''Perdita'' is a large genus of small

bee 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 monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

s native to North America, particularly diverse in the desert regions of the

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and

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. There are over 600 currently recognized species of ''Perdita'', plus more than 100 additional subspecies and many more species that remain undescribed. ''Perdita'' are usually quite small (2.0 mm to 10.0 mm) and often brightly colored with metallic reflections and/or yellow or white markings, and among the few lineages of bees incapable of stinging. The genus was extensively treated by P.H. Timberlake who, in addition to T.D.A. Cockerell, described most of the known species. Most species are extreme specialists ( oligoleges) with respect to pollen and will only collect pollen from a few closely related species or genera of plants. Many species in this genus are called fairy bees. They may be parasitized by '' Neolarra'' cuckoo bees, which lay eggs in their nests given the opportunity.

References

External links

Perdita Identification Guide (female)Perdita Identification Guide (male)List of SpeciesWorldwide Species MapBugguide
Andrenidae Bee genera {{Andrenidae-stub

See also

References

External links