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Melissodes compositus Tucker, 1909
Melissodes lupina var composita Tucker, 1909; Melissodes (Callimelissodes) composita Tucker, 1909

Life   Insecta   Hymenoptera   Apoidea   Apidae   Melissodes
Subgenus: Callimelissodes




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Identification
Extracted from: LaBerge, W. E., 1961. A Revision of the Bees of the Genus Melissodes in North and Central America. Part III (Hymenoptera, Apidae). The University of Kansas Science Bulletin, Vol. 43. 1-107.

Among the foregoing species, M. composita is most closely related to M. plumosa and M. metenua. Both sexes can be distinguished by their relatively shiny galeae, coarsely punctate mesoscutum and scutellum and highly shiny and glabrous apical areas of the terga. The females are distinctive in that the first metasomal tergum has the basal punctures crowded in the basal third or less and absent or scattered apical to this and the second tergum with the interband zone with only scattered punctures medially. The males are dis- tinctive in that the metasomal terga 2 to 4 have the apical areas glabrous and shiny, the antennae as in M. plumosa, but the third segment lacks the dorsolateral depression, and coarse punctation on the mesoscutum as described below.

Female. Measurements and ratios: N, 20; length, 9.5-11.0 mm.:; width, 3.0-4.5 mm.; wing length, M = 3.438 0.118 mm.; hooks in hamulus, M = 12.40 0.161; flagellar segment 1/segment 2, M = 1.94 0.025.

Male. Measurements and ratios: N, 17; length, 9-12 mm.; width, 2.5-3.5 mm.; wing length, M = 3.27 0.116 mm.; hooks in hamulus, M — 11.381 0.198; flagellar segment 2/segment 1, M = 9.05 0.148.

Structure and color: Integumental color as in M. lupina. Struc- ture and sculpturing as in lupina except as follows: clypeus and supraclypeal area with surfaces shiny, with extremely sparse sha- greening if any; flattened areas of vertex posteromesad of com- pound eyes with sparse, minute punctures separated by two to four puncture widths, surface shiny to moderately so, dulled by distinctly reticular shagreening; apical flagellar segment longer than broad; maxillary palpal segments in ratio of about 4:3:3:1; galeae above with surface shiny to moderately shiny, with reticular, delicate sha- greening at least in apical half; mesoscutum with large coarse punc- tures, in area mesad of parapsidal lines separated mostly by less than half a puncture width and larger than scutellar or mesepister- nal punctures, laterad of parapsidal lines slightly smaller and sep- arated by less than half a puncture width, posteromedian area im- punctate, surface somewhat dulled by delicate reticular shagreening, especially anteriorly and laterally; scutellum with crowded punc- tures and delicate shagreening; mesepisternum with lateral surface punctures slightly smaller than largest mesoscutal punctures, sur- face shiny, slightly or not at all shagreened; metasomal tergum 1 with basal three-fifths punctate but punctures crowded only in basal fourth, elsewhere punctures separated mostly by two to four puncture widths, apical area impunctate, surface dulled by reticulo- transverse shagreening; tergum 2 with basal zone with punctures separated by half a puncture width and surface dulled by reticular shagreening, interband zone with scattered punctures of irregular size, apical area impunctate, surface moderately shiny, with reticu- lotransverse shagreening; tergum 3 similar to tergum 2 but inter- band zone with distinct, round, regular punctures separated mostly by less than one puncture width; pygidial plate U-shaped with sides diverging towards base, sides subparallel in apical third (when not worn).

Hair: Head white to pale ochraceous except dark brown on ver- tex. Thorax pale ochraceous on lower lateral surfaces, ochraceous to yellow elsewhere except scutellum dark brown medially and mesoscutum with posteromedian dark brown patch which extends forward to a transverse line usually at about middle of tegulae. Metasomal tergum 1 ochraceous basally, glabrous apically; tergum 2 with pale ochraceous to white pubescence in basal zone connected by pale pubescence to short, pale, strongly oblique, lateral, pubes- cent fasciae which quite or almost reach apical margin of tergum at extreme sides, apical area glabrous, interband zone with scat- tered, minute, pale brown, simple, suberect to appressed hairs, tergum 3 similar to tergum 2 but basal tomentum brown, apical area narrow (equals half of distal pale band medially ), distal pale band uninterrupted medially and interband zone with diffuse, pale, appressed pubescence; tergum 4 similar to tergum 3 but distal pale band apical and never interrupted medially; terga 5 and 6 medially usually golden to pale brown and white at extreme sides; sterna with golden hairs medially to white laterally. Legs with hairs white except as follows: inner surfaces of tarsi yellow to orange; outer surface of fore basitarsi brown.



Names
Scientific source:
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FamilyScientific name @ source (records)
Polygonaceae  Eriogonum microthecum @ UCRC_ENT (1)

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