© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014 · 7 Colletes albescens MALE mm x ZS PMax Click on map to enlarge and for details.

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Bee species Colletes female Colletes male

Overview

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 8-9 mm.: face somewhat longer than distance between eyes above; eyes convergent below; malar spare short, about one-third as long as basal width of mandible; facial foveae rather small and shallow, terminating above about midway between eye and lateral ocellus; clypeus protruding nearly one-half below suborbital line, with rather fine, close punctures above, becoming more sparse and irregular apically, median area of clypeus slightly flattened; upper portion of face with fine, close and deep punctures, becoming minute and obscure on vertex, very fine and close on cheeks above, becoming slightly more distinct below; segment of flagellum brownish beneath, more piceous above, about as long as broad, basal segment blackish, somewhat longer; pubescence entirely white, copious, rather short, but not hiding the surface on entire head and thorax; lateral angles of pronotum not produced ; metapleural protuberance low, entirely black; front coxae without spines; legs piceous in general, apical tarsal segments snore or loss ferruginous, spurs testaceous; tegulae brownish-hyaline with practically no punctures; wings hyaline. veins and stigma brownish-testaceous, 2nd submarginal cell nearly as long as 3rd; dorsum of thorax somewhat shining, punctures of scutum deep and distinct, rather close and fine over anterior portion, but becoming sparse along anterior margin and sparse medially toward posterior margin, those on scutellum somewhat sparse anteriorly, but becoming very close, almost crowded posteriorly; pleural punctures deep, distinct and quite close and coarse in general, the hypoepimeral area more finely punctate, almost rugose ; dorsal area of propodeum nearly as broad as metanotum, with coarse irregular striae, lateral faces rather smooth, with a few obscure punctures, posterior face somewhat shining, with a few minute, obscure punctures: abdominal terga smooth but dull, basal segment with hardly visible punctures, 2nd, 3rd and 4th with minute and close punctures over most of disc, apical margins of the segments somewhat depressed, yellowish hyaline, with broad, dense and entire, white, apical fasciae, the discs with very fine and obscure, subappressed pile, basal segment with more copious erect pubescence across base. MALE- Length 8 mm.; length of face about equal to distance between eyes above; eyes slightly convergent below; malar space nearly half as long as width of mandibles at base; antennae black above, deep brownish beneath, median segments somewhat longer than broad; clypeus shining beneath beard, punctures fine and close but distinct above becoming sparse toward apical margin and laterally; face below ocelli rather dull, punctures quite deep, distinct and close, area below antennae densely white pubescent; vertex somewhat shining. punctures minute and rather close and indistinct; cheeks slightly narrower than eyes, very finely and quite closely punctate beneath the long white pubescence, punctures becoming somewhat more distinct below: pubescence of entire head and thorax white, quite long and dense over most of thorax; lateral angles of pronotum not spinose; metapleural protuberance well developed, outer margin narrowly testaceous; legs piceous basally, becoming more brownish on apical tarsal segments; spurs yellowish; tegulae black, shining, nearly impunctate; wings whitish, veins piceous, stigma testaceous; punctures of scutum quite deep and distinct, well separated anteriorly, becoming quite sparse in center of disk posteriorly, those on scutellum slightly more coarse and close; punctures pleura coarse, deep and distinct, separated by about a puncture width; lateral faces of propodeum somewhat shining beneath the long white pubescence, dorsal face short, with irregular, coarse striae; abdominal terga rather dull, punctures of basal tergum, very fine, rather close at extreme sides and toward apical margin, otherwise very sparse. those on 2nd and 3rd segments uniformly fine and close but deep and distinct; apical margins of terga somewhat depressed, yellowish-hyaline beneath the dense, entire, white fasciae; discal pubescence of abdominal terga thin, suberect and entirely whitish. DISTRIBUTION: In the east, albescens has been collected in Illinois and Wisconsin. To the west it ranges as far as Utah and New Mexico and thus is more western than eastern in its distribution. It is in flight from late June to early August. FLOWER RECORDS: Stephen records this is only on Amorpha canescens. According to Robertson (19291 it also visits Petalostemon purpureum.

Names

Scientific source:

Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist, Ascher and Pickering. Integrated Taxonomic Information System

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