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Andrena erigeniae Robertson, 1891
Ptilandrena erigeniae (Robertson, 1891); Andrena (Leucandrena) bifurcata Mitchell, 1960

Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Andrenidae   Andrena
Subgenus: Ptilandrena



Andrena erigeniae, Mid-Atlantic Phenology
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Andrena erigeniae, Mid-Atlantic Phenology

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Andrena erigeniae FEm CFP comp
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7
Andrena erigeniae FEm CFP comp
Andrena erigeniae MALE CFP comp
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7
Andrena erigeniae MALE CFP comp

Andrena erigeniae, female, complete flocculus
Deana Crumbling · 7
Andrena erigeniae, female, complete flocculus
Andrena erigeniae, female, 171253, branched scopa hairs
© Copyright Deana Crumbling 2010 · 7
Andrena erigeniae, female, 171253, branched scopa hairs

Andrena erigeniae, f on Claytoni -- KA
Michael Veit · 6
Andrena erigeniae, f on Claytoni -- KA
Andrena erigeniae, f on Claytoni -- KA
Michael Veit · 6
Andrena erigeniae, f on Claytoni -- KA

Andrena erigeniae, f on Claytoni -- KA
Michael Veit · 6
Andrena erigeniae, f on Claytoni -- KA
Andrena erigeniae, F, Face, MD, AA County, Laurel, PWRC
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Andrena erigeniae, F, Face, MD, AA County, Laurel, PWRC

Andrena erigeniae, Spring-beauty Andrena
© Copyright John Ascher, 2006-2014 · 5
Andrena erigeniae, Spring-beauty Andrena
Andrena erigeniae
© Copyright John Ascher, 2006-2014 · 5
Andrena erigeniae

Andrena erigeniae f on spring beauty
© Copyright Hadel Go 2014 · 4
Andrena erigeniae f on spring beauty
Andrena erigeniae f
© Copyright Hadel Go 2014 · 4
Andrena erigeniae f

Andrena erigeniae f
© Copyright Hadel Go 2014 · 4
Andrena erigeniae f
Andrena erigeniae m
© Copyright Hadel Go 2014 · 4
Andrena erigeniae m

Andrena erigeniae, male, cheek
© Rebekah Andrus Nelson · 2
Andrena erigeniae, male, cheek
Andrena erigeniae, figure31f
Mitchell, Bees of the Eastern United States, Vol. I, 1960 · 1
Andrena erigeniae, figure31f

Andrena erigeniae, figure40g
Mitchell, Bees of the Eastern United States, Vol. I, 1960 · 1
Andrena erigeniae, figure40g
Andrena erigeniae, figure41b
Mitchell, Bees of the Eastern United States, Vol. I, 1960 · 1
Andrena erigeniae, figure41b

Andrena erigeniae, figure27e
Mitchell, Bees of the Eastern United States, Vol. I, 1960 · 1
Andrena erigeniae, figure27e

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Andrena (Ptilandrena) erigeniae – A common medium vernal bee that specializes on spring beauty flowers (Claytonia sp.) from March through May and is commonly collected in bowl traps.  Females are noted for narrow facial fovea, a weak humeral angle, extremely plumose scopae, and dull clypeus and tergites.  Males fly quite early in spring and have a hairy face, dark clypeus and parocular area, wide cheeks, and bidentate S8 that is often visible sticking out between the area where tergites and sternites meet apically.



Overview
Reprinted with permission of the American Entomological Society from: LaBerge, W. E. 1987. A revision of the bees of the genus Andrena of the Western Hemisphere. Part XII. Subgenera Leucandrena, Ptilandrena, Scoliandrena and Melandrena. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 112: 191-248.

Please report text errors to: Leah at Discoverlife dot org.

In spite of its specific epithet intimating a relationship with the plant genus Erigenia, Andrena erigeniae is an oligolege of Claytonia virginica of the eastern woodlands. Both sexes of erigeniae are distinctive in the slender elongate maxillary palpi, as described below. The male is distinctive in its apically bifurcate sternum 8, which is frequently exserted and visible in dried specimens.

FEMALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. N = 20; length, 7-9 mm; width, 2-3 mm; wing length, M = 341 0.078 mm; M = 1.02 0.004; FOVL/FOVW, M = 3.73 0.052.

INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. Black except as follows: mandible with apical half rufescent; flagellar segments 3 or 4 to 10 brown to dark brown below; wing membranes hyaline, veins reddish brown to dark brown; tibial spurs testaceous; tergal apical areas usually rufescent basally to narrowly hyaline apically.

STRUCTURE. Antennal scape length equals first three and one-half flagellar segments or almost; flagellar segment 1 as long as next two and one-half segments; segment 2 broader than long, shorter than 3 which is quadrate and shorter than 4. Eyes each about three and three-fourths times as long as broad, inner margins parallel. Mandibles when closed surpassing midlabrum by one-fourth or less. Malar (pace short, linear. Galea with apicolateral margin concave, broad basally, surface finely shagreened, dull. Maxillary palpus unusually long and slender when extended forward exceeding galea by last three palpal segments; segmental ratio about as 1.0:1.0:1.0:1.0:0.7:0.8. Labial palpus normal, not elongate; segmental ratio about as 1.0:0.5:0.4:0.5. Labral process short, three times as broad as long, entire, or extremely weakly emarginate, apical to process labrum short, sulcate, without cristae. Clypeus with punctures becoming large and deep with strong interpunctural ridges in apical half, smaller and obscured by dense tessellation toward base. Supraclypeal area tessellate with obscure minute punctures. Face above antennal fossae with longitudinal rugulae reaching ocelli and fine tessellation. Facial fovea small, separated from lateral ocellus by one ocellar diameter or more, not reaching to line at lower margins antennal fossae. Genal area in profile slightly broader than eye; surface opaque, coarsely tessellate. Vertex above lateral ocellus equal to less than one ocellar diameter.

Pronotum laterally with distinct humeral angle; dorsoventral ridge obvious near angle but not present or extremely weak in lower half or more of pronotum; surface tessellate, opaque. Mesoscutum with large punctures separated by half to one or slightly more puncture widths but obscured by dense, coarse tessellation. Scutellum similar but occasionally moderately shiny. Propodeum with dorsal enclosure roughened entirely or basally and laterally by irregular blunt rugulae, tessellate; outside of enclosure with large shiny-bottomed punctures irregularly spaced from half to two puncture widths; interpunctural surfaces dull, tessellate. Mesepisternum with punctures obscured by coarse, dense tessellation, opaque.

Metasomal terga 1-4 with basal areas with minute to moderate-sized punctures separated by one to three puncture widths (sparser towards rear), punctures often obscured by dense tessellation, rarely moderately shiny near apical areas; apical areas with minute to small, sparse punctures and reticular shagreening moderately dulling surfaces. Pygidial plate V-shaped with blunt apex and raised internal triangular area. Sterna 2-5 with basal area punctures separated by one to three puncture widths, surfaces dull, finely tessellate; apical areas narrow, impunctate, finely tessellate.

VESTITURE. White except as follows: facial foveae with tomentum often pale brown or yellow in upper half or more; metasomal terga 5 and 6 pale yellow medially, tarsi with inner surfaces yellow. Tibial scopal, femoral, trochanteral and corbicular pollen-collecting hairs highly plumose. Metasomal terga 2-4 with apical pale fasciae absent or extremely weak.

MALE. MEASUREMENTS AND RATIOS. N = 20; length, 6-9 mm; width, 1.5-2.0 mm; wing length, M = 3.00 0.135 mm; FL/FW, M = 0.91 0.007; FS1/FS2, M = 2.19 0.036.

INTEGUMENTAL COLOR. As in female except as follows: wing veins often yellowish brown; terga 2-5 with apical areas rufescent with relatively broad hyaline margins; sterna with apical areas hyaline, yellow.

