Onuferko, Thomas M.; Packer, Laurence; Genaro, Julio A.
Brachymelecta Linsley, 1939, previously the rarest North American bee genus, was described from an aberrant specimen and is the senior synonym for Xeromelecta Linsley, 1939
Fig. 1. Specimen labels. A. Label associated with a male specimen (Fig. 8A) in which both fore wings have two submarginal cells, found among the collection of ‘Xeromelecta californica’ specimens at the ANSP. B. Labels associated with the Melecta? mucida holotype, ♂ (ANSP 2294) (herein synonymized under Brachymelecta californica (Cresson, 1878)).
Fig. 2. Metadistitarsus of male, lateral view. A. Brachymelecta californica (Cresson, 1878) (photo of Melecta? mucida holotype (ANSP 2294), herein synonymized under B. californica), in which the inner ramus (blue arrow) of each tarsal claw is broad, lobe-like, and thus does not resemble the outer ramus. B. B. californica (photo of M. californica lectotype (ANSP 2292)), in which the inner ramus (blue arrow) of each tarsal claw is broad, lobe-like, and thus does not resemble the outer ramus. C. Melecta thoracica Cresson, 1875 (BOLD sample ID: LRBBC1476; PCYU LRB09-3186), in which the inner ramus (blue arrow) of each tarsal claw is narrow, pointed, and thus resembles the outer ramus.
Fig. 4. Species distribution maps.A. Brachymelecta alayoi (Michener, 1988) (yellow circles),B. haitensis (Michener, 1948) (red circles), and B. tibialis (Fabricius, 1793) (blue circles). B. B. californica (Cresson, 1878) (red and blue circles indicate barcoded specimens assigned BINs BOLD:AAC6481 and BOLD:AAC6482, respectively). C. B. interrupta (Cresson, 1872). D. B. larreae (Cockerell, 1900). Known localities based on studied material and literature records are indicated by yellow circles except where indicated otherwise; subnational entities colored in orange indicate known/published provincial/ state records.
Fig. 5. Brachymelecta californica (Cresson, 1878). A. Female (PCYU PYU-2276), habitus, lateral view. B. Female (BOLD sample ID: CCDB-34570 A07; PCYU), habitus, dorsal view. C. Male (BOLD sample ID: CCDB-34570 A11; PCYU), habitus, lateral view. D. Female (PCYU PYU-2391), axillae and mesoscutellum, dorsal view (blue arrow indicates one of two short, mammiform tubercles of mesoscutellum).
Fig. 6A–C (continued on next page). Dissected male S7 (left) and S8 (right), ventral view (with anterior ends oriented toward the top). A. Brachymelecta californica (Cresson, 1878) (photo of Melecta californica paralectotype (ANSP 2292-5)).B. B. californica (photo ofM.? mucida holotype (ANSP 2294) (herein synonymized under B. californica)) (S8 appears to have been damaged/split anteromedially). C. B. haitensis (Michener, 1948) (JAG).
Fig. 7. Melecta? mucida holotype, ♂ (ANSP 2294) (herein synonymized under B. californica (Cresson, 1878)). A. Habitus, dorsal view (blue arrows indicate apical fasciae of metasomal terga). B. Metasoma, dorsal view (blue arrows indicate apical fasciae of metasomal terga) (pubescence appears to be matted from prior wetting). C. Habitus, lateral view. D. Head, frontal view.
Fig. 8. Brachymelecta californica (Cresson, 1878), habitus, dorsal view. A. Male specimen (ANSP) from Nevada (bearing the same ‘Nev’ collection label as the Melecta? mucida holotype) in which both fore wings have two submarginal cells. B. M. californica paralectotype, ♂ (ANSP 2292-7) in which the left fore wing has three submarginal cells and the right has two, with the second submarginal cross vein incomplete. C. M. californica paralectotype, ♂ (ANSP 2292-4) in which the left fore wing has two submarginal cells and the right has three (note that in both fore wings, the second submarginal cross vein (incomplete on the left, complete on the right) originates from the first submarginal cross vein, not Rs as is typical for most bees, including this species). D. Female specimen (BOLD sample ID: CCDB-34570 A03; PCYU) in which the discs of the metasomal terga are (unusually for B. californica) covered in short, pale hairs, sparser than those comprising the apical fasciae.