Epeolus olympiellus Cockerell, 1904

Onuferko, Thomas M., 2018, A revision of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Epeolus Latreille for Nearctic species, north of Mexico (Hymenoptera, Apidae), ZooKeys 755, pp. 1-185 : 127-128

36. Epeolus olympiellus Cockerell, 1904 Figs 75, 76

Epeolus olympiellus Cockerell, 1904. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 13: 41 (♂).

Epeolus tristicolor Viereck, 1905. Can. Entomol. 37: 280 (♀).

Epeolus humillimus Cockerell, 1918. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (9) 1: 160 (♂).

Epeolus rufomaculatus Cockerell and Sandhouse, 1924. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. (4) 13: 314 (♀).

Epeolus rubrostictus Cockerell and Sandhouse, 1924. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. (4) 13: 318 (♀).

Diagnosis.

The following morphological features in combination (excluding any that are specific to the opposite sex of the one being diagnosed) can be used to tell E. olympiellus apart from all other North American Epeolus except E. banksi and E. minimus : in females, F2 is at least 1.2 × as long as wide; the mesoscutum has distinct, evenly broad paramedian bands that may be joined posteriorly; the axilla is small to intermediate in size, not extending much beyond the midlength of the mesoscutellum (extending to <2/3 its length) but the free portion is more than 1/4 as long as the entire medial length of the axilla, and the axilla (except sometimes the tip) and mesoscutellum are black; the mesopleuron is closely (most i<1d) and evenly punctate; T1 has a quadrangular discal patch, in dorsal view the longitudinal band is at least half as wide as the breadth of the apical fascia; and the T2 fascia has lobe-like anterolateral extensions of tomentum. Whereas in E. banksi the mesoscutum and metasomal terga have bands of gray short appressed setae, in E. olympiellus the mesoscutum and metasomal terga have bands of off-white to pale yellow short appressed setae. In this respect, E. olympiellus more closely resembles E. minimus , but in E. minimus the T3 and T4 fasciae are not broken laterally, and are complete or narrowly interrupted medially, whereas in E. olympiellus the T3 and T4 fasciae are broken or at least narrowed laterally, as well as medially. Whereas throughout most of its range E. minimus exhibits reddish-orange coloration on the labrum, antenna, pronotal lobe, and/or legs, except foreleg, from trochanters to tarsi, in E. olympiellus the labrum, antenna, and legs from coxae to femora are brown or black. Epeolus olympiellus is also similar to E. axillaris , but in E. axillaris the metanotum has a distinct posteromedial depression (as opposed to being flat) and the axilla is more elongate, extending well beyond the midlength of the mesoscutellum but not as far back as its posterior margin.

Description.

This species was recently redescribed ( Onuferko 2017).

Distribution.

United States west of the Rocky Mountains to southern British Columbia (Fig. 76).

Ecology.

See Onuferko (2017) for host and floral records. Floral associations are also indicated in Suppl. material 1.

Discussion.

Detailed morphological and taxonomic remarks about this species are given in Onuferko (2017).

Material studied.

Type material. Primary: Canada: British Columbia: Nanaimo (Nanaimo Biological Station), 24.vi.1920, E.P. Van Duzee ( E. rubrostictus holotype ♀ [CAS, catalog number: 01613]); Vancouver ( E. tristicolor holotype ♀ [ANSP, catalog number: 10123]).

USA: Utah: Logan, 14.vii.1922, E.P. Van Duzee ( E. rufomaculatus holotype ♀ [CAS, catalog number: 01609]); Washington: Pullman, 02.viii.1908, W.M. Mann ( E. humillimus holotype ♂ [USNM, catalog number: 534047]); Olympia, 02.vii.1896, T. Kincaid ( E. olympiellus holotype ♂ [USNM, catalog number: 534051]).

DNA barcoded material with BIN-compliant sequences.

Available. BOLD:AAC6215. Specimens examined and sequenced.-USA: California: 2♀, 4♂ (PCYU); Colorado: 2♀, 1♂ (PCYU); Idaho: 5♀ (PCYU); Oregon: 2♀, 1♂ (PCYU); Washington: 1♂ (PCYU); Wyoming: 2♀ (AMNH, BBSL).

Non-barcoded material examined.

Canada: British Columbia: 5♀, 5♂ (CNC).

USA: California: 4♀, 2♂ (PCYU); 17.2 mi S Livermore (on Mines Road, Alameda County), 22.v.1976, M.L. Siri and R.B. Kimsey (1♂, UCBME); Boca (Nevada County), 21.vi.1962, E.J. Montgomery (1♂, UCBME), 31.vii.1967, R.M. Bo hart (1♂, UCBME); Carnelian Bay (Lake Tahoe), 24.vi.1973, R.M. Bohart (1♀, UCBME); Dollar Lake Trail (San Bernardino Mountains), 11.vii.1966, R.M. Bohart (1♂, UCBME); Hwy 99, 1.7 mi S Hwy 223 (Kern County), 16.ix.1999, G.R. Ballmer (1♀, UCR); Colorado: 3♀, 4♂ (PCYU); 6 mi ESE Kremmling (Grand County), 20.vii.1982, P. Robinson (1♀, CUM); Idaho: 6♀ (PCYU); Grasmere (Owyhee County), 07.vii.1968, A.R. Gittins (1♂, UCBME); Ketchum (43.7630°N; 114.4003°W) (Blaine County), 25.vi.2007, J. Gibbs (1♀, JBWM); Nevada: Mount Rose Summit (Washoe County), 09.vii.1964, R.M. Bohart (1♂, UCBME); Oregon: 1♀, 1♂ (PCYU); Hwy 26 (44.5500°N; 120.3472°W) (Wheeler County), 28.vi.2007, J. Gibbs (1♀, JBWM).