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Andrena bisalicis Viereck, 1908
Andrena salicis_homonym Robertson, 1891; Andrena bisalicis Viereck, 1908, replacement name; Andrena (Andrena) adelae Viereck, 1922

Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Andrenidae   Andrena
Subgenus: Thysandrena



Andrena bisalicis, female, side 2012-08-06-18.04.10
© Copyright source/photographer · 9
Andrena bisalicis, female, side 2012-08-06-18.04.10

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Andrena bisalicis, female, back 2012-08-06-17.48.06
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Andrena bisalicis, female, back 2012-08-06-17.48.06
Andrena bisalicis, female, face 2012-08-06-17.54.57
© Copyright source/photographer · 9
Andrena bisalicis, female, face 2012-08-06-17.54.57

Andrena bisalicis FEM CFP comp
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7
Andrena bisalicis FEM CFP comp
Andrena bisalicis MALE CFP comp
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7
Andrena bisalicis MALE CFP comp

Andrena bisalicis, figure42f
Mitchell, Bees of the Eastern United States, Vol. I, 1960 · 1
Andrena bisalicis, figure42f
Andrena bisalicis, figure44d
Mitchell, Bees of the Eastern United States, Vol. I, 1960 · 1
Andrena bisalicis, figure44d

Andrena bisalicis, female, face
© Rebekah Andrus Nelson · 1
Andrena bisalicis, female, face
Andrena bisalicis
© Copyright John Ascher, 2006-2014 · 1
Andrena bisalicis

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Andrena bisalicis –A common vernal bee that has broad facial fovea, lacks a humeral angle, and is overall very dull with the tergites being tesselate rather than transverly reticulate as in A. w-scripta.

Overview
Reprinted with permission of the American Entomological Society from: LaBerge, W. E. 1977. A revision of the bees of the genus Andrena of the Western Hemisphere. Part VIII. Subgenera Thysandrena, Dasyandrena, Psammandrena, Rhacandrena, Euandrena, Oxyandrena. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 103: 1-144.

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This is a moderate-sized, distinctive bee from the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. The female is readily recognized by almost lacking tergal apical fasciae, these being weak and broadly interrupted medially, by the tessellate terga (rather than reticulotransversely shagreened), and the rounded apex of the pygidial plate. The male has the sixth sternum reflexed as in trizonata but more distinctly so and the terga are tessellate as in the female. Both sexes are apt to be confused with the eastern form of w-scripta which they superficially resemble closely, but bisalicis is more closely related to the western species, trizonata.

FEMALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. N = 20; length, 8-10 mm width, 2.5-3.0 mm; wing length, M = 3.53 0.114 mm; FL/FW, M = 1.00 0.005; FOVL/FOVW, M = 3.07 0.041.

INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. Black except as follows: mandible with apical third or less rufescent; flagellar segments 2 or 3 to 10 brown below; wing membranes hyaline, moderately infumate, veins yellow, red to reddish-brown; terga often with apical areas slightly translucent apically to rufescent; sterna narrowly hyaline apically; tarsi and hind basitarsi dark rufescent; tibial spurs yellow.

STRUCTURE. Antennal scape length equal to first three and one-half flagellar segments or slightly more; flagellar segment 1 slightly longer than segments 2 plus 3, segments 2 to 10 as in medionitens. Eyes each about four times as long as broad, inner margins parallel to converging slightly towards mandibles. Malar space, mandible and galea as in medionitens but galea often faintly shagreened. Maxillary palpus as in medionitens but segmental ratio about as 1.0:0.9:0.8:0.8:0.6:0.8. Labial palpus as in medionitens but ratio about as 1.0:0.7:0.6:0.7. Labral process entire, trapezoidal with slightly thickened apical margin to slightly emarginate apicomedially; labrum below process as in medionitens. Clypeus with moderate to large, round punctures separated mostly by half to one puncture width, not much smaller or more crowded basally, median impunctate line usually present; surface moderately dulled by fine shagreening in basal third or more, occasionally entirely shagreened. Supraclypeal area, vertex and genal area as in medionitens. Face above antennal fossae punctatorugose; punctures coarse, distinct, rugulae indistinct except laterally. Facial fovea as in medionitens.

