Bees of Sub-Saharan Africa It is estimated that there are around 30 000 bee species worldwide of which about 20 500 have been described, 2755 occur in sub-Saharan Africa and about 1200 occur in South Africa. Bees, in many shapes and sizes, pollinate about 80% of all flowering plants and 75% of the vegetables, fruits and nuts we eat. The symbols next to each bee indicate their sociality, where they nest and where they get their food. Megachilidae are long tongued bees with two submarginal cells on their wings that collect pollen Apidae are long tongued bees with two or three submarginal wing cells that collect pollen on their hind legs. under their abdomens. The group comprises almost every type of nest building behaviour. Most are solitary but some are social. Parasitism includes social parasites, cleptoparasites and robbers. ♂ ♂ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♂ C ♀ C ♀ ♂ F Pasites ♀ appletoni C C F Cleft Cuckoo Ammobates ♀ Nomada gigas Bee auster Gnathanthidium Wasp Cuckoo Sandwalker prionognathum Bee Cuckoo Bee F Big Jawed Afromelecta fulvohirta Euaspis abdominalis Xylocopa lugubris Fidelia braunsiana Redtailed Cuckoo Bee Carder Bee Coelioxys circumscriptus Large Carpenter Bee Pathwork Cuckoo Bee Pot Bee Cone Cuckoo Bee ♀ ♂ ♀ ♀ ♂ C ♂ ♀ F ♂ C ♂ ♀ ♀ ♂ ♀ ♀ F ♀ ♂ F Ceratina Sphecodopsis Icteranthidium ♀ ♂ Schwarzia emmae moerenhouti Max Cuckoo Bee vespericena F grohmani Small Carpenter Bee Cape Cuckoo Ridge Cheeked Bee C F Hoplitis similis Carder Bee F Lithurgus spiniferus Big Resin Bee Aglaoapis trifasciata Stone Bee Toothed Cuckoo Bee F ♀ ♂ ♀ ♂ Aspidosmia arnoldi ♀ ♂ Ugly Faced Carder Bee ♀ F ♀ ♀ Thyreus pictus Xylocopa scioensis F F Neon Cuckoo Bee Afroheriades sp. ♀ Large Carpenter Bee Compsomelissa Macrogalea candida African Resin Bee Ochreriades F ♀ Stenoheriades sp. zaxantha Super Tongued Stem Bee fasciatus Anthidioma murinum Super Tongued Elegant Stem ♀ ♀ ♀ ♂ Collar Resin Bee Enigmatic Carder Bee Resin Bee Bee ♀ C ♀ ♀ ♂ Ammobatoides c ♀ ♂ ♀ Pachyanthidium sp. ♀ ♀ scriptus Sputnik Resin Bee ♀ F Eucondylops F ♂ ♀ Stalker Cuckoo Nasutapis F F F F Bee konowi Noteriades sp. Xenostelis Braunsapis straussorum Epeolus Knobheaded F ♀ Trachusa sp. F Ridge Faced Resin Bee Haetosmia polychrome Allodapula bouyssouri Pinnochio natalensis Cuckoo Bee circumventa Heriades Desert Burrowing variegata Common Cuckoo Bee Woolly freygessneri ♀ Cuckoo Bee Resin Bee Flat Tailed Stem Bee Cuckoo Bee ♂ Hookhair F ♀ Resin Bee Hole Resin Bee Stelis sp. Tetralonia macrognatha Stem Bee R Pseudoanthidium Sparse Mining Bee ♂ Dusky Cuckoo Bee Allodape punctata ♀ ♂ ♀ ♀ ♂ tuberculiferum ♀ ♂ Colourful Stem Cleptotrigona Comb Tailed ♀ ♂ Bee cubiceps Carder Bee ♀ C Worker F Parastic ♂ F Ctenoplectrina politula Wainia sp. F ♀ Parasitic Stingless Bee Stingless F Bee Snail Shell Resin Bee Othinosmia sp. F Pebble Resin Bee F F ♀ Tetraloniella braunsiana Megachile frontalis ♂ Long Horned Mining Bee F Hypotrigona ♀ ♀ Leaf Cutter Bee gribodoi ♀ Megachile ianthoptera Dactylurina Worker F F Leaf Cutter Bee (Dauber) ♀ ♂ staudingeri Mopani Bee Plebeina F Anthidiellum Ancyla sp. worker denoiti Enigmatic Mining Narrow Worker Afranthidium absonulum F Pachymelus festivus Stingless concolor Agile Resin Big Digger Bee Bee Mocca Bee Bee Plesianthidium Bee F Pale Carder Bee volkmanni ♀ ♂ F Pseudoheriades sp. Afrostelis tegularis Dark Resin Bee Ctenoplectra Bequaerti Shelf Resin Bee African Cuckoo Bee ♀ ♂ ♀ ♂ Squash Oil Bee ♂ ♀ ♂ F F F ♂ ♂ worker F ♀ F F F Eoanthidium F Worker Anthidium severini rothschildi Serapista rufipes Megachile maxillosa Anthophora vestita Amegilla calens Meliponula beccarii Apis mellifera Linnaeus Wool Bee Dawn Resin Bee White Spotted Carder Bee Leaf Cutter Bee (Dauber) Flower Lover Digger Bee Banded Digger Bee Robust Stingless Bees Honey Bee Poster Compiled by: Halictidae have short pointed tongues, one subantennal suture and a strongly curved basal vein in the forewing. They account for about one-third of all Afrotropical bee species, and are possibly Lynn Katsoulis and the most abundant bees. ♀ ♂ ♀ ♂ ♀ ♂ Connal Eardley ♀ ♂ ♀ F F Reference: ♀ Cellariella kalaharica F Nomioides ♀ maculiventris Eardley C, Kuhlmann M, F ♂ F Petiole Steppe Bee Ceylalictus ♀ ♂ and Pauly A. (2010