Tetrapedia (bee)

The genus ''Tetrapedia'' contains approximately 13 species of small apid bees occurring in the Neotropics (from Mexico to Argentina), and they are unusual in possessing adaptations for carrying floral oils rather than (or in addition to)

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualists ...

. The floral oils are typically gathered from plants of the family

Malpighiaceae Malpighiaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Malpighiales. It comprises about 73 genera and 1315 species, all of which are native to the tropics and subtropics. About 80% of the genera and 90% of the species occur in the New World ( ...

, though other plants may be visited. They also apparently gather plant resins for use in nest cell construction, sometimes mixed with sand. They are small bees (8–13 mm), generally black in color, though they may have yellow faces. Apinae Bee genera {{Apinae-stub