Megachilidae
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Megachilidae
Megachilidae is a cosmopolitan family of mostly solitary bees. Characteristic traits of this family are the restriction of their pollen-carrying structure (called a '' scopa'') to the ventral surface of the abdomen (rather than mostly or exclusively on the hind legs as in other bee families), and their typically elongated labrum. C. D. Michener (2007) ''The Bees of the World'', 2nd Edition, pg. 122, Johns Hopkins University Press. Megachilid genera are most commonly known as mason bees and leafcutter bees, reflecting the materials from which they build their nest cells (soil or leaves, respectively); a few collect plant or animal hairs and fibers, and are called carder bees, while others use plant resins in nest construction and are correspondingly called resin bees. All species feed on nectar and pollen, but a few are kleptoparasites (informally called " cuckoo bees"), feeding on pollen collected by other megachilid bees. Parasitic species do not possess scopae. The motion ...
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Anthidium Manicatum
''Anthidium manicatum'', commonly called the European wool carder bee, is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae, the leaf-cutter bees or mason bees. They get the name "carding, carder" from their behaviour of scraping hair from leaves such as lamb's ears (''Stachys byzantina''). They carry this hair bundled beneath their bodies to be used as a nest lining. Like other members of the tribe Anthidiini, these bees do not cut leaves or petals as is typical for megachilids. The males engage in territorial behaviour, aggressively chasing other males and pollinators from their territory. This bee is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It has recently been seen in regions of South America, New Zealand, and the Canary Islands. They are generalists, and do not seem to prefer any plant genera for foraging, although in New Zealand, native plants are visited less frequently by this bee species. It was accidentally introduced into North America from Europe some time in the mid-20th ...
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Mason Bee
Mason bee is a name now commonly used for species of bees in the genus ''Osmia'', of the family Megachilidae. Mason bees are named for their habit of using mud or other "masonry" products in constructing their nests, which are made in naturally occurring gaps such as between cracks in stones or other small dark cavities. When available, some species preferentially use hollow stems or holes in wood made by wood-boring insects. Species of the genus include the orchard mason bee '' O. lignaria'', the blueberry bee '' O. ribifloris'', the hornfaced bee '' O. cornifrons'', and the red mason bee '' O. bicornis''. The former two are native to the Americas, the third to eastern Asia, and the latter to the European continent, although ''O. lignaria'' and ''O. cornifrons'' have been moved from their native ranges for commercial purposes. Over 300 species are found across the Northern Hemisphere. Most occur in temperate habitats within the Palearctic and Nearctic realms, and are active from ...
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Osmia
Mason bee is a name now commonly used for species of bees in the genus ''Osmia'', of the family Megachilidae. Mason bees are named for their habit of using mud or other "masonry" products in constructing their nests, which are made in naturally occurring gaps such as between cracks in stones or other small dark cavities. When available, some species preferentially use hollow stems or holes in wood made by wood-boring insects. Species of the genus include the orchard mason bee '' O. lignaria'', the blueberry bee '' O. ribifloris'', the hornfaced bee '' O. cornifrons'', and the red mason bee '' O. bicornis''. The former two are native to the Americas, the third to eastern Asia, and the latter to the European continent, although ''O. lignaria'' and ''O. cornifrons'' have been moved from their native ranges for commercial purposes. Over 300 species are found across the Northern Hemisphere. Most occur in temperate habitats within the Palearctic and Nearctic realms, and are active from ...
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Megachile
The genus ''Megachile'' is a cosmopolitan group of solitary bees, often called leafcutter bees or leafcutting bees; it also includes the resin bees and mortar bees. While other genera within the family Megachilidae may chew leaves or petals into fragments to build their nests, certain species within ''Megachile'' neatly cut pieces of leaves or petals, hence their common name. This is one of the largest genera of bees, with more than 1500 species in over 50 subgenera. The alfalfa leafcutter bee ('' Megachile rotundata'') is managed on a commercial scale for crop pollination, and has been introduced by humans to various regions around the world. Ecology Nests are sometimes constructed within hollow twigs or other similarly constricted natural cavities, but often are in burrows in the ground. Nests are typically composed of single long columns of cells, the cells being sequentially constructed from the deepest portion of the tunnel outwards. The female places an egg in ea ...
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Hoplitis
''Hoplitis'' is a genus of bees in the family Megachilidae. There are more than 380 described species in ''Hoplitis''. See also * List of Hoplitis species This is a list of 385 species in '' Hoplitis'', a genus of leafcutter, mason, and resin bees in the family Megachilidae. ''Hoplitis'' species * '' Hoplitis abbreviata'' (Morawitz, 1875) * '' Hoplitis abnormis'' van der Zanden, 1992 * '' Hoplitis ... References Further reading * * * External links * Megachilidae Bee genera Articles created by Qbugbot Taxa named by Johann Christoph Friedrich Klug Taxa described in 1807 {{Megachilidae-stub ...
