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Extracted from: Roberts, 1972. REVISION OF THE BEE GENUS AGAPOSTEMON. Agricultural Experimental Station. The University of Kansas.
Halictus radiatus Say 1837. Type probably destroyed. Agapostemon pulchra Smith 1853. Type $ , British Museum (Natural History). Agapostemon sulcatulus Cockerell 1909. Type $ , U.S. National Museum. The type of Halictus radiatus has probably been destroyed, but the description leaves no doubt of its identity. Michener has examined the type of Agapostemon pulchra (which is not labeled "California" as reported by Sandhouse, 1936) and I have examined the type of Agapostemon sulcatulus.
Distribution (Fig. 18). Specimens have been collected as far north as
Treesbank, Manitoba; as far south as Orange Co. in central Florida; as
far east as Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and as far west as Sioux Co., Nebraska. In the northern part of the range (Wisconsin) females have been collected from April through October and males from July through October. In the central part of its range (Kansas)- females have been collected from April through November and males in April and July through November. In the southern part of its range females have been collected from April through September and males from June through August and in October. Most abundant at elevations of less than 2,000 ft. (610 m), A. radiatus has been collected as high as 4,100 ft. (1,250 m) in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.
Diagnosis. The male may be distinguished from many species by the
yellow maculations on its 6th metasomal sternum and by the tooth on its hind femur; from A. mellwentris by the brown-black on the anterior surface of its first metasomal tergum; from A. texanus and A. angelicus by its lack of conspicuous metallic tints on metasomal tergum 4, and by its lack of a broad, subapical, transverse ridge on metasomal sternum 4; and from males of A. splendens, A. cockerelli and A. femoratus by its unmodified hind basitarsus. The female may be distinguished from many species by its metallic green metasomal terga; from A. texanus and A. angelicus by its coarsely punctate or rugose mesoscutum without punctures of two distinct sizes; from A. splendens by its smaller size, coarse parallel carinae dorsomedially on its propodeum, its bright yellow mandibles (ferruginous apically), and its very pale amber to clear wings; from A. femoratus by its mesoscutum (coarsely punctate with rugae anteriorly and laterally in A. radiatus, almost entirely coarsely rugose in A. femoratus). The female can
not be morphologically differentiated from females of A. cockerelli but may be distinguished by its eastern distribution.
Description
male (Figs. 105-106, 161)
General coloration of head and mesosoma bright metallic green to
blue-green, metasoma with black and yellow bands. Head (Figs. 105-106) : pubescence white, pale yellowish on interocular area, becoming pale amber on vertex. (1) Labrum as in A. texanus. (2) Clypeus with large scattered punctures below, becoming weakly rugose above. (3) Interocular area with very deep, fine, contiguous punctures below vertex, becoming weakly and finely rugose at level of and below antennal sockets; supraclypeal protuberance rugose. (4) Vertex finely and deeply punctate below ocelli and laterally, becoming deeply rugulose behind and between ocelli. (5) Gena with short, weak, parallel, well separated carinae extending postero-dorsally from antero-ventral margin. (6) Malar area bright yellow; very short. (7)
Mandible bright yellow with apical x /^- x /i dark ferruginous. (8) Antenna brown-black above with apical l/2 of apical flagellomere amber; underside of flagellum amber to pale amber; underside of scape and pedicel bright yellow (underside of pedicel sometimes brown). Mesosoma: pubescence white, becoming yellowish to fuliginous on mesonotum and metanotum. (9) Pronotum with distinctly, but not acutely, angular lateral angle and posterior lobe; distinct carina extending postero-ventrally from lateral angle; distinct vertical carina laterally; and numerous weak horizontal carinulae. (10) Mesoscutum with fine, deep, contiguous punctures becoming rugose
antero-laterally. (11) Mesoscutellum with fine, deep, contiguous punctures medially, becoming scattered in shiny lateral area. (12) Metanotum finely but deeply rugulose. (13) Mesepisternum moderately deeply and moderately coarsely rugose anteriorly, becoming slightly less deeply and coarsely rugose posteriorly. (14) Metepisternum moderately deeply and moderately coarsely rugose. (15) Propodeum with strong propodeal carina; propodeal shield moderately deeply and moderately coarsely rugose; dorsal area with short, coarse, parallel carinae extending postero-laterally from anterior margin, becoming moderately deeply and moderately coarsely rugose posteriorly (entire dorsal area rugose on some specimens) ; coarsely rugose posterolaterally, becoming punctate or finely rugulose anterolaterally. (16) Wing very pale brown, slightly darker on distal margin; veins and pterostigma pale brown, radial vein very dark brown. (17) Tegula amber with metallic tints antero-basally, with yellow on posterior margin, and with yellow submarginal band anteriorly. (18) Fore leg yellow; coxa metallic green and with small brown stripe posteriorly on tibia; pubescence yellowish to amber. (19) Middle leg with coloration and pubescence like fore leg with small, brown, subapical spot dorsally on femur and with brown posterior stripe
on tibia larger. (20) Hind leg (Fig. 161) with coxa metallic green; trochanter brown to amber with yellow on apical l / 2 of lower side (extending to base on some specimens) ; femur yellow with brown spot dorsally at apex and sometimes posteriorly at base (much smaller than apical spot); tibia yellow with small brown to amber spot apically on anterior surface, with brown stripe antero-dorsally often connected with brown basal spot; tarsus yellow, basitarsus lacking basal ridge and apical groove. Pubescence yellowish to amber. Metasoma: (21) Terga black with yellow bands on basal halves of terga 2-6 and centrally on tergum 1 ; ventro-lateral margins of terga 1-6 transparent amber; and sometimes with faint metallic tints anteriorly on tergum 1 and postero-laterally on tergum 3. Pubescence dorsally on terga 1-4 very short and inconspicuous, pale on yellow bands, dark on brown bands; moderately long, yellowish pubescence anteriorly on tergum 1 and laterally on terga 1-4; moderately long and dark brown dorsally and
laterally on terga 5-7. (22) Sterna yellow with narrow brown band on distal margin of sternum 2 pale and slightly broadened medially, becoming progressively darker and larger on sterna 3-5; sternum 6 with brown medial stripe varying from very narrow to l / 2 width of sternum; sternum 1 metallic green basally. Broad, low, transverse, subapical (not apical as in A. texanus and A. angelicas) ridge on sternum 4, most prominent laterally, and often with faint metallic tints medially; moderately long scattered hairs on exposed areas, 2-4 large stout bristles disto-laterally on sternum 4. (23) Genitalia indistinguishable from those of A. femoratus.
