Species account taken from: "A Revision of the Genus Ashmeadiella (Hymen., Megachilidae) Author(s): Charles D. Michener Source: American Midland Naturalist,Vol. 22, No. 1 (Jul., 1939), pp. 1-84"
Chelostoma australis Cockerell, 1902, Bull. So. Calif. Acad. Sci., 1: 139, 9 Chelostoma australe Cockerell, 1903, Psyche,, 10:76 (list). Chelostomopsis australis Cockerell, 1935, Panl-Pac. Ent., 11: 48 (Key). Ashmeadietla australis Michener, 1936, Am. Mus. Nov., 875: 11 (Key). Chelostomopsis australis nana Cockerell, 1925, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., (4)14: 206, 9.
This is a large black species, with the sides of the abdomen red basally. The male is easily distinguished from other species of Arogochila by the elongated median teeth of the sixth tergite, and the female by the irregular, tapering median lobe of the clypeus.
Female: Inner margins of eyes diverging toward clypeus; under side of flagellum dusky; clypeus with large, elongated punctures; clypeus with lateral lobes mere angles, not separated from median lobe by emarginations, median lobe broad, with irregular margin, and with longitudinal dorsal carina, and seen in profile with upper side at angle of over 1500 to lower part of disc of clypeus, not projecting sharply as in salviae; apex of labrum bidentate; inner tooth of mandibles weak, only an obtuse angle; hypostomal carinae each produced to an angle posteriorly; cheeks broader than eyes, seen from side; anterior ocellus distinctly posterior to midpoint between antennal sockets and posterior edge of vertex; vertex closely punctate, more finely so than clypeus. Scutum with punctures similar to those of vertex, but sometimes slightly more distinctly separated, like those of mesepisterna; no pair of hair tufts at anterior end of scutum; tegulae testaceous exteriorly; hind femora red; inner sides of hind tibiae red; inner matgin of inner hind tibial spurs serrate with well over a dozen rather fine teeth, outer margin with six large teeth and a small one basad to them; inner margin of outer spurs with five rather large teeth, outer margin with six or seven smaller, oblique teeth. Abdomen strongly punctured, punctures fiAer than those of scutum; sides of first two tergites red; posterior margins of tergites reddish; abdominal bands weak, that of fifth tergite nearly absent. Length about 8 mm.
Male: Coloration. similar to that of female, but red reduced, the second tergite and sometimes the first with but little red; inner margins of eyes parallel, lower parts diverging; clypeus not covered with white pubescence, rather finely punctate, its anterior margin with a very weakly defined trunca- tion, nearly as long as basal width of clypeus; apex of labrum weakly emargin- ate; cheeks nearly as broad as eyes seen from side; anterior ocellus posterior to midpoint between antennal bases and posterior edge of vertex; distance between posterior ocelli somewhat less than distance to posterior edge of vertex and about equal to distance to eye margin; inner margin of inner hind tibial spurs with about ten rather fine teeth, outer margin with five large teeth; both margins of outer spurs with about five teeth, distal ones largest. Anterior part of scutum more finely punctate than disc of scutum or vertex, disc of scutum a little more finely punctate than vertex; mesepisterna punctured much as vertex. Abdomen strongly punctured, punctures larger than those of scutum; median teeth of sixth tetgite long and slender, rather broadened basally, emargination between them much deeper than a semicircle. Length 6.5 to 7 mm.
This species is found in the mountains of central and southern California. It is apparently oligotropic on species of Pentstemon.
CALIFORNIA: Yosemite Valley, June 19, 1921 (E.C.VanDyke, Calif. Acad. Sci.);Tenaya Lake Trail, Yosemite National Park, 7000 feet elevation, July 21, 1936 (G.E. and R.M.Bohart); Oak Creek Canyon, near Independence, Inyo County, California, on Pentstemon breviflorus (C.D.Michener); Bear Valley, San Bernardino Mountains, August 9, 1933, on Penistemon grinnelli (P.H.Timberlake); Mill Creek, San Bernardi- no Mountains, 6000 feet elevation, June 21 and 30, 1936, on Pentstemon grinnelli (P. H.Timberlake); San Antonio Canyon, north of Ontario, 6500 feet elevation, June 20, 1931 (H.A.Scullen).
Type: Female; (near) Los Angeles, California.
The form named nana occurs with the typical form, intergrading with it, and is apparently not worthy of a name. The male of this species is here described for the first time.
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