Apidae

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Apidae

• Big Bees Part 1

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Acknowledgements

• This presentation has been put together by a
  consortium of North American bee biologists
• This presentation has developed over many years
  and the original web picture acknowledgements
  were lost, if you see one of your pictures let us
  know and we will add your picture credit
• Correspondence can be sent to Sam Droege at
  sdroege_at_usgs.gov

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Format

• Each Genus has an information page followed by a
  page of illustrations and a map of the
  distribution of Eastern North American species
  western populations of Eastern species are shown,
  but the Western species are not mapped.
• The number of Eastern species are listed at the
  top of the page

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Apidae (Recently Combined with
Anthophoridae)Groups of Genera

• Covered in this presentation
• Anthophora 6 species
• Melecta - 1
• Habropoda - 1
• Holcopasites - 3
• Neolarra - 1
• Nomada - 80
• Centris 3
• Ericrocis - 1
• Ptilothrix 1
• Cemolobus - 1
• Xylocopa 2
• Ceratina 4
• Euglossa - 1
• Epeoloides 1

• Covered in Apidae part 2 presentation
• Peponapis - 1
• Xenoglossa - 2
• Apis - 1
• Bombus - 20
• Anthophorula - 2
• Exomalopsis - 1
• Eucera - 7
• Florilegus - 1
• Melissodes 27
• Triepeolus - 23
• Epeolus - 20
• Melitoma - 1
• Svastra - 5
• Tetraloniella - 2
• Xeromelecta - 2

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Anthophora

• Large, bumblebee in size, shape, and often
  coloration, can be found from Spring through Fall
• Lacks the bare patch (corbicula) found on the
  tibia of Bombus females
• Often nests in aggregations in the ground, in
  banks of dirt, or earthen homes
• Interior cells of the forewing without the
  abundant small hairs common in most of the other
  large species (except Habropoda and Melecta).
  These hairs most readily visible by sighting
  across the plane of the wing
• Told from Habropoda by the shape of the marginal
  and submarginal cells
• A recently introduced European species,
  Anthophora plumipes, expected to spread widely
• Similar genera Melecta, Xeromelecta,
  Florilegus, Tetraloniella, Melissodes, Svastra,
  Peponapis, Melitoma, Eucera

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Anthophora - 6
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Melecta

• About the size of a medium bumblebee and similar
  in aspect
• Rare nest parasite of Anthophora
• Marginal cell unusually short, its length only
  about as long as the end of the marginal cells
• Similar to Anthophora in that it has no minute
  hairs on the surface of the front wings interior
  cells
• Female has no pollen carrying hairs
• Similar genera Xeromelecta, Anthophora,
  Tetraloniella, Svastra, Eucera, Melissodes,
  Melitoma, Florilegus, Peponapis, Xenoglossa,
  Cemolobus

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Melecta pacifica Parasite of Anthophora
Rare
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Habropoda

• Uncommon, the size of small bumblebee, prefers
  ericaceous shrubs
• Usually associated with sandy areas
• Female looks very bumblebee like, male has bright
  yellow/ivory facial markings
• Like Anthophora and Melecta the interior of the
  front wings cells are nearly hairless
• Shape of the wing cells separates this species
  from Anthophora
• Similar genera Anthophora

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Habropoda laboriosa
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Holcopasites

• Uncommon to rare nest parasite of Calliopsis,
  tiny, just a few millimeters long
• The only genus where the male has 12 not the
  usual 13 antennal segments
• Abdomens are red with bright white patches of
  very short, prone hair, often in small regular
  patches
• Note that the tip of the marginal cell is clearly
  pulled away from the margin of the wing
• Similar genera None

12
Holcopasites 3
Tiny, Overlooked, Male antennae 12
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Neolarra

• Very rare (no specimens seen recently in the
  East), nest parasite of Perdita
• Only genus with 1 submarginal cell
• Sometimes small members of the closely related
  (to bees) Sphecid wasp genus Oxybelus are
  mistaken for this genus
• An effort should be made to look for this species
  in Perdita areas
• Similar genera None

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Neolarra Perdita Parasite - 1
Super small, super rare, 1 submarginal cell
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Nomada

• Common, nest parasite of Andrena and a few other
  genera, almost always some striking pattern of
  yellow, red, and black
• Most species are found in the spring but a few
  are found in the Summer and Fall
• Often mistaken for wasps due to the general lack
  of hair and thin wasp-like appearance
• Many species are in taxonomic limbo with
  unassociated males and females, poor
  descriptions, and recent molecular work
  indicating that there are more species present in
  the bidentate and white-spined groups than there
  are currently namesexpect quite a number of
  changes over the coming few years
• Jugal lobe unusually short only one-sixth the
  size of the vannal lobe or less
• Similar genera Sphecodes

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Nomada Andrena Parasite - 80
Common, Wasp-like, lots of red or yellow usually
present
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Centris

