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Tetraloniella spissa (Cresson),
new combination Extracted from Wallace E. LaBerge. 2001. Revision of the Bees of the Genus Tetraloniella in the New World (Hymenoptera: pidae). Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 36(3);67-162
Melissodes spissa Cresson, 1872, Trans.
American Ent. Soc., 4:280.
Xenoglossodes spissa, LaBerge, 1956, Univ.
Kansas Sci. Bul., 37:1,178.
Melissodes bishoppi Cockerell, 1914, Canadian
Ent., 46:414 (new synonymy);
Lutz and Cockerell, 1920, Bul. American
Mus. Nat. Hist., 42:599.
Xenoglossodes bishoppi, LaBerge, 1956,
Univ. Kansas Sci. Bul., 37:1,179.
This moderate-sized bee from the southern
plains region is an oligolege of plants of
the genus Helianthus (Compositae). The female
bee has a relatively flat, large clypeus,
which often has a narrow yellow or red subapical
macula occupying one-fifth or less of
its median length. The female terga 2–4 are
each marked by a narrow apical pale fascia
and basal pale tomentum separated by
interband zones of erect hairs. Each of the
male terga 2–5 has a complete narrow apical
pale fascia and sternum 6 is flat without lateral
angles or teeth. Both sexes of spissa have
five maxillary palpal segments, the last one
being very small, and have tergum 1 with the
apical area impunctate.
FEMALE. Measurements and Ratios.-
N = 20; length, 10.0–12.5 mm; width, 3.5–4.5
mm; wing length, M = 2.90±0.076 mm; hooks
in hamulus, M =11.20±0.172; flagellar segment
1/2, M = 1.61±0.033.
Integumental Color.- Integument black
except as follows: clypeus with apical fifth or
slightly less red or reddish yellow; labrum often
with small mediobasal yellow spot; mandibles
often with bases red to orange; terga 2–
5 with apical areas translucent especially
apically; distitarsi red; wing membranes hyaline,
veins brownish red to red.
Structure.- Clypeus relatively flat,
oculoclypeal minimal distance equals slightly
more than half narrowest width of first flagellar
segment, with punctures regular, small,
round, separated by half a puncture width,
surface moderately shiny, weakly shagreened.
Supraclypeal area with punctures as in clypeus
or slightly larger. Face above antennal fossae
punctate. Vertex with lateral flattened areas
densely punctate, moderately shiny. Genal
area laterally with dense, minute, deep punctures
becoming somewhat larger and sparser
below mandible. Galea above moderately
dulled by reticular shagreening; maxillary
palpal segments 5, ratio about as
0.8:1.0:1.0:0.5:0.3. Flagellar segment 2
slightly longer than broad, about as long as
segment 3, remaining segments longer than
broad. Mesoscutum with punctures moderate
in size, deep, dense, separated mostly by half
a puncture width or less, surface shiny; scutellum
similar. Propodeum with dorsal surface
punctate, punctures well separated especially
near midline; posterior surface shiny.
Mesepisternum sculptured as mesoscutum but
punctures distinctly more shallow, surface
moderately shiny. Metasomal tergum 1 with
punctures in median third separated mostly by
half to two puncture widths, becoming smaller
and dense laterally; apical area impunctate
except a narrow line across tergum near base
of apical area; surface moderately dulled by fine shagreening. Terga 2–4 with basal areas
with small round punctures separated mostly
by half a puncture width or less (tergum 2
medially slightly sparser), surfaces moderately
shiny, shagreening extremely fine. Pygidial
plate with apex broadly rounded, almost Ushaped.
Vestiture.- In general hair ochraceous;
dorsum of thorax somewhat brighter and lateral
margins of terga and lower surface of thorax
paler. Metasomal tergum 1 without dark
hairs apically; tergum 2 with narrow apical
pale pubescent fascia, often slightly narrowed
medially and extreme base with erect almost
white pubescence but not dense. Terga 3 and
4 with narrow apical pale fasciae similar to
tergum l and with dense pale fasciae at extreme
bases; terga 2–4 with space between
basal and apical fasciae with erect plumose
hairs not hiding surfaces. Terga 5 and 6 with
ochraceous to dark ochraceous hairs. Sternal
hairs long, plumose, ochraceous. Scopal hairs
highly plumose, dense but not completely hiding
surface of tibia; inner hind basitarsal hairs
yellow to red.
