Megachile (Litomegachile) lippiae Cockerell, 1900

Bzdyk, Emily L., 2012, A revision of the Megachile subgenus Litomegachile Mitchell with an illustrated key and description of a new species (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae, Megachilini), ZooKeys 221, pp. 31-61 : 43

Megachile (Litomegachile) lippiae Cockerell, 1900

Megachile cleomis var. lippiae Cockerell, 1900: 15. Holotype female, USA: New Mexico (CAS).

Megachile schismatura Cockerell, 1908: 267. Lectotype female, USA: New Mexico (USNM). New synonymy.

Diagnosis.

Female Megachile lippiae are distinguished from Megachile texana by looking at features of the metasoma in dorsal view. Megachile lippiae has black setae laterally only on T5-6 and sometimes a few black setae on T4 (Figure 5J). Megachile texana has some black setae on all tergal segments. The male Megachile lippiae has no black pubescence except sometimes on the vertex of the head. Megachile texana has black pubescence on the vertex of the head and the center of the mesonotum.

Female. Body length12-14 mm. Mandible 4-toothed, with no angulation between teeth 3 and 4 (Figure 4A). T2-4 with deep transverse basal grooves. T1-5 with apical fringes of white hair that covers marginal zone; T1 with thin apical fringe of white hair. T1-4 with white discal pubescence, T5-6 with black setae apparent laterally in dorsal view (Figure 5J). T6 deeply and evenly concave in profile and laterally in dorsal view; with black erect setae basally and white appressed pubescence apically. S1-4 with ivory setae; S5 with ivory setae basally, black setae apically; S6 with black setae.

Male. Body length11-13 mm. Mandible 3-toothed.Ocellocular distance less than ocelloccipital distance (Figure 4C). All pubescence white (may appear yellow in early season specimens). T5 with complete apical fringe of white hair that covers marginal zone. T6 with tomentum; transverse carina with deep distinct medial notch and fingerlike projections (Figure 6I); true apical margin with submedial teeth closer to lateral teeth than each other (Figure 6B). Genitalia and hidden sterna shown in Figure 7D1-D4.

Variability.

Male tergal discal pubescence is variable in color. Body hair may appear yellow in early season individuals. Females can have black setae that occur laterally on T4.

Distribution of material examined.

USA: Arizona: Cochise, Santa Cruz and Yavapai Counties (Aug.-Sep.); California: Los Angeles, Riverside and Yolo Counties (Jun.-Sep.); New Mexico: Hidalgo County (Aug.); 59 females, 68 males.

Flower records.

Asclepias sp. ( Asclepiadaceae ), Cevallia sinuata ( Loasaceae ), Eriodictyon angustifolium ( Boraginaceae ), Larrea tridentata ( Zygophyllaceae ), Lupinus sp. ( Fabaceae ), Melilotus alba ( Fabaceae ), Prosopis sp.( Fabaceae ), Verbesina encelioides ( Asteraceae ).

Comments.

Megachile lippiae was originally described as a subspecies of Megachile texana (Mitchell, 1935). It was raised to species level by Sheffield et al. (2011). Megachile lippiae is primarily a western North American species, though records exist from eastern localities (Figure 11). Megachile schismatura is removed from synonymy under Megachile texana and placed as a synonym of Megachile lippiae herein.