Anthophora (Micranthophora) exigua Cresson 1879

Anthophora (Micranthophora) exigua Cresson, 1879 (Figs. 37B, 40E, 45E, 50E, 55E, 60E, 65E, 70E, 75E) Anthophora exigua Cresson, 1879: 211 (lectotype (Cresson, 1916): ♀; Nevada, USA; coll. Morrison; ANSP, 2276). Anthophora nigritula Cockerell, 1924: 52 (holotype: ♀; Huntington Lake, CA, USA; coll. E.P. Van Duzee, 18 Jul. 1919; CASENT, type 1575). NEW SYNONYM. Diagnosis. Males may be determined by the following character combination: facial maculations unusually pale, white to slightly yellow-green (Fig. 50E); galea strongly tessellate, dull; supraclypeal maculation present and strong, typically a transverse bar with rounded corners; T7 without medial longitudinal carina, lateral projections moderately sharp, and medial projections close together and rounded (Fig. 60E); and S6 with medial emargination slightly filled by transparent integument (somewhat similar to Fig. 38C). Females are immediately recognizable for the form of the anal fimbria, which is only very slightly larger medially, most of the setae there directed posteriorly over the rim (Fig. 37B). Females may be otherwise determined by the following character combination: facial maculations unusually pale, white to slightly yellow-green (Fig. 40E); galea strongly tessellate, dull; mandible with inferior tooth a slight ridge running roughly parallel to main blade (Fig. 40E); supraclypeal maculation always present, usually a transverse bar with rounded corners but sometimes amorphous; T5 with appressed setae; and S5 with dark setae at least in part. Male description. Head: Facial maculations usually creamy white, sometimes pale yellow-green. Galea reaching about middle of foretrochanter in repose; medium to dark brown; strongly tessellate, with very weak reflections if any; some otherwise normal specimens with long setae present. Mandible with inferior tooth ovular, parallel or only very slightly angled off main blade; often maculated up to near tip of inferior tooth (Fig. 50E). Labral rim tridentate. Clypeal maculation a somewhat variable band, typically very nearly reaching lateral sides, filling at least about half of clypeal height and often taller if pointed upward medially (Fig. 50E); punctation significantly sparser within maculation than without. Paraocular area immaculate. Supraclypeal area maculated; usually strongly transverse, roundedly rectangular, but uncommonly amorphous. Scape maculated; fully along length below. Mesosoma: Scutum shiny; with impunctate areas that may be invaded by sparse punctures. Tegula weakly translucent to somewhat transparent, medium to light brown. Basitibial plate absent. Metasoma: T1–T2 usually with appressed setae throughout, sometimes sparser medially; T2–T4 almost always with apical appressed setal bands, rarely fully covered; T5 usually with apical appressed setal band, sometimes covered or absent; T6 with or without appressed setae. Terga smooth between punctures, with strong reflections; apparent through appressed setae. Tergal rims relatively transparent, tan to light brown. Male T7 (Fig. 60E) without medial longitudinal carina, surface often obscured by setae; lateral projections moderately recurved, sharp but somewhat triangularly so; medial projections close together and short at tip, clearly rounded. Male S5 (Figs. 38A, 38C) setal arrangement unremarkable, without large, distinctive patches, at most longer along rim. Male S6 between Figs. 38B and 38C, emarginate but nearly filled with transparent integument, that integument somewhat triangular. Male S7 (Fig. 65E) with setae absent or nearly so around midpoint of length; widening from midpoint to tip, apical half widest clearly before rounded lateral tips; apical half vaguely trapezoidal, rim rounded outward. Male S8 (Fig. 70E) lateral projections reduced but distinct; medial projection narrowing to tip, apically emarginate. Male genital capsule (Fig. 75E) with outer corners, where gonocoxite tips curve inward, marked by small and weakly angular bump, best seen in profile; from corner to apex, in profile, gonocoxite relatively unmodified, convex to just before tip; tip, in profile, pointed and weakly curved ventrally; gonostylus tip position significantly exceeding that of gonocoxite, measured from above along primary axis of latter. Pubescence: See Fig. 55E. Appears medium to dark gray overall. Setae white to off-white, except as follows: vertex and scutum highly variable, from all light to strongly intermixed with dark; leg inner faces brown; sterna light. Female similar to male, except: Head: Mandible with inferior tooth ridge-like, paralleling or weakly angled off main blade; often less maculated, from base to near start of inferior tooth (Fig. 40E). Labral rim rounded; fully maculated. Supraclypeal maculation almost always strong. Scape immaculate. Mesosoma: Midtibial spur apically curved; tan to orange. Basitibial plate circular distally but sometimes slightly flattened, otherwise teardropped overall. Metasoma: T1–T4 usually with apical appressed setal bands, uncommonly absent in narrow basal zones; T5 with appressed setae almost completely