Mentzelia
Guides
Macrosiphum mentzeliae
blazingstar aphid
Macrosiphum mentzeliae is an aphid species in the family Aphididae, first described by Wilson in 1915. The species is known by the common name 'blazingstar aphid', likely referencing an association with plants in the genus Mentzelia (blazingstars). It belongs to the large genus Macrosiphum, which contains numerous aphid species that feed on various host plants. Very few observations of this species have been recorded, with only a single observation documented on iNaturalist. The species is currently listed as a synonym in the Catalogue of Life, suggesting taxonomic uncertainty or consolidation with another taxon.
Schinia luxa
Schinia luxa is a noctuid moth native to southwestern North America. The species exhibits variable coloration, ranging from plain white or light gray to individuals with dark gray spotting. Adults are active from August to September, with a wingspan of 26–31 mm. The larvae are specialist feeders on Mentzelia species.
Xeralictus
Xeralictus sweat bees
Xeralictus is a genus of small sweat bees in the family Halictidae, subfamily Rophitinae. The genus contains at least three described species, including X. bicuspidariae, X. biscuspidariae, and X. timberlakei. These bees are associated with desert environments in southwestern North America and exhibit specialized pollination relationships involving floral mimicry systems.
Xeralictus bicuspidariae
Xeralictus bicuspidariae is a rare bee species in the family Halictidae, discovered to play a central role in a floral mimicry system in the Sonoran Desert. The species is one of two rare Xeralictus bees involved in a pollination relationship with Mentzelia involucrata, a yellow-flowered plant in the family Loasaceae. Male bees patrol for females at these flowers, where they attempt to mate with females buried head-first in the blossoms. This behavior has been exploited by the orchid-like plant Mohavea confertiflora, which mimics both the appearance of Mentzelia flowers and the visual cue of a female bee abdomen, tricking males into attempting copulation and thereby transferring pollen.
Xeralictus timberlakei
Timberlake's Blazingstar-Shortface
Xeralictus timberlakei is a species of sweat bee in the family Halictidae, first described by Cockerell in 1927. It is one of at least two species in the genus Xeralictus, which are rare bees associated with floral mimicry systems in southwestern North America. The species is found in North America, though specific details about its biology remain poorly documented compared to its congener X. bicuspidariae.