Colletidae

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Colletidae
Colletes daviesanus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Colletidae
Lepeletier, 1841
Subfamilies

The Colletidae are a

genera, and over 2000 species are all (with the known exception of but one species, Amphylaeus morosus)[2] evidently solitary, though many nest in aggregations. Two of the subfamilies, Euryglossinae and Hylaeinae, lack the external pollen-carrying apparatus (the scopa
) that otherwise characterizes most bees, and instead carry the pollen in their crops. These groups, and most genera in this family, have liquid or semiliquid pollen masses on which the larvae develop.

They can be found all over the world, but the most species live in South America and Australia. Over 50% of all bee species living in Australia belong to this family.

Hylaeus can be found in Europe, while in the Western Hemisphere, in addition to these two, the genera Caupolicana, Eulonchopria, and Ptiloglossa
are found.

Australian genera include Euhesma, a large genus, members of which has been split off into other genera such as Euryglossa and Callohesma.[4]

Unequal Cellophane Bee (Colletes inaequalis)
Unequal cellophane bee (Colletes inaequalis)

Traditionally, this family is believed to be likely the most "primitive" among extant bees, based primarily on the similarities of their mouthparts (the unique possession among bees of a bilobed

sensu lato) as the basal group of bees.[5]

"Nocturnal" species

The Colletidae are one of the four bee families that contain some

ocelli. The other families with some crepuscular species are Andrenidae, Halictidae, and Apidae
.

Systematics
Hylaeus sp. on Allium flower.

References

  1. C. D. Michener
    (2007) The Bees of the World, 2nd Edition, pg. 133, Johns Hopkins University Press.
  2. ^ "Strange bee-haviour: Social life of Australian species offers insights on evolution, scientists say". www.theguardian.com. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  3. ISSN 1297-9678
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-8018-6133-8
    . Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  5. PMID 17015826
    .
  6. ^ "Encyclopedia of Life entry for Hylaeinae". Retrieved 3 December 2014.

External links

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