Aspidosmia

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Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Aspidosmiini
Genus: Aspidosmia Brauns, 1926
Subgenera: none
Common name: none

Overview

Aspidosmia are dark, non-metallic, robust bees with long hair throughout their bodies and without apical fasciae on their terga. They range in body length from 8–10 mm (Michener 2007).

Diversity

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Michener 2007 unless otherwise stated)

• Forewing with two submarginal cells.
• Jugal lobe is half as long as the vannal lobe on the hind wing.
• Long-haired, without distinct apical hair bands.
• Middle tibia with one apical spine or projection.
• Parapsidal line linear, at least one-fourth as long as tegula (Griswold and Michener 1997).
• Prestigma about as long or longer than the stigma.
• Pronotal lobe without carina.
• Second recurrent vein enters the second submarginal cell.
• Female has scopa-like hairs on the hind tibia. (Fig 6).
• Male clypeus partially yellow, but lack yellow maculations on the rest of the body.
• Male T6 apical margin simple, without preapical carina or lateral teeth (Griswold and Michener 1997).

May be confused with

Aspidosmia resembles Plesianthidium due to the lack of yellow markings except on the clypeus; however, this similar feature likely evolved independently and is superficial (Michener 2007).

Aspidosmia males can be differentiated from Plesianthidium because Aspidosmia lacks marginal combs on all sterna and have a bilobed or bidentate T7. Aspidosmia females can be readily distinguished from most Megachilidae genera by the presence of scopa-like hairs on the hind tibia.

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Host associations

Host associations are not well known. Aspidosmia arnoldi has been observed visiting Lebeckia sericea (Fabaceae) and Lycium spp. (Solanaceae) (Struck 1994).

Nesting behavior

Distribution

Aspidosmia occurs in Namibia and Cape Province, South Africa (Michener 2007).

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