|
Extracted from: Roberts, 1973. Bees of Northwester America: AGAPOSTEMON. Agricultural Experimental Station. Oregon State University.
Synonymy: Agapostemon calf f ornicus Crawford, 1901 (females
only).
Diagnosis. The male of this species has a bright metallic green head and thorax, and a metasoma banded with black and yellow. The male of A. femoratus may be distinguished from males of other Agapostemon
species by its conspicuously swollen hind legs and the large basal ridge and apical groove on the basal segment of the hind tarsus (Fig. 3). The female of A. femoratus is bright metallic green on the head,
thorax, and metasoma. It may be distinguished from similarly colored
females of other species occurring in the Northwest by its coarsely rugose (instead of punctate) scutum (Fig. 13).
Distribution. This is the most common species of Agapostemon in the Northwest. It occurs as far north as Chilcotin, British Columbia; as far south as San Vicente, Baja California; and as far east as Williston, North Dakota (Fig. 16). In the northern part of its range (Washington) females have been collected from April through October and males from June through October. In California, south of Los Angeles, females have been collected from February through November, and males in March and from May through November. This species also has great altitudinal range, being found from sea level to 10,150 feet (3,094 m) in Mono County, California, and 8,600 feet (2,541 m) in Lake County, Oregon.
Biology. Little is known of the biology of this common species.
Bohart (1950) observed both sexes of A. femoratus (reported as A. cockerelli) around fermenting watermelons in Davis, California. He observed copulation between males and females of A. femoratus, an act that took approximately 10 seconds. He also noted that males of A. femoratus frequently attempted to mate with females of Halictus ligatus, H. farinosus, and H. rubicundus.
Linsley (1946) reports that A. femoratus (given as A. cockerelli),
"nests very deeply in hard soil, far below the level of cultivation."
Extracted from: Roberts, 1972. The University of Kansas Science Bulletin.
Agapostemon femoratus Crawford 1901, Type $ , U.S. National Museum.
Agapostemon californicus Crawford 1901. Females only (misidentified).
Sandhouse (1936) and Michener (1951) both considered A. femoratus
synonymous with A. cockerelli Crawford (1901), but after examining the
types of both species in Washington, D.C., I concluded that they are specifically distinct. The females (paratypes) of Agapostemon californicus Crawford (1901) were misdetermined and belong in A. femoratus.
Distribution. Agapostemon femoratus occurs as far north as Chilcotin,
British Columbia, Canada; as far south as San Vicente, Baja California, Mexico; as far west as the coast of California; and as far east as Williston, North Dakota. In the northern part of the range (Washington), females have been collected from April through October and males from June through October. In California south of Los Angeles, females have been collected from February through November, and males in March and May through November. This species is equally abundant at high and low elevations. A. femoratus has been collected as high as 10,150 ft. (3,094 m) at Blanco's Corral, Mono Co., California; 10,000 ft. (3,048 m) at Blue Ridge Fire Lookout, Fremont Co., Wyoming; 9,200 ft. (2,804 m) at Warner Ranger Station, Grand Co., Utah; and 8,600 ft. (2,541 m) on Hart Mountain, Lake Co., Oregon. (See map. Fig. 4.)
Diagnosis. The male may be distinguished from many other species by
its conspicuously inflated and toothed hind femora, the large and conspicuous apical groove on its hind basitarsus, or its nearly hyaline wings; from A. radiatus by the large basal ridge on its basitarsus; and from A. cockerelli by its much larger basal ridge on its hind basitarsus and much more inflated hind leg (Figs. 162-163). The female may be distinguished from other species by its metallic green metasomal terga or its coarsely rugose mesoscutum.
Description
male (Figs. 101-104, 163, 194, 202)
General color of head and mesosoma bright metallic green, metasoma
with black and yellow bands. Head (Figs. 101-104): pubescence white,
usually yellowish on vertex and often pale yellow on interocular area,
denser than in A. radiatus. (1) Labrum as in A. texanus. (2-7) Clypeus, interocular area, vertex, gena, malar area and mandible as in A. radiatus. (8) Antenna as in A. radiatus but with underside of flagellum pale amber to yellowish and with upper side of distal 1/2 of apical flagellomere pale amber to yellow. Mesosoma: pubescence white, commonly becoming yellowish on mesonotum and metanotum. (9) Pronotum as in A. radiatus but with lateral angle and posterior lobe slightly more angular, and sculpturing weaker. (10-15) Mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, metanotum, mesepisternum, metepisternum and propodeum as in A. radiatus, but with sculpturing slightly shallower. (16-17) Wing and tegula as in A. radiatus but paler. (18) Fore leg as in A. radiatus but lacking brown stripe on tibia. (19) Middle leg as in A. radiatus but with brown tibial stripe very reduced. (20) Hind leg (Fig. 163) as in A. radiatus but with trochanter yellow; brown stripe on tibia reduced; femur, tibia and basitarsus swollen (femur subglobose); and basitarsus with very large, slightly sinuate basal ridge and large broad apical groove. Metasoma: (21-22) Terga and sterna as in A. radiatus but with dark brown or black areas reduced, and with stronger metallic tints postero-laterally on terga 3-4. (23) Genitalia (Figs. 194, 202) with gonocoxite partially fused with gonobase; gonostylus with large medial plate but lacking apical and basal styli ; ventral lobe of gonocoxite moderately large and with distal fringe of hairs.
female (Figs. 57-58)
General coloration of head, mesosoma and metasoma bright metallic
blue-green to blue. Head (Figs. 57-58): pubescence white, commonly
very pale yellow on vertex. (1) Labrum as in A. texanus. (2-4) Clypeus, interocular area and vertex as in A. radiatus but with sculpturing slightly deeper and more coarse. (5) Gena as in A. radiatus. (6) Malar area dark brown to brown-black; short. (7) Mandible as in A. radiatus but with pigment creamy and less opaque. (8) Antenna as in A. radiatus but with flagellum slightly paler on underside. Mesosoma: pubescence white, becoming very faintly yellowish on some specimens. (9) Pronotum as in A. radiatus but with slightly finer sculpturing. (10) Mesoscutum very coarsely and deeply rugose, becoming coarsely and contiguously punctate postero-medially. (11-15) Mesoscutellum , metanotum, mesepisternum, metepisternum and propodeum as in A. radiatus but with sculpturing slightly coarser; dorsal area of propodeum with carinae more commonly anastomosing or rugose. (16) Wing as in A. radiatus. (17) Tegula as in A. radiatus but much paler. (18-20) Fore, middle and hind legs as in A. radiatus.
Metasoma: (21) Terga as in A. radiatus. (22) Sterna as in A. radiatus
but darker and never with metallic tints on sternum 4.
|