female (Figs. 55-56)
General coloration of head, mesosoma and metasoma bright metallic
green to blue-green. Head (Figs. 55-56): pubescence white, becoming
pale yellowish amber on vertex and, commonly, on interocular area. (1)
Labrum as in A. texanus. (2) Clypeus with punctures deep, scattered below, becoming subcontiguous and interspersed with weak horizontal rugae above. (3) Interocular area with coarse, deep, contiguous punctures dorso-medially, becoming moderately rugose laterally and ventrally; supraclypeal protuberance sparsely punctate and with weak horizontal carinae. (4) Vertex with coarse, deep, contiguous punctures anterior to ocelli, becoming more shallowly punctate or finely rugulose laterally; shallowly and finely rugose posteriorly and between ocelli. (5) Gena with moderate to coarse, contiguous,
parallel carinae extending postero-dorsally from antero-ventral margin. (6) Malar area dark amber to dark brown; very short, nearly absent. (7) Mandible yellow with apical Yi-Vi dark ferruginous. (8) Antenna brown-black with underside of flagellum very slightly paler than upper side. Mesosoma: pubescence white, becoming slightly yellowish to fuliginous on mesonotum and metanotum. (9) Pronotum as in $ . (10) Mesoscutum with deep, contiguous, moderately large punctures becoming rugose anteriorly and antero-laterally. (11) Mesoscutellum with small subcontiguous punctures medially, becoming larger and scattered on shiny lateral area. (12) Metanotum finely and shallowly rugulose. (13) Mesepisternum deeply and coarsely rugose anteriorly, becoming slightly less coarsely and less deeply rugose posteriorly. (14) Metepisternum with even, parallel, horizontal carinae anastomosing posteriorly (on some specimens becoming rugose posteriorly). (15) Propodeum with very strong and prominent propodeal
carina; propodeal shield weakly rugose (rugae often absent on upper
margin);dorsal surface with very coarse, irregular and anastomosing carinae extending posteriorly from anterior margin; postero-lateral margin with moderately coarse horizontal carinae, becoming much finer and weaker antero-laterally. (16) Wing as in S . (17) Tegula as in $ but slightly darker. (18-19) Fore and middle legs dark brown to brown-black with coxae metallic green and with antero-dorsal pale amber to yellowish areas apically on femora and basally on tibiae; pubescence white to pale fuliginous or amber. (20) Hind leg dark brown to brown-black with metallic tints dorsally on coxa; pubescence creamy, becoming amber posteriorly on tarsus and dark brown to brown-black dorsally on tibia. Metasoma: (21) Terga with very fine subcontiguous punctures on metallic regions; pubescence white, becoming brown-black on terga 5-6; terga 2-4 with narrow band of tomentum basally, otherwise largely devoid of hairs; moderately long hairs anteriorly on tergum 1, laterally on terga 1-5, and dorsally on terga 5-6. (22) Sterna brown to brown-black with metallic tints basally on sternum 1 and some specimens with very weak metallic tints on sternum 4; exposed areas with long, white, scattered hairs.
Extracted from: Robertson, C. (1897). North American Bees - Description and Synonyms. Transactions of the Academy of Science od St. Louis. Vol. 7. No. 14.
~.- Golden green; wings hyaline, slightly clouded at apex;
disc of metathorax strongly longitudinally rugose, without
triangular inclosure. Wings hyaline; apical margins slightly clouded; disc of metathorax more irregularly rugose or reticulated, truncation
often strongly notched above; trochanters yellow, sometimes dark above and behind, especially the posterior ones; femora at base yellow, or with a slight trace of black, a spot at apex above, sometimes wanting on anterior pail', posterior femora rather strongly incrassate; tibiae at base exteriorly with a black spot extending more or less towards tips, hind tibiae sometimes black at tip.., and rarely with a spot within; abdomen black, often showing greenish, six banded, ventral
segments 2-4 broadly yellow at base, fifth, and sometimes the others, variously narrowed or interrupted, third from the last short, widely emarginate, edges thickened, greenish, last not carinate, with a yellow spot at basal angles, extending more or less towards tips and leaving only a dark median stripe. Length 9-11 mm.
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