STRUCTURE. Antennae long, reaching midscutellum in repose; scape length equals first two and three-fourths flagellar segments; flagellar segment 1 about as long as segment 2 plus 3 or longer; segment 2 usually broader than long; segments 3-11 longer than broad. Eyes each about three and one-fourth times as long as broad, inner margins parallel. Mandibles long, not decussate. Galeae, maxillary and labial palpi, and malar space as in female. Labral process as in female but usually with weak apical emargination. Clypeus with small round punctures separated mostly by half to one puncture width; surface moderately shiny to dull, usually weakly shagreened. Supraclypeal area, face above antennal fossae and vertex as in female. Genal area in profile about twice as broad as eye, broadest opposite upper third of eye; sculptured as in female.

Pronotum laterally with distinct humeral angle and dorsoventral ridge, surface posterior to ridge concave and shiny or moderately shiny. Thoracic sculpture and wing venation as in female.

Metasomal terga 1-5 sculptured as in female terga 1-4 but punctures smaller, (parser and often completely obscured by fine tessellation. Tergum 7 without distinct pygidium-like area. Sterna 2-5 with basal area punctures minute, sparse, dulled by reticular shagreening; apical areas impunctate, shagreened. Sternum 6 reflexed apicolaterally to form lateral teeth. Dorsal lobe of gonocoxite short (as in faceta); penis valves narrow, elongate. Sterna 7 and 8 deeply emarginate apically (Figs. 36-40).

vestiture. Generally white and as in female but lacking pollen-collecting hairs; sterna 2-5 with weak, subapical fimbriae of sparse straight hairs.




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 8 mm.; clypeus very slightly convex, projecting about one-half below suborbital line, rather dull, punctures deep and distinct but rather fine, well separated medially but not sparse, becoming quite close at extreme sides, facial foveae narrow, occupying above about half of space between eyes and ocelli; space between margin of vertex and lateral ocelli somewhat less than their diameter; cheeks subequal to eyes in width, rounded posteriorly, dull and tessellate, punctures inevident; malar space very short; basal segment of flagellum subequal to segments 2-4 combined; process of labrum short and quite broad, fully three times as broad as the median length, slightly narrowed to the broadly truncate apex; basal half of mandibles with a rather broad, yellowish-hyaline, ventral carina; pubescence of head, thorax and legs entirely whitish-ochraceous; thoracic integument dull and tessellate, punctures of scutum and scutellum fine and shallow, rather close on scutum anteriorly, somewhat more widely separated posteriorly and on scutellum; pleura without evident punctures; dorsal area of propodeum oblique, triangle finely striate laterally, only substriate or finely roughened medially; propodeal corbicula whitish, rather poorly developed, short and thin, with a very poorly developed anterior fringe; trochanteral floccus whitish, well developed, quite long and dense; hind tibiae rather slender and elongate, slightly broadened apically, nearly twice as broad at apex as the basitarsi, scopa rather dense, hairs very fine, suberect, very finely plumose and entirely whitish; front and middle basitarsi slightly narrower than their respective tibiae; 2nd submarginal cell somewhat shorter than 3rd, receiving 1st recurrent near middle; abdominal terga shining, punctures fine and rather close, apical impressed areas very shallow, rather narrow, discal pubescence very thin, suberect, short and entirely pale, terga 2-4 with extremely thin and inconspicuous, whitish, apical fasciae, tergum 5 with a pale brownish, apical fimbria.



