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Extracted from: Timberlake P.H., (1969). A Contribution to the Systematics of North America Species of Synhalonia (Hymenoptera, Apoidea). University of California Publications in Entomology Volume 57
The habitat of lepida extends southward from Colorado to Oklahoma and Texas. The male has the middle basitarsi longer than the tibiae, distinctly arcuate, and more slender on the apical half. The female has the disk of the mesoscutum shining, with well-separated punctures, and four broad white bands on abdomen.
Male.—Black; small joint of tarsi and apical half of middle tibiae ferruginous; tibial spurs testaceous. Labrum and clypeus pale yellow; clypeal mark broadly truncate above, more or less strongly notched on each side and narrowly separated from margin of eyes. Sometimes a pale yellow dot on base of mandibles. Tegulae amber, fuscous at base. Wings dusky hyaline, nervures dark ferruginous, subcosta black. Pubescence of head and thorax ochreous yellow, varying to whitish, and paler beneath. Hair of tergite 1 and on disk of tergite 2 more or less tinged with ochreous yellow. Tergites 2 to 6 with apical band of appressed white pubescence, receding from margin on tergites 2 and 3 and followed by row of black hairs; base of tergites 3 to 6 with black hair. Venter with thin, pale brownish hair, and longer whitish hair on sternite 1 and on each side of sternites 2 to 5. Hair of legs mostly whitish, but ferruginous on inner side of basitarsi; posterior fringe on hind basitarsi long and thin.
Head much broader than long; inner orbits of eyes moderately divergent above. Vertex well impressed on each side, lateral ocelli about their own diameter from occipital margin and a little less than their distance apart from nearest eye. Antennae slender, reaching nearly to apex of tergite 1, slightly compressed and crenulate; joint 3 about twice as long as wide and one-half as long as joint 4. Second submarginal cell receiving recurrent nervure about one-fifth of its length from apex. Apical two-thirds of middle tibiae flattened or slightly concave beneath; middle basitarsi slightly arcuate, longer than tibiae, compressed and narrowed to about one-half of the width on somewhat more than apical third, and then slightly expanded at extreme apex. Clypeus moderately shining, with close shallow punctures. Mesoscutum shining, densely punctured on anterior third and around margins, but with punctures well separated but not widely spaced on middle of disk; scutellum densely punctured. Abdomen minutely and densely punctured; apical margin of tergites 1 to 3 narrowly bare and impunctate. Sternite 6 shining, with five shallow impressions across middle of disk, outermost ones deeper and more oblique, submarginal ridges weak, and submarginal row of hair poorly developed; base of disk with very short, erect, whitish hair. Sternites 7 and 8 as figured. Parameral lobes of genital armature slender, gently bowed, nrrowly constricted on middle part, with apex obliquely truncate and acute on inner corner; pu¬bescence on basal half of outer surface short, thin, and pale colored. Length 10.5-12 mm, anterior wing 7.5-8.5 mm.
Female.—Black; small joints of tarsi ferruginous; tibial spurs testaceous. Antennae black, flagellum slightly brownish beneath. Tegulae and wings about as in male. Pubescence of head and thorax moderately long and erect, not dense enough to conceal surface, generally ochreous, and paler beneath and on face. Hair of tergite 1 whitish, moderately long and erect, but becoming short and tomentose on each side of disk. Tergites 2 to 5 with broad apical band of white hair, that on tergite 5 partly tinged with pale brown on middle; basal third of tergite 2 and basal half or more of tergites 3 to 5 with short, dense black hair; white bands passing over onto ventral part of tergites, that on tergite 2 also reaching base on lateral margins of disk to enclose the basal black. Sternites 2 to 5 with apical fringe of long hair, tinged with pale brown across middle at least on tergite 5. Hair of legs pale ochreous or whitish, but pale brown on outer side of middle tibiae and ferruginous on inner side of basitarsi.
Head much broader than long; inner orbits of eyes parallel. Vertex slightly impressed on each side; lateral ocelli slightly less than their distance apart from nearest eye, and about their diameter from occipital margin. Proboscis rather short; galeae minutely tessellate, dullish, with one row of short, erect setae. Second submarginal cell receiving recurrent nervure about one-fifth to one-fourth of its length from apex. Pygidial plate somewhat longer than wide at base and rather broadly ogival at apex. Clypeus moderately shining, and rather finely, subrugosely punc¬tured, with narrow longitudinal ridges between punctures sometimes more or less distinct. Mesoscutum shining, densely punctured, the punctures distinct, becoming more or less separated, but not widely, on posterior middle of disk; scutellum more finely and densely punctured. Ab¬domen minutely and densely punctured, and densely pubescent, with apical margin of tergites 1 and 2 rather broadly bare and impunctate. Length about 12 mm, anterior wing 7.5-8.2 mm, width of abdomen 4.3-4.7 mm.
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