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Triepeolus helianthi (Robertson, 1897)
Epeolus helianthi Robertson, 1897; Triepeolus helianthi var arizonensis Cockerell, 1904; Triepeolus coquilletti Cockerell, 1905; Triepeolus helianthi pacificus Cockerell, 1919; Triepeolus maculiventris Cockerell, 1921; Triepeolus lineatulus Cockerell and Sandhouse, 1924

Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Apidae   Triepeolus
Subgenus: None

Triepeolus helianthi, face
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 9
Triepeolus helianthi, face

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Triepeolus helianthi, top
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 9
Triepeolus helianthi, top
Triepeolus helianthi, side
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 9
Triepeolus helianthi, side

Triepeolus helianthi, wing
Smithsonian Institution, Entomology Department · 9
Triepeolus helianthi, wing
Triepeolus helianthi FEM CFP
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7
Triepeolus helianthi FEM CFP

Triepeolus helianthi MALE CFP
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7
Triepeolus helianthi MALE CFP
Triepeolus helianthi, f on Helia --
Michael Veit · 6
Triepeolus helianthi, f on Helia --

Triepeolus helianthi, f on Helia --
Michael Veit · 6
Triepeolus helianthi, f on Helia --
Triepeolus helianthi, f on Helia --
Michael Veit · 6
Triepeolus helianthi, f on Helia --

Triepeolus helianthi, f on Helia --
Michael Veit · 6
Triepeolus helianthi, f on Helia --
Triepeolus helianthi, f on Helia --
Michael Veit · 6
Triepeolus helianthi, f on Helia --

Triepeolus helianthi, F, Back, West Virginia, Kanawha County
© Copyright source/photographer · 5
Triepeolus helianthi, F, Back, West Virginia, Kanawha County
Triepeolus helianthi, F, Face, West Virginia, Kanawha County
© Copyright source/photographer · 5
Triepeolus helianthi, F, Face, West Virginia, Kanawha County

Triepeolus helianthi, F, Side, West Virginia, Kanawha County
© Copyright source/photographer · 5
Triepeolus helianthi, F, Side, West Virginia, Kanawha County
Triepeolus helianthi, female, dorsal habitus
© Molly Rightmyer · 1
Triepeolus helianthi, female, dorsal habitus
Overview
Reprinted with permission from: Rightmyer, M.G. A Review of the Cleptoparasitic Bee Genus Triepeolus (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

TRIEPEOLUS HELIANTHI (ROBERTSON) (Figs. 86, 87)

Epeolus helianthi Robertson 1897: 344 [Lectotype: Illinois Natural History Survey No. 9496; female, Carlinville, Macoupin Co., Illinois; 18 September 1890; Helianthus grosseserratus]; Webb 1980: 108 [lectotype designation (by W. E. LaBerge)]

Triepeolus helianthi; Robertson 1901: 231; Graenicher 1905: 164–166, Fig. 7 [description, illustrations of larva]; Parker et al. 1981: 48, 51, Figs. 9–14 [description, photographs of prepupae and egg chorion, behavior of adults].

Triepeolus helianthi var. arizonensis Cockerell 1904: 39 [Holotype: U. S. National Museum of Natural History No. 9707; male, Phoenix, Arizona; 9 October; Helianthus annuus]. new synonymy

Triepeolus coquilletti Cockerell 1905c: 106 [Holotype: U. S. National Museum of Natural History No. 9908; female, San Bernardino Co., California; October]. new synonymy

Triepeolus helianthi helianthi; Cockerell 1919b: 300

Triepeolus helianthi pacificus Cockerell 1919b: 300 [Holotype: U. S. National Museum of Natural History No. 100031; male, Peaceful Valley (Boulder Co.), Colorado; 26 August]. new synonymy

Triepeolus maculiventris Cockerell 1921: 11–12 [Holotype: American Museum of Natural History No. 25095; female, (Navajo Canyon), Mesa Verde (National Park), Colorado; about 37˚11’N, 108˚30’W; 6600 ft.; (5) July 1919 (Helianthus petiolaris)]. new synonymy

Triepeolus lineatulus Cockerell and Sandhouse 1924: 306–307 [Holotype: California Academy of Sciences No. 1598; female, Stockton (San Joaquin Co.), California; 20 August 1919]. new synonymy

