Biology:Melissodes desponsus
| Melissodes desponsus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Melissodes |
| Species: | M. desponsus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melissodes desponsus Smith, 1854
| |
Melissodes desponsus, the eastern thistle longhorn bee, is a species of long-horned bee in the family Apidae.[1][2][3] The bees are active in mid-to-late-summer.[4][5]
Description
These ground-nesting, solitary bees have pale yellow thoraxes and black abdomens. Females are 12-13.5 mm and have distinctive orange scopae on their hind legs, although they are often covered with white Cirsium pollen. Males are 11-13.5 mm, have longer antennae and yellow clypei.[4][5]
Range
Melissodes desponsus is found across the northeastern quadrant of the United States, reaching into southern Canada.[1][6]
Habitat
Cirsium thistles are host plants of these bees.[5]
Conservation
This species does not have a widely documented conservation status, although it is listed as vulnerable or imperiled by several regional sources.[7]
Taxonomy
The species has several synonymous scientific names. The female of the species was described as M. desponsa and the male was described as M. nigripes in 1854 by Frederick Smith. Other synonyms include M. americana, M. daponsa and M. cnici.[2][3][8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Eastern Thistle Longhorn Bee (Melissodes desponsus)" (in en-US). https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/627202-Melissodes-desponsus.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Species Melissodes desponsus". https://bugguide.net/node/view/79683.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Report: Melissodes desponsus". https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1129981#null.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Melissodes desponsa Smith, 1854". https://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Melissodes+desponsa.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Thistle longhorn bee (Melissodes desponsus)". 9 January 2023. https://watchingbees.com/species-accounts/melissodes-desponsus/.
- ↑ "Melissodes desponsus". https://www.gbif.org/species/5040668.
- ↑ "Melissodes desponsa". https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.881989/Melissodes_desponsa.
- ↑ "Melissodes desponsus Smith, 1854". https://www.beesofcanada.com/species/melissodes-desponsa-smith-1854.
Wikidata ☰ Q129941724 entry
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