Megachile concinna Smith

Weissmann, Julie A., Picanco, Ana, Borges, Paulo A. V. & Schaefer, Hanno, 2017, Bees of the Azores: an annotated checklist (Apidae, Hymenoptera), ZooKeys 642, pp. 63-95 : 82

Megachile concinna Smith

Megachile concinna Smith; syn.: Megachile atratula Rebmann (see Gonzalez et al. 2010)

Description.

Smallest of the leafcutter bees in the Azores (total length 9 mm in females and 7 mm in males). Strongly banded tergites, silvery-brown appearance. Females have a silvery pollen brush underneath the abdomen (Fig. 9e).

Distinguishing features.

Smallest of the leafcutter bees on the Azores, silvery-brown appearance; fast flyer.

General distribution.

Mediterranean region.

Distribution in the Azores.

Corvo, Flores, Faial.

First record.

Ornosa et al. (2007), as Megachile atratula .

Nesting.

Probably in sandy ground near the coast but no nest observations available from the Azores.

Social behaviour.

Solitary.

Foraging.

Polylectic, with strong preference for Fabaceae , especially Lotus species (Fig. 9f).

Phenology.

Observed in July-August.

Material.

None seen; listed in the AMNH database for the Azores - http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20l?id=AMNH_BEES67697

Note.

The Megachile concinna complex is currently focus of phylogenetic analyses by C. Praz but no Azorean material was included in the study (C. Praz, pers. comm., Sept. 2016).