Megachile rufipennis Fabricius

Megachile rufipennis Fabricius

GENUS  (The bees of the World by Michener 2007)

FEMALE:

• Scopa present on S2 to S5 or S6
• Metasoma not tapering throughout its length

MALE:

• T6 with large preapical carina (apparent apex of metasoma), often crenulate, often emarginated medially, sometimes reduced to two spines or rarely absent
• Posterior lobe of pronotum usually with weak transverse ridge, sometimes with carina or low lamella but without spine

SPECIES (See Key to the genus Megachile, Chalicodoma group (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Cuba by Julio Genaro)

FEMALE:

• 12 segmented antenna, scopa present on metasomal sterna
• Entire metasoma quite densely rufous; wings yellow, veins not contrasting with the general wing surface; robust form

MALE

• 13 segmented antenna, scopa absent
• Metasoma with four exposed sterna, S4 exposed, not covered by S3,
• wings not hyaline
• Protarsus dilated, probasitarsus with glabrous excavation along anterior, inner margin; metasomal T5 and T6 with fulvous pilosity