Melissodes

Subgenus Melissodes (5 taxa)

These are some of the most common members of the Melissodes in Florida, with M. bimaculata bimaculata, M. communis, and M. comptoides found throughout Florida, nearly all year. M. bimaculata nulla is a color variant restricted to extreme SE Florida while M. tepaneca is likely found throughout the panhandle and slightly southward in the northern peninsula. All five species visit a wide range of flowers, but do not appear to collect pollen from members of the Asteraceae as many other Melissodes (Eumelissodes) do. This may explain their much longer period of flight when compared to the mostly fall-flying Eumelissodes.

Males are keyed out below. Females may be keyed out using the key from the subgenus Eumelissodes.

Key to males of Melissodes, subgenus Melissodes

  1. Pubescence of legs black, at least in part…1
  2. melbimbimmaletergum.JPG (83137 bytes)

    Pubescence of legs entirely pale…2

    melcommalemidrearlegs.JPG (59674 bytes)

  3. Pubescence of mid and hind tibiae and basitarsi white..M. bimaculata bimaculata
  4. melbimbimmaletergum.JPG (83137 bytes)

    Pubescence of mid and hind tibiae and basitarsi blackish or fuscous…M. bimaculata nulla

  5. Wings lightly but uniformly infuscated…4
  6. melcommalewing2.JPG (39527 bytes)

    Wings at most faintly yellowish, usually hyaline…M. tepaneca

    meltepfemwing.JPG (43631 bytes)

  7. Pubescence of scutum and scutellum entirely pale ochraceous…M. comptoides

melcompmalescutum2.JPG (61010 bytes)

Scutum and scutellum with considerable fuscous pubescence…M. communis

melcommalescutellum3.JPG (68120 bytes)

 

Apidae: Melissodes bimaculata bimaculata Lepeletier

County Records: Leon, Miami-Dade

melbimbim.jpg (75909 bytes)

Locations: Indian River, Lacooche, Orange City, Sanford, Suwannee Springs, ENP

Dates: January-October

Plants: polylectic; not a big visitor to Asteraceae. Sida sp.

Notes: found throughout Florida

Female: melbimbimfemscoparear.JPG (90609 bytes) melbimbimfemscoparear2.JPG (87309 bytes) melbimbimfemface.JPG (79713 bytes) melbimbimfemtergum.JPG (99145 bytes) melbimbimfemtergum2.JPG (92313 bytes) melbimbimfemtop.JPG (94927 bytes) melbimbimfemwing.JPG (71715 bytes)

Male: melbimbimmaleface.JPG (57048 bytes) melbimbimmaleface2.JPG (83707 bytes) melbimbimmaleside.JPG (74890 bytes) melbimbimmaletergum.JPG (83137 bytes) melbimbimmaletop.JPG (103439 bytes)

 

 

Apidae: Melissodes bimaculata nulla LaBerge

County Records: Miami-Dade, Monroe

melbimnul.jpg (74030 bytes)

Locations: ENP

Dates: Feb.-May

Plants: polylectic; not a big visitor to Asteraceae.

Notes: Endemic subspecies restricted to SE Florida. No photos available-Appears similar to nominal subspecies except in color.

 

Apidae: Melissodes communis communis Cresson

County Records: Alachua, Clay, Escambia, Jefferson, Highlands, Leon, Levy, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Putnam, St. Lucie.

melcomcom.jpg (75385 bytes)

Locations:, Big Pine Key, Bradenton, Bartow, Biscayne Bay, Boca Grade, Camp Crystal, Cedar Key, Centerville, Cocoa, Cocoanut Grove, Coral Gables, Crescent City, Dade City, Daytona, Englewood, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Ft. Pierce, Gainesville, Goulds, Homestead, Indian River, Jacksonville, Key Largo, Key West, Lacoochee, Lake Okeechobee, Larkins, Long Key, Marco, Matheson Hammock, Miami, Miami Beach, Naples, Naranja, No Name Key, Paradise Key, Parrish, Perry, Punta Gorda, Royal Palm Hammock, Royal Palm State Park, Sanford, Sanibel Island, South Bay, Stock Island, , South Miami, Suwannee Springs, Tamaiami Trail, Titusville, Torreya ravine, Upper Matecumbe Key, Warren’s Cave, Winter Park

Dates: March-October

Plants: polylectic, not a big visitor to composites, prefers legumes. Tetragonetheca helianthoides, Chrysobalanus oblongifolius,

Notes: Occurs throughout Florida. Along with M. comptoides, very common.

