Species Protoxaea gloriosa

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Remarks · Print References · Internet References

Big bee dead in Alfalfa - Protoxaea gloriosa - female

Protoxaea gloriosa? frontal - Protoxaea gloriosa - male

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 Andrenidae (Miner, Fairy, Allied Panurgine, and Oxaeine Bees)

Subfamily Oxaeinae (Oxaeine Bees)

Genus Protoxaea

Species gloriosa (Protoxaea gloriosa)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Megacilissa gloriosa Fox, 1893; Oxaea tristis Gribodo, 1894; Protoxaea gloriosa pallida Cockerell, 1934

Explanation of Names

Author: Fox, 1893

Range

Southwest

Discover Life Map

Habitat

Deserts and xeric grasslands

Season

Most numerous in late summer following monsoon rains

Food

Polylectic bee (generalist pollen/ nectar collector) frequenting especially Larrea tridentata (creosote bush), and Kallstroemia grandiflora (Arizona caltrop), both in Zygophyllaceae (Caltrop family). Other plants visited: Solanum elaeagnifolium, Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae/ Nightshade family), Calliandra schottii, Senna bauhinioides (formerly in genus Cassia; both Calliandra and Senna in Legume family/ Fabaceae) [see Cazier & Linsley, 1974, and Hurd & Linsley, 1975, references below]. The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known floral associations based on specimen records and images.

Remarks

The most common oxaeine in Arizona

Print References

Cazier, M. A., and E. G. Linsley. 1974. Foraging Behavior of Some Bees and Wasps at Kallstroemia grandiflora Flowers in Southern Arizona and New Mexico. American Museum Novitates, No. 2546. (PDF)

Hurd, P. D., Jr., and E. G. Linsley. 1975. The Principal Larrea Bees of the Southwestern United States (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, No. 193.(PDF)

Hurd, P. D., Jr., and E. G. Linsley. 1976. The bee family Oxaeidae with a revision of the North American species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 220: 1-75.

Rozen, J. G., Jr. 1965. Phylogenetic-taxonomic significance of last instar of Protoxaea gloriosa Fox, with descriptions of first and last instars. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 72: 223-230.

Internet References

Discover Life

Contributed by John S. Ascher on 6 August, 2010 - 9:49am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Hartmut Wisch, JohnMaxwell22, hg, PaleoJon
Last updated 30 December, 2022 - 9:48pm

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