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Melissodes lustrus LaBerge, 1961
Melissodes (Callimelissodes) lustra LaBerge, 1961

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.

This species is closely allied to M. composita Tucker. The fe- males are distinguished from those of composita primarily by the less coarse punctation of the mesoscutum and first metasomal tergum. The males of lustra can be distinguished from those of composita by the less coarse sculpturing of the mesoscutum and by the shape of the median and lateral plates of sternum 7 as described below.

Female. Measurements and ratios: N, 20; length, 9-12 mm.; width, 3.0-4.5 mm.; wing length, M = 3.56 0.168 mm.; hooks in hamulu, M = 12.70 0.147; flagellar segment 1/segment 2, M = 2.05 0.027.

Male. Measurements and ratios: N, 20; length, 9-12 mm.; width, 2.5-3.5 mm.; wing length, M = 3.31 0.153 mm.; hooks in hamu lus, M = 11.95 0.185; flagellar segment 2/segment 1, M = 3.45 0.067.

Structure and color: Integumental color as in lupina except eyes yellowish green to green. Sculpturing and structure as in composita with the following differences: supraclypeal area often dulled by reticular shagreening; maxillary palpal segments in ratio of about 2:2:2:1; mesoscutum with punctures mesad of parapsidal lines small to minute, separated mostly by more than one puncture width (often by three or four puncture widths ), punctures laterad of parap- sidal line small, separated by one-half to one puncture width, posteromedian impunctate area large; scutellar punctures irregular in size, medially separated by one-half to two puncture widths; mesepisterna with punctures shallow, as large or larger than meso- scutal punctures mesad of parapsidal lines, surface dulled by fine shagreening; metasomal tergum 1 with basal sixth with crowded punctures, from basal sixth to about three-fifths of median length with scattered punctures separated by two to four puncture widths, apical area impunctate; tergum 2 with basal zone punctures minute, separated mostly by one puncture width and surface shiny, inter- band zone with scattered, irregular-sized punctures, apical area im- punctate, surface moderately shiny, reticulotransversely shagreened; tergum 3 similar to tergum 2 but interband zone punctures sparser than in composita, medially separated mostly by two or more punc- ture widths; pygidial plate narrow, U-shaped with sides subparallel in apical third (somewhat V-shaped when worn near tip ).

Hair: Hair color as in composita with the following additions: head often with dark brown mixed with pale on face along inner margins of compound eyes (as in holotype ) to occasional specimens in which head all dark brown except golden on labrum; thorax often with a few long brown hairs mixed with the pale on pronotum (as in holotype ) and especially on posterior pronotal lobes to occasional specimens in which lateral surfaces of thorax and pronotum with all hairs dark brown to black and dark mixed with the pale on anterior and lateral parts of mesoscutum; metasomal terga 5 and 6 occasion- ally with median hairs dark brown ( golden in holotype and in most specimens, even on some in which the head and thorax are mostly dark); legs with hairs as in composita (and in holotype of lustra) but darkest specimens with coxae, trochanters, femora and fore tibiae pale brown and inner surfaces of hind basitarsi red.

Distribution. M. lustra occurs from Baja California in the south- west, north to Oregon and east to Utah and Idaho (Fig. 7). It has been collected between the dates of August 7 and November 19 (one label bears the month of July and the specimen was pre- sumably taken near the end of that month).

Flower Records. Aster sp., Baccharis pilularis, Biglovia sp.., Chrysothamnus sp., C. nauseosus, C. nauseosus consimilis, C. nau- seosus speciosus, C. v. viscidiflorus, C. viridulus, Croton californi- cus, Ericameria palmeri, Eriogonum latifolium, Grindelia sp., G. camporum, Gutierrezia californica, G. sarothrae, Haplopappus bloomeri angustatus, Helianthus sp., Heterotheca grandiflora, Iso- coma sp., I. vernonioides, Melilotus alba, Senecio douglasii.

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Updated: 2024-10-12 18:26:11 gmt
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