Family Megachilidae - Leafcutter, Mason, and Resin Bees, and allies (original) (raw)

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)

No Taxon (Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees)

Family Megachilidae (Leafcutter, Mason, and Resin Bees, and allies)

Explanation of Names

Megachilidae Latreille 1802

Numbers

>630 spp. in 18 genera of 4 tribes and 2 subfamilies in our area, ~4,100 spp. in ~80 genera of 11 tribes and 4 subfamilies worldwide(1)

Overview of our fauna (* –taxa not yet in the guide)

Family Megachilidae

Tribe Anthidiini Anthidiellum (subgenus Loyolanthidium), Anthidium (subgenera Anthidium, Callanthidium, Proanthidium), Dianthidium (subgenera Adanthidium, Dianthidium, *Mecanthidium), Paranthidium (subgenus Paranthidium), Pseudoanthidium, Stelis (subgenera Dolichostelis, Heterostelis, Stelis), Trachusa (subgenera Heteranthidium, *Legnanthidium, Trachusomimus, *Ulanthidium)

Tribe Megachilini Coelioxys (subgenera Acrocoelioxys, Allocoelioxys, Boreocoelioxys, *Coelioxys, Cyrtocoelioxys, Glyptocoelioxys, Haplocoelioxys, Neocoelioxys, Synocoelioxys, Xerocoelioxys), Megachile (subgenera Acentron, Argyropile, Callomegachile, Chelostomoides, Cressoniella, Eutricharaea, Leptorachis, Litomegachile, Megachile, Megachiloides, Melanosarus, *Neochelynia, Pseudocentron, Pseudomegachile, Sayapis, Tylomegachile, Xanthosarus)

Tribe Osmiini Ashmeadiella (subgenera Arogochila, Ashmeadiella, *Chilosima, Cubitognatha, *Isosmia), Atoposmia (subgenera *Atoposmia, *Eremosmia, *Hexosmia), Chelostoma (subgenera *Foveosmia, *Gyrodromella, Prochelostoma), Heriades (subgenus Neotrypetes), Hoplitis (subgenera *Acrosmia, Alcidamea, Cyrtosmia, *Dasyosmia, *Formicapis, *Hoplitina, *Hoplitis, Monumetha, *Penteriades, *Proteriades, *Robertsonella), Osmia (subgenera Acanthosmioides, Cephalosmia, *Diceratosmia, *Euthosmia, Helicosmia, Melanosmia, *Mystacosmia, Osmia, *Trichinosmia), Protosmia (subgenus Chelostomopsis), *Xeroheriades

Identification

Front wings with two submarginal cells, abdomen with pollen-collecting basket (scopa) ventrally (absent in parasitic species)(2)

Guide to eastern genera in (3)

Labrum longer than wide

OVERVIEW OF GENERA

Range

worldwide and throughout NA(1)

Habitat

The nest above ground in various cavities.(4)

Life Cycle

Some are leaf-cutters, nesting in ground, in cavities, wood. Tunnels are bored in wood or in the ground. Cell is provisioned with pollen (and nectar?), an egg laid, and cell is sealed over with circular pieces of leaves, clay or other materials that fit tightly into cavity. A few (Stelis, Coelioxys) are (clepto)parasitic, laying their eggs in the nests of other members of this family.

Remarks

Non native species:

Florentine Wool-carder Bee, Anthidium florentinum. From Europe, 2012

Wool Carder Bee, Anthidium manicatum. From Europe, before 1963

No common name, Anthidium oblongatum. From Europe, 1995

No common name, Chelostoma campanularum . From Europe

No common name, Chelostoma rapunculi. From the Palaearctic

No common name, Coelioxys coturnix. From Europe, very recently

No common name, Hoplitis anthocopoides. From Europe

Mediterranean Wood Boring Bee, Lithurgus chrysurus. From Europe in 1978

No common name, Megachile apicalis. From Europe and the Middle East

Pale leafcutting bee, Megachile concinna. From Africa

No common name, Megachile lanata. From Ethiopian/Oriental regions

No common name, Megachile pusilla. Probably from southern Europe or North Africa

Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee, Megachile rotundata. From the Old World

Giant Resin Bee, Megachile sculpturalis. From Asia, 1990s

No common name, Megachile umbripennis. From Asia

No common name, Osmia caerulescens. From the Palaearctic

Hornfaced Bee, Osmia cornifrons. From Japan, 1970s

No common name, Osmia taurus. From SE Asia, 1970s

No common name, Pseudoanthidium nanum. From Europe, very recently, 2000s or 2010s

Internet References

Fact sheet (Serrano 2005‒2014)(6)

Works Cited