Heriadopsis

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Megachilini
Genus: Heriadopsis Cockerell, 1931
Subgenera: none
Common name: none

Overview

Heriadopsis range in body length from 8–9 mm and have slender, slightly elongate bodies (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). They have black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
with white hairs on the basalbasal:
originating at the foundation of a structure
grooves of T2T2:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
and T3T3:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
as well as on the apices of the tergaterga:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
(Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Diversity

Heriadopsis consists of two species, H. striatula and H. whiteana (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.; Eardley 2013Eardley 2013:
Eardley, C. 2013. A taxonomic revision of the southern African leaf-cutter bees, Megachile Latreille sensu stricto and Heriadopsis Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Megachilidae). Zootaxa 3601 (1): 1ndash;133.); none are known to occur in the U.S. or Canada.

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.)

• Arolia present on the front and middle legs.
• Omaulus omaulus:
  angle between anterior and lateral surfaces of mesepisternum
  without carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  .
• Postgradular depressions present and distinct.
• Pronotal lobes carinatecarinate:
  having keels or carinae
  .
• T1 with anterioranterior:
  toward the head or on the head side of a segment being described
  surface distinctly concave.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  four-toothed and lack cutting edges.
• Female middle tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  with two apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  spines.
• Female tarsal claws simple.
• Male with erect spine on the front coxacoxa:
  the basal segment of the leg
  .
• Male front tarsustarsus:
  the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
  expanded and pale.
• Male T6T6:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  with broadly bilobed preapicalpreapical:
  referring to a section of a bee that is physically found just before the outermost (or apical) end of the section or segment
  carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  .
• Male S4S4:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  is nearly impunctateimpunctate:
  marked with punctures or pits
  .

May be confused with

Heriadopsis resembles the Megachile subgenera M. (Chelostomoda), M. (Chelostomoides), and M. (Hackeriapis) in body form, but can be differentiated by the presence of aroliaarolia:
the cushion-like pad between the tarsal claws found at the ends of some bees' legs
on the front and middle legs (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Host associations

Floral associations are unknown.

Nesting behavior

Nesting behavior is unknown.

Distribution

Heriadopsis occurs in Congo, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and South Africa (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.; Eardley 2013Eardley 2013:
Eardley, C. 2013. A taxonomic revision of the southern African leaf-cutter bees, Megachile Latreille sensu stricto and Heriadopsis Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Megachilidae). Zootaxa 3601 (1): 1ndash;133.).

​Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.

References

Eardley, C. 2013. A taxonomic revision of the southern African leaf-cutter bees, Megachile Latreille sensu stricto and Heriadopsis Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Megachilidae). Zootaxa 3601(1): 1-133
 
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.