Centris rhodopus Cockerell 1897

Centris (Paracentris) rhodopus Cockerell

This is a chiefly desert species ranging from Texas to southern California and northern Mexico. It is common during the spring, summer, and fall, visiting a wide variety of plants for nectar and pollen, including Larrea, which, however, is not a preferred host. It has been reported actively collecting pollen from Solanum elaeagnifolium and S. rostratum in the morning near Douglas, Arizona (Linsley and Cazier, 1963), and we have taken it in small numbers at Hoffmanseggia, Acacia, and Dalea. During our sampling program we found it frequently at the flowers of Larrea in western New Mexico, southern Arizona (Tables 9, 10–11), and Sonora, Mexico.