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.
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 Penstemon, Phacelia, 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.
Hoplitis producta subgracilis is endemic to the Columbia Basin, but has been recorded from several sites.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Profile prepared by Matthew Shepherd, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
