Megachile pseudobrevis Mitchell, 1934

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 : 48-49

Megachile pseudobrevis Mitchell, 1934

Megachile brevis pseudobrevis Mitchell, 1934 Holotype female, USA: Florida (NCSU).

Diagnosis.

Megachile pseudobrevis closely resembles Megachile brevis and Megachile onobrychidis . The differences between Megachile pseudobrevis and Megachile brevis are slight. Female Megachile pseudobrevis has less black appressed pubescence on T6 than Megachile brevis . Also the scopa of Megachile pseudobrevis has less black setae than Megachile onobrychidis , with black setae being restricted to S6. Megachile pseudobrevis has more black setae than Megachile brevis , which has often only a few black setae apically on S6.

Female. Body length9-11 mm. Mandible 4-toothed, with no angulation between teeth 3 and 4 (Figure 4A). T2-3 with deep transverse basal groove, T4 with shallow basal groove. T1-5 with apical fringes of white hair covering marginal zone; T1-2 with medially interrupted fringes of white hair. T1 with white discal pubescence; T2 discal pubescence white basally, black apically; T3-5 with black discal pubescence. T6 convex basally and concave apically in profile, concave laterally in dorsal view; with black erect setae basally and black appressed pubescence. S1-5 with ivory setae; S6 with black setae (Figure 5G).

Male. Body length7-9 mm. Mandible 3-toothed.Ocellocular distance equal to ocelloccipital distance (Figure 4D). T5 with complete apical fringe of white hair covering marginal zone. T6 with tomentum; transverse carina variable in shape, usually with indistinct medial notch and asymmetrical jagged projections; true apical margin with submedial teeth closer to lateral teeth than each other (Figure 6B). Genitalia and hidden sterna resemble those of Megachile brevis (Figures 7A1-A4).

Distribution of material examined.

USA: Florida: Alachua, Duval, Monroe and Orange Counties (Mar.-Sep.); 14 females, 16 males.

Ecology.

Packer (1987) observed Megachile pseudobrevis nesting in tufts of grass, creating nests of single cells. Megachile pseudobrevis preferred the commonest flowering plant Bidens pilosa ( Asteraceae ) at the site as a source for cutting nesting material, but also used petals from Eustoma exaltatum ( Gentianaceae ).Nests were parasitized by the meloid beetle Nemognatha punctulata LeConte ( Packer 1987).

Flower records.

Balduina angustifolia ( Asteraceae ), Bidens pilosa ( Asteraceae ), Eriogonum tomentosum ( Polygonaceae ), Eustoma exaltatum ( Gentianaceae ), Lupinus cumulicola ( Fabaceae ), Vitex agnus castus ( Verbenaceae ).

Comments.

Megachile pseudobrevis was originally described as a variety of Megachile brevis . It was raised to species level by Sheffield et al. (2011). This species has a limited range occurring in the southeastern United States (Figure 15).