Epeolus pusillus Cresson, 1864

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 : 133-135

38. Epeolus pusillus Cresson, 1864 Figs 79, 80, 98A

Epeolus pusillus Cresson, 1864b. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Phil. 2: 398 (♀).

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. pusillus apart from all other North American Epeolus except E. basili , E. nebulosus , and E. novomexicanus : the axilla is large, with the tip extending well beyond the midlength of the mesoscutellum but at most to the band of pale tomentum along its posterior margin, dilated laterally, and usually ferruginous to some degree (rarely all black) whereas the mesoscutellum is entirely black; the axilla’s free portion is clearly less than 2/5 as long as its entire medial length; the mesopleuron is closely (most i<1d) and evenly punctate, that of the female is obscured by white tomentum only in the upper half (with a large, sparsely hairy circle occupying much of the ventrolateral half) whereas that of the male (excluding the hypoepimeral area) is entirely obscured by white tomentum; the T1-T3 apical fasciae are complete or only very narrowly interrupted medially; the T2 fascia has lobe-like anterolateral extensions of tomentum; and the pseudopygidial area of the female is lunate and wider than long (the apex ≤2 × the medial length). Epeolus basili , E. nebulosus , E. novomexicanus , and E. pusillus are all extremely similar to one another. Whereas in E. basili the flagellum, at least ventrally, is the same reddish-orange color as the legs (tibiae to tarsi) as are usually the metasomal sterna, in E. pusillus the flagellum, except sometimes F1, and metasomal sterna are consistently brown or black and clearly not the same reddish-orange color as the legs (tibiae to tarsi). Whereas in E. nebulosus and E. novomexicanus the longitudinal extent of the T1 discal patch is less than or equal to the breadth of the apical fascia and the T2-T4 fasciae are on or very little removed from the apical margin and more or less evenly broad, in E. pusillus the longitudinal extent of the T1 discal patch is no less (and usually greater) than the breadth of the apical fascia and the T1-T3 apical fasciae are removed from the apical margin and commonly narrowed or narrowly interrupted medially. Epeolus pusillus is also similar to E. scutellaris in that the axilla is large, with the lateral margin arcuate, and that the apical fasciae are complete or only very narrowly interrupted medially. However, in E. scutellaris the pseudopygidial area of the female is much wider (the apex ~2.5-3 × the medial length) than in E. pusillus , and the mesopleuron of both the female and male is obscured by white tomentum only in the upper half (with a large, sparsely hairy circle occupying much of the ventrolateral half). Despite the species name ' pusillus ', meaning very small in Latin, the size range overlaps too much with other species to be diagnostic.

Description.

This species was recently redescribed ( Onuferko 2017).

Distribution.

Eastern North America to Mexico (Fig. 80).

Ecology.

HOST RECORDS: Rozen and Favreau (1968) associated E. pusillus with C. compactus compactus Cresson based on observations of a female of the former entering and emerging from a nest of a female of the latter and subsequent discovery of an Epeolus egg upon excavation of the nest. Ascher et al. (2014) noted that the small size and flight season of E. pusillus suggest and additional or alternative association with C. americanus Cresson.

FLORAL RECORDS: See Onuferko (2017). Floral associations are also indicated in Suppl. material 1, which includes newly discovered associations with Callirhoe involucrata (Torr. & A. Gray) A. Gray ( Malvaceae ), Heterotheca subaxillaris , Rudbeckia fulgida Aiton, and R. hirta based on labels of examined voucher specimens.

Discussion.

In Onuferko (2017), barcoded specimens from Utah were regarded as E. pusillus , but are now considered to be E. novomexicanus , with sequenced representatives of both species sharing the same BIN. Detailed morphological and taxonomic remarks about this species are given in Onuferko (2017).

Material studied.

Type material. Primary: USA: Massachusetts: F.G. Sanborn (holotype ♀ [ANSP, catalog number: 2228]).

DNA barcoded material with BIN-compliant sequences.

