Distributional Patterns of Selected Western North American Insects: Distributional Patterns of Bees of the Genus Ceratina

Abstract

The geographic distribution of nine species of Ceratina (C. dallatorreana Friese, C. tejonensis Cresson, C. punetigena Cockerell, C. gigantea H. S. Smith, C. sequoiae Michener, C. arizonensis Cockerell, C. acantha Provancher, C. neomexicana Cockerell, and C. pacifica H. S. Smith) was compared with various climatological and biogeographic divisions of Western North America. Emphasis was placed on the distribution of eight species (excluding C. neomexicana) in California. Only the major features are listed here. When compared to Köppen's classification of climates (map in Ackerman, 1941), the “Csa” or warm temperate rainy climate with dry hot summers was inhabited by all eight of the species. Other climates favored were “Dsb” and “Csb.” Of the various subdivisions of Thornthwaite's classification (1931), “BBs” or humid mesothermal climate with rain deficient in summer, “CBs” or sub-humid mesothermal climate with summer deficiency, and “DBs” or semiarid mesothermal climate with summer deficiency, each possessed at least seven species.