Nomada

Moved

Moved from Nomada.

… john and jane balaban, 3 May, 2008 - 10:22am

Moved

Moved from Red-horned Nomad Bee.

… John S. Ascher, 11 February, 2008 - 9:31pm

NOT Nomada ruficornis

"species group" does not mean species

… John S. Ascher, 11 February, 2008 - 8:54pm

Appreciate your help

and comments, John. Earlier I had noticed (see comments below) that under the ruficornis species group Michener lists Gnathias , Heminomada , Lamproapis , and others. I don't know enough how to proceed here. Do you suggest to post these under Nomada ?

… Hartmut Wisch, 11 February, 2008 - 9:13pm

Gnathias , Heminomada...

These are former subgenera.

There are three issues here:

1. These former subgenera are now lumped with subgenus Nomada (sensu stricto) in a single taxon (now a species group as formal subgenera are no longer recognized in Nomada).

2. This taxon was recognized by Alexander (and later Michener and others) as a formal species group (assemblage of related species) corresponding to MULTIPLE former subgenera (e.g., subgenera sensu Mitchell, 1962) including Gnathias , Heminomada, Nomada, Phor and others.

3. Whereas other species groups of Alexander are well defined and monophyletic, the ruficornis species group is relatively poorly defined and may prove to be non-monophyletic. However, much of the troublesome diversity is in the Old World so not a problem for Bugguide. The problem of delimiting an appropriate ruficornis group=Nomada sensu stricto taxon is one reason why Alexander did not propose a subgeneric system for this genus.

… John S. Ascher, 13 March, 2008 - 11:53am

Thanks, John,

for these additional explanations!

… Hartmut Wisch, 13 March, 2008 - 2:40pm

the lateral yellow tergal spots are distinctive

so this Nomada female may be identifiable someday

for now I can at least place it in the ruficornis species group.

California Nomada are diverse and a real challenge. There are no keys for most of them.

… John S. Ascher, 7 July, 2007 - 11:26am

Thanks, John,

for your informative comments, especially since writing from Turkey (but isn't the internet great).
I looked up the ruficornis group in Michener (2000, (1)), who lists Nomada s.s., Gnathias , Heminomada , and a number of others.

… Hartmut Wisch, 7 July, 2007 - 12:10pm

note that the species Nomada ruficornis

is not found in North America

Thus the "Nomada ruficornis" guide page was inappropriate

… John S. Ascher, 11 February, 2008 - 8:59pm