obscuring surface below. T4 impunctate rim of short to moderate length medially, slightly visible to a broad and weakly triangular. Anal fimbria unusually short and almost linear along rim, many setae directed posteriorly over edge, usually covering clearly less than third of T5 length medially (Fig. 37B). Pubescence: See Fig. 45E. Hindbasitarsal brush dark brown; tergal basal zones dark when present; anal fimbria unusually shiny due to posterior angling of setae, dark brown to blackish; S5 always with some visible dark. Distribution. See Fig. 16. Present in USA: California, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Washington, likely Montana, likely New Mexico, possibly Arizona; possibly Mexico: possibly Baja California Norte; Canada: possibly British Columbia. Found throughout much of west, montane in most areas, occupying broader range of environments in coldest areas. Ecoregional habitance is as follows, based on 420 specimen records: 18 ecoregions total: Great Basin shrub steppe (106=25.2%), Sierra Nevada forests (85=20.2%), Snake- Columbia shrub steppe (79=18.8%), Wyoming Basin shrub steppe (64=15.2%), California montane chaparral and woodlands (18=4.3%), Blue Mountains forest (15=3.6%), Mojave Desert (10=2.4%), Colorado Plateau shrublands (10=2.4%), Colorado Rockies forests (10=2.1%), South Central Rockies forests (7=1.7%), Eastern Cascades forests (5=1.2%), California coastal sage and chaparral (4≤1%), Great Basin montane forests (2≤1%), Wasatch and Uinta montane forests (2≤1%), Sonoran Desert (1≤1%), California interior chaparral and woodlands (1≤1%), Klamath-Siskiyou forests (1≤1%), Central and Southern Cascades forests (1≤1%). Phenology. Recorded from April–October, primarily June–August, heavily dependent on elevation and region, generally flies earlier in warmer regions. Univoltine at higher elevations, potentially bivoltine lower. Nesting biology. Unknown. Floral specialization. Reported as a specialist on Chrysothamnus (Moldenke & Neff 1974). Likely more broadly specialized on Asteraceae. Primary recorded visits by 90 females include: Family Asteraceae (93%); Genus Grindelia (33%), Chrysothamnus (13%); Species Grindelia squarrosa (23%). 146 total floral records from nine families include: Asteraceae (49 ♂ 84 ♀): Aster adscendens 1 ♂, Aster scopulorum 1 ♂, Aster sp. 2 ♂ 5 ♀, Asteraceae sp. 3 ♂ 1 ♀, Asteraceae sp. 2 ♂, Asteraceae sp. 1 ♀, Chaenactis sp. 1 ♂ 2 ♀, Chrysothamnus sp. 9 ♂ 9 ♀, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus 3 ♀, Crepis sp. 1 ♂, Ericameria linearifolia 1 ♂, Ericameria nauseosa 1 ♂ 3 ♀, Ericameria sp. 1 ♂ 5 ♀, Erigeron elmeri 1 ♀, Erigeron sp. 2 ♂, Grindelia sp. 1 ♂ 9 ♀, Grindelia squarrosa 9 ♂ 21 ♀, Haplopappus sp. 1 ♂ 4 ♀, Helianthus annuus 1 ♂, Helianthus sp. 1 ♀, Heterotheca villosa 5 ♂ 6 ♀, Lessingia tenuis 1 ♂, Oreostemma alpigenum 1 ♀, Orochaenactis thysanocarpha 1 ♂ 7 ♀, Pentachaeta aurea 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Senecio sp. 2 ♀, Silphium sp. 1 ♂, Stephanomeria sp. 1 ♂, Symphyotrichum ascendens 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Taraxacum sp. 1 ♀, Viguiera sp. 1 ♂, Fabaceae (1 ♀): Melilotus sp. 1 ♀, Lamiaceae (2 ♂): Monardella odoratissima 1 ♂, Monardella sp. 1 ♂, Loasaceae (1 ♀): Mentzelia sp. 1 ♀, Malvaceae (1 ♂): Sphaeralcea sp. 1 ♂, Plantaginaceae (2 ♂): Penstemon sp. 2 ♂, Poaceae (1 ♂ 1 ♀): Elymus sp. 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Polygonaceae (3 ♀): Eriogonum effusum 1 ♀, Eriogonum wrightii 2 ♀, Portulacaceae (1 ♂): Calyptridium sp. 1 ♂. Comments. The synonymy of A. nigritula to the senior synonym A. exigua is formally made here, as the former was designated primarily for pubescence color and is in fact well within variation otherwise observed for A. exigua. This synonymy is supported by Timberlake determination labels which read “anthophora exigua Cress (= nigritula Ckll.) Timb. det.” Note that this species is very commonly confused with A. petrophila by prior authors, and that Orr determinations prior to 2013 may also be suspect. Specimens examined: USA: CALIFORNIA: Alpine County: Bear Valley: 1 ♀, 1 Sep 1979, A.R. Moldenke; Lake Alpine: 1 ♂, 15 Jul 1977, A.R. Moldenke; Contra Costa County: Richmond: 1 ♀, 6 Apr 1975, S.A. Cameron; El Dorado County: Echo Lake: 1 ♂, 27 Jul 1955, W.W. Middlekauff; 1 ♂, 21 Jul year unknown, A. Bartel; Lake Tahoe: 1 ♀, 1 Sep 1930, H. Keifer; Fresno County: Huntington Lake: 1 ♂, 8 Jul 1919, E.P. VanDuzee; 1 ♀, 30 Jul 1919, E.P. VanDuzee; Inyo County: Big Pine Creek Campground, Big Pine Canyon, Glacier Lodge Road, Inyo National Forest: 1 ♂, 16 Jul 1927, P.H. Timberlake; 1 ♂, 17 Jul 1927, P.H. Timberlake; Big Pine, 7 air mi NE: 1 ♂, 18 May 1979, S. Blower; 1 ♂, 18 May 1979, T.L. Griswold; Independence, 5 km E: 1 ♂, 17 Sep 1993, T.L. Griswold; White Mountains, Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Center, 0.24 Air mi SWbW: 3 ♀, 6 Aug 2014, T.L. Griswold; White Mountains, Bristlecone Pine Forest Visitor Center, 2.88 Air mi NNW: 1 ♀, 25 Jun 2012, T.L. Griswold; White Mountains, Goat Spring, 1.06 Air mi NWbW: 1 ♂, 24

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