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Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee
''Megachile rotundata'', the alfalfa leafcutting bee, is a European bee that has been introduced to various regions around the world. As a solitary bee species, it does not build colonies or store honey, but is a very efficient pollinator of alfalfa, carrots, other vegetables, and some fruits. Because of this, farmers often use ''M. rotundata'' as a pollination aid by distributing ''M. rotundata'' prepupae around their crops. Each female constructs and provisions her own nest, which is built in old trees or log tunnels. Being a leafcutter bee, these nests are lined with cut leaves. These bees feed on pollen and nectar and display sexual dimorphism. This species has been known to bite and sting, but it poses no overall danger unless it is threatened or harmed, and its sting has been described as half as painful as a honey bee's. Taxonomy and phylogeny ''Megachile rotundata'' is a member of the subfamily Megachilinae, which includes more than 4,000 bee species; this currently ...
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Stelis (bee)
''Stelis'' is a genus of kleptoparasitic cuckoo bees in the family Megachilidae Megachilidae is a cosmopolitan family of mostly solitary bees. Characteristic traits of this family are the restriction of their pollen-carrying structure (called a '' scopa'') to the ventral surface of the abdomen (rather than mostly or exclu .... There are at least 100 described species in ''Stelis''. Description One study of the species '' Stelis ater'' found they differed a bit from other thieving bees by being hospicidal (host-killing) at all larval stages, and neither it nor its host larva move much, so it is simply a matter of chance when its growth brings it into contact with the host rather than with just the provisions. This is in contrast to other kleptoparasitic bees which usually have their more mobile first instar larva kill the host larva. See also * List of Stelis species References Further reading * * * * * * External links * Megachilidae Bee genera Brood ...
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Anthidium
''Anthidium'' is a genus of bees often called carder or potter bees, who do not cut leaves, but use conifer resin, plant hairs, mud, or a mix of them to build nests. Like other members of the family Megachilidae (most of which are called "leafcutter bees"), they are solitary bees with pollen-carrying scopa that are only located on the ventral surface of the abdomen (other bee families have pollen-carrying structures on the hind legs). The ~80 species are distributed primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, and South America. Description Most ''Anthidium'' species have cream to yellow abdominal bands, typically interrupted in the middle. There is no lobe ( arolium) between their claws. ''Anthidium manicatum'', commonly known as the wool carder bee, uses comblike mandibles to "comb" plant fibers into its brood cell walls. It has spread from Europe to North and South America. The males are much larger (ca. 18 mm) than the females (ca.12 mm) which is not uncommon among Megachil ...
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Lithurginae
Lithurginae is a subfamily of woodborer bees in the family Megachilidae. Genera These genera belong to the subfamily Lithurginae: * '' Austrothurgus'' * ''Lithurgopsis'' (northern cactus woodborers) * ''Lithurgus'' Berthold, 1827 * '' Microthurge'' Michener, 1983 * '' Trichothurgus'' Moure, 1949 i c g Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net References Further reading * * * External links * Megachilidae Bee subfamilies {{Megachilidae-stub ...
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Coelioxys
''Coelioxys'', common name leaf-cutting cuckoo bees or sharp-tailed bees, is a genus of solitary kleptoparasitic cuckoo bees belonging to the family Megachilidae. Diversity The genus includes about 500 species in 15 subgenera. Selected species * '' Coelioxys angulatus'' * '' Coelioxys afer'' * '' Coelioxys apicatus'' * '' Coelioxys banksi'' * '' Coelioxys capitatus'' * '' Coelioxys confusus'' * '' Coelioxys coturnix'' * '' Coelioxys dolichos'' * '' Coelioxys elongatus'' * '' Coelioxys fenestratus'' * '' Coelioxys formosicola'' * '' Coelioxys fuscipennis'' * '' Coelioxys hunteri'' * ''Coelioxys inermis'' * '' Coelioxys menthae'' * '' Coelioxys nitidoscutellaris'' * '' Coelioxys perseus'' * ''Coelioxys polycentris'' * ''Coelioxys porterae'' * ''Coelioxys rufitarsis'' * ''Coelioxys sayi'' * ''Coelioxys slossoni'' * ''Coelioxys sodalis'' Note that many adjectives need correcting to fit the masculine for gender agreement. The genus ending -oxys is from Latinized Greek and i ...
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Megachilinae
Megachilinae is the largest subfamily of bees in the family Megachilidae.Pascarella, J. BMegachilinae.The Bees of Florida. Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. It includes mason bees, leafcutter bees, and carder bees. *Tribe Anthidiini **'' Acedanthidium'' **'' Afranthidium'' **'' Afrostelis'' **'' Anthidiellum'' **'' Anthidioma'' **''Anthidium'' **'' Anthodioctes'' **'' Apianthidium'' **'' Aspidosmia'' **'' Austrostelis'' **'' Aztecanthidium'' **'' Bathanthidium'' **'' Benanthis'' **'' Cyphanthidium'' **'' Dianthidium'' **'' Duckeanthidium'' **'' Eoanthidium'' **'' Epanthidium'' **'' Euaspis'' **'' Hoplostelis'' **'' Hypanthidioides'' **'' Hypanthidium'' **'' Icteranthidium'' **'' Indanthidium'' **'' Larinostelis'' **'' Notanthidium'' **'' Pachyanthidium'' **'' Paranthidium'' **'' Plesianthidium'' **'' Pseudoanthidium'' **'' Rhodanthidium'' **'' Serapista'' **''Stelis'' Panzer **'' Trachusa'' **'' Trachusoides'' **'' Xenostelis'' *†Tribe Ctenoplectrell ...
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