Thoracic form and sculpturing as in medionitens except as follows mesoscutum and scutellum opaque, finely tessellate, punctures separated by one to two puncture widths peripherally, more apically, rarely scutellum moderately shiny medially; propodeum with dorsal area usually areolate basally, coarsely tessellate; mesepisternum coarsely tessellate, punctures shallow, obscure, sparse. Wing with pterostigma large, broader than from inner margin prestigma to wing margin; vein 1st m-cu meets second submarginal cell near middle to about outer third of cell; vein r long. Vannal lobe hind wing broad, long, deeply incised.

Metasomal terga 1-4 coarsely tessellate, dull; apical areas shinier, narrowly shiny apically; punctures absent or indistinct. Pygidial plate V-shaped, apex rounded, inner raised triangle acute, narrow. Sterna 2-5 as in medionitens but usually only moderately shiny.

VESTITURE. Generally yellow to dull ferruginous (especially dorsally) except as follows: facial fovea often brown in upper third or half; tarsi with inner surfaces reddish-brown; outer surfaces tarsi and outer surfaces middle and fore tibiae usually brown. Terga 2-4 with weak apical fasciae of long decumbent pubescence broadly interrupted medially on each tergum (almost complete on tergum 4 in some cases); frequently fasciae practically absent due to wear. Pollen-collecting hairs normal for subgenus, Thoracic dorsum with moderately long hair.

MALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. N = 20; length, 7-9 mm; width, 1.5-2.5 mm; wing length, M = 3.15 0.155 mm; FL/FW, M = 1.00 0.006; FS1/FS2, M = 1.33 0.028.

INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. As in female but flagellum usually dark brown below, wing membranes usually infumate and tarsi dark brown.

STRUCTURE. Antennae moderately long, in repose reaching posterior margin scutellum; scape length equals about following two and one-third flagellar segments; flagellar segment 1 longer than 2 and about equal to 3, segment 2 quadrate, others longer than broad but no longer than one and one-third times as long as broad. Eyes each about one and one-third times as long as broad, inner margins converging towards mandibles. Malar space, mandible and galea as in female. Maxillary palpus as in medionitens but segmental ratio about as 1.0:0.9:0.7:0.7:0.6:0.6. Labial palpus as in medionitens but ratio about as 1.0:0.7:0.6:0.6. Labral process trapezoidal in outline, bidentate; labrum as in female. Clypeus rounded, with large regular punctures separated mostly by half a puncture width or slightly more throughout, usually without median impunctate line; surface usually dulled by fine reticular shagreening throughout or at least in basal third to half or more. Supraclypeal area, vertex and genal area as in medionitens. Face above antennal fossae as in female.

Thoracic form and sculpturing as in female but punctures deeper, more evident and more abundant. Wing venation as in female.

Metasomal terga 2-5 sculptured as female terga 2-4 but tessellation often fine and appearing more like reticular shagreening (but not at all transverse). Sterna 2-5 moderately shiny with fine reticular shagreening and sparse punctures. Sternum 6 with apical margin strongly reflexed downwards, with abundant short yellow hairs along margin, with apicolateral corners often acute and toothlike. Terminalia as in Figures 72-76.

VESTITURE. Generally yellow to ferruginous as in female but inner surfaces tarsi yellow and outer surfaces tarsi and tibiae yellow; rarely dark ochraceous rather than yellow; vertex and face along inner margins eyes usually with sparse dark brown hairs; terga 2-5 fasciate much as in female sterna 2-5 with complete subapical fimbriae.




Reprinted with permission from: Mitchell, T.B. 1960. Bees of the Eastern United States. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 141.



