Cuckoo bee? - Triepeolus

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees » Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees (Apidae) » Cuckoo Bees (Nomadinae) » Epeolini » Triepeolus » verbesinae species group (Triepeolus verbesinae species group)

Photo#651240

Copyright © 2012 nvhamlett@gmail.com

Cuckoo bee? - Triepeolus

Claremont, Los Angeles County, California, USA
June 2, 2012
Size: 1-2 cm?

This bee was flying around and landing on some small plants in a sandy area at the Claremont Colleges’ Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station. After a while it went into a hole under one of the plants, then came out again. I am thinking this is a cuckoo bee, and it looks something like this photo of Epeolus mesillae, although it was larger than 4 mm. I only got a nice dorsal view when it was flying and could’t get a good dorsal photo, so here are several showing various parts.

Any information about its identity will be greatly appreciated!

Images of this individual: tag all

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Contributed by nvhamlett@gmail.com on 2 June, 2012 - 10:56pm
Last updated 5 June, 2012 - 11:27pm

Moved

Moved from Epeolini.

… nvhamlett@gmail.com, 5 June, 2012 - 11:27pm

This is a species in the Trie

This is a species in the Triepeolus verbesinae species group (based on the circular pseudopygidial area at the tail end of the bee). Maybe Triepeolus callopus?

… Molly Rightmyer, 5 June, 2012 - 11:15pm

Thanks so much, Molly,

I'm glad you took a look at this!

… Hartmut Wisch, 5 June, 2012 - 11:34pm

Thanks!

Thanks, Molly! Triepeolus will be a new genus for our field station invert list.

If I see any more of these bees, are there other characters I might be able to photograph that would help us identify the species? Or do you really need to have a specimen in hand?

… nvhamlett@gmail.com, 5 June, 2012 - 11:33pm

Moved

Moved from Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and Stinging Wasps.

… George Waldren, 5 June, 2012 - 3:40pm

Epeolini -

neat! I think this is Triepeolus. Molly Rightmyer will know this, she studied this group.

… Hartmut Wisch, 2 June, 2012 - 11:23pm

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