8). Frontal line carinate, ending 2 OD below median ocellus. IOD subequal to OOD. Gena subequal to eye. Pronotal dorsolateral angle obtuse. Pronotal ridge broadly rounded, interrupted by oblique sulcus. Basitibial plate with lower carina weak. Inner metatibial spur pectinate with 3�4 branches. Metapostnotum truncate (MMR ratio = 1.25),posterior margin narrowly rounded 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 4.30�4.72 mm; head length 1.37�1.56 mm; head width 1.46�1.58 mm; forewing length 3.03�3.75 mm.

Colouration. Mandible brownish yellow. Flagellum with ventral surface reddish. Legs brown, except tibial bases andapices, and tarsi brownish yellow.

Pubescence. Face below median ocellus with dense tomentum obscuring surface, densest on lower paraocular area.S2�S3 with dense apical subappressed hairs and S4 with apicolateral subappressed hairs.

Surface sculpture. Mesoscutum polished. Metasomal terga with apical impressed margins nearly impunctate.

Structure. Head wide (length/width ratio = 0.93�0.98). Eyes strongly convergent below (UOD/LOD ratio = 1.43�1.52). Clypeus 2/3 below suborbital line, apicolateral margins subparallel. Antennal sockets distant (IAD/OAD > 1.3). Frontal line carinate, ending <2 OD below median ocellus. Hypostomal carinae only slightly divergent towards mandibles. Pedicel shorter than F1. F2 length 1.4�1.7X F1. F2�F10 moderately elongate (length/width ratio = 1.40�1.58). Metapostnotum moderately elongate (MMR ratio = 1.18), posterior margin sharply angled onto posterior surface.

Terminalia. S7 with median lobe broadly acuminate, apex rounded (Fig. 196). S8 with apicomedial margin weakly convex (Fig. 196). Genital capsule as in Fig. 196. Gonobase with ventral arms narrowly separated. Volsella roughly ovoid. Gonostylus narrow and elongate, dorsal setae elongate. Retrorse lobe elongate, attenuated apically.

Range. Maryland west to Kansas (Fig. 185). USA: IA, IL, KS, MD, VA.

Additional material examined. USA: ILLINOIS: 1♂ (Chloralictus versatus lectoallotype), Carlinville (C. Robertson); 2♀♀ paratypes Carlinville (C. Robertson); [INHS]; IOWA: 1♀ Woodbury Co., Sioux City, 15.vii.1921 (C.N. Ainslie); [AMNH]; KANSAS: 2♀♀ Lawrence vicinity, 2.x.1976 (S. Laroca); [SEMC]; MARYLAND: 1♀ Pr. George�s Co., N39.02788 W076.8856, 13�14.iv.2005 (S.W. Droege); 1♂ Worcester Co., N38.1616 W075.1704, 20.ix.2006 (S.W. Droege); [PCYU]; VIRGINIA: 1♂ (H. (C.) malinus paratype) E[ast] Falls Ch[urch], 16.vii (S.A. Rohwer); [CUIC].

Floral records. APIACEAE: Cicuta maculata, Daucus carota, Zizia aurea; ASTERACEAE: Achillea millefolium, Solidago; RANUNCULACEAE: Ranunculus fascicularis; ROSACEAE: Rubus flagellaris.

DNA Barcode. Available. Multiple sequences.

Comments. Rare.

Lasioglossum simplex is evidently a social parasite of L. trigeminum and/or L. versatum. There is some confusion as to which of these species was studied by Michener (1966).

The holotype of H. (C.) malinus is a gynandromorph. The head is clearly male and the metasoma is clearly female. The sex of the mesosoma is evidently mixed. The inner metatibial spur is serrate like a male on the right side but is pectinate like a female on the left side.


Identification
Extracted from: Sandhouse G. A. New North American Species of Bees Belonging to the Genus Halictus (Chloralictus). No. 2532 - Proceedings U.S. National Museum. Vol. 65, Art. 19.

In this excerpt, Lasioglossum simplex is known as the now synonymized Halictus malinus.

Male.—About 5.5 mm. long; head and thorax blue-green; abdomen dark brovvn; pubescence white. Facial quadrangle little longer than broad; orbits converging sharply below; entire face densely pubescent; front closely punctured; the punctures more scattered below; second and third antennal joints of equal length; flagellum testaceous, yellowish beneath; mandibles somewhat orange-yellow. Thorax with moderately dense pubesceuce; mesothorax shining, delicately punctured; scutellum with similar punctation; two polished spots on the disk; disk of propodeum dark green, crescentic, shining, with irregularly anastomosing rugae covering the entire area; tegulae honey color, impunctate; truncation not sharply defined, but distinct laterally. Abdomen ovate, impunctate; apical margins of segments trans- versely lineolate, testaceous; bases of segments clothed with rather abundant pubescence. Wings clear; anterior wing 3.5 mm. long; stigma and nervures very pale testaceous ; second submarginal cell higher than broad, receiving the first recurrent nervure a little dis- tance from the apex; third submarginal subquadrate, little contracted above, almost twice as long as the second on marginal. Legs brown; knees, tips of tibiae, and tarsi yellow.


Names
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Updated: 2024-03-29 11:19:08 gmt
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