Epeolus bifasciatus 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 : 43

12. Epeolus bifasciatus Cresson, 1864 Figs 26, 27, 91A

Epeolus bifasciatus Cresson, 1864a. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Phil. 3: 38 (♂); Cresson, 1916. Mem. Am. Entomol. Soc. 1: 113 (♂) [lectotype designation].

Diagnosis.

Unique to E. bifasciatus among North American species of Epeolus are each of the following morphological features: the frontal area bears a pair of granulose protrusions, each located near the upper mesal margin of the compound eye; the pronotal collar is elongate, dilated laterally to about 2 × the medial length in dorsal view; and the dorsum of the metasoma has at most two bright orange-yellow fasciae (usually a basal fascia on T1 and always an apical fascia on T2). Similar species occur in Mexico and Central America, but their occurrence in Canada and the United States has not been confirmed.

Redescription.

This species was recently redescribed ( Onuferko 2017).

Distribution.

United States, east of the Continental Divide, into central Canada (Fig. 27).

Ecology.

See Onuferko (2017) for host and floral records. Floral associations are also indicated in Suppl. material 1, which includes newly discovered associations with Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. ( Compositae ) and Verbena hastata L. ( Verbenaceae ) based on labels of examined voucher specimens.

Discussion.

Epeolus bifasciatus is the only species within the "Trophocleptria group" verified as occurring north of Mexico. Originally a genus, Trophocleptria Holmberg was later considered a subgenus of Epeolus ( Michener 2000). Although its constituent species seem to form a natural group, a phylogenetic study by Rightmyer (2004) found that maintaining the subgeneric designation rendered Epeolus (Epeolus) paraphyletic, so Michener (2007) treated Trophocleptria as a distinct species group within Epeolus .

Epeolus fumipennis Say has been listed as occurring in Kansas ( Snow 1879, in which E.T. Cresson was acknowledged for aiding in identification), but was probably confused with E. bifasciatus , a species that is common in that state ( Ascher and Pickering 2017). Brumley (1965) examined specimens at the ANSP and KUNHM from the Midwestern and Southeastern United States labelled as E. fumipennis that according to him were clearly E. bifasciatus . The primary type of E. fumipennis was probably destroyed along with much of Thomas Say’s insect collection ( LeConte 1859: v–vi, xix [footnote]), but the medially-narrowed ferruginous pronotal collar and yellow fasciae on T1 and T2 (contrasting with the whitish fasciae on the remaining terga), as well as its occurrence in Mexico, strongly suggest that this species is in the "Trophocleptria group". However, in E. fumipennis the mesoscutum has distinct paramedian bands, which are absent in E. bifasciatus , and no specimens from Canada or the United States fitting such a description were seen.

Material studied.

Type material. Primary: USA: Illinois: (lectotype ♂ [ANSP, catalog number: 2658]).

DNA barcoded material with BIN-compliant sequences.

Available. BOLD:ADD5310. Specimens examined and sequenced.-Canada: Ontario: 1♀, 1♂ (PCYU).

USA: Florida: 1♂ (FSCA).

Non-barcoded material examined.

Canada: Ontario: 5♀, 6♂ (CNC, DEBU, PCYU, ROM); 2 km N Shiloh (43.7400°N; 80.2675°W) (Wellington County), 08.viii.2004, M. Buck (4♀, DEBU); 6 km NW Saint Williams (42.7050°N; 80.4606°W) (Hard.Norfolk Reg., Manestar Tract), 14.vii.2006, S.M. Paiero (5♀, 1♂, DEBU); Rondeau Park (South Point Trail, Kent County), 29.vi.2002, M. Buck (4♀, 1♂, DEBU); Toronto, 04.viii.2005, A. Cosens (1♂, PCYU).

USA: Colorado: Hasty (Bent County), 03.vii.1975, H.E. Evans (1♂, CUM); Longmont (40.1627°N; 105.1441°W) (Boulder County), 17.viii.2012, V. Scott (1♂, CUM); Florida: 2♂ (AMNH, PCYU); Caverns State Park (Jackson County), 16.vi.1999, C. Porter and L. Stange (1♀, FSCA); Lake City (Columbia County), 23.vi.2011, S. Lenberger (1♂, FSCA); Lovers Key State Rec Area (Lee County), 12.v.2008, C. Porter and L. Stange (1♀, FSCA); San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park (Alachua County), 09-12.v.1979, G.B. Fairchild (1♀, FSCA); St Augustine Beach (St. Johns County), 24.v.1992, F.J. Santana (1♂, FSCA); Georgia: Athens (Whitehall Preserve, Clarke County), 14-19.v.1979, R.H. Turnbow, Jr. (1♂, FSCA); Illinois: 2♀ (AMNH); Iowa: Ames, 18.viii.1934, H.A. Scullen (1♀, CUM); Kansas: Baldwin, vii.????, J.C. Bridwell (1♀, CUM); Maryland: 2♀ (AMNH, BIML); Michigan: 5 km N West Olive (42.9884°N; 86.1423°W) (Ottawa County), 24.viii.2014, J. Gibbs (1♀, JBWM); East Lansing (42.7540°N; 84.4860°W) (Ingham County), 25.viii.2013, J. Gibbs (1♂, JBWM); Near Saline, 26.vi.1954, U.N. Lanham (1♂, CUM); Missouri: Rolla (Phelps County), 26.viii.1962, B. Vogel (2♀, CUM); New York: 1♂ (BIML); North Carolina: 1♂ (AMNH); Ohio: West Jefferson, G. Salt (2♀, NHMUK); Pennsylvania: 1♂ (BIML); South Carolina: 1♂ (DEBU); South Dakota: Oacoma (1 km W Chamberlain, Lyman County), 08.viii.2005, R.E. Wrigley (1♀, JBWM); Texas: Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, 01-13.vi.1976, C.C. Porter (1♂, FSCA); McAllen Botanical Gardens (McAllen), 03.vi.1976, C.C. Porter (1♂, FSCA); Wisconsin: 1♀ (PCYU).