Epeolus compactus Cresson, 1878

Onuferko, Thomas M., 2018, A revision of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Epeolus Latreille for Nearctic species, north of Mexico (Hymenoptera, Apidae), ZooKeys 755, pp. 1-185 : 57-61

17. Epeolus compactus Cresson, 1878 Figs 3F, 36, 37, 38

Epeolus compactus Cresson, 1878. Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 7: 89 (♀, ♂); Cresson, 1916. Mem. Am. Entomol. Soc. 1: 115 (♀) [lectotype designation].

Epeolus crucis Cockerell, 1904. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 13: 39 (♀), syn. n.

Epeolus hitei Cockerell, 1908. Entomologist 41: 60 (♀).

Triepeolus gabrielis Cockerell, 1909. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 5: 26 (♂).

Epeolus geminatus Cockerell and Sandhouse, 1924. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. (4) 13: 315 (♀).

Diagnosis.

The following morphological features in combination (excluding any that are specific to the opposite sex of the one being diagnosed) can be used to tell E. compactus apart from all other North American Epeolus except E. canadensis and E. ferrarii : in females, F2 is at least 1.2 × as long as wide; the mesoscutum has a small anteromedial patch of pale tomentum; the axilla is small to intermediate in size, not extending much beyond the midlength of the mesoscutellum (extending to <2/3 its length) but the free portion is more than 1/4 as long as the entire medial length of the axilla, and the axilla (except sometimes the tip) and mesoscutellum are black; the mesopleuron is closely (most i<1d) and evenly punctate; and the T2 fascia lacks lobe-like anterolateral extensions of tomentum, although it may be broader laterally. Epeolus compactus is most similar to E. ferrarii , and in both species the T1 discal patch is typically quadrangular with the basal and apical fasciae subparallel and separated by a distinct longitudinal band, but in E. ferrarii the T2-T4 fasciae are not broadened medially into rounded lobes (as in E. compactus ) but evenly broad or tapering until separated medially. Epeolus canadensis differs from both species in that the T1 discal patch is distinctly triangular or semicircular (the basal fascia is conspicuously arched and fully continuous with the longitudinal band) and its medial longitudinal extent is more than 1/3 the lateral extent. In E. compactus , the medially-interrupted T1 basal and apical fasciae may be so broad laterally that they are joined, resulting in a diamond shape but with concave sides; in E. canadensis the lateral sides are straight or convex.

Redescription.

This species was recently redescribed ( Onuferko 2017).

Distribution.

Western North America (Fig. 37).

Ecology.

See Onuferko (2017) for host and floral records. Floral associations are also indicated in Suppl. material 1.

Discussion.

Epeolus compactus is a commonly collected species, widespread in Western North America. It is most similar to E. canadensis and E. ferrarii . In the original description of E. crucis Cockerell, the holotype was said to have been initially identified as E. compactus by W.J. Fox, but Cockerell (1904) considered it to be distinct, mainly because of differences in coloration and pubescence. The specimen (unusually) has abundant pale tomentum on the discs of the metasomal terga (Fig. 38A), but representatives of several species (e.g., E. ainsliei , E. minimus , and E. novomexicanus ) exhibiting atypical abundance of pale tomentum on the mesosoma and metasoma were also observed. Despite the presence of pale tomentum, the discal patch is quadrangular/diamond-shaped (Fig. 38A) as is typical for E. compactus (Fig. 38B), and the fascia of T2 is separated medially into rounded lobes. In the E. crucis holotype, the axillae and mesoscutellum are (unusually) ferruginous, but it is not unprecedented for species of the genus to have representatives displaying atypical integument coloration. Interestingly, Brumley (1965) treated E. crucis as distinct, but the features listed as unique for that species are evident only in the holotype of E. rufulus . In fact, his key does not work for the holotypes of E. crucis and E. novomexicanus , which Brumley believed to be the same species. Unlike in E. rufulus , in the E. crucis holotype the axillae do not extend beyond the midlength of the mesoscutellum, and the axilla is not conspicuously diverging from the side of the mesoscutellum - the free portion is less than 1/3 as long as the entire medial length of the axilla. As a result of Brumley’s work, specimens of what are actually E. rufulus housed at various entomological institutions have been identified (or rather misidentified) as E. crucis .

Material studied.

