The cosmopolitan bee genus ''Ceratina'', often referred to as small carpenter bees, is the sole lineage of the tribe Ceratinini, and is not closely related to the more familiar carpenter bees. The genus presently contains over 300 species in 23 subgenera. They make nests in dead wood, stems, or pith. Although they were considered as mostly solitary in the past, there is growing evidence that many species are facultatively eusocial. ''Ceratina'' are commonly dark, shining, even metallic bees, with fairly sparse body hairs and a weak scopa (biology), scopa on the hind tibia. Most species have some yellow markings, most often restricted to the face, but often elsewhere on the body. They are very commonly mistaken for "sweat bees" (family Halictidae), due to their small size, metallic coloration, and some similarity in wing venation; they can be easily separated from halictids by the mouthparts (with a long glossa) and the hindwings (with a tiny jugal lobe).Small carpenter bees, ''Ceratina'' spp.
Featured Creatures. University of Florida IFAS. Publication EENY-101, Revised June, 2014.

Behaviour

There can be multiple females in a single nest, where daughters or sisters may form very small, weakly eusocial colonies (where one bee forages and the other remains in the nest and lays eggs). A well-studied facultatively eusocial species is ''Ceratina australensis'', which exhibits all of the pre-adaptations for successful group living. This species is socially polymorphic with both solitary and social nests collected in sympatry. Social colonies in that species consist of two foundresses, one contributing both foraging and reproductive effort and a second that remains at the nest as a passive guard. Cooperative nesting provides no overt reproductive benefits over solitary nesting in this population, although brood survival tends to be greater in social colonies. Maternal longevity, subsociality and bivoltine nesting phenology in this species favour colony formation, while dispersal habits and offspring longevity may inhibit more frequent social nesting in this and other ceratinines. In ''Ceratina nigrolabiata'', a Mediterranean species, males may guard the opening to the nest of a female they hope to mate with, and are often not the father of the brood within the nest; this is the first bee species in which male nest-guarding has been classified as a form of biparental care, but males guarding nests and mating with females has been documented in other species (e.g., ''Macrotera portalis''). A few species of ''Ceratina'' are exceptional among bees in that they are parthenogenesis, parthenogenetic, reproducing without males. Parthenogenetic reproduction was genetically confirmed in ''Ceratina dallatorreana'' and it is presumed also in ''Ceratina parvula'' and ''Ceratina dentipes''. Mikát M, Straka J (2023) Genetic evidence for parthenogenesis in the small carpenter bee ''Ceratina dallatoreana'' (Apidae, Ceratinini) in its native distribution range. J Hymenopt Res 95:199–213. https:// doi.org/10.3897/jhr.95.87165 Ceratina nest in fennel 1

Species

