Lasioglossum (Prosopis) nelumbonis, (Robertson, 1890)

Zarrillo, Tracy A., Stoner, Kimberly A. & Ascher, John S., 2025, Biodiversity of Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) in Connecticut (USA), Zootaxa 5586 (1), pp. 1-138 : 103

Hylaeu s (Prosopis) aff. nelumbonis (Robertson, 1890)

Lotus Masked Bee

Notes: This dark form was first reported in Connecticut in Zarrillo & Stoner (2019). Vouchers collected at Grass Island (New Haven County, Guilford, CT) closely resemble H. schwarzii in that the first tergum (T1) of the abdomen of both the male and female are black or nearly black, however, DNA analysis assigned to BIN AAX2614 ( H. nelumbonis ) and certain morphological characters of our specimens, such as the lack of a median, basal elevation on S3 and S4 (males) and the presence of a short, flat, finely rugoso-punctate metanotum (females), suggest H. nelumbonis (Zarrillo et al. 2016, Zarrillo & Stoner 2019). Thirteen of our females have a hint of chestnut hue on the base of T1, while one has the base of T1 with bright ochraceous mottling, and another base of T1 with bronze mottling. Our vouchers of uncertain taxonomic status match those described in Ascher et al. (2014), Arduser (2020), and Jacobson (2021), and were collected from field sowthistle ( Sonchus arvensis ), Queen Anne’s lace ( Daucus carota ), and common marshmallow ( Althaea officinalis ) in Connecticut. Further taxonomic study of this unusual form is warranted.