MALE. Length 8 mm.; eyes parallel; lateral ocelli separated from margin of vertex by about their diameter; cheeks broad, with a rounded, obscure angle opposite upper end of eye; malar space very short; clypeus short, median length about half its breadth, quite flat, protruding about one-half below suborbital line, closely and deeply punctate beneath the long, copious pubescence; face below ocelli dull, closely and finely striate, vertex dull, with a few obscure punctures laterally, cheeks dull, very finely striate; process of labrum very short, transverse, entire; mandibles slender and elongate, tip of one nearly reaching base of the other when closed, with a small inner tooth about one-third from tip; basal segment of flagellum equal to 2nd and 3rd combined; median segments considerably longer than broad, dull ferruginous beneath; pubescence of head and thorax entirely yellowish-white, copious and erect throughout; scutum smooth but dull, punctures distinct but rather shallow, well separated anteriorly, those on scutellum quite similar; pleura dull and densely tessellate; dorsal area of propodeum finely and closely striate, margins obscure, propodeum becoming finely rugose on lateral and posterior faces; legs more or less reddened, pubescence entirely pale, basitarsi slender and elongate; wings subhyaline, veins and stigma testaceous, 2nd submarginal cell about half length of 3rd, receiving 1st recurrent vein near middle; tegulae testaceous-hyaline; abdominal terga smooth but dull, only faintly impressed apically, this area more than one-third median length of disc, punctures distinct but rather shallow, uniformly rather widely separated, interspaces 3-6 times diameter of punctures, discal pubescence rather thin but erect, elongate on basal terga, becoming short and decumbent posteriorly, fasciae very poorly developed, impressed, apical areas reddened, becoming narrowly yellowish-hyaline along rims; sternum 7 strongly produced medially, with a very deep median emargination, resulting in a pair of elongate rounded lobes; apical portion of sternum 8 elongate and slender, tip deeply emarginate, each resulting lobe narrow and acute; penis valves elongate, gradually broadened toward base; gonocoxites gradually widened to the elongate, spatulate tips, about attaining tips of penis valves, gonocoxal lobes only slightly produced, broadly rounded.



DISTRIBUTION. Minnesota to New York, south to North Carolina and Georgia; March to May.



FLOWER RECORDS. Claytonia virginica and Erigenia bulbosa.




Described using the synonymous name: Andrena bifurcata Mitchell



MALE. Length 7 mm.; head somewhat broader than the thorax; clypeus broad and flat, projecting but very slightly below suborbital line, finely and rather closely punctate beneath dense, white pubescence; space between margin of vertex and lateral ocelli subequal to their diameter; cheeks broad and flat, with a broadly rounded angle opposite upper portion of eye, rather dull, obscurely and minutely punctate; length of malar space equaling about one-third basal width of mandible; basal segment of flagellum subequal to 2nd and 3rd combined; process of labrum very broad and short, median length about one-third the breadth, entire apically; mandibles long and slender, slightly curved, with a distinct, inner, subapical tooth, overlapping nearly one-half; pubescence of entire head, thorax and legs white, quite long and dense; thoracic integument dull, densely tessellate, without visible punctures; enclosure of propodeum tessellate, not markedly different from adjacent areas; all basitarsi slender and elongate, considerably narrower than their respective tibiae; 2nd submarginal cell slightly shorter than 3rd, receiving 1st recurrent about at middle; abdominal terga smooth, but dull, not visibly punctate, apical depressed areas quite shallow, occupying about one-third median length of discs, becoming yellowish-hyaline apically, discal pubescence very thin, short, erect? pale, apical fasciae not well developed; apical portion of sternum 8 slender and elongate, sides nearly parallel, without a distinct ventral protuberance, with rather long, thin pubescence to the tip, which is bifurcate; penis valves somewhat expanded basally but not excavated, gonocoxites quite slender, slightly dilated apically, the gonocoxal lobes broadly rounded, subtruncate, hardly at all produced.



TYPES. Holotype: Male, Ann Arbor, Mich., April 3, 1949 (U. N. Lanham). Paratypes: MICHIGAN: 1 M, Ann Arbor, 3rd Woods, Washtenaw Co., May 3, 1928 (F. M. Gaige). OHIO: 1 M, Licking Co., April 23, 1932 (Mary D. Neiswender). [All Dreisbach]

Identification
Extracted from: Charles, R. (1895). Notes on bees, with Descriptions of New Species. Transactions of the American Entomological Society Vol. 22, No. 2. pp. 115-128.

The abdomen of the male terminates in a strongly forked process, each division of the process being quite slender and pointed.

Names
Scientific source:
Hosts · map
FamilyScientific name @ source (records)
J. rykken  1041 @ JRYB__SHEN (1)

737 @ JRYB__SHEN (1)

808 @ JRYB__SHEN (1)
Montiaceae  Claytonia virginica @ CUIC_ENT (1)

Claytonia @ AMNH_BEE (3); CUIC_ENT (1); UCRC_ENT (3)
Portulacaceae  Claytonia virginica @ I_JSA (2)

Claytonia @ I_HHGA (1)
_  apple @ NLA (5)

blueberry @ NLA (13)

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