Superfamily APOIDEA 2133 



Genus SV ASTRA Subgenus EPIMELISSODES Ashmead 



Epimelissodes Ashmead, 1899. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 26: 63. 



Type-species: Melissodes atripes Cresson. Monotypic and orig. desig. 



Species Group Atripes 



atripes atrimitra (LaBerge). N. J. south to Fla., Ala., Miss. Pollen: Unknown, but visits 

 flowers of Afze I ia, Bradburya virginiana, Buddleia, Chamaecrista, Gerardia, 

 Gossypiiim herbaceum, Hibiscus, Koellia hysopifolia, Kuhnistera, Monarda punctata, 

 Passiflora incamata, Priynula vulgaris, Rhus. 

 Melissodes {Epimelissodes) atripes atrimitra LaBerge, 1956. Kans. Univ. Sci. Bui. 37: 949. 

 6, 9. 



Taxonomy: Mitchell, 1962. N. C. Agr. Expt. Sta. Tech. Bui. 152: 259 (floral records). 

 atripes atripes (Cresson). 111., Mo., and La., west to N. Mex. and Colo. Pollen: Unknown, but 

 visits flowers o{ Asclepias incamata, Aster, Bidens aristosa, Cassia fasciculata, 

 Chrysopsis, Cleome serrulata, Dalea lanata, Gaillardia, Gonolobus laevis, Gossypium 

 herbaceum, Helenium, Helianthus annuus, Ipomoea pandurata, Kuhnistera, Lythrum 

 alatum, Melilotus alba, Pycnanthemum virgijiianum,, Thelesperma megapotamicum. 

 Verbena hastata, V. stiicta, Vernonia fasciculata. 

 Melissodes atripes Cresson, 1872. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 4: 275. 9. 



Taxonomy: Robertson, 1898. Acad. Sci. St. Louis, Trans. 8: 54. 9, c5. —Mitchell, 1962. N. C. 

 Agr. Expt. Sta. Tech. Bui. 152: 257, fig. 80 (redescription, floral records). 

 atripes georgica (Cresson). East coast of Ga. and Fla. Pollen: Unknown, but visits flowers of 

 Bidens, Rhus. 

 Melissodes georgica Cresson, 1878. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., Proc. 30: 200. 6. 



Taxonomy: Mitchell, 1962. N. C. Agr. Expt. Sta. Tech. Bui. 152: 259 (tax. characters, floral 

 records). 



Species Group Obliqua 



aegis (LaBerge). Tex. to Fla., north to N. C. Pollen: Unknown, but visits flowers of Aster 

 pruinosa, Chrysopsis, Helenium tenuifolium, Helianthus annuus, H. radula, 

 Kuhnistera, Vernonia glauca. 

 Melissodes (Epimelissodes) aegis LaBerge, 1956. Kans. Univ. Sci. Bui. 37: 959. 6,9. 



Taxonomy: Mitchell, 1962. N. C. Agr. Expt. Sta. Tech. Bui. 152: 256-257, fig. 79 

 (redescription, floral records). 

 Comanche (Cresson). Colo., N. Mex., Tex. Pollen: Unknown, but males visit flowers of 

 Ximensia californica. 

 Melissodes comanche Cresson, 1872. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 4: 276. 9, <J. 

 grandissima (Cockerell). Southeast. Tex. Pollen: Unknown, but the sexes have been collected 

 at flowers of Ximensia encelioides. 

 Melissodes gra7idissima Cockerell, 1905. Canad. Ent. 37: 334. 9. 

 Melissodes atripes var. acomanche Cockerell, 1906. Amer. Ent. Soc, Trans. 32: 109. cJ. 



Taxonomy: Cockerell, 1906. Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. (7) 17: 361. 6. —LaBerge, 1963. Kans. 

 Ent. Soc, Jour. 36: 56 (geogr. records). 

 helianthelli (Cockerell). Tex., and Kans. west to South. Calif.; Mexico (Baja California). Pollen: 

 Unknown, but has been collected at flowers of Gossypium herbaceum, Helianthus 

 a7i7iuus, Verbesi^ia encelioides. 

 Melissodes helianthelli Cockerell, 1905. Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. (7) 15: 525. 9. 

 machaerantherae (Cockerell). Tex. (El Paso) to South. Calif.; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, 

 Sonora). Pollen: Unknown, but visits flowers of Asclepias subverticillata. Aster, 

 Baccharis, Cryptantha oblata, Cucurbita palmata, Haplopappus, Helenium hoopesii, 

 Heliaiithus, Kallstroemia, Machaeranthera, Melilotus alba, Verbesi7ia oreophila, 

 Wislizenia refracta. 

 Melissodes machaerantherae Cockerell, 1904. Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. (7) 14: 21. i, 9. 



Taxonomy: LaBerge, 1963. Kans. Ent. Soc, Jour. 36: 55 (geogr. and floral records). 