* ''Ceratina acantha'' Provancher, 1895 * ''Ceratina accusator'' Cockerell, 1919 * ''Ceratina acuta'' Friese, 1896 * ''Ceratina aeneiceps'' Friese, 1917 * ''Ceratina aenescens'' Friese, 1917 * ''Ceratina aereola'' Vachal, 1903 * ''Ceratina aetana'' Shiokawa, 2006 * ''Ceratina ahngeri'' Kokujev, 1905 * ''Ceratina albopicta'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina albosticta'' Cockerell, 1931 * ''Ceratina alexandrae'' Baker, 2002 * ''Ceratina aliceae'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina allodapoides'' Strand, 1912 * ''Ceratina aloes'' Cockerell, 1932 * ''Ceratina angulata'' Roig-Alsina, 2013 * ''Ceratina apacheorum'' Daly, 1973 * ''Ceratina apatela'' Engel, 2018 * ''Ceratina arabiae'' (Daly, 1983) * ''Ceratina arizonensis'' Cockerell, 1898 * ''Ceratina armata'' Smith, 1854 * ''Ceratina aspera'' Schrottky, 1902 * ''Ceratina asunciana'' Strand, 1910 * ''Ceratina asuncionis'' Strand, 1910 * ''Ceratina atopura'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina atra'' Friese, 1917 * ''Ceratina atrata'' H. S. Smith, 1907 * ''Ceratina augochloroides'' Ducke, 1911 * ''Ceratina auriviridis'' H. S. Smith, 1907 * ''Ceratina australensis'' (Perkins, 1912) * ''Ceratina azteca'' Cresson, 1878 * ''Ceratina azurea'' Benoist, 1955 * ''Ceratina ballotae'' Eardley & Daly, 2007 * ''Ceratina barbarae'' Eardley & Daly, 2007 * ''Ceratina basaltica'' Flórez-Gómez et al., 2022 * ''Ceratina beata'' Cameron, 1897 * ''Ceratina belizensis'' Baker, 1907 * ''Ceratina belliata'' Shiokawa, 2008 * ''Ceratina benguetensis'' Cockerell, 1916 * ''Ceratina bhawani'' Bingham, 1908 * ''Ceratina bicolorata'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina bicuneata'' Cockerell, 1918 * ''Ceratina bifida'' Friese, 1900 * ''Ceratina biguttulata'' (Moure, 1941) * ''Ceratina bilobata'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina binghami'' Cockerell, 1908 * ''Ceratina bispinosa'' Handlirsch, 1889 * ''Ceratina boninensis'' Yasumatsu, 1955 * ''Ceratina braunsi'' Eardley & Daly, 2007 * ''Ceratina braunsiana'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina breviceps'' Michener, 1954 * ''Ceratina bryanti'' Cockerell, 1919 * ''Ceratina buscki'' Cockerell, 1919 * ''Ceratina calcarata'' Robertson, 1900 * ''Ceratina callosa'' (Fabricius, 1794) * ''Ceratina canaliculata'' Roig-Alsina, 2016 * ''Ceratina canarensis'' Cockerell, 1919 * ''Ceratina capitosa'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina carinifrons'' Baker, 2002 * ''Ceratina catamarcensis'' Schrottky, 1907 * ''Ceratina caveata'' Roig-Alsina, 2013 * ''Ceratina cavifrons'' Shiokawa, 2006 * ''Ceratina chalcea'' Spinola, 1841 * ''Ceratina chalcites'' Germar, 1839 * ''Ceratina chalybea'' Chevrier, 1872 * ''Ceratina chiangmaiensis'' Warrit et al., 2012 * ''Ceratina chinensis'' (Wu, 1963) * ''Ceratina chloris'' (Fabricius, 1804) * ''Ceratina christellae'' Terzo, 1998 * ''Ceratina chrysocephala'' Cockerell, 1912 * ''Ceratina chrysomalla'' Gerstäcker, 1869 * ''Ceratina citrinifrons'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina citriphila'' Cockerell, 1935 * ''Ceratina cladura'' Cockerell, 1919 * ''Ceratina claripennis'' Friese, 1917 * ''Ceratina cobaltina'' Cresson, 1878 * ''Ceratina cockerelli'' H. S. Smith, 1907 * ''Ceratina cognata'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina collusor'' Cockerell, 1919 * ''Ceratina combinata'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina compacta'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina congoensis'' Meunier, 1890 * ''Ceratina coptica'' Baker, 2002 * ''Ceratina