BIOLOGY AND SYSTEMATICS OF THE 
BEE GENUS CRAWFORDAPIS 
(COLLETIDAE, DIPHAGLOSSINAE) 
By Gard W. Otis 1 , Ronald J. McGinley 2 , Lyn Garling 3 , 
and Luis Malaret 3 
Crawfordapis luctuosa (Smith) is a robust, dusky-haired bee, pres- 
ently known from only a few localities in Mexico and Central Amer- 
ica. Individuals can be as long as 24 mm and superficially resemble 
the more familiar diphaglossine bees of the genera Ptiloglossa and 
Caupolicana to which they are related. All three genera are placed in 
the Caupolicanini which is characterized by the complete pre- 
episternal groove and very elongate first flagellar segment. While 
Crawfordapis is currently considered to be monotypic, 
Michener (1966) raised the possibility that the material from the 
more northern localities (Mexico and Guatemala) may represent a 
distinct species. Much more material from different localities is 
needed before that problem can be considered. 
The purpose of this paper is to present biological observations 
made on Crawfordapis by three of us in Costa Rica (L.G., L.M., 
G.O.). In addition, the larva of Crawfordapis is described and the 
systematic interrelationships of diphaglossine genera are reviewed 
(R.M.). 
Biology 
Description of the Site 
Two nesting aggregations of Crawfordapis luctuosa were observed 
approximately 5 km east of Monteverde, Province of Puntarenas, 
Costa Rica (10°18'N, 84°47'W) on trails at 1540 m elevation. The 
surrounding vegetation is best described as elfin forest, with some 
characteristic plant species being Lycopsidium cernuum, Senecio 
megaphyllus, Clibadium sp., Gunnera sp. and Myrica phanerodouta 
■Environmental Biology Dept., University of Guelph, ON NIG 2W1, Canada. 
2 Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138. 
Present address: Dept, of Entomology, N.H.B. 105, Smithsonian Inst., Wash- 
ington, D.C. 20560. 
3 Dept. of Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 326F1 
Manuscript received by the editor July 7, 1982 
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