Megachile manifesta

21. Megachile (Megachiloides) manifesta Cockerell, 1878

Megachile manifesta Female
Megachile manifesta Male

Megachile manifesta Female

Megachile manifesta Male

Megachile manifesta Cresson, 1878. Trans. Amer. Entomol. Soc. 7: 122 (♂).

Megachile chrysothamni Cockerell, 1908a. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (8) 1: 262 (♀).

Diagnosis.The female of M. manifesta can be recognized by the combination of 4-dentate mandibles with the emargination between inner and 3rd teeth distinctly oblique, the greatest depth much closer to inner tooth, T5 with rather close punctures (separated by ≤ 1 pd) and dull interspaces. It is most similar to M. wheeleri. Females of M. wheeleri have T5 with punctures separated by 3-4 pd in apical half, the interspaces polished and shiny. The male of M. manifesta is recognized by the combination of conspicuously pale coloured and greatly modified front legs, a rounded postmedian tranverse carina on T6, T5 with a white apical fascia, hind tarsomeres that are broad apically and pubescent; mesepisternum with a low, smoothly rounded carina just behind front coxa. They are most similar to M. wheeleri, M. subnigra, M. anograe and M. sublaurita. Males of M. wheeleri have quadrate hind tarsomeres, and the mesepisternum with a prominent, flattened, triangular carina-like protuberance just behind the front coxa. Males of M. subnigra, M. anograe and M. sublaurita do not have a carinate protuberance behind front coxa.

FEMALE: Length 11-12 mm.

Head:

Megachile manifesta Female Mandible

Figure M21: Megachile manifesta female mandible

1) compound eyes subparallel; lateral ocelli subequally distant from eyes and edge of vertex, 2) clypeal margin straight, shining and broadly impunctate, slightly impressed just above the edge, 3) mandible 4-dentate, with an incomplete cutting edge between 2nd and 3rd teeth, complete between 3rd and inner teeth, emargination between inner and 3rd teeth distinctly oblique with greatest depth in emargination much closer to the inner tooth than to 3rd tooth (Figure M21), 4) gena subequal to compound eye in width, 5) punctures very fine and close on most of face, and on clypeus basally, becoming more coarse and distinctly separated in apical half, separated medially on supraclypeal area, fine and close on vertex, shallow on gena, 6) pubescence short and dense on face around antennae, white to pale yellow on face and gena, brownish on vertex, 7) F1 slightly longer than broad (4:3), longer than pedicel and F2, which is quadrate, subequal in length to remaining flagellomeres, apical flagellomere more elongate (4:1.5).

Mesosoma:

1) pubescence dense and short, white on pleura, propodeum, mesoscutum anteriorly, scutellum, and legs, brownish on most of mesoscutum, 2) punctures very close and fine on mesoscutum, scutellum, and pleura, slightly more separated on propodeum, triangle somewhat shiny and impunctate, 3) mid and hind basitarsi distinctly shorter and narrower than their tibiae, spurs yellow, 4) tegula black, finely punctate throughout, anterior margin pubescent, 5) wings subhyaline, slightly clouded apically, the veins black.

Metasoma:

1) only the apical terga very slightly depressed basally with no trace of a carinate rim, terga somewhat more deeply depressed apically; T6 in dorsal aspect only slightly concave at sides, rounded apically, straight to very slightly concave in profile, with abundant black erect hair; punctures minute and very close on T1, becoming more distinct but still quite close on the more apical terga, fine and crowded on T6; pubescence white on T1, T2-T5 with erect blackish pubescence, T6 with silvery tomentum apically, T2-T5 with entire white apical fasciae, these narrower on the more basal terga, broad, dense and conspicuous on the more apical ones, 2) scopa black on S6 and apically on S5, otherwise white, punctures coarse and close, becoming slightly more separated on more apical sterna.

MALE: Length 11-12 mm.

Head:

1) compound eyes subparallel; lateral ocelli subequally distant from eyes and edge of vertex, 2) clypeal margin straight, 3) mandible 3-dentate, with 2nd tooth much closer to apical tooth than inner tooth, the lower process very robust, subbasal in position, 4) gena very slightly wider than compound eye (8:7), lower margin of lower concavity produced into a carina-like projection with a apical tuft of hair, 5) punctures fine and close on head, slightly separated on vertex laterally, becoming shallow on gena, face below ocelli finely rugosopunctate, clypeus finely and closely punctate over entire surface, 6) pubescence pale yellow above, becoming paler below, with no dark admixture, very long and dense on clypeus, pointing downward, that on supraclyepal area shorter and pointing upward, 7) F1 slightly longer than broad (6:5) and slightly longer than pedicel, subequal in length to F2, remaining flagellomeres longer than broad (5:4), apical flagellomere flattened and somewhat dilated.

Mesosoma:

1) pubescence long, pale yellow on mesoscutum, becoming long and dense below, fading to white with no dark admixture, tarsal fringes long, white, the front tarsal fringe with brownish-black hairs ventrally, 2) punctures fine and close throughout, slightly separated (1 pd) medially on mesoscutum and scutellum and propodeum, triangle rather dull and impunctate, 3) front coxal spine narrow, about twice as long as broad, slightly bowed anteriorly, coxal surface polished, with a small patch of reddish setae at base of spine; front femur widely dilated, the lower margin distinctly bisinuate basally, anterior and posterior faces of front femur and tibia with polished yellowish-red areas, otherwise dark, front tarsus pale yellow, the posterior margin beneath with black areas; front tarsus slightly dilated, basitarsal margins subparallel, subequal to tibia in width, the anterior margin; mesosternum neither carinate nor spined anteriorly; hind baistarsus subequal in length to tarsomeres 2-4 combined, much longer than wide, and much shorter than tibia, spurs yellow, 4) tegula yellowish-brown, finely punctate, 5) wings subhyaline, the veins yellowish-brown.

Metasoma:

1) T2-T5 only slightly depressed basally, with a carinate rim, strongly depressed apically; carina of T6 with fine irregular denticulations, slightly angled medially, apical margin with carinate median teeth much nearer less prominent lateral teeth than each other; T7 robust, produced medially into a short spine-like projection; punctures minute and close on basal terga, becoming slightly more coarse and sparse to T5, the more apical terga shining, T6 more coarsely punctate; discal pubescence sparse and entirely pale, dense and elongate on T1; T2-T5 with entire whitish apical fasciae, 2) S1-S4 visible, punctures fine with shiny interspaces, apical margins depressed and hyaline, disc with very short, fine pale pubescent, scarcely visible, more elongate laterally, with long white apical fasciae on lateral margins of S2-S4.

Genitalia: Figure G21.

Megachile manifesta  Male Genitalia

Figure G21: Megachile manifesta genitalia

Discussion:

Hobbs and Lilly (1954) indicate this species as a visitor to alfalfa flowers, but suggest that it has been often confused (e.g., Sladen 1918) with the much more common M. wheeleri. Megachile manifesta is a ground nesting species (Table 1).

Distribution:

Southern AB (see Map 21).

Megachile manifesta Range Map

Map 21: Canadian distribution of Megachile manifesta