corinna'' Nurse, 1904 * ''Ceratina correntina'' Schrottky, 1907 * ''Ceratina cosmiocephala'' Cameron, 1908 * ''Ceratina crassiceps'' Friese, 1925 * ''Ceratina crewi'' Cockerell, 1903 * ''Ceratina cucurbitina'' (Rossi, 1792) * ''Ceratina cupreiventris'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina cuprifrons'' Strand, 1910 * ''Ceratina currani'' Schwarz, 1934 * ''Ceratina cyanea'' (Kirby, 1802) * ''Ceratina cyanicollis'' Schrottky, 1902 * ''Ceratina cyaniventris'' Cresson, 1865 * ''Ceratina cyanura'' Cockerell, 1918 * ''Ceratina cypriaca'' Mavromoustakis, 1954 * ''Ceratina dallatorreana'' Friese, 1896 * ''Ceratina dalyi'' Terzo, 1998 * ''Ceratina daressalamica'' Strand, 1912 * ''Ceratina darwini'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina demotica'' Baker, 2002 * ''Ceratina denesi'' Terzo, 1998 * ''Ceratina dentipes'' Friese, 1914 * ''Ceratina dentiventris'' Gerstäcker, 1869 * ''Ceratina diligens'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina diloloensis'' Cockerell, 1932 * ''Ceratina dimidiata'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina diodonta'' H. S. Smith, 1907 * ''Ceratina duckei'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina dupla'' Say, 1837 * ''Ceratina egeria'' Nurse, 1904 * ''Ceratina electron'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina elisabethae'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina emeiensis'' Wu, 2000 * ''Ceratina ericia'' Vachal, 1903 * ''Ceratina esakii'' Yasumatsu & Hirashima, 1969 * ''Ceratina excavata'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina eximia'' Smith, 1862 * ''Ceratina fastigiata'' Fox, 1896 * ''Ceratina ferghanica'' Morawitz, 1875 * ''Ceratina fimbriata'' Roig-Alsina, 2013 * ''Ceratina fioreseana'' Oliveira, 2020 * ''Ceratina flavipes'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina flavolateralis'' Cockerell, 1916 * ''Ceratina flavopicta'' Smith, 1858 * ''Ceratina floridana'' Mitchell, 1962 * ''Ceratina foveifera'' Strand, 1912 * ''Ceratina fuliginosa'' Cockerell, 1916 * ''Ceratina fulvitarsis'' Friese, 1925 * ''Ceratina fulvofasciata'' Ducke, 1908 * ''Ceratina fumipennis'' Friese, 1917 * ''Ceratina glossata'' Michener, 1954 * ''Ceratina gnoma'' Eardley & Daly, 2007 * ''Ceratina gomphrenae'' Schrottky, 1909 * ''Ceratina gossypii'' Schrottky, 1907 * ''Ceratina grandis'' Shiokawa, 2015 * ''Ceratina gravidula'' Gerstäcker, 1869 * ''Ceratina guarnacciana'' Genaro, 1998 * ''Ceratina guineae'' Strand, 1912 * ''Ceratina gurkhana'' Shiokawa, 2008 * ''Ceratina hakkarica'' Kocourek, 1998 * ''Ceratina haladai'' Terzo & Rasmont, 2004 * ''Ceratina hexae'' Eardley & Daly, 2007 * ''Ceratina hieratica'' Baker, 2002 * ''Ceratina hieroglyphica'' Smith, 1854 * ''Ceratina himalayana'' Shiokawa, 2008 * ''Ceratina huberi'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina humilior'' Cockerell, 1916 * ''Ceratina hurdi'' Daly, 1973 * ''Ceratina ignara'' Cresson, 1878 * ''Ceratina immaculata'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina incertula'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina incognita'' Bingham, 1898 * ''Ceratina indica'' (Hirashima, 1969) * ''Ceratina indigovirens'' Flórez-Gómez et al., 2022 * ''Ceratina inermis'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina interrupta'' Alfken, 1926 * ''Ceratina