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The subfamily Xylocopinae (family Apidae) occurs worldwide, and includes the large
On the classification of the bee genus ''Manuelia'' (Hymenoptera: Apidae).
''Acta Entomologica Slovenica'', 20(1) 65-72. *The Allodapini are restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and
The subfamily Xylocopinae (family Apidae) occurs worldwide, and includes the large carpenter bee
Carpenter bees are species in the genus ''Xylocopa'' of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. The common name "carpenter bee" derives from their nesting behavior; nearly all species burrow into hard plant m ...
s (tribe Xylocopini), the small carpenter bees (tribe Ceratinini), the allodapine bees (tribe Allodapini), and the relictual genus '' Manuelia'' (tribe Manueliini).
Subdivisions
TheTribes
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
of Xylocopinae are:
*The Xylocopini comprise a single genus, '' Xylocopa'', and occur in worldwide distribution, on all continents except Antarctica.
*The Ceratinini comprise a single genus, '' Ceratina'', with a worldwide distribution.
*The Manueliini comprise a single genus, '' Manuelia'', with only three species, which are restricted to Chile and the Lakes Region in Argentina.Engel, M. S. (2012)On the classification of the bee genus ''Manuelia'' (Hymenoptera: Apidae).
''Acta Entomologica Slovenica'', 20(1) 65-72. *The Allodapini are restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and
Australasia
Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...
, with a rare genus ''Exoneuridia'' also occurring in montane regions of the Middle East.
*The Boreallodapini is extinct
Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
, and known from specimens in amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...
.
Description
Some Xylocopinae have a cavity between the thorax and abdomen, calledacarinarium
An acarinarium is a specialized anatomical structure which is evolved to facilitate the retention of mites on the body of an organism, typically a bee or a wasp. The term was introduced by Walter Karl Johann Roepke.
Evolution
The acarinarium has ...
, which provides accommodation for a colony of predatory mites, cleaning their hosts of external parasites."The Arthropods of Southern Africa" - Holm & Dippenaar-Schoeman (Lapa 2010)
The vast majority of the Xylocopinae species make nests in dead wood
Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
, stems, or pith
Pith, or medulla, is a tissue in the stems of vascular plants. Pith is composed of soft, spongy parenchyma cells, which in some cases can store starch. In eudicotyledons, pith is located in the center of the stem. In monocotyledons, it ex ...
, and while many are solitary, many are also communal or primitively social
Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not.
Etymology
The word "social" derives fro ...
. Some genera of Allodapines commonly form eusocial
Eusociality ( Greek 'good' and social) is the highest level of organization of sociality. It is defined by the following characteristics: cooperative brood care (including care of offspring from other individuals), overlapping generations wit ...
colonies.
See also
*References
Bee subfamilies {{Apidae-stub