FEMALE. Length 9 mm.; clypeus moderately convex, projecting about one-half below suborbital line, rather dull, punctures deep and distinct but rather fine, quite sparse medially, becoming rather close laterally; facial foveae rather narrow, occupying above only slightly more than half of area between eyes and ocelli, covered with pale ochraceous tomentum; space Between margin of vertex and lateral ocelli very slightly greater than their diameter; cheeks not much broader than eyes, rounded posteriorly, dull, punctures inevident; malar space very short; basal segment of flagellum subequal to 2nd and 3rd combined; process of labrum rather small, much broader than long, apex rather broadly truncate; pubescence of head, thorax and legs pale ochraceous, rather short; thoracic integument dull, punctures of scutum fine, well separated but becoming sparse only near center posteriorly, those on scutellum somewhat more distinct, scattered and rather sparse, surface more shining; pleura dull, quite densely tessellate, punctures very obscure; enclosure of propodeum dull, densely tessellate; propodeal corbicula rather short, with a very short, anterior fringe, pale ochraceous; trochanteral floccus quite long and dense, pale ochraceous; hind tibiae quite narrow and elongate, scopa quite dense, hairs of moderate length, simple, pale ochraceous; all basitarsi slightly narrower than their respective tibiae; 2nd submarginal cell considerably shorter than 3rd, receiving 1st recurrent slightly beyond middle; abdominal terga dull, rather densely tessellate, apical margins rather narrowly and obscurely impressed, becoming obscurely hyaline toward rims, entire discs impunctate, discal pubescence very short and obscure, entirely pale, but forming rather loose and thin, whitish, apical fasciae on terga 2-4, this interrupted on tergum 2 medially, tergum 5 with a quite dense, pale fulvous, apical fimbria.



MALE. Length 7 mm.; clypeus rather flat, projecting about one-third below suborbital line, quite uniformly, closely and finely punctate beneath the rather short, dense pubescence; space between margin of vertex and lateral ocelli slightly less than their diameter; cheeks slightly broader than eyes, rounded posteriorly, dull, punctures very obscure; malar space exceedingly short; basal segment of flagellum longer than 2nd segment, much shorter than 2nd and 3rd combined; process of labrum quite small, broader than long, subtriangular, apex truncate and slightly incised; mandibles short, with a small, inner, subapical tooth, overlapping but very slightly; pubescence of head, thorax and legs entirely whitish-ochraceous; thoracic integument dull, finely tessellate, punctures of scutum minute and obscure, well separated, becoming sparse in center posteriorly, those on scutellum sparse and obscure; pleura densely tessellate, impunctate, quite densely long pubescent; enclosure of propodeum dull, densely tessellate; all basitarsi slender and elongate, much narrower than their respective tibiae; 2nd submarginal cell considerably shorter than 3rd, receiving 1st recurrent slightly beyond middle; abdominal terga dull, densely tessellate, impunctate except for some exceedingly minute and obscure punctures at extreme sides of discs, apical margins rather narrowly but distinctly depressed, pubescence short, suberect, entirely pale, fasciae lacking or very poorly developed toward extreme sides; apical portion of sternum 8 slender and elongate, without a distinct, median, ventral protuberance, apical half quite densely long pubescent to the narrowly truncate tip; penis valves slightly dilated toward base, not excavated, gonocoxites slender, very slightly dilated apically gonocoxal lobes quite strongly produced, narrowly rounded.



DISTRIBUTION. North Dakota to the New England states, south to South Carolina and Georgia; March to July.



FLOWER RECORDS. Amelanchier, Aronia, Brassica, Crataegus, Ilex, Prunus and Salix.

Names
Scientific source:
Hosts · map
FamilyScientific name @ source (records)
Asteraceae  Taraxacum campylodes @ CUIC_ENT (1)
Brassicaceae  Arabis laevigata @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Barbarea vulgaris @ CUIC_ENT (4)
Cornaceae  Cornus mas @ CUIC_ENT (18)
Ericaceae  Pieris japonica @ UCMS_ENT (1)
Polycitoridae  Salix gracilistyla @ I_JSA (1)
Ranunculaceae  Ranunculus sp @ CUIC_ENT (1)
Rosaceae  Prunus angustifolia @ AMNH_BEE (2)

Prunus maritima @ UCMS_ENT (1)

Prunus sp @ CUIC_ENT (2)

Prunus @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Rubus sp @ CUIC_ENT (2)
Salicaceae  Salix gracilistyla @ AMNH_BEE (6)

Salix humilis @ AMNH_BEE (1)

Salix interior @ UCRC_ENT (1)

Salix nigra @ UCRC_ENT (1)

Salix sp @ CUIC_ENT (67)

Salix @ AMNH_BEE (15); CUIC_ENT (2)
_  apple @ NLA (1)

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Updated: 2024-10-05 00:32:42 gmt
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