Megachile (Megachiloides) casadae Cockerell, 1898

Megachile casadae Cockerell, 1898: 127 . Drons 2012: 58.

Megachile (Xeromegachile) casadae Cockerell; Mitchell 1934: 302; 1937a: 348; 1944: 136. Butler 1965: 7. Hurd 1979: 2063.

Megachile (Megachiloides) casadae Cockerell; Raw 2002: 17. Scott et al. 2011: 55. Sheffield et al. 2011: 54.

Megachile austinensis Mitchell, 1927a: 105 .

Diagnosis. The female of M. casadae can be identified by a shiny and sparsely punctate clypeus medially, 4-toothed mandibles with an asymmetrical emargination between the 3 rd and 4 th teeth that is deepest closer to the 4 th tooth (Fig. 7C), black scopal setae on S6, and T6 with an elevated ridge apicomedially (appears laterally “pinched” in dorsal profile), with dense brown setae along ridge directed medially. The male of M. casadae can be identified by 3-toothed mandibles, wide and spatulate procoxal spines (Fig. 8I), and a slight medial emargination in its otherwise mostly straight clypeal margin (Fig. 10C).

Notes. This species is a new state record for Montana. Megachile casadae is most common to the south of Montana (Fig. 1F) and reaches its northernmost extent in Montana, east of the divide, and southern Alberta. Photographs, a full morphological description, and notes on the biology of this species can be found in Sheffield et al. (2011).