itzarum'' Cockerell, 1931 * ''Ceratina iwatai'' Yasumatsu, 1936 * ''Ceratina jacobsoni'' van der Vecht, 1952 * ''Ceratina japonica'' Cockerell, 1911 * ''Ceratina jejuensis'' S. Lee, 2005 * ''Ceratina kankauensis'' Strand, 1913 * ''Ceratina kopili'' Flórez-Gómez et al., 2022 * ''Ceratina kosemponis'' Strand, 1913 * ''Ceratina kraussi'' Michener, 1954 * ''Ceratina labrosa'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina laevifrons'' Morawitz, 1895 * ''Ceratina laeviuscula'' Wu, 1963 * ''Ceratina langenburgiae'' Strand, 1912 * ''Ceratina langi'' Cockerell, 1934 * ''Ceratina latisetis'' Roig-Alsina, 2013 * ''Ceratina lativentris'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina lehmanni'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina lepida'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina liberica'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina lieftincki'' van der Vecht, 1952 * ''Ceratina liliputana'' Cockerell, 1932 * ''Ceratina lineola'' Vachal, 1903 * ''Ceratina litoraria'' van der Vecht, 1952 * ''Ceratina loa'' Strand, 1912 * ''Ceratina loewi'' Gerstäcker, 1869 * ''Ceratina longiceps'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina loquata'' Nurse, 1902 * ''Ceratina lucidula'' Smith, 1854 * ''Ceratina lucifera'' Cockerell, 1934 * ''Ceratina ludwigsi'' Strand, 1914 * ''Ceratina lunata'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina maai'' Shiokawa & Hirashima, 1982 * ''Ceratina macondiana'' Flórez-Gómez & Griswold, 2020 * ''Ceratina maculifrons'' Smith, 1854 * ''Ceratina madecassa'' Friese, 1900 * ''Ceratina maghrebensis'' Daly, 1983 * ''Ceratina malindiae'' (Daly, 1988) * ''Ceratina mandibularis'' Friese, 1896 * ''Ceratina manni'' Cockerell, 1912 * ''Ceratina marginata'' Baker, 1907 * ''Ceratina mariannensis'' Yasumatsu, 1939 * ''Ceratina mauritanica'' Lepeletier, 1841 * ''Ceratina megastigmata'' Yasumatsu & Hirashima, 1969 * ''Ceratina melanochroa'' (Moure, 1941) * ''Ceratina melanoptera'' Cockerell, 1924 * ''Ceratina mendozina'' Roig-Alsina, 2016 * ''Ceratina metaria'' Cockerell, 1920 * ''Ceratina mexicana'' Cresson, 1878 * ''Ceratina micheneri'' Daly, 1973 * ''Ceratina mikmaqi'' Rehan & Sheffield, 2011 * ''Ceratina minima'' Friese, 1909 * ''Ceratina minuta'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina mocsaryi'' Friese, 1896 * ''Ceratina moderata'' Cameron, 1897 * ''Ceratina moerenhouti'' Vachal, 1903 * ''Ceratina monstrata'' Sung & Shiokawa, 2012 * ''Ceratina montana'' Holmberg, 1886 * ''Ceratina morawitzi'' Sickmann, 1894 * ''Ceratina moricei'' Friese, 1899 * ''Ceratina morrensis'' Strand, 1910 * ''Ceratina muelleri'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina muscatella'' Nurse, 1902 * ''Ceratina namibensis'' Eardley & Daly, 2007 * ''Ceratina nanula'' Cockerell, 1897 * ''Ceratina nasalis'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina nasiinsignita'' Strand, 1912 * ''Ceratina nativitatis'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina nautlana'' Cockerell, 1897 * ''Ceratina neocallosa'' Daly, 1983 * ''Ceratina neomexicana'' Cockerell, 1901 * ''Ceratina nigra'' Handlirsch, 1889 * ''Ceratina nigriceps'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina nigrita'' Ashmead, 1900 * ''Ceratina nigritula'' Michener, 1954 * ''Ceratina nigroaenea'' Gerstäcker, 1869 * ''Ceratina