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Andrena balsamorhizae LaBerge, 1967
Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Andrenidae   Andrena
Subgenus: Callandrena_sensu_lato




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Reprinted with permission of the University of Nebraska State Museum from:
LaBerge, W. E. 1967. A revision of the bees of the genus Andrena of the Western Hemisphere. Part I. Callandrena (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae). Bulletin of the University of Nebraska State Museum 7: 1-316.


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This is a medium-sized bee closely related to A. gardineri Cockerell and, perhaps, annectant between A. gardineri and A. biscutellata Viereck. The female of balsamorhizae is readily distinguished from either gardineri or biscutellata by the red abdomen. It is further distinguished from gardineri by the high vertex and the short dense mesoscutal hairs and from berkeleyi and utahensis by the narrow middle basitarsi. The male of balsamorhizae differs from that of gardineri by the high vertex, the yellow parocular maculae and the less rugulose dorsal propodeal enclosure. The male differs from that of berkeleyi by the slightly longer sternal fimbriae and the less coarsely punctate terga and from that of utahensis by the shorter sternal fimbriae and weaker tergal fasciae.

FEMALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. N = 20; length, 11-13 mm; width, 3.5-4.0 mm; wing length, M= 4.12 0.135 mm; FL/FW, M = 1.06 0.005; FOVL/FOVW, M = 2.81 0.74.

INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. Black except as follows: mandible with apical half or more rufescent, clypeus with apical margin rufescent; flagellar segments 3-10 and apices of 1 and 2 reddish-brown below; tegulae translucent reddish-brown; wing membranes hyaline, veins dark red to reddish-brown; terga entirely orange-red except tergum 2 with small black maculae at sides; sterna orange-red with hyaline apices; distitarsi rufescent; middle and hind basitarsi reddish-brown; hind tibiae (and occasionally base of hind basitarsi) red; tibial spurs testaceous.

STRUCTURE. Antennae as in gardineri but segments 2 and 3 slightly longer, subequal to each other in length and to segment 4 which is shorter than 5; segments 5-8 quadrate, 9-10 longer than broad. Eye about four times as long as broad, inner margins parallel. Malar space, mandible and galea as in gardineri. Maxillary palpus as in gardineri but segmental ratio about 0.6:1.0:0.8:0.8:0.6:0.9. Labial palpus as in gardineri but segmental ratio about 1.8:1.0:0.8:0.9. Labral process short, broad, at least twice as broad as long and usually broader, emarginate medially but scarcely bidentate. Clypeus evenly rounded from side to side, protruding beyond level of lower ends of compound eyes by no more than one-fourth median length; punctures irregular, separated mostly by one-half to one puncture width, more crowded and smaller near posterior margin, surface shiny, unshagreened except slightly so peripherally. Supraclypeal area with minute crowded punctures, surface shiny. Genal area as in gardineri but shiny, shagreening delicate if present. Vertex above lateral ocellus equals almost two ocellar diameters; sculptured as in gardineri but surface dulled by reticular shagreening rather than tessellate. Face above antennal fossae without longitudinal rugulae, with crowded round punctures, interpunctural ridges shiny. Facial fovea short, extends below to about level of middle of antennal fossa, well separated from compound eye, rounded above and separated from lateral ocellus by three-fourths to almost one ocellar diameter.

Thoracic structure and sculpturing as in gardineri but mesoscutum and scutellum with punctures slightly smaller, surface shiny to moderately shiny, shagreening delicate in posteromedian area of mesoscutum; propodeal dorsal enclosure with extremely fine longitudinal rugulae basally, tessellate apically; dorsolateral and posterior propodeal surfaces with punctures small, separated mostly by two to four puncture widths or more, surface moderately shiny, reticular shagreening delicate. Middle basitarsus only slightly broadened medially, about equal to hind basitarsus medially in width. Venation as in gardineri but second submarginal cell longer than one-third of first. Claws and tibial spurs normal.

Metasomal terga 1-4 with apical areas impunctate, moderately shiny; basal areas with surfaces shiny, unshagreened. Tergum 1 with basal area punctures small, separated mostly by two to four puncture widths; terga 2 and 3 with basal area punctures separated mostly by one to two puncture widths or slightly more; terga 4 and 5 with basal area punctures separated mostly by one puncture width or slightly more. Pygidial plate V-shaped with rounded apex. Sterna 2-5 sculptured as in gardineri.

