The bees of Michigan (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), with notes on distribution, taxonomy, pollination, and natural history
Author
Gibbs, Jason
Author
Ascher, John S.
Author
Rightmyer, Molly G.
Author
Isaacs, Rufus
text
Zootaxa
2017
2017-11-21
4352
1
1
160
journal article
31367
10.11646/zootaxa.4352.1.1
543c4afc-4ffb-4e11-a858-a6d1d9745214
1175-5326
1063854
7C684128-FFA7-48AA-B395-B9C6BC39353A
Megachile
(
Eutricharaea
)
apicalis
Spinola 1808
(New state record)
(
Fig. 19A
)
County records:
Ingham.
Notes.
A single female specimen was collected adjacent to a railway line in 2013. After repeated attempts to recollect the species at the same locality, an additional female and male were found in 2014.
Megachile apicalis
prefers
Centaurea
(Asteraceae)
(
Müller & Bansac 2004
), which was abundant at the collection site. The female of the species is similar to the alfalfa leafcutter bee,
M
.
rotundata
, but can be distinguished by the apical projection of the clypeus and the darker scopal hairs on S
4 in
addition to S5 (
Parker 1978
;
Sheffield
et al.
2011b
).
Megachile rotundata
is commonly observed in the same area. A continuing expansion of its range is likely, similar to that seen in other cavity nesting megachilid bees (
Gibbs &
Sheffield
2009
;
Hinojosa-Díaz 2008
). In other
US
localities, this species can be very abundant and aggressively competes for nesting sites (
Barthell & Thorp 1995
;
Stephen 2003
;
Thorp 1996
). Further range extensions of this species might be facilitated by the spread of the invasive plant
Centaurea stoebe
L. (Spotted Knapweed) (
Richardson
et al.
2000
).
Material
examined.
Ingham Co
.
:
Michigan
State University, south campus,
N42.721
W84.473
,
9 Jun. 2013
(
1 ♀
MSUC
)
;
Michigan
State University, south campus,
N42.721
W84.473
,
23 Aug. 2014
(
1 ♀
1 ♂
JBWM
)
.