Lasioglossum (Dialictus) novascotiae (Mitchell)

Dialictus novascotiae Mitchell, 1960: 407 . Ƥ.

Holotype. Ƥ Canada, Nova Scotia, Baddeck, 27.viii.1926, [NCSU]. Examined.

Taxonomy. Knerer & Atwood, 1964: Dialictus novascotiae 3, p. 5 (description); Krombein, 1967: Lasioglossum (Dialictus) novascotiae, p. 464 (catalogue); Hurd, 1979: Dialictus novascotiae, p. 1968 (catalogue); Moure & Hurd, 1987: Dialictus novascotiae, p. 115 (catalogue); Gibbs, 2010b: Lasioglossum (Dialictus) novascotiae Ƥ3, p. 207 (redescription, key).

Diagnosis. Female L. novascotiae can be recognised by the following diagnostic combination: head wide (length/ width ratio = 0.95–0.96), clypeus strongly protruding below suborbital tangent, mesoscutal punctures sparse throughout, mesepisternum rugulose, propodeum with dorsolateral slope rugulose (Fig. 27 B), and metasomal terga blackish brown. They are most similar to L. lineatulum, which has head wider (length/width ratio = 0.92–0.93), propodeum with dorsolateral slope smooth (Fig. 27 A), and metasomal terga with metallic reflections.

Male L. novascotiae can be recognised by the following diagnostic combination: mesoscutal punctures sparse throughout, mesepisternum rugulose, and metasomal sterna with subappressed plumose hairs limited to apicolateral portions of S3 and lateral portions of S4–S5. They are similar to L. lineatulum, which has dense plumose hairs on S2–S4 and S5 laterally. Lasioglossum achilleae is similar but has a shorter head and sparse punctation on metasomal terga.

Range. Nova Scotia west to Alaska, south to Michigan. USA: AK, ME, MI. CANADA: AB, BC, NB, NS, NT, ON, PE, SK.

DNA Barcode. Available. Multiple sequences.

Comments. Common in some localities.