Female: melcomfemfront.JPG (44657 bytes) melcomfemclypeus.JPG (62724 bytes) melcomfemclypeussidehairs.JPG (43062 bytes) melcomfemeye.JPG (50574 bytes) melcomfemlabrum.JPG (62164 bytes) melcomfemvertex.JPG (66653 bytes) melcomfemtopsideoblique.JPG (46988 bytes) melcomfemwing.JPG (45806 bytes) melcomfembelow.JPG (67658 bytes) melcomfemside.JPG (50885 bytes) melcomfemmesepisternumside.JPG (58591 bytes) melcomfemscutum.JPG (55014 bytes) melcomfemtegulae.JPG (64967 bytes) melcomfemtegulaeclose.JPG (58470 bytes) melcomfemscutellum.JPG (65511 bytes) melcomfemspatuloplumosehairs.JPG (67172 bytes) melcomfemspatuloplumosehairsclose.JPG (60857 bytes) melcomfemspatuloplumosehairsclose2.JPG (61521 bytes) melcomfemspatuloplumosehairsclose3.JPG (61746 bytes)melcomfemmidbasitarsus.JPG (41079 bytes) melcomfemmidrearlegs.JPG (52039 bytes) melcomfemscopa.JPG (60396 bytes) melcomfemtergatop.JPG (51144 bytes)  melcomfemtergum1.JPG (65089 bytes) melcomfemterga1_3.JPG (67623 bytes) melcomfemtergalhairsside.JPG (48745 bytes) melcomfempygidialplate.JPG (46075 bytes) melcomfempygidialplateclose.JPG (43677 bytes)

Male: melcommalefront.JPG (46004 bytes) melcommaleface.JPG (55481 bytes) melcommaleclypeus.JPG (43811 bytes) melcommaleclypeusside.JPG (34336 bytes) melcommaleantennae.JPG (43679 bytes) melcommaleeye.JPG (55820 bytes) melcommalevertex.JPG (54517 bytes) melcommalebelow.JPG (42902 bytes) melcommaletop.JPG (41025 bytes) melcommaleside.JPG (51384 bytes) melcommalewing.JPG (37114 bytes) melcommalewing2.JPG (39527 bytes) melcommalemesepisternum.JPG (66065 bytes) melcommalemidrearlegs.JPG (59674 bytes) melcommalescutellum2.JPG (67504 bytes) melcommalescutum.JPG (55546 bytes) melcommalescutellum3.JPG (68120 bytes) melcommalescutellum.JPG (61914 bytes) melcommalescutellumside.JPG (58189 bytes) melcommaletergatop.JPG (57013 bytes) melcommaletergatop2.JPG (63443 bytes) melcommaleterga1.JPG (73809 bytes) melcommaletergaclose.JPG (68172 bytes) 

 

Apidae: Melissodes comptoides Robertson

County Records: Jefferson, Leon, Levy, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Santa Rosa, St. Lucie

melcomp.jpg (72363 bytes)

Locations: Bradentown, Cocoa, Cedar Key, Estero, Lacooche, Miami Beach, Pensacola, Punta Rasa, Royal Palm Hammock, Royal Palm State Park, Sanibel, Suwannee Springs, Swan, Vero Beach

Dates: April-October

Plants: polylectic, not composites. Sida sp.