VESTITURE. Generally white to pale cinereous, slightly darker on vertex and thoracic dorsum. Mesoscutum and scutellum with very short, erect, thick, dense, grayish-white hairs obscuring surfaces, forming almost a mat as in biscutellata but much less dense. Tergum 1 without apical pale fascia. Tergum 2 with apical pale fascia interrupted medially by more than half width of tergum. Tergum 3 with apical fascia weak medially or interrupted by one-third or less of width of tergum. Tergum 4 with pale apical fascia complete but weak. Sternal hairs as in gardineri. Pollen collecting hairs as in gardineri.

MALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. N=5; length, 9-12 mm; width, 2.5-3.5 mm; wing length, M= 4.05 0.317 mm; FL/FW, M = 1.09 0.009; FS1/FS2, M = 2.29 0.094.

INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. Black except as follows: mandible with apical half rufescent; clypeus yellow except large maculae mesad and below tentorial pits and broad testaceous apical margin; parocular area with large yellow macula not quite reaching posterior margin of clypeus; flagellar segments 4-11 and apices of 2 and 3 and often 1 reddish-brown below; tegulae translucent reddish-brown to red; wing membranes hyaline, veins red to reddish-brown; terga 1-6 with apical margins broadly hyaline, narrowly reddened basad of hyaline margin especially on terga 1-3; sterna 2-5 narrowly hyaline, yellowish, apically; distitarsi rufescent; tibial spurs yellowish.

STRUCTURE. Antennae as in gardineri but segments 2 and 3 usually subequal in length to 4 which is slightly shorter than 5. Eye about three and one-third times as long as broad, inner margins converging slightly towards mandibles. Malar space and mandible as in female but basoventral mandibular lamella and subgenal coronet lacking. Galea as in female. Maxillary palpus as in female but segmental ratio about 0.8:1.0:0.7:0.7:0.6:0.9. Labial palpus as in female but segmental ratio about 1.8:1.0:0.8:0.9. Labral process bidentate, deflected. Clypeus as in female but punctures usually slightly more crowded. Supraclypeal area, genal area, vertex and face above antennal fossae as in female. Small but distinct vestiges of facial foveae present near inner eye margins.

Thoracic sculpture and structure as in female but posteromedially mesoscutal area with punctures sparse; propodeal lateral surfaces dulled by fine tessellation, punctures sparse. Metasomal terga sculptured as in female but punctures sparser on terga 2-5 than on female terga 2-4. Pseudopygidial area not evident. Sterna 2-5 sculptured as in female. Sternum 6 as in gardineri except not reflexed medially, apicolateral angles reflexed to form large lateral teeth, broadly emarginate medially.

Genitalia and sterna 7 and 8 (Figs. 282-286) similar to those of gardineri but note the following: gonoforceps blunter apically; penis valves turned down at a greater angle with gonoforceps in lateral view; sternum 7 only shallowly emarginate apically, lateral lobes with tips not rounded; sternum 8 distinctly emarginate.

VESTITURE. Generally as in female with the following differences: mesoscutal and scutellar hairs of normal length and density, erect; terga 1 and 2 with apical pale fasciae reduced to short lateral patches; terga 3-5 with pale apical fasciae complete but weak and occasionally interrupted medially on tergum 3. Sterna 3-5 with distinct subapical fimbriae of short white suberect hairs but these shorter than in gardineri although slightly longer than in berkeleyi, inner surfaces hind basitarsi pale yellow.

TYPE MATERIAL. The holotype (USU) female and fifteen female paratypes (USU; INHS) were collected by G. E. Bohart at Lake Mead, Nevada, April 15, 1959, on Balsamorhiza sp. The male allotype (USU) and four male paratypes (USU; INHS) were collected by G. E. Bohart at Overton Beach, Nevada, March 25, 1953, on Balsamorhiza sp. Twenty additional female paratypes (USU; INHS) were taken by G. E. Bohart at Lake Mead, Nevada, April 8, 1959, on Balsamorhiza sp. and one additional male paratype (USU) taken by E. R. Jaycox at Rodgers Springs (near Overton), Nevada, April 5, 1962.

Names
Scientific source:
Hosts · map
FamilyScientific name @ source (records)
Asteraceae  Balsamorhiza incorrect @ BBSL (29)

Balsamorhiza @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Enceliopsis argophylla @ BBSL (13); BBSL__RENO (1); BBSL__LMNRA (2); BBSL__INHS (2)
Papaveraceae  Arctomecon californica @ BBSL (2)
_  Withheld @ BBSL (163); BBSL__LMNRA (2)

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