Bee All-Stars Please Visit
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Project Directors Gretchen LeBuhn and Trena Noval Designer Kelly Green dearkellygreen.com Illustrations Noel Pugh: Bee Illustrator fullpollenbasket.com Vessy Ivanova: Family Tree Photography Kristy Baker, H.Go, Efram Goldberg, Nancy Hamlett, MJ Hatfield, Ron Hemberger, Gary McDonald, Tom Murray, Harsi Parker, Kurt Schaefer, Stephen Schueman, Lynette Schimming, Hartmut Wisch Content Contributors Peralta Elementary School (Oakland, California) Teachers Pam Lucker, Anne Larsen and Ana Thomas and her 4th grade class, 2014 Funded with generous support from the Panta Rhea Foundation: www.pantarhea.org For more information about this project and more, Bee All-Stars please visit www.greatsunflower.org Bee Family Tree The family colors found in the small circles for each genera also Foraging Pollen Transport match the color banner on the front of each card. The following icons will Halictidae help you get to know Colletidae each bee better. specialists (sp) leg 2500 4300 species Physical Identification 5700 2900 species Apidae Andrenidae 2 submarginal 3 submarginal generalists (gn) abdomen 4000 cells (2sm) cells (3sm) species 20 Flight Seasons Megachilidae Stenotritidae 200 Melittidae Apoid Bees summer fall spring stores Apoid Wasps vegetarian internally hunt prey Nesting parasite ground cavity parasite - do not store pollen Apoidea (Superfamily withtin the order Hymenoptera) Genus Agapostemon Physical Characteristics Males have black / yellow striped abdomen. Females have bright shiny green head, thorax and abdomen, or a black/brown abdomen with white hair bands. Food Resources Prefer shallow flowers. Nests Nests in deep vertical burrows in flat Genus Hylaeus or sloping soil, sometimes in banks. Mostly solitary, some nest communally. Physical Characteristics Slender, hairless, black with bright yellow Fun Fact or white markings on face and legs, more Only female bees overwinter. All male so on males. bees die in the fall. Food Resources No pollen-carrying scopa. Small body size enables them to access deep flowers. female texanus Nests Twig and stem nesters who line brood cells with self-secreted cellophane-like material. male Many rely on nest burrows made by texanus other insects. Fun Fact CM Size They carry both pollen and nectar internally 7 to 14.5 mm, or and regurgitate it upon returning to their nests. 1 ¼ to ½ inch 12 greatsunflower.org/agapostemon Their yellow shaped marks on their faces look like they are wearing a wrestler’s mask. 2 3 11 modestus 4 5 North America North Size worldwide, 14 in in 14 worldwide, 5 to 7 mm 40 species in in species 40 greatsunflower.org/hylaeus or ¼ inch 6 10 7 8 9 9 America 1 0 species in North North in species worldwide, 14 14 worldwide, 700 species species 700 8 1 1 (ag-uh-PAHST-eh-mon) Genus Agapostemon Genus 1 2 Family Halictidae Family 1 3 Green Sweat Bee Sweat Green 7 1 4 1 5 CM (hi-LAY-us) 1 12 1 6 6 Genus Hylaeus Genus 2 1 7 Family Colletidae Family Masked Bees Masked 3 1 8 Yellow-Faced or Yellow-Faced 11 4 5 1 9 5 2 0 2 0 6 10 2 1 4 7 2 2 8 2 3 9 9 3 2 4 1 0 2 5 8 1 1 2 6 2 1 2 2 7 1 3 2 8 7 1 4 1 2 9 1 5 3 0 1 6 INCH 6 1 7 1 8 5 1 9 2 0 2 0 2 1 4 2 2 2 3 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 2 7 2 8 1 2 9 3 0 INCH Genus Colletes Physical Characteristics Moderately hairy and slender, with pale bands of hair on abdomen, “heart-shaped” face (eyes slanted toward each other) and “teardrop” shaped abdomen Food Resources Found on Asteraceae, Papilionaceae, Hydrophyllaceae, Boraginaceae, Malvaceae, Zygophyllaceae & Salicaceae in CA. Nests Ground nesters in shallow nests (4-6 Genus Halictus inches deep.) Sometimes nest in large Physical Characteristics aggregations. Dark brown to black or dark metallic green sheen, with bands of hair on outermost Fun Fact edge of plates on abdomen. Females line cells with a natural polymer like, cellophane bubbles so her young are well- Food Resources protected from water as they develop in the soil. Commonly found on in the Daisy family). NestsAsteraceae Semi (plants social ground nesters. Some species have small nests with a single hyalinus queen and a few workers. Other species build long-lived nests with multiple queens and hundreds of workers. Size Fun Fact CM 7 to 16 mm, or In some andHalictus help care for young. A single nest can 1 12 greatsunflower.org/colletes about ½ to ¾ inch be, daughtersestablished remain in spring in theand nest continue to be productive until late fall. ligatus 2 3 tripartitus 11 4 worldwide 5 330 species species 330 Size North America, America, North 4.5 to 14 mm, or 95 species in in species 95 1/8 to ½ inch greatsunflower.org/halictus 6 10 7 8 9 9 America 1 0 species in North North in species worldwide, 10 10 worldwide, 442 species