Description.—Length ca. 8.5–12 mm; ITW 1.7–2.7 mm. Integument black, with the following sometimes at least partly reddish: mandibles, labrum, clypeus, scape, pedicel, F1, pronotal lobe, tegula, legs; dorsum of mesosoma and metasoma with bands of yellow to pale yellow setae. Clypeus slightly elongate, asetose (in females) with strong to moderate midline (male clypeus basally covered with white setae). Paramedian band clearly separated from other pale setae on mesoscutum, or rarely laterally contiguous with diffuse pale setae on anterior margin of mesoscutum in some males. Scutellum moderately to strongly bigibbous; axillar spine triangular, reaching or exceeding scutellar midpoint, often apically pointed and slightly incurved. Mesepisternum lacking erect, simple setae (sometimes appearing to have very short, sparse, erect, simple setae in males), females with distinct, “L” shaped dorsal region of pale, branched setae (pale setae absent on hypoepimeron), lower pleuron black, asetose with very dense, small punctures (separated by up to one puncture diameter in some places); male mesepisternum more generally covered with white, branched setae, often with brown patch medioventrally. T1 with very wide, parallel-sided (i.e., BTB and ATB parallel), laterally rounded, ovate discal patch. T2 with LLB forming weakly acute angle with ATB. Female: Pseudopygidial area subovate, with very vague, almost indistinguishable basal crescent (formed by increase in density, but not texture, of setae), appearing brownish (rather than silvery) throughout; S5 very slightly downcurved. Mesosomal and metasomal venter black except for slight lateral patches of white setae on S3–S4 (sometimes also on S2). Male: Pygidial plate strongly keyhole shaped, with distinct basal transverse ridge; S2–S3 with white apical bands, often restricted laterally, sometimes with white setae apicolaterally on S4; S4–S5 with apical fringes of brown setae.

Comments.—This species is very similar to T. cressonii. Females can be separated by the pseudopygidial area, which is a more elongate oval, with a distinct basal crescent of shining setae in T. cressonii, while in T. helianthi the pseudopygidial area is more circular, and the setae of the entire area are nearly uniform in reflectance; the mesepisternum in T. cressonii has dense pale setae more or less restricted to beneath the scrobal groove (sometimes these pale setae are more extensive), while in T. helianthi there are more such pale setae dorsally on the mesepisternum, forming an “L”-shaped pattern; and in T. cressonii there are pale setae laterally on S2–S4, while in T. helianthi the pale setae are sometimes only on S3–S4. The males are extremely similar, but may be separated based on the following characters: the clypeus tends to be entirely covered with white setae in T. cressonii, while in T. helianthi the clypeus is usually apically asetose; the paramedian bands are usually laterally contiguous with pale setae on the anterior margin of the mesoscutum in T. cressonii, while in T. helianthi the paramedian bands are usually distinct; and S2–S3 usually have white apical bands entire in T. cressonii, while in T. helianthi the white apical bands often medially interrupted.

Distribution.—CANADA: Alberta; MÉXICO: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León; USA: Arizona, California (ranging from Modoc Co. to Orange Co. and San Bernardino Co.), Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Host Records.—Dieunomia (Dieunomia) heteropoda (Say)? (1 specimen from nest site), Nomia (Acunomia) melanderi Cockerell? (1 specimen from nest site in Utah); Melissodes (Eumelissodes) agilis Cresson (Parker et al. 1981, adult entering nest, prepupae from cells), Melissodes (Callimelissodes) composita Tucker? (Hurd and Linsley 1959, adults entering nests), Melissodes (Eumelissodes) trinodis Robertson (Graenicher 1905, observations of host and parasite larvae).

Floral Records.—Aster sp. (= Symphyotrichum), Chrysanthemum sp., Chrysopsis mariana (L.) Ell., Chrysothamnus sp., Gaillardia sp., Grindelia squarrosa (Pursh) Dunal, Helianthus annuus L., H. grosseserratus Martens, H. petiolaris Nutt., H. tuberosus L., Heterotheca latifolia [= He. subaxillaris (Lam.) Britt. & Rusby], Phacelia sp., Polygonum sp. Salvia sp., Verbena stricta Vent., Verbesina sp., Vernonia baldwinii Torr., V. missurica Raf., Viguiera sp.

Seasonal Records.—20 June to 26 October.

Specimens examined.—329 female, 37 male (AUSTIN, BERLIN, BERKELEY, BOULDER, CHAMELA, CORVALLIS, DAVIS, GAINESVILLE, LAWRENCE, LOGAN, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK, NEW YORK-ASCHER, RIVERSIDE, SAN DIEGO, SAN FRANCISCO, STARKVILLE, URBANA, WASHINGTON D.C.).

Reprinted with permission from: Mitchell, T.B. 1962 Bees of the Eastern United States. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 152.

