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Extracted from: Wallace E. LaBerge. 2001. Revision of the bees of the genus Tetraloniella in the New World (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 36(3):67–162. This moderate-sized bee from California
and Baja California is very distinctive. The
female has plumose scopal hairs but the
branches of each hair are extremely short and
the hairs appear roughened, rather than plumose.
Both sexes have black flagella, large
pterostigma, metasomal tergum 2 without an
apical pale pubescent fascia (males may have
some remnant of this fascia laterally and the
females often have an extremely narrow band
of golden pubescence on rim of tergum). Both
sexes often completely lack the apical fascia
on tergum 3, but more often this band is present
but broadly interrupted medially. The males
of pomonae have relatively long first flagellar
segments as described below and the females
have the second flagellar segments
slightly longer than broad. FEMALE. Measurements and Ratios.-
N = 20; length, 10–13 mm; width, 3.5–4.5 mm;
wing length, M = 2.96±0.221 mm; hooks in
hamulus, M = 12.00±0.162; flagellar segment
1/2, M = 1.61±0.012. Integumental Color.- Integument black
except as follows: mandible with large golden
macula in apical half or more (barely visible
in worn specimens); flagellar segments 3–10
dark blackish brown below; tegula reddish
brown; wing membranes hyaline, veins dark
brown to black; metasomal terga piceous, narrowly
hyaline apically; sterna similar; distitarsi
reddish brown; tibial spurs ochraceous. Structure.- Clypeus with rounded transverse
ridge just posterior to apical margin, flattened
posterior to this ridge; coarsely punctate,
punctures separated by half a puncture
width, surface moderately shiny, weakly
shagreened. Supraclypeal area impunctate
medially, with small, crowded punctures in
lateral corners, surface shiny to moderately
shiny, weakly shagreened. Face above antennal
fossae with small round punctures separated
by half to one puncture width, surface
moderately shiny. Vertex lateral to ocelli flattened,
with minute punctures separated by one
or more puncture widths, surface shiny. Genal
area sculptured as in facial area. Galea
shiny; maxillary palpal segments 6, ratio about
as 0.9:0.9:1.0:0.7:0.4:0.3. Flagellar segment
2 slightly longer than broad, all segments
longer than broad. Mesoscutum with small
round punctures crowded in anterior third and
peripherally, separated mostly by one to three
puncture widths posteromedially, surface
shiny. Scutellum similar but punctures more
crowded. Propodeum with moderate-sized,
elongated punctures except along midline,
surface dulled by fine tessellation.
Mesepisternum with crowded round punctures
much as on anterior third of mesoscutum, surface
moderately shiny to shiny, shagreening
weak. Pterostigma usually as long as
prestigma or shorter, rarely slightly longer.
Metasomal tergum 1 with basal area punctures
relatively sparse in median third, crowded laterally,
apical area impunctate except along a
single line at base and in small lateral areas,
surface dulled by fine reticular shagreening.
Metasomal tergum 2 with basal area punctures
small, round, separated by one or more punctures
widths in apicomedian third, becoming
crowded basad and laterad, apical area with
similar-sized punctures separated by half to
one puncture width in median half, more
crowded laterally, surface moderately dulled
by fine shagreening. Terga 3 and 4 similar
but moderately densely punctate. Pygidial
plate V-shaped, apex sharply pointed. Sterna
2–4 with basal areas punctate, punctures becoming
sparse basad, most crowded along
margin of apical area, which is impunctate,
surface moderately shiny, weakly or not at all
shagreened.
Vestiture.- Ochraceous to dark ochraceous
except as follows: vertex and face
along inner margins of eyes, mesoscutum
posteromedially, scutellum medially, terga 2
and 3 interband areas and basomedially in
apical areas with dark brown hairs. Terga 2
and 3 usually lacking apical pale pubescent
fasciae or with small patches of pale pubescence
laterally on tergum 3, usually with narrow
band of short golden hairs on rims. Scopal
hairs plumose, with extremely short branches,
appearing roughened rather than plumose,
ochraceous. Inner surfaces hind basitarsi with
hairs golden. MALE. Measurement and Ratios.- N
= 20; length, 10–12 mm; width, 3–4 mm; wing
length, M = 2.87±0.145 mm; hooks in hamulus,
12.00±0.251; flagellar segment 2/1, M =
3.74±0.063. Integumental Color.- Integumental color
black except as follows: clypeus yellow but
often infuscate narrowly posteriorly; labrum
yellow with dark apical margin; mandible with
subapical golden stripe usually present (not in
worn specimens); flagellum black below;
tegulae usually dark brown with translucent
summit. Wing membranes and veins as in female;
hind tibial spurs pale yellow; distitarsi
dark red. Terga piceous becoming reddened
apically to narrowly hyaline along margins;
sterna 2–5 similar to female. Structure.- Head sculptured as in female
but clypeal punctures not as distinct and
clypeus not with subapical, transverse,
rounded ridge, evenly rounded, relatively flat;
maxillary segments 6, ratio about as in female;
flagellar segment 2 three and one-third to four
and one-fourth times as long as segment 1;
antennae moderately long, reaching first
metasomal tergum, segments rounded to
slightly flattened, not crenulate. Sculpturing
of thorax as in female but punctures larger and more crowded (especially on mesoscutum),
propodeum with punctures not elongate, round
or almost so. Pterostigma usually equal to or
slightly shorter than prestigma, rarely longer.
Sculpturing of terga and sterna as in female
but punctures slightly larger. Pygidial plate
strongly narrowed from base to apex, so that
apical area at level of lateral subapical notches
about half as broad as base. Sternum 6 (Fig.
141) flat, without lateral teeth, subapical carina
concave along outer margin, becoming
sublaminate near apical termination. Terminalia Figs. 141–145) much as in
helianthorum (Figs. 126–130) but note sternum
7 (Fig. 142) with apicomedial plates much
extended, hairs abundant; sternum 8 (Fig. 143)
with apical margin deeply excavated medially,
hairs sparse. Gonostylus and genital capsule
as drawn (Figs. 144 and 145). Vestiture.- Generally ochraceous to pale
ochraceous except as follows: vertex,
mesoscutum posteromedially, and scutellar
median area often with long dark brown hairs;
terga 2 and 3 with apical area bands similar to
female but apical rims usually without short
golden hairs and interband zone hairs sparser
and often pale brown to dark ochraceous; inner
surfaces basitarsi pale yellow.
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