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Triepeolus nigrihirtus Mitchell, 1962
Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Apidae   Triepeolus
Subgenus: None

Triepeolus nigrihirtus, female, dorsal habitus
© Molly Rightmyer · 1
Triepeolus nigrihirtus, female, dorsal habitus

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Triepeolus nigrihirtus, female, face
© Molly Rightmyer · 1
Triepeolus nigrihirtus, female, face
Triepeolus nigrihirtus, female, ps area
© Molly Rightmyer · 1
Triepeolus nigrihirtus, female, ps area

Triepeolus nigrihirtus, female, preoccipital carina
© Molly Rightmyer · 1
Triepeolus nigrihirtus, female, preoccipital carina
Overview
Reprinted with permission from: Rightmyer, M.G. A Review of the Cleptoparasitic Bee Genus Triepeolus (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

TRIEPEOLUS NIGRIHIRTUS MITCHELL (Figs. 141–144)

Triepeolus nigrihirtus Mitchell 1962: 476–477 [Holotype: U. S. National Museum of Natural History No. 400195 (on indefinite loan from North Carolina State University); male, Merry Oaks (Clatham Co.), North Carolina; 27 May 1926].

Description.—Length ca. 10 mm; ITW 2.3–2.5 mm. Integument black (female specimen) or reddish brown (male HT, possibly due to preservation?); tegula with transparent outer margin; dorsum of mesosoma and metasoma with bands of pale white setae. Clypeus with slight midline dorsally; shining with rather deeply impressed punctures (no larger punctures present); very sparsely setose in female, male with long white setae medioapically. Supraclypeal area between antennae rather swollen, produced laterally (especially in female specimen). Vertex with punctures small and distantly spaced, especially near lateral ocellus. Pronotal collar dorsally with long, sparse, erect setae directed laterally and parted at midpoint. Paramedian band apparently absent; anterior third to half of mesoscutum with diffuse, erect to suberect setae. Scutellum moderately bigibbous; axillar spine triangular, reaching midpoint of scutellum. Mesepisternum with long, minutely-branched, erect to semi-erect, white setae on anterior and posterior margins of mesepisternum, between pronotal lobe and hypoepimeron, and ventrally below hypoepimeron; integument shining, with small, deeply impressed punctures, separated by up to one puncture diameter. T1 discal patch transversely ovate, T2 with LLB forming acute angle with ATB (worn in female specimen). Female: Pseudopygidial area longitudinally ovate, basally well-defined from rest of T5, with dark, short setae; apically with tuft of longer, golden, shining setae; S2–S4 with white setae on apical margins; S5 faintly downcurved apically. Male: Pygidial plate keyhole shaped, with distinct basal transverse ridge; S2–S3 with white apical bands (medially curving basally on S3); S4–S5 with pale golden brown apical fringes.

Comments.—Despite the disparate collection localities for the male holotype and the sole female specimen from Texas, I believe that these two specimens are conspecific based on the following unusual, shared morphological features: the diffuse, erect setae anteriorly on the mesoscutum, the carinate posterior margin of the head, and the shape of the T1 discal patch. Both specimens were collected relatively early in the year (late April and late May). Triepeolus nigrihirtus superficially resembles T. mojavensis and T. dacotensis in overall appearance, but can be separated from the latter two species by the strong preoccipital carina on the gena and posterior margin of the head, and by the completely different pseudopygidial area, which is unique among Triepeolus species.

Distribution.—USA: North Carolina (holotype specimen), Texas (“Magnolia, April 30 1953, L D Beamer”)

Floral Records.—(Texas specimen): Verbena officinalis L.

Seasonal Records.—30 April to 27 May.

Specimens examined.—1 female, 1 male (LAWRENCE, 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.

MALE—Length 9 mm.; legs and mandibles slightly reddened, otherwise entirely black; (segments of flagella beyond basal segment missing) ; space between margin of vertex and lateral ocelli considerably greater than their diameter; cheeks about half width of eyes, somewhat narrower below, posterior margin carinate; median length of labrum about equal to half the breadth, median apical denticles exceedingly minute, barely evident; posterior margin of scutellum broadly out- curved, quite deeply impressed medially, free part of axillae short but rather strongly divergent from sides of scutellum, tips not reaching mid transverse line (similar to cressonii, fig. 112); wings rather lightly infuscated, with the usual three submarginal cells, veins testaceous to piceous; head entirely without appressed tomentum, but face around and above antennae with considerable elongate and erect pale pubescence; pronotum with considerable erect pale pubescence, margin very narrowly bordered with sub-appressed tomentum, and a quite dense fringe of tomentum around tubercles; pleura above partially covered with subappressed tomentum; anterior half of scutum covered with rather thin, short, erect, pale pubescence, posterior half with somewhat shorter and more dense black pubescence, lateral and posterior margins fringed with subappressed, whitish tomentum; metanotum thinly pubescent, but not at all tomentose, and adjacent surface of scutellum with suberect, pale pubescence; posterior face of propodeum rather densely whitish tomentose on each side of the shining triangle; anterior face of basal abdominal tergum densely whitish tomentose, apical margin with a complete, quite dense, transverse fascia, these narrowly united at each extreme side, the resulting black tomentose patch broadly transverse, narrowed at each side; tergum 2 with a broad, transverse, apical fascia and a somewhat triangular patch at each side, apex of triangle uniting narrowly with the fascia; terga 3-6 with broad, dense fasciae occupying the depressed apical margins which are yellowish-hyaline on the more apical terga; tegulae minutely, closely and uniformly punctate throughout; punctures of face below ocelli quite coarse, deep and distinct, quite close but with very narrow shining spaces evident, becoming quite sparse between ocelli and eyes, closer back of ocelli, and quite close, deep and distinct on cheeks and on face below antennae, becoming somewhat finer and closer toward apical margin of clypeus; scutum quite deeply, coarsely and uniformly closely punctate throughout, punctures almost crowded, those on scutellum somewhat finer but distinct and deep, those on axillae very fine and rather indefinite; pleura below with rather coarse, irregular punctures, with some irregular shining interspaces evident, becoming densely rugose above beneath the loose tomentum; discs of abdominal terga very minutely, closely and uniformly punctate throughout beneath dense black tomentum; pygidial plate rather narrow and elongate, somewhat triangular, with narrowly rounded apex, the transverse ridge obscure, margin carinate, surface quite smooth; sterna 4 and 5 with subapical fringes of curved, rather elongate, pale hairs.


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