nigrolabiata'' Friese, 1896 * ''Ceratina nigrolateralis'' Cockerell, 1916 * ''Ceratina nilotica'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina nitidella'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina nitidifrons'' Roig-Alsina, 2016 * ''Ceratina nyassensis'' Strand, 1912 * ''Ceratina obtusicauda'' Cockerell, 1919 * ''Ceratina okinawana'' Matsumura & Uchida, 1926 * ''Ceratina opaca'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina opipara'' Shiokawa, 2015 * ''Ceratina oxalidis'' Schrottky, 1907 * ''Ceratina pacifica'' H. S. Smith, 1907 * ''Ceratina pacis'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina palauensis'' Yasumatsu, 1939 * ''Ceratina papuana'' van der Vecht, 1952 * ''Ceratina paraguayensis'' Schrottky, 1907 * ''Ceratina parvula'' Smith, 1854 * ''Ceratina paulyi'' (Daly, 1988) * ''Ceratina pembana'' Cockerell, 1935 * ''Ceratina penicillata'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina penicilligera'' Strand, 1912 * ''Ceratina perforatrix'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina perpolita'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina personata'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina picta'' Smith, 1854 * ''Ceratina pictifrons'' Smith, 1861 * ''Ceratina piracicabana'' Schrottky, 1911 * ''Ceratina placida'' Smith, 1862 * ''Ceratina polita'' Friese, 1902 * ''Ceratina politifrons'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina politula'' Shiokawa, 2006 * ''Ceratina popovi'' Wu, 1963 * ''Ceratina propinqua'' Cameron, 1897 * ''Ceratina psaenythia'' Engel, 2018 * ''Ceratina pubescens'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina pulchripes'' Shiokawa, 2002 * ''Ceratina punctaticeps'' Van der Vecht, 1953 * ''Ceratina punctigena'' Cockerell, 1916 * ''Ceratina punctiventris'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina punctulata'' Spinola, 1841 * ''Ceratina pusilla'' Roig-Alsina, 2016 * ''Ceratina quadripunctata'' Wu, 2000 * ''Ceratina quinquemaculata'' Cockerell, 1912 * ''Ceratina raquelitae'' Flórez-Gómez & Ayala, 2022 * ''Ceratina rasmonti'' Terzo, 1998 * ''Ceratina rectangulifera'' Schwarz & Michener, 1954 * ''Ceratina regalis'' Cockerell, 1912 * ''Ceratina rehanae'' Flórez-Gómez & Ayala, 2022 * ''Ceratina rhodura'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina richardsoniae'' Schrottky, 1909 * ''Ceratina ridleyi'' Cockerell, 1910 * ''Ceratina roseoviridis'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina rossi'' (Daly, 1988) * ''Ceratina rothschildiana'' Vachal, 1909 * ''Ceratina rotundiceps'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina rufigastra'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina rufipes'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina rugifrons'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina rugosissima'' Cockerell, 1932 * ''Ceratina rukaina'' Sung & Shiokawa, 2012 * ''Ceratina rupestris'' Holmberg, 1884 * ''Ceratina ruwenzorica'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina sakagamii'' Terzo, 1998 * ''Ceratina sakagamina'' Shiokawa, 2015 * ''Ceratina samburuensis'' Cockerell, 1910 * ''Ceratina sapphira'' Flórez-Gómez & Ayala, 2022 * ''Ceratina satoi'' Yasumatsu, 1936 * ''Ceratina saundersi'' Daly, 1983 * ''Ceratina sauteri'' Strand, 1913 * ''Ceratina schwarzi'' Kocourek, 1998 * ''Ceratina