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Mason bees

Hoplitis producta subgracilis
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U.S. State
Idaho
Nevada
Oregon
Washington
Canadian Province
British Columbia
Description

Hoplitis producta subgracilis is endemic to the Columbia Basin but has been recorded in a range of habitat types and sites, and thus, is probably more secure than many of the region’s endemic bees.

 

Taxonomic Status

Tepedino & Griswold (1995) state that its taxonomic status is somewhat problematic.

 

Life History

The flight season of Hoplitis producta subgracilis is in July and August. Little is known of its foraging preferences. Other members of its species group are generalists and it is likely that Hoplitis producta subgracilis visits a range of plants including the genera PenstemonPhacelia, and Astragalus and the families Leguminosae, Rosaceae, and Scrophulariaceae. Michener (2000) says most species of Alcidamea nest in pithy stems and make partitions of chewed leaf materials, sometimes supplemented with pith particles or pebbles. In addition, programs utilizing trap nests using holes in wood do not recover nests from subgenus Alcidamea. It can be assumed that Hoplitis producta subgracilis nests in pithy stems. It has been recorded in a number of habitat types within the Columbia Basin, including Interior Ponderosa Pine, Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir, Idaho fescue/slender wheatgrass, and Agriculture.

 

Distribution

Hoplitis producta subgracilis is endemic to the Columbia Basin, but has been recorded from several sites.

 

Conservation Status

Xerces Red List Status: Vulnerable

Other Rankings:

Canada – Species at Risk Act: N/A
Canada – provincial status: N/A
Mexico: N/A
USA – Endangered Species Act: N/A
USA – state status: N/A
NatureServe: N/A
IUCN Red List: N/A

Although an endemic species, Hoplitis producta subgracilis has been recorded in a range of habitat types and sites and thus is probably more secure than many of the region’s endemic bees.

 

Threats

Little is known of Hoplitis producta subgracilis, making it difficult to assess threats, although as with all bees, especially those found in agricultural areas, disruption to and loss of habitat and use of pesticides are probable threats.

 

Conservation Needs

Ensure that suitable flowering plants persist and that appropriate nesting substrate remains. Little is known of the biology of this species. Studies of both the nesting and foraging habits would be valuable.

 

References

Michener, C.D. 2000. The Bees of the World. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Tepedino, V.J., and T.L. Griswold. 1995. The bees of the Columbia Basin. Final report, USDA Forest Service, Portland, OR. 212 pp (Technical Report)

 

Citation

Shepherd, M. D. 2005. Species Profile: Hoplitis producta subgracilis. In Shepherd, M. D., D. M. Vaughan, and S. H. Black (Eds). Red List of Pollinator Insects of North America. CD-ROM Version 1 (May 2005). Portland, OR: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

 

Prepared By

Profile prepared by Matthew Shepherd, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

 

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