Type material. Primary: USA: California: Mill Creek Canyon (San Bernardino County), 12.ix.1923, E.P. Van Duzee ( E. geminatus holotype ♀ [CAS, catalog number: 01610]); San Gabriel Mountains (near Pasadena), 15.vii.1909, F. Grinnell, Jr. ( T. gabrielis holotype ♂ [USNM, catalog number: 534044]); Colorado: Copeland Park (Boulder County), 06.ix.1907, G.M. Hite ( E. hitei holotype ♀ [USNM, catalog number: 534045]); New Mexico: Las Cruces, C.H. Townsend ( E. crucis holotype ♀ [USNM, catalog number: 534043]); Texas: G.W. Belfrage ( E. compactus lectotype ♀ [ANSP, catalog number: 2227]).

Secondary: USA: Colorado: ( E. compactus paralectotype ♀, AMNH).

DNA barcoded material with BIN-compliant sequences.

Available. BOLD:ACU6228. Specimens examined and sequenced.-Canada: Manitoba: Birds Hill Provincial Park (50.0114°N; 96.9028°W) (Division 12), 15.vii.2017, J. Gibbs (1♂, JBWM).

USA: California: 1♀ (PCYU); Oregon: 3♂ (PCYU); Washington: 1♀ (PCYU).

Non-barcoded material examined.

Canada: Alberta: 1♀ (KUNHM); British Columbia: 2♀, 1♂ (CNC); McIntyre Road (Oliver), 29.v.1958, H. and A. Howden (1♂, CNC); Saskatchewan: 1♂ (CNC).

Mexico: Baja California: 1 mi W San Borja, 12-13.vi.1967, E.L. Sleeper and E.M. Fisher (1♀, LACM); Baja California Sur: 6 km E Insurgentes, 24.iv.1975, E.M. Fisher (1♀, LACM); La Paz and vicinity, 11-14.vi.1975, H. Evans, W. Rubink, and D. Gwynne (1♀, CUM); Durango: Durango, 13.viii.1962, A.E. Michelbacher (1♀, EMEC); Sonora: 16 mi NW Puerto Peñasco, 29.iii.1965, C.J. McCoy (1♂, CUM).

USA: Arizona: 2♀, 1♂ (AMNH, PCYU); 15 mi S Bullhead City (Mohave County), 07.iv.1977, L. Bezark (1♀, UCBME); Oak Creek Valley Road (Yavapai County), 16.vi.1978, R.C. Miller (1♀, UCBME); California: 1♀, 3♂ (AMNH, FSCA); Andreas Canyon (Riverside County), 30.iii.1977, R.M. Bohart (1♂, UCBME); Arroyo Seco Campground (Monterey County), 19.v.1964, F.D. Parker (1♀, UCBME); 19.v.1964, R.M. Bohart (1♂, UCBME), 23.vii.1967, R.F. Denno (1♀, UCBME); Charlton Flats (San Gabriel Mountains), 08.ix.1977, A.S. Menke (1♀, UCBME); Felton Springs (Santa Cruz County), 16.vi.1973, R.M. Bohart (1♂, UCBME); Granite Mountains (San Bernardino County), 10.x.1977, N.J. Smith (1♀, UCBME), 10.x.1977, R.M. Bohart (1♀, UCBME); Mojave (Kern County), 23.v.1978, R.P. Meyer (2♂, UCBME); Peña Spring (San Diego County) (1♀, BBSL); Thousand Palms (Riverside County), 11.iv.1970, E.E. Grissell (1♀, UCBME); Colorado: 3♀ (AMNH, PCYU); Nevada: Kings Canyon (5 mi W Carson City), 07.viii.1975, B. Villegas (1♂, UCBME); New Mexico: 8♂ (AMNH, PCYU); Granite Gap (18 mi N Rodeo, Hidalgo County), 07.ix.1976, R.M. Bohart (1♀, UCBME); Oklahoma: 1♀ (FSCA); Oregon: 1♂ (PCYU); Texas: 7.6 mi S Van Horn (Culberson County), 27.iv.1979, R.R. Snelling (1♀, LACM); Rd 1108 (4-8 mi SE 652, Culberson County), 14.vi.2005, J.L. Neff and A. Hook (1♂, CTMI); Z H Canyon (30.0920°N; 104.6620°W) (Presidio County), 19.v.2005, J.L. Neff and A. Hook (1♀, CTMI); Washington: 1♀ (PCYU); Wyoming: 1♀, 2♂ (AMNH).