schwarziana'' Terzo, 1998 * ''Ceratina sclerops'' Schrottky, 1907 * ''Ceratina sculpturata'' Smith, 1858 * ''Ceratina seikii'' Sung & Shiokawa, 2012 * ''Ceratina senegalensis'' Strand, 1912 * ''Ceratina sequoiae'' Michener, 1936 * ''Ceratina sericea'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina shinnersi'' Daly, 1973 * ''Ceratina silvicola'' Shiokawa, 2015 * ''Ceratina simillima'' Smith, 1854 * ''Ceratina smaragdula'' (Fabricius, 1787) * ''Ceratina spectata'' Shiokawa, 2015 * ''Ceratina speculifrons'' Cockerell, 1920 * ''Ceratina speculina'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina spilota'' Cockerell, 1932 * ''Ceratina spinipes'' Shiokawa, 2009 * ''Ceratina splendida'' Shiokawa, 2008 * ''Ceratina stilbonota'' Moure, 1941 * ''Ceratina strenua'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina stuckenbergi'' Eardley & Daly, 2007 * ''Ceratina subcarinata'' Roig-Alsina, 2013 * ''Ceratina subquadrata'' Smith, 1854 * ''Ceratina subscintilla'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina sutepensis'' Cockerell, 1929 * ''Ceratina tabescens'' Cockerell, 1912 * ''Ceratina taborae'' Strand, 1912 * ''Ceratina takasagona'' Shiokawa & Hirashima, 1982 * ''Ceratina takeshii'' Shiokawa, 2008 * ''Ceratina tanganyicensis'' Strand, 1911 * ''Ceratina tanoi'' Shiokawa, 2010 * ''Ceratina tantilla'' (Moure, 1941) * ''Ceratina tarsata'' Morawitz, 1872 * ''Ceratina tawangensis''Ghosh, Jobiraj, Subramanian, 2023 * ''Ceratina tejonensis'' Cresson, 1864 * ''Ceratina tenkeana'' Cockerell, 1937 * ''Ceratina tepetlana'' Flórez-Gómez et al., 2022 * ''Ceratina teunisseni'' Terzo & Rasmont, 1997 * ''Ceratina texana'' Daly, 1973 * ''Ceratina tibialis'' Morawitz, 1895 * ''Ceratina timberlakei'' Daly, 1973 * ''Ceratina titusi'' Cockerell, 1903 * ''Ceratina triangulifera'' Cockerell, 1914 * ''Ceratina tricolor'' Michener, 1954 * ''Ceratina trimaculata'' Friese, 1917 * ''Ceratina tropica'' Crawford, 1910 * ''Ceratina truncata'' Friese, 1905 * ''Ceratina tucumana'' Roig-Alsina, 2013 * ''Ceratina turgida'' (Moure, 1941) * ''Ceratina umbricosta'' Roig-Alsina, 2013 * ''Ceratina unicolor'' Friese, 1911 * ''Ceratina unimaculata'' Smith, 1879 * ''Ceratina velthuisi'' Terzo & Rasmont, 2001 * ''Ceratina verhoeffi'' Terzo & Rasmont, 1997 * ''Ceratina vernoniae'' Schrottky, 1920 * ''Ceratina virescens'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina viridicincta'' Cockerell, 1931 * ''Ceratina viridifrons'' Cockerell, 1934 * ''Ceratina viridis'' Guérin-Méneville, 1844 * ''Ceratina volitans'' Schrottky, 1907 * ''Ceratina wagneri'' Friese, 1910 * ''Ceratina waini'' (Shiokawa & Sakagami, 1969) * ''Ceratina warnckei'' Terzo, 1998 * ''Ceratina whiteheadi'' Eardley & Daly, 2007 * ''Ceratina xanthocera'' (Moure, 1941) * ''Ceratina xanthostoma'' Cockerell, 1912 * ''Ceratina yamanei'' Sung & Shiokawa, 2012 * ''Ceratina yasumatsui'' Hirashima, 1971 * ''Ceratina yonagunensis'' Shiokawa, 2011 * ''Ceratina yucatanica'' Cockerell, 1931 * ''Ceratina zandeni'' Terzo, 1998 * ''Ceratina zeteki'' Cockerell, 1934 * ''Ceratina zwakhalsi'' Terzo & Rasmont, 1997 * extinct, † ''Ceratina disrupta'' (Cockerell 1906)

References

External links

Guide to the ''Ceratina'' of Eastern North America.
USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. {{Taxonbar, from=Q1938968 Ceratina, Bee genera