• Size of small bumblebees, restricted to Florida,
  native species are uncommon to rare, an
  introduced species is becoming common in South
  Florida
• Females are pollen specialists on only a few
  plant genera
• Both the males and females have very robust rear
  legs, covered in thick hair
• Wing venation important, note the very small
  stigma and the shape of the submarginal cells
• Similar genera Bombus, Ptilothrix, Xylocopa

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Centris - 3 - Go to Florida
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Ericrocis

• Extremely rare, restricted to Florida, no recent
  specimen records, nest parasite of Centris
• A dramatic looking bee, most similar to
  Xeromelecta, has prominent patches of light hair
  on the abdomen and thorax and a distinctly
  pointed rear of the abdomen
• Instead of the usual pointed tibial spur on the
  middle leg found on most bees, their tibial spurs
  are slightly broadened at the tip which is
  notched or has small spines
• An effort should be made to see if this species
  still exists in Florida
• Similar genera Epeolus, Triepolus, Epeoloides

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Ericrocis lata Centris parasite
Florida species, very rare
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Ptilothrix

• Common early to mid-Summer species, most often
  found along marsh edge habitats and urban areas
  (where garden plants in the mallow family have
  been planted)
• Pollen specialist on Hibiscus, size of a medium
  bumblebee, to which it closely resembles and is
  mistaken for
• Has no arolium (pad) between its tarsal claws
• Similar genera Bombus, Xylocopa

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Ptilothrix bombiformis
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Cemolobus

• Rare, size of a medium bumblebee
• Unique in that the rim of the clypeus is not
  smooth but has three lobes, the central one wide
  and thick, the lateral ones more knob-like. The
  other Eucerines have uninterrupted clypeal rims
• Pollen specialist on morning glories (Ipomoea)
• Similar genera Melitoma, Anthophora, Eucera,
  Melissodes, Tetraloniella, Melecta, Xeromelecta,
  Peponapis, Svastra, Florilegus

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Cemolobus ipomoeae Morning Glory Specialist
Rare, Size of Eucera, Looks like that group too
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Melitoma

• Regularly occurring species, but nowhere
  abundant, a bit larger than a honeybee
• Hind wing venation is used to separate this genus
  in the guides, but the combination of the
  distinctive coloration and hair patterns along
  with the extremely long tongue (extending to the
  abdomen even when folded) works
• Similar genera Melecta, Xeromelecta,
  Anthophora, Xenoglossa, Peponapis, Florilegus,
  Melissodes, Eucera, Svastra, Tetraloniella,
  Cemolobus

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Melitoma taurea Morning Glory Specialist
Tongue extends to abdomen, even when folded
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Xylocopa

• Common, the size of large bumblebees
• Told from bumblebees in the field by the
  combination of all black abdomen (X. virginica
  has sparse but uniform yellow hairs at the base
  of the abdomen) and that those hairs present on
  the abdomen are sparse enough to clearly see the
  shining integument (skin) below
• Males with a white spot on their face, females
  dark
• When resting hold their wings splayed some to the
  sides (resembling swept-back jet fighter wings),
  not neatly overlapped down the back like
  bumblebees
• Under the microscope the unusually long and
  narrow marginal cell is distinctive
• Similar genera Bombus, Ptilothrix

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Xylocopa - 2 Carpenter Bees
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Ceratina

• Size of a single long-grain rice kernel
• Dark metallic blue (often appearing black) with a
  prominent white mark on the clypeus
• Skinny, lacks obvious hair, abdomen
  parallel-sided and ribbed like a plastic water
  bottle
• Tip of abdomen with a small projecting point
• Often holds its abdomen more upright than other
  genera
• Easier to tell by learning the general shape and
  coloration of the clypeus than keying out
• Similar genera None, although many Osmia are
  about the same color

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Ceratina - 4 Small Carpenter Bee
Very Common, pith nester
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Euglossa

• One introduced species that is becoming common in
  certain parts of southern Florida
• Bright green, lacks the wing venation of the
  other bright green bees in the area (all
  halictids)
• Has extremely long tongue and rear legs with
  prominent projecting flanges
• Similar genera None

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Euglossa viridissima
Recent introduction into Florida
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Epeoloides

• Extremely rare, however there are recent records
  from Connecticut and the Maritimes
• A little bit smaller than a honeybee
• Nest parasite of Macropis
• Different looking than other bees, but should key
  out easily
• Similar generaTriepeolus, Epeolus, Ericrocis

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Epeoloides pilosula Parasite of Macropis
Very rare, endangered?
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Resources

• Species lists, Identification Guides, and Maps
  for genera and species are available at
• http//www.discoverlife.org/20/q?searchApoidea
• A guide to the genera of the bees of Canada is
  available at
• http//www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/ejournal/pgs_03
  /pgs_03.html
• Mitchells 1960s book on the bees of the Eastern
  United States is available as a series of pdf
  files at
• http//insectmuseum.org/easternBees.php
• A slightly out of date guide to the
  identification of the genera of ALL of North
  America is available at
• http//www.knoxcellars.com/Merchant5/merchant.mvc?
  ScreenPRODStore_CodeKCNPProduct_CodeBGNACate
  gory_CodeBL