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Extracted from: Grigarick A.A., & Stange L.A., (1968). The Pollen Collecting Bees of the Anthidiini of California (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) Bulletin of the California Insect Survey Volume 9.
Discussion: These bees are black with extensive whitish pubescence. The male has a cream-colored clypeus and lateral facial markings. T. perdita differs morphologically from gummifera in the labial palpus and tergal characters discussed under gummilera. The clypeus of the male of perdila (fig. 132) is entirely cream colored, whereas the markings partially cover the clypeus of Ilummifera (fig. 129).
This species is known from 56 males and 156 females collected in the south Coastal, Transverse, and Peninsular ranges of California. Specimens have been collected on members of four plant families, but most of the collections have been in association with nesting sites.
Michener (1941) observed the habits of perdita at a site in Monterey County. About a dozen nests were found in sandy soil on a hillside sloping south and west. No turrets or tumescences were observed at the entrance holes. The tunnels sloped downward in a broad curve five or six inches long and remained unbranched. Cells were located end to end in the lower part of the tunnel, separated by thin intracellular partitions. The cells were made from irregular pieces of thick leaves of the shrub, Rhamus crocea. The leaves were cemented together (as in fig. 213) with a gum to form the cell walls. The gum later hardened and was of the odor of pine pitch when burned, but no conifers were nearby. Mature larvae were found in the first cell of a series of four, while the last was still under construction. The larvae enclosed themselves in a parchmentlike brown cocoo with a nipple at the interior end, and over-winter as prepupae. Thorp (1966) reported that the megachUid H eteroste is hurdi parasitized perdita. Unpublished records of Thorp also show triungulins of Nemog. natha scutellaris to be found on adults of perdita and adults of N. scutellaris were reared from perdita nests.
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