Reprinted with permission from: Mitchell, T.B. 1960 Bees of the Eastern United States. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 141. |
FEMALE—Length 6 mm.; black; length of face subequal to distance between eyes above; eyes subparallel; cheeks very slightly narrower than eyes; process of labrum about as long as the basal width, somewhat narrowed apically, apex truncate; facial foveae rather short, broad and shallow, terminating slightly above level of antennae; lateral ocelli slightly nearer margin of vertex than to each other; median segments of flagellum about as broad as long; punctures of head deep and distinct, rather close and fine between antennae and ocelli, becoming quite coarse and more sparse on vertex laterally and on areas below antennae, cheeks shining, very finely and more sparsely punctate; pubescence of head and thorax entirely pale, very short and thin, rather copious on scutum anteriorly but not hiding surface; tubercles black; tegulae testaceous-hyaline; wings subhyaline, veins pale testaceous, stigma more brownish, 2nd recurrent vein entering 2nd submarginal cell somewhat nearer apex than 1st does to base; legs largely dark, but front and mid tibiae with a small, basal, yellow spot, hind tarsi yellow; spurs yellow; punctures of thorax deep and distinct, quite fine on scutum and scutellum, rather close but well separated anteriorly, becoming quite sparse toward, center of disc posteriorly, those on scutellum widely separated except in median line, those on pleura much more coarse and deep medially, becoming somewhat finer and closer above, and almost rugose below; apical margins of abdominal terga rather broadly depressed, these areas smooth, shining and impunctate, slightly reddened, discs shining, finely but rather deeply and distinctly punctate, punctures rather close on each disc basally, becoming somewhat more sparse toward the depressed rim, discal pubescence entirely pale, very short, thin and obscure, forming a rather dense, pale brownish, apical fimbria on tergum 5.
MALE—Length 6 mm.; black; length of face subequal to distance between eyes above; eyes slightly convergent below; clypeus yellow except for the apical margin on each side, the lateral yellow maculae subtriangular, terminating on eye margin slightly below level of antennae, mandibles, labrum, supraclypeal area and remainder of face black; cheeks considerably narrower than eyes; process of Iabrum nearly as long as basal width, slightly narrowed apically, apex truncate; facial foveae short and very small but distinct; space between lateral ocelli and margin of vertex nearly equal to distance between them; median segments of flagellum fully as broad as long; punctures of head quite deep and distinct, close between antennae and ocelli, becoming more distinctly separated on vertex laterally, fine and quite sparse on supraclypeal area but becoming rather coarse on maculated areas, those on cheeks rather fine and close; pubescence of head and thorax entirely pale, thin, but rather long and conspicuous, not at all hiding surface; tubercles reddened; tegulae yellowish-hyaline; wings hyaline, veins and stigma testaceous, 2nd recurrent vein entering 2nd submarginal cell considerably nearer apex than 1st does to base; tarsi and spurs yellow, tibiae largely dark, but front tibiae with a narrow, anterior, yellow stripe, mid and hind tibiae with a small, basal, yellow spot; thorax shining, punctures deep and distinct, well separated, coarse and rather close on extreme anterior margin of scutum, becoming rather sparse in center of disc posteriorly, those on scutellum sparse and slightly more coarse, those on pleura sparse in center, becoming closer below, finer above; apical margins of abdominal terga rather broadly, evenly and deeply depressed, these areas smooth, shining and impunctate, slightly reddened, basal tergum shining, punctures deep, distinct, rather coarse and well separated, becoming rather sparse toward the depressed rim, terga 2-4 rather broadly depressed basally, median portion of discs quite strongly rolled, with punctures deep and distinct but rather fine and close; discal pubescence short and thin, entirely pale, rather conspicuous on basal portions of terga; sternum 6 with a very narrow and deep, median emargination; wings of sternum 7 quite evenly ovoid, the apex devoid of setae; apical process of sternum 8 very broad basally, gradually narrowed to the narrowly truncate tip; gonostyli slender and straight, slightly compressed, with an inferior fringe of short setae, slightly exceeded by the penis valves which are slender apically but broadly dilated basally.
DISTRIBUTION—Illinois to North Carolina and Georgia, west to Texas; May to September.
FLOWER RECORDS—Robertson (1929) records albitarsis on Aster ericoides villosus, Brauneria pallida, B. purpurea, Coreopsis palmata, Helianthus divaricatus, H. mollis, Lepachys pinnata, Rudbeckia hirta, B. laciniata, B. subtomentosa and Verbesina helianthoides.
In the Catalog of Hymenoptera (1951) both albitarsis and picipes are listed as species of the subgenus Heterosarus. However, the basal segment of the labial palpus is much longer than segments 2-4 combined, and the tibial scopa is distinctly plumose, indicating that they belong in Pseudopanurgus s. str.
The type of albitarsis is a female, that of picipes a male, and the common identity of the two seems definite.