Available. BOLD:AAX7180. Specimens examined and sequenced.-Canada: Ontario: 1♂ (PCYU).

USA: Alabama: Autauga County (32.4345°N; 86.5817°W), 19.x.2016, C.H. Ray (1♂, AUMNH); Lee County (32.5553°N; 85.3747°W), 11.x.2016, C.H. Ray (1♂, AUMNH); Maryland: 1♂ (BIML); North Carolina: 1♂ (BIML); South Carolina: Aiken Savannah River Site (33.3594°N; 81.6652°W), 30.ix.2016, S. McCann (1♂, JBWM); S Murrells Inlet, 04.x.2016, T.M. Onuferko (1♀, PCYU).

Non-barcoded material examined.

Canada: Ontario: 13♀, 23♂ (CNC, DEBU, PCYU, ROM); Caledon (Forks of the Credit Provincial Park), 03.ix.1969, P. MacKay (1♀, PCYU); King, 13.vii.2000, J. Grixti (1♀, PCYU), 23.viii.2002, A. Gravel (1♀, PCYU); Norfolk County (42.6369°N; 80.5472°W), 03.ix.2008, A. Taylor (1♀, PCYU); Norwood, 24.viii.1982, T.D. Galloway (1♀, JBWM); Osprey Marsh (Frontenac County), 03.xi.2001 (1♀, PCYU); Queen’s University Biological Station, 03.ix.2001 (1♀, PCYU); Quebec: 1♀ (CNC).

Mexico: Chihuahua: 17 mi N Chihuahua, 25.viii.1965, A. Raske (1♀, EMEC); Cuiteco, 14.ix.1969, T.A. Sears, R.C. Gardner, and C.S. Glaser (1♂, UCBME); Sinaloa: Mazatlán, 06.viii.1964, W.R.M. Mason (1♀, CNC), 27.iii.1979, L.D. French (1♀, UCBME), 28.iii.1979, L.D. French (1♂, UCBME).

USA: Alabama: Auburn (32.5701°N; 85.4603°W) (Lee County), 18.x.2014, C.H. Ray (1♂, AUMNH); Lee County (32.5553°N; 85.3747°W), 11.x.2016, C.H. Ray (1♂, AUMNH); Florida: 1♂ (AMNH); Alachua (Alachua County), 05.v.1974, E.E. Grissell (1♀, UCBME), 29.iv.1974, E.E. Grissell (2♀, UCBME); St. Andrews State Park (Panama City), 14.x.2000, C. Porter and L. Stange (1♀, 3♂, FSCA); Illinois: 1♀ (FMNH); Indiana: 1♂ (USNM); Kansas: Riley County (1♂, USNM); Maryland: 2♀, 8♂ (BIML); Massachusetts: 2♀, 4♂ (BIML); Mississippi: 1♂ (AMNH); New Jersey: 1♀ (AMNH); Seaside Park, Weiss and West (1♀, CNC); New York: 2♀ (AMNH); Oklahoma: 1♂ (USNM); Lake Texoma (2 mi E Willis), vii.1965, R.M. Bohart (1♀, UCBME); South Carolina: 1♀, 1♂ (BIML, DEBU); Texas: 17 mi N Vernon (Wilbarger County), 02.iv.1979, R.J. McGinley (1♂, USNM); Canyon (Randall County), 21.vi.1969, R.M. Bohart (1♀, UCBME); Cotulla, 12.v.1906, J.C. Crawford (1♂, USNM); Dickinson (Galveston County), vi.1929, F.M. Hull (1♀, CNC); Lee County (1♂, USNM); Lick Creek Park (College Station, Brazos County), 22.ix.1990, J. Woolley and J. Huber (1♂, CNC); Stengl "Lost Pines" Biological Research Station (30.0800°N; 97.1830°W), 16.v.2013, J.L. Neff (1♂, CTMI); Victoria, 01.iv.1907, J.D. Mitchell (1♂, USNM).