TrichocolletesTrichocolletes pulcherrimus

Images and Author Gary Taylor ◦

Trichocolletes pulcherrimus on Gastrolobiums sp © Gary Taylor
Trichocolletes pulcherrimus on Gastrolobiums sp © Gary Taylor

Windy, cloudy crappy day for bees, but not as windy and crappy as the two previous days and it’s my last day off before work starts again so with little hope of finding anything, let alone anything new, (doesn’t matter, I just need a bush run…) we set off… So, not expecting to see much I was stoked to be in the right place at the right time when this big gorgeous girl popped in 😃 Trichocolletes

Later, I was to find out that she is a Trichocolletes pulcherrimus.

Author Gary Taylor
Trichocolletes pulcherrimus on Gastrolobiums sp © Gary Taylor
Trichocolletes pulcherrimus on Gastrolobiums sp © Gary Taylor

Abstract. The endemic Australian bee genus Trichocolletes is revised. Forty species are recognised, including twenty-three new species: Trichocolletes aeratus, T. albigenae, T. avialis, T. brachytomus, T. brunilabrum, T. capillosus, T. centralis, T. dundasensis, T. fuscus, T. gelasinus, T. grandis, T. lacaris, T. leucogenys, T. luteorufus, T. macrognathus, T. micans, T. nitens, T. orientalis, T. platyprosopis, T. serotinus, T. simus, T. soror and T. tuberatus. Four new synonymies are proposed: Paracolletes marginatus lucidus Cockerell, 1929 = T. chrysostomus (Cockerell, 1929); T. daviesiae Rayment, 1931 = T. venustus (Smith, 1862); T. marginatulus Michener, 1965 = T. sericeus (Smith, 1862); T. nigroclypeatus Rayment, 1929 = T. venustus (Smith, 1862). Trichocolletes rufus (Rayment, 1930) is moved to Leioproctus and T. rufopilosus (Rayment, 1935) to Anthoglossa. Descriptions are given for new species and redescriptions for species described before 1965, including first descriptions of males of T. aureotinctus (Cockerell), T. burnsi Michener, T. latifrons (Cockerell) and T. maximus (Cockerell) and the females of T. dowerinensis Rayment and T. rufibasis (Cockerell). Lectotypes are designated for Lamprocolletes venustus Smith and Anthoglossa plumata Smith. Keys to species are provided for both sexes, as are distribution maps and a summary of recorded floral visitation.

Revision of the Australian Bee Genus Trichocolletes Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Paracolletini), Michael Batley (Australian Museum) and Terry F Houston (Western Australian Museum),
Trichocolletes (Callocolletes) pulcherrimus on Urodon dasyphylla, Coolgardie, WA © Marc Newman
Trichocolletes (Callocolletes) pulcherrimus on Urodon dasyphylla, Coolgardie, WA © Marc Newman
  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Hymenoptera
  • Superfamily: Apoidea
  • Informal: Apiformes
  • Family: Colletidae
  • Subfamily: Colletinae
  • Genus: Trichocolletes

Footnote & References

  1. Trichocolletes pulcherrimus, Photographs and content © Gary Taylor
  2. Trichocolletes pulcherrimus, Photographs and content © Marc Newman, Flickr, https://flickr.com/photos/koolbee/albums
  3. Revision of the Australian Bee Genus Trichocolletes Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Paracolletini), Michael Batley (Australian Museum) and Terry F Houston (Western Australian Museum), https://media.australian.museum/media/Uploads/Journals/24792/1589_complete.pdf
  4. Trichocolletes pulcherrimus Michener, 1965, Classification, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:38537627-6cad-4fee-baad-bbc8eca597c7#classification

TrichocolletesTrichocolletes pulcherrimus

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