The Eucerini (often called long-horned bees) are the most diverse

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Apidae Apidae is the largest family within the superfamily Apoidea, containing at least 5700 species of bees. The family includes some of the most commonly seen bees, including bumblebees and honey bees, but also includes stingless bees (also used ...

, with over 32 genera worldwide that were previously classified as members of the family Anthophoridae. All species are solitary, though many nest in large aggregations, and large "sleeping" aggregations of males are found occasionally. Most genera are distinctive in the unusually long male antennae from which the tribe derives its name (''eucer-'' means true horned). They are most diverse in the

Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, th ...

Classification

The classification within the tribe is rather chaotic, as many of the genera are small and poorly characterized, with the bulk of species (about 500) in only five genera. This is a group in serious need of a thorough taxonomic overhaul, and the fusion of many genera would likely result (a revision in 2000 eliminated seven genera, another in 2018 eliminated six more).

Genera

* '' Agapanthinus'' LaBerge, 1957 * '' Alloscirtetica'' Holmberg, 1909 * '' Canephorula'' Jörgensen, 1909 * ''

Cemolobus ''Cemolobus'' is a genus of long-horned bee The Eucerini (often called long-horned bees) are the most diverse tribe in the family Apidae, with over 32 genera worldwide that were previously classified as members of the family Anthophoridae. Al ...

'' Robertson, 1902 (recently moved into ''Eucera'') * '' Cubitalia'' Friese, 1911 * '' Eucera'' Scopoli, 1770 * '' Eucerinoda'' Michener & Moure, 1957 * '' Florilegus'' Robertson, 1900 * '' Gaesischia'' Michener, LaBerge & Moure, 1955 * '' Gaesochira'' Moure & Michener, 1955 * '' Hamatothrix'' Urban, 1989 * '' Lophothygater'' Moure & Michener, 1955 * '' Martinapis'' Cockerell, 1929 * '' Melissodes'' Latreille, 1829 * '' Melissoptila'' Holmberg, 1884 * '' Micronychapis'' Moure & Michener, 1955 * '' Mirnapis'' * '' Notolonia'' Popov, 1962 * '' Pachysvastra'' Moure & Michener, 1955 * '' Peponapis'' Robertson, 1902 (recently moved into ''Eucera'') * '' Platysvastra'' Moure, 1967 * ''

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, who ...

'' Urban, 1989 * ''

Simanthedon ''Simanthedon'' is a genus of long-horned bees in the family Apidae Apidae is the largest family within the superfamily Apoidea, containing at least 5700 species of bees. The family includes some of the most commonly seen bees, including bu ...

'' Zavortink, 1975 * '' Svastra'' Holmberg, 1884 * '' Svastrides'' Michener, LaBerge & Moure, 1955 * '' Svastrina'' Moure & Michener, 1955 * ''

Syntrichalonia ''Syntrichalonia'' is a genus of exquisite long-horned bees in the family Apidae. There are at least two described species in ''Syntrichalonia''. Species These two species belong to the genus ''Syntrichalonia'': * '' Syntrichalonia exquisita'' ...

'' LaBerge, 1957 (recently moved into ''Eucera'') * '' Tetralonia'' Spinola, 1839 (recently moved into ''Eucera'') * '' Tetraloniella'' Ashmead, 1899 * ''

Thygater ''Thygater'' is a genus of bees Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyl ...

'' Holmberg, 1884 * '' Trichocerapis'' Cockerell, 1904 * '' Ulugombakia'' * ''

Xenoglossa ''Xenoglossa'' is a genus of large squash bees in the family Apidae. There are about 11 described species in ''Xenoglossa''. Species These 11 species belong to the genus ''Xenoglossa'': * '' Xenoglossa angustior'' Cockerell, 1899 * '' Xenogloss ...

'' Smith, 1854 (recently moved into ''Eucera'')

References

C. D. Michener Charles Duncan Michener (September 22, 1918 – November 1, 2015) was an American entomologist born in Pasadena, California. He was a leading expert on bees, his ''magnum opus'' being ''The Bees of the World'' published in 2000. __TOC__ Biogra ...

(2000) ''The Bees of the World'', Johns Hopkins University Press.

External links

Apinae Bee tribes {{Apinae-stub