Big Bees – Part 1
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@usgs.gov
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
Apidae
(Recently Combined with Anthophoridae)
Groups of Genera
Covered in this
presentation:
Covered in Apidae part 2
presentation:
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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
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
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
Anthophora - 6
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 wing’s interior cells
• Female has no pollen carrying hairs
• Similar genera: Xeromelecta, Anthophora, Tetraloniella,
Svastra, Eucera, Melissodes, Melitoma, Florilegus,
Peponapis, Xenoglossa, Cemolobus
Melecta pacifica– Parasite of
Anthophora
Rare
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 wing’s cells are nearly hairless
• Shape of the wing cells separates this species
from Anthophora
• Similar genera: Anthophora
Habropoda laboriosa
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
Holcopasites – 3
Tiny,
Overlooked,
Male antennae
= 12
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
Neolarra – Perdita Parasite - 1
Super small, super
rare, 1 submarginal
cell
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 whitespined groups than there are currently names…expect 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
Nomada – Andrena Parasite - 80
Common,
Wasp-like,
lots of red
or yellow
usually
present
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
Centris - 3 - Go to Florida
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
Ericrocis lata – Centris parasite
Florida species, very rare
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
Ptilothrix bombiformis
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
Cemolobus ipomoeae – Morning
Glory Specialist
Rare, Size of
Eucera, Looks like
that group too
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
Melitoma taurea – Morning
Glory Specialist Tongue extends to
abdomen, even when
folded
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
Xylocopa - 2 – Carpenter Bees
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
Ceratina - 4
Small Carpenter Bee
Very
Common, pith
nester
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
Euglossa viridissima
Recent introduction
into Florida
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 genera:Triepeolus, Epeolus,
Ericrocis
Epeoloides pilosula – Parasite of
Macropis
Very rare,
endangered?
Resources
• Species lists, Identification Guides, and Maps for
genera and species are available at:
http://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Apoidea
• 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
• Mitchell’s 1960’s 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?Screen=PROD&Sto
re_Code=KCNP&Product_Code=BGNA&Category_Code=BL