species 442 8 (koe-LEE-teez) 1 1 Genus Colletes Genus 1 2 Family Colletidae Family Digger Bees Digger 1 3 Polyester or Polyester 7 1 4 1 5 CM 1 (hah-LICK-tuss) 12 1 6 6 Genus Halictus Genus 2 1 7 Family Halictidae Family 3 Sweat Bee Sweat 1 8 11 4 5 1 9 5 2 0 2 0 6 10 2 1 4 7 2 2 8 2 3 9 9 3 2 4 1 0 2 5 8 1 1 2 6 2 1 2 2 7 1 3 2 8 7 1 4 1 2 9 1 5 3 0 1 6 INCH 6 1 7 1 8 5 1 9 2 0 2 0 2 1 4 2 2 2 3 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 2 7 2 8 1 2 9 3 0 INCH Genus Lasioglossum Physical Characteristics Slender, dusky black to brown, dull green or blue, bands of hair on their abdomen—similar Duforeato Food, but antenna Resources are higher on face. Are both specialists and generalists and attracted to NestsOenothera Ground and nesters, can exhibit a full range of social behaviorsClarkia (both social and solitary). Some . Genus Dufourea species will nest in rotten logs Physical Characteristics Fun Fact Narrow black, dull green, or metallic blue bodies, They have glands that produce mix of sometimes with red abdomens, antennae are chemicals called lactones. Each bee has its own very low on their face—similar to unique combination of lactones that it uses to but have much lower antennae. line nests, This helps the bee find its own nest when returning from foraging. Food Resources SpecializeLasioglossum on a wide variety of different plants including OenotheraLinanthus, MonardaHelianthus, Eschscholzia, Phacelia, Campanula, titusi NestsMimulus, Clarkia, Nests, can be very shallow in the ground and andCalochortus, various others. easily invaded by other bees. , CM Size Fun Fact 3 to 10 mm, or The variation of mouth shapes in 1 1/8 to 3/8 inch species allow for foraging from different size 12 greatsunflower.org/lasioglossum and shaped host plants. 2 Dufore a 3 11 vernalis 4 North America North 5 280 species in in species 280 Size species worldwide, worldwide, species 3.5 – 11 mm long, or over 1700 1700 over 6 greatsunflower.org/dufourea about 1/8 to 3/8 inch 10 7 8 9 9 North America North 1 0 80 species in in species 80 worldwide, worldwide, 170 species species 170 8 1 1 (LAZE-ee-oh-gloss-um) Genus Lasioglossum Genus 1 2 Family Halictidae Family 1 3 Sweat Bee Sweat 7 1 4 1 5 CM 1 (dew-FOUR-ea) 12 1 6 6 Genus Dufourea Genus 2 1 7 Family Halictidae Family 3 Sweat Bee Sweat 1 8 11 4 5 1 9 5 2 0 2 0 6 10 2 1 4 7 2 2 8 2 3 9 9 3 2 4 1 0 2 5 8 1 1 2 6 2 1 2 2 7 1 3 2 8 7 1 4 1 2 9 1 5 3 0 1 6 INCH 6 1 7 1 8 5 1 9 2 0 2 0 2 1 4 2 2 2 3 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 2 7 2 8 1 2 9 3 0 INCH Genus Sphecodes Physical Characteristics Shiny slender brown to black wasp-like bees, often have red on their abdomen. Food Resources Do not forage for provisions for their offspring because they do not make their own nests. Nests: They are cleptoparasites (nest invaders), and lay their eggs in cells of the other species. Their offspring kill the host larvae and take over the Genus Andrena provisions of the host bees. Physical Characteristics Fun Fact Black/dull metallic blue or green, some have pale Females have spines on hind legs, ridges and bands of hair on long slender abdomen, velvety grooves in their exoskeleton to protect them facial indentations (fovea) with white to brown hair. from attack of host bee. Called “cuckoo bees” because their behavior mimics that of cuckoo Food Resources birds. Both generalist and specialists. Nests Mostly solitary ground nesters but sometimes nest communally: two or more females share a ocelli nest but build and provision their own nest cells. antiochensis Prefer sandy soil near or nest under shrubs. Females line cells waxy material. fovea Fun Fact CM With over 1,300 species, Size 4.5 - 15 mm long, or largest of all bee genera. Females need to gather 1 12 greatsunflower.org/sphecodes about 3/16 to 5/8 inch about half their body weight in pollen to lay their eggs.Andrena This can take them 6 - 7 journeys to gather! are one of the 2 3 11 caerulea 4 America Size 5 species in North North in species 7 - 18 mm, or worldwide, 80 80 worldwide, 300 species species 300 about ¼ to ¾ inch 6 greatsunflower.org/andrena 10 7 8 9 9 North America North 1 0 worldwide, 550 in in 550 worldwide, over 1300 species species 1300 over 8 (sfe-KO-deze) 1 1 Genus Sphecodes Genus 1 2 Family Halictidae Family 1 3 Cuckoo Bees Cuckoo 7 1 4 1 5 CM 1 (an-DREE-nuh) 12 1 6 6 Genus Andrena Genus 2 1 7 Family Andrenidae Family 3 1 8 Digger or Miner Bees Miner or Digger 11 4 5 1 9 5 2 0 2 0 6 10 2 1 4 7 2 2 8 2 3 9 9 3 2 4 1 0 2 5 8 1 1 2 6 2 1 2 2 7 1 3 2 8 7 1 4 1 2 9 1 5 3 0 1 6 INCH 6 1 7 1 8 5 1 9 2 0 2 0 2 1 4 2 2 2 3 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 2 7 2 8 1 2 9 3 0 INCH Genus Panurginus Physical Characteristics Jet black, sometimes shiny, with dark colored hairs, moderately hairy, long abdomen.