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Photo#97686
Colletes? - Calliopsis puellae - male

Colletes? - Calliopsis puellae - Male
Wagonroad Canyon area, Lockwood Valley, Ventura County, California, USA
May 23, 2006
Size: ~8mm
Taking nectar in Asclepias vestita (Woolly Milkweed), and unwittingly picking up some pollenia.

Images of this individual: tag all
Colletes? - Calliopsis puellae - male Colletes? - Calliopsis puellae Colletes? - Calliopsis puellae Colletes? - Calliopsis puellae

Moved

Calliopsis puellae
male

Note black legs

Moved
Moved from Calliopsis.

Calliopsis, subgenus Nomadopsis sensu lato
note the yellow integumental bands

 
Thanks John,
for the speedy ID.
Actually, I goofed. I shouldn't neglect the things 'in the back of my mind'; I submitted a similar bee in 2005 from upslope of this location (Mt. Pinos summit): 1.

 
Nomadopsis bees are mostly oligolectic
so for species ID it would be helpful to note flowers present in the vicinity

It would also be helpful to know the habitat and the exact size of the bee

The relevant revision is by Rozen (1958)

 
In addition to the Milkweed
on which above bee was feeding, flowers in bloom include: a couple of Asteraceae (Chaenactis glabriuscula, C. santolinoides); Lupinus excubitus; Penstemon centranthifolius; Phacelia douglasii, P. egena; all in Pinyon-juniper woodland within about 200ft radius. At least five days later (just notice, they were out on May 18 already)) we can add: a small Mimulus (johnstonii); a Camissonia sp.; Eriophyllum pringlei; Linanthus aureus; Yucca whipplei.

I arrived at the size (8mm, given above) by measuring the diameter of the flower the bee was feeding on. I'd give it no more than 8.5mm.

Your comments are always appreciated, so thanks!

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