Subfamily Rophitinae - Short-faced Bees and Allies

Classification · Numbers · Identification · Range · Print References · Works Cited

Unknown Bee in Mentzelia involucrata (part I) - Xeralictus timberlakei - female

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 Halictidae (Sweat, Furrow, Nomiine, and Short-faced Bees)

Subfamily Rophitinae (Short-faced Bees and Allies)

Numbers

>100 spp. in 6 genera in our area (all in the tribe Rophitini that includes a total of 10 genera), ~260 spp. in 13 genera of 2 tribes worldwide(1)

Identification

Clypeus is wider than it is tall. Labrum is rounded and visible when mandibles are closed (not the case with other Halictids). Antennae set low on the face and are joined to the clypeus with 1 subantennal suture. (2)

Dufourea, Micralictoides, and Sphecodosoma(in part) have two submarginal cells, the other genera have 3 submarginal cells.(3)

Range

Rophitini is holarctic & Afrotropical and comprises all but 5 spp. of the subfamily; that other small tribe is restricted to parts of S. America(1)

Print References

Rozen, J. G. (1993). Nesting biologies and immature stages of the rophitine bees (Halictidae) with notes on the cleptoparasite Biastes (Anthophoridae) (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). American Museum Novitates. 3066, 1-28. (Full Text Here)

Rozen, J. G., & ÖZbek, H. T. (2008). Immatures of rophitine bees, with notes on their nesting biology (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae). American Museum Novitates, 2008(3609), 1-35. (Full Text Here)

Works Cited

1.	Ascher J.S., Pickering J. (2024) Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)

2.	The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees. Joseph S. Wilson & Olivia J. Messinger Carril. 2015. Princeton University Press.

3.	The Bees of the World, 2nd edition Charles D. Michener. 2007. The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Contributed by Ted Kropiewnicki on 28 March, 2008 - 11:09pm
Additional contributions by John S. Ascher, v belov, hg, Marci Hess, PaleoJon, Nathaniel Green
Last updated 8 July, 2022 - 2:27am

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