MALE. Measurements and Ratios.- N
= 20; length, 9–11 mm; width, 3–4 mm; wing
length, M = 2.92±0.150 mm; hooks in hamulus,
M = 11.45±0.153; flagellar segment 2/1,
M = 3.84±0.060.
Integumental Color.- Integument black
except as follows: clypeus yellow except narrow
apical margin and notches at posterior
tentorial pits red; labrum yellow; mandible
with base red to yellow; flagellum yellow to
red below; tegula hyaline, reddish yellow;
wing membranes hyaline, colorless, veins yellow
to red; distitarsi and often apical tips of
tibiae reddish yellow; terga with apical areas
hyaline, colorless.
Structure.- Head with sculpturing as in
female; maxillary palpus with 5 segments, in
ratio about as 0.9:0.9:1.0:0.3:0.3, last segment
rarely absent; antennae relatively short, barely
reaching tergum 1 in repose; second flagellar
segment one-fourth to one-third as long as
second segment, segments round in cross-section,
not strongly crenulate if at all. Sculpturing
of thorax as in female except mesepisterna
with punctures smaller, as deep and more
crowded than those of mesoscutum. Sculpturing
of metasomal terga much as in female; pygidial plate with apex broadly rounded to
slightly flattened at tip, without subapical
notches laterally. Tergum 7 postgradulus with
lateral arm carinate not toothed.
Terminalia (Figs. 10–14) similar to that
of T. cressoniana (Figs. 82–86). Last exposed
sternum (sternum 6 (Fig. 10) with strong lateral
shoulders on posterior margin; median
apical lobe large with strong subapical lateral
carinae; hairs apical to carinae short, relatively
weak, abundant. Mediobasal hairs longer,
sparse. Sternum 7 with anterior margin between
lateral attachment point forming a
broad, shallow indentation; inner apical processes
large, with extremely sparse, weak,
short hairs; lateral plates of normal form. Sternum
8 with strong subapical median knob;
apicolateral attachment points short.
Vestiture.- Pale ochraceous to ochraceous,
darkest on vertex and dorsum of thorax,
without dark hairs; terga 2–5 with narrow
apical pubescent bands, without basal bands,
basal hairs being more diffuse, sparser and
erect, not hiding surfaces; tarsi with inner surfaces
with hairs bright yellow to orange.
Type Material.- The lectotype female
(PANS No. 2352) of spissa was collected by
G.W. Belfrage in Bosque County, Texas. The
holotype male (USNM No. 22,959) of
bishoppi was collected by F.C. Bishopp in
Paris, Texas.
Distribution.- Tetraloniella spissa is
known to occur from Texas north to eastern
Nebraska and west to Colorado (Fig. 1). It
has been collected from June 4 through September
26, but chiefly during July and August.
One female is labeled as collected on April 9,
but the author believes it to be mislabeled.
This species seems to be most abundant in
Kansas and 65 females and 190 males from
the following localities have been examined.
COLORADO: Chimney Gulch; La Junta;
Ordway. KANSAS: Butler Co.; Clark Co.;
Clay Co.; Dickinson Co.; Douglas Co.; Eureka;
Hoisington; Kansas City; Kismet; Lakin;
Lawrence and vicinity; Manhattan; Mead;
Reece; Riley Co.; Sunflower, Douglas Co.; Topeka.
NEBRASKA: Lincoln; West Point.
TEXAS: Adrian (18 mi. N); Bexar Co.;
Bosque Co.; Canadian; Carrizo Springs;
Christoval; Dallas; Fort Davis (47 mi. NE); Geronimo (4 mi. N); Kerrville (10 mi. S); Hale
Co.; Panhandle; Paris; Randall Co. Canyon;
Salado Creek, Bexar Co.; San Antonio;
Sherman Co.; Taylor; Tex.
Flower Records.- Tetraloniella spissa
appears to be an oligolege of composites of
the genus Helianthus. Out of a total of 49 collections
with flower data (32 females, 113
males), 34 collections (22 females, 110 males)
were from some species of Helianthus. This
bee has been collected from the following
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