Megachile (Litomegachile) mendica Cresson, 1878

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 : 43-45

Megachile (Litomegachile) mendica Cresson, 1878

Megachile mendica Cresson, 1878: 126 Holotype female, USA: California (ANSP).

Diagnosis.

Megachile mendica closely resembles Megachile gentilis . The females can be distinguished by difference in the T6 structure and pubescence color, and scopa color. Female Megachile mendica have a very straight T6 in profile, and slightly concave laterally in dorsal view. The appressed pubescence on T6 is brownish in color. The scopa is yellowish, distinguishing it from other Litomegachile females which have a pale ivory colored scopa. An exception is Megachile pankus , which also has a yellow scopa, but it can be separated by its concave T6 in contrast with the straight T6 of Megachile mendica . The male Megachile mendica can be distinguished from Megachile gentilis by the distance between punctures on T6. Megachile mendica punctures occur roughly 0.25-0.5 the width of a puncture apart so that you can see the shiny discal surface in between (Figure 6D) Male Megachile mendica also lack the apical fringe of white hair on T2. Males of other species of Litomegachile have a complete apical fringe of white hair on T2.

Female. Body length11-13 mm. Mandible 4-toothed, with surface between teeth 3 and 4 angulate (Figure 4B). T2-4 with shallow transverse basal grooves. T1-5 with apical fringes of white hair that covers marginal zone; T1-2 with medially interrupted fringes of white hair. T1 with white discal pubescence; T2-5 with black discal pubescence. T6 straight in profile and slightly concave laterally in dorsal view; with brown appressed pubescence, without erect setae. S1-5 and 6 with yellow setae, S6 with black setae apically (Figure 5D).

Male. Body length 8-10 mm. Mandible 3-toothed. Ocellocular distance less than ocelloccipital distance (Figure 4C) Head with white pubescence, vertex with black pubescence. Mesosoma with white pubescence, scutum with black pubescence. T1-2 pubescence white; T3-5 white pubescence basally, black pubescence apically. T2 without thin apical fringe of white hair (Figure 6K). T5 without complete white hair fringe that covers marginal zone; may have some hair laterally. T6 punctures separated; shiny discal surface visible between; with tomentum; transverse carina with a distinct medial notch (Figure 6D); true apical margin with median teeth closer to each other than to lateral teeth, or distances equal (Figure 6A). Genitalia and hidden sterna shown in Figures 7E1-E4.

Distribution of material examined.

USA: Arkansas: Pulaski County (Sep.); Delaware: New Castle County; Florida:Alachua and Monroe Counties (Jul.-Aug.); Georgia: Liberty County (Jun.); Illinois: Cook County (Aug.); Kansas: Douglas County (Aug.); Kentucky: Wayne County (Jul.); Maryland: Anne Arundel and Montgomery Counties (Jul.-Sep.); Missouri: Lapeer County(Jul); Mississippi: Oktibbeha County (Jun.); North Carolina: Pender County (Sep.); New Jersey: Atlantic and Burlington Counties (May.-Aug.); New York: Kings and Westchester Counties(Aug.); Oklahoma: Marshall County (Apr.); South Carolina: Chesterfield County (Sep.); Texas: Maverick County (May); Virginia: Clarke, Loudoun, Page and Shenandoah Counties (Jul.); West Virginia: Hampshire County (Jul.); Washington D.C. (Jun.-Oct.); 25 females, 42 males.

Ecology.

Megachile mendica seems to be flexible in its choice of nesting sites across different habitats. When it nests in trap nests, it prefers a cavity diameter of around 8 mm, which is also preferred by Megachile brevis ( Baker et al. 1985). In Texas, Megachile mendica was found to nest in sandy soil, and like Megachile texana , it will also excavate burrows in the soil ( Williams et al. 1986). Krombein (1967) reared Megachile mendica from wooden block traps placed on limbs of pine oak and hickory. Generation number and times differed based on the locality ( Krombein 1967). Medler (1965) reared Megachile mendica at 21 degrees Celsius and found that they went from egg to mature larva in one week, spun a cocoon in one day, and took about 3 weeks for pupal development and adult emergence. An Megachile mendica larva was illustrated and described by Baker et al. (1985). In addition to Coelioxys sp. and Leucospis affinis affinis ( Leucospidae ), Megachile mendica nests are known to be parasitized by the flies Anthrax irroratus irroratus ( Bombyliidae ) and Megaselia sp.( Phoridae ) ( Baker et al. 1985).

Flower records.

Amorpha fruticosa ( Fabaceae ), Aster paniculatus ( Asteraceae ), Balduina angustifolia ( Asteraceae ), Bidens alba ( Asteraceae ), Calamintha ashei ( Lamiaceae ), Centaurea jacea ( Asteraceae ), Cephalanthus occidentalis ( Rubiaceae ), Chrysanthemum leucanthemum ( Asteraceae ) Pityopsis graminifolia ( Asteraceae ), Conoclinium coelestinum ( Asteraceae ), Eupatoriadelphus maculatus ( Asteraceae ), Flaveria linearis ( Asteraceae ), Helenium amarum ( Asteraceae ), Helianthus divaricatus ( Asteraceae ), Helianthus tuberosus ( Asteraceae ), Lavandula dentata ( Lamiaceae ), Medicago sativa ( Fabaceae ), Melilotus alba ( Fabaceae ), Parthenocissus quinquefolia ( Vitaceae ), Phaseolus sp. ( Fabaceae ), Psoralea floribunda ( Fabaceae ), Polygonum hydropiperoides ( Polygonaceae ), Rhus glabra ( Anacardiaceae ), Rubus sp. ( Rosaceae ), Silybum sp. ( Asteraceae ), Solidago serotina ( Asteraceae ), Tephrosia virginiana ( Fabaceae ), Vicia floridana ( Fabaceae ).

Comments.

Megachile mendica is distributed across North America south to Zacatecas, Mexico, though it was considered more of an eastern species by Mitchell (1934) (Figure 12).