Biology:Melecta luctuosa
| Melecta luctuosa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Square-spotted mourning bee (Melecta luctuosa), Oberelsbach, Germany, June 2020 | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Melecta |
| Species: | M. luctuosa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melecta luctuosa (Scopoli, 1770)
| |
Melecta luctuosa, also known as square-spotted mourning bee, is a species of bee within the family Apidae.[1][2]
Description
Melecta luctuosa measure 12–14 mm. The males and females have black hair with white patches of hair. The mesonotum and sides of the thorax are hairy gray.[3]
Range
Melecta luctuosa occurs in North Africa from the Canaries to Egypt. In Eurasia from Portugal across Europe, Asia Minor, Caucasus, Central Asia and Siberia to the Amur; north to southern England and southern Sweden (lost in both countries), the Baltic States and Moscow; south to Sicily, Crete, Cyprus and Northern Iran. It reached the oriental fauna region in Pakistan . The species is currently reported in central Europe from almost all regions, only from Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Canton Vaud and Basel only historically; absent in large parts of the eastern central plateau, along the main Alpine ridge and in the Engadine; a report for the federal state of Salzburg needs to be checked.[4]
Habitat
Forest fringes, hedges, steep walls, edges, dry stone walls, sand, gravel and clay pits. From the lowlands to the montane elevation.[4]
Ecology
This species is univoltin. It is on the wing from late April to late June and is wintering as an imago.[3] Various plant species serve as (exchangeable) nectar sources, e.g. Ajuga reptans, Glechoma hederacea, Salvia pratensis, Salvia verticillata, Nepeta, Echium vulgare, Anchusa officinalis.[3] Melecta luctuosa is a parasitoid species. The main host is Anthophora aestivalis, other known hosts are Anthophora crinipes, Anthophora plagiata and Anthophora retusa, possibly also Anthophora fulvitarsis.[4]
Etymology
From Latin, luctuosa = "sad".[4]
Taxonomy
It belongs to the subgenus Melecta Latreille, 1802.[4]
References
- ↑ "Square-spotted Mourning Bee (Melecta luctuosa)" (in en). https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/484634-Melecta-luctuosa.
- ↑ "Melecta luctuosa (Scopoli, 1770)". Fauna Europaea. Fauna Europaea Secretariat, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. https://fauna-eu.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/57422628-c856-4e68-a9bc-097e9178233e.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Westrich, Paul (2019). Die Wildbienen Deutschlands. ISBN 978-3-8186-0881-1. OCLC 1190164412. http://worldcat.org/oclc/1190164412.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Scheuchl, Erwin; Wolfgang Willner (2016). Taschenlexikon der Wildbienen Mitteleuropas: Alle Arten im Porträt. ISBN 978-3-494-01653-5. OCLC 1041414212. http://worldcat.org/oclc/1041414212.
Wikidata ☰ Q252852 entry
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