Megachile (Eutricharaea) pusilla Pérez 1884

Gibbs, Jason, Ascher, John S., Rightmyer, Molly G. & Isaacs, Rufus, 2017, The bees of Michigan (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), with notes on distribution, taxonomy, pollination, and natural history, Zootaxa 4352 (1), pp. 1-160 : 107-108

Megachile (Eutricharaea) pusilla Pérez 1884 (New state record)

County records: Clinton, Ingham.

Notes. Megachile pusilla is an exotic species that has evidently been present in central Michigan since at least 1956, but it has been infrequently collected. Its close similarity to the abundant M. rotundata , differing from the latter by the narrower shape of the vertex and gena dorsally and fainter T2 fovea, may partially explain why it is not commonly recognized. The identity of North American populations were only recently clarified ( Soltani et al. 2017). Previously, these bees were identified as M. concinna Smith , but this species sensu stricto is now unknown from the continental United States, although there are North American records from the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Cavity nesting was described from Arizona and Tennessee as M. concinna ( Butler & Ritchie 1965; Butler & Wargo 1963; Krombein 1967).

Material examined. Ingham Co.: Bath, 22 Jun. 1986, R.L. Fischer (1 ♀ MSUC) ; Lansing , 31 Aug. 1956, R.W. Hodges (1 ♀ MSUC) ; Lansing , 5 Sep. 1956, R.W. Hodges (1 ♀ MSUC) .