Notes: occurs throughout Florida

Female: melcompfemfront.JPG (48298 bytes) melcompfemface.JPG (66531 bytes) melcompfemeye.JPG (48555 bytes) melcompfemmandible.JPG (44259 bytes) melcompfemvertex.JPG (60206 bytes) melcompfemvertexside.JPG (42648 bytes) melcompfemtop.JPG (59616 bytes) melcompfemwing.JPG (61640 bytes) melcompfemwing2.JPG (64207 bytes) melcompfemscutum.JPG (64599 bytes) melcompfemtegulae.JPG (49829 bytes) melcompfemscutellum.JPG (63736 bytes) melcompfemmesepisternumside.JPG (63060 bytes) melcompfemmesepisternumfront.JPG (55958 bytes) melcompfemmidleg.JPG (48677 bytes) melcompfemmidleg2.JPG (65323 bytes) melcompfemrearleg.JPG (49034 bytes) melcompfemscopa.JPG (55039 bytes) melcompfemtergatop.JPG (71093 bytes) melcompfemterga1_2.JPG (63753 bytes) 

Male: melcompmaleface.JPG (53421 bytes) melcompmalefaceside.JPG (46226 bytes) melcompmaleeye.JPG (49507 bytes) melcompmaleantennae.JPG (45313 bytes) melcompmalelabrum.JPG (46316 bytes) melcompmalemandible.JPG (44043 bytes) melcompmalevertex.JPG (57091 bytes) melcompmaletop.JPG (50980 bytes) melcompmaleside.JPG (50647 bytes) melcompmalebelow.JPG (54928 bytes) melcompmalescutum.JPG (62866 bytes) melcompmalescutum2.JPG (61010 bytes) melcompmaletegulae.JPG (59483 bytes) melcompmaletergatop.JPG (70528 bytes) melcompmalegenitaldorsal.JPG (51104 bytes) melcompmalegenitaldorsalclose.JPG (45612 bytes) melcompmalegenitalside.JPG (42724 bytes) melcompmalegenitalside2.JPG (34065 bytes) melcompmalesterna.JPG (43506 bytes) melcompmalegenitalventral.JPG (43886 bytes) melcompmalegenitalventralclose.JPG (38007 bytes) melcompmalegenitalventralclose2.JPG (44923 bytes) melcompmalegenitalventralclose3.JPG (32353 bytes)

 

 

Apidae: Melissodes tepaneca Cresson

County Records: Escambia, Leon

meltep.jpg (71504 bytes)

Locations: Pensacola, Tall Timbers Research Station

Dates: June-October

Plants: polylectic, does not appear use Asteraceae for pollen.

Notes: Externally, nearly indistinguishable from some specimens of M. comptoides. Wing membranes are clear, not infumate; in females, apical punctures of tergum 2 are finer; clypeus has shallower punctures and more dense shagreening ground areas. Males can be identified on the basis of male terminalia characters. Likely occurs only in panhandle of Florida based on map in LaBerge.

Female: meltepfemfront.JPG (48932 bytes) meltepfemface.JPG (66798 bytes) meltepfemclypeusside.JPG (45891 bytes) meltepfemeye.JPG (50655 bytes) meltepfemmandible.JPG (54638 bytes) meltepfemvertex.JPG (70274 bytes) meltepfemwing.JPG (43631 bytes) meltepfemside.JPG (50193 bytes) meltepfemmesepisternum.JPG (58134 bytes) meltepfemmidbasitarsus.JPG (47056 bytes) meltepfemrearleg.JPG (65003 bytes) meltepfemrearlegside.JPG (54807 bytes) meltepfemscopa.JPG (52686 bytes) meltepfemscutum.JPG (58957 bytes) meltepfemtegulae.JPG (48910 bytes) meltepfemscutellum.JPG (65942 bytes) meltepfemthoraxoblique.JPG (57727 bytes) meltepfemtergatop.JPG (71401 bytes) meltepfemtergaside.JPG (37406 bytes) meltepfemtergasideclose.JPG (35609 bytes) meltepfempygidialplate.JPG (67191 bytes)