FEMALE—Length 10 mm.; black, mandibles somewhat yellowish apically, basal segment of flagellum dark ferruginous, following segments somewhat longer than broad, piceous below, black above; mid and hind legs largely testaceous, with blackish spurs, the front legs dark, becoming somewhat yellowish on the more apical tarsal segments; tubercles and tegulae black; lateral ocelli separated from margin of vertex by about half their diameter; cheeks less than half width of eyes, slightly narrower below, hind margin subcarinate; median length of labrum about two-thirds the breadth, apical margin with a pair of very minute denticles; posterior margin of scutellum broadly outcurved, faintly impressed medially, free part of axillae short, reaching mid transverse line of scutellum (similar to cressonii, fig. 112); wings subhyaline, with the usual three submarginal cells, veins brownish-piceous; face with a small amount of appressed, whitish tomentum around bases of antennae, with scattered, more erect hairs above; margin of pronotum densely pale yellowish tomentose, tubercles with a narrow fringe of the same color, and adjacent area of pleura narrowly tomentose, this continuous with a transverse elongate patch of tomentum at upper third of pleura; scutum with a pair of rather elongate patches of pale tomentum toward anterior margin, lateral margins with a small patch of pale hairs anterior to the tegulae, and a small, more dense patch at posterio-lateral angle, the scutello-mesothoracic suture narrowly pale tomentose; metanotum and adjacent margin of scutellum densely pale tomentose, with a tuft of elongate, whitish hairs at each side back of wing bases; basal abdominal tergum with a broad, transverse, black tomentose patch, an area anterior to this yellow tomentose, slightly interrupted medially, and apical margin with a transverse fascia which is interrupted medially, these rather broadly connected at each extreme side; terga 2-4 with transverse, apical, tomentose fasciae, these slightly separated from rims on 2 and 3, tergum 2 with a lateral tomentose patch anterior to the fascia; lateral areas of tergum 5 densely pale tomentose on each side of pseudopygidium; tegulae finely and densely punctate along inner margins and over much of surface, outer rims becoming rather narrowly impunctate; punctures of face above antennae coarse, deep, distinct and somewhat separated, the interspaces shining, punctures becoming finer and crowded along margin of vertex and on cheeks; face below antennae densely and very finely punctate, clypeus with scattered, shallow, somewhat coarser punctures superimposed on the more finely punctate field; scutum densely rugoso-punctate throughout, scutellum and axillae somewhat more finely so, venter of thorax with quite deep, distinct, but very close punctures, these becoming densely crowded above, sometimes with a few shining narrow interspaces evident anterior to mid coxae; discs of abdominal terga beneath the black tomentum very fine and close, regularly distributed, becoming more densely crowded on the more apical terga; median length of pseudopygidium about equal to the apical width, apical margin with broadly rounded surface, covered with very short, suberect, pale setae; sternum 5 broadly concave as viewed from beneath.

MALE—Similar to female in most respects; face with more extensive, pale, appressed tomentum, extending down onto clypeus; scutum with much pale yellowish tomentum over anterior half, the scutello-mesothoracic suture more densely fringed with yellowish tomentum; venter of thorax densely silvery tomentose, this extending somewhat more thinly on pleura above, becoming very dense on the upper portion; apical margins of terga 5 and 6 densely whitish fasciate; sterna 4 and 5 with subapical fringes of elongate, somewhat curved setae; pygidial plate strongly elevated above disc of tergum 7, apical portion beyond transverse ridge about as long as breadth, evenly rounded, margin carinate, surface quite smooth, the more basal area very finely and closely punctate and with rather dense, short pubescence.

DISTRIBUTION—Wyoming to Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana; August and September.

FLOWER RECORDS — Grindelia, and Helianthus. Recorded by Robertson (1929) on Rudbeckia and Verbena. The recognition of three other subspecies in the West necessitates this subspecific designation of the typical form of helianthi.


Names
Scientific source:

Supported by

Hosts · map
FamilyScientific name @ source (records)
Asteraceae  Erigeron speciosus @ RMBL_ENT (1)

Grindelia sp @ BBSL (6)

Grindelia squarrosa @ AMNH_BEE (4)

Helianthus annuus @ BBSL (8)

Helianthus maximiliani @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Helianthus petiolaris @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Helianthus sp @ BBSL (1)

Helianthus tuberosus @ AMNH_BEE (4)

Heliomeris multiflora @ DART_ENT (1); RMBL_ENT (2)

Heterotheca villosa @ DART_ENT (1)
Chenopodiaceae  Salsola pestifer @ BBSL (1)
Fabaceae  Medicago sativa @ BBSL (1)
Geraniaceae  Geranium richardsonii @ DART_ENT (1)
_  Withheld @ BBSL (7)

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Updated: 2024-03-29 11:29:34 gmt
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