Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Megachile umbripennis

Honeybee-mimic Bee

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult	34KB
Image:	Adult putting leaf-disc into nest	83KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Honeybee-mimic Bee

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: RANGE se.Asia - w.South Pacific; EXOTIC EXOTIC ? - Cooks - Societies; Hawai‘i

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Polynesian, Naturalised; S.Group - widespread & common;; Land, lowlands

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Pollinator

Enlarged Image of 'Megachile umbripennis'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
+++		+++			+++

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
			++

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Megachile umbripennis F.Smith, 1853
SYNONYMS: Chalicodoma umbripenne (F.Smith, 1853); Megachile (Callomegachile) umbripennis F.Smith, 1853

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; ARTHROPODA; ATELOCERATA; HEXAPODA; INSECTA; PTERYGOTA; Hymenoptera; Apocrita; Aculeata; Apoidea; MEGACHILIDAE. COMMENT: Sometimes placed in ANDRENIDAE

More Information

GENERAL NOTE: Kuhlmann (2006, special reference) reports Snelling noting its presence in Hawai‘i in early 1800s suggesting it was a Polynesian Introduction, and Kuhlmann suggests a similar origin for the Cook Islands.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: one specimen, 3/1979, N.L.H.Krauss Coll. BPBM, ID R.R.Snelling '97 as Chalicodoma umbripenne; specimen+photo, 1999, BESO#686, G.McCormack with ID as Chalicodoma umbripenne; specimens, Arorangi, upper beach, 2004/9, M.Kuhlmann, in 2006 paper as Megachile (Callomegachile) umbripennis; Mangaia: specimens, Ivirua on makatea, 30m elev., 2004/9, M.Kuhlmann, in 2006 paper as Megachile (Callomegachile) umbripennis; Atiu: 6 specimens, 1976, N.L.H.Krauss Coll. BPBM, ID R.R.Snelling '97 as Megachile nigripennis. Aitutaki: several specimens, 1960 & 1977, N.L.H.Krauss Coll. BPBM, ID R.R.Snelling '97 as Megachile nigripennis. Pukapuka: specimen+photo, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Chalicodoma umbripenne, to BPBM.

References:
Special Reference: Kuhlmann, M. (2006) Fauna and Biogeography of the Bees and Wasps of the Cook Islands (Hymenoptera Aculeata), J. Hym. Res. 15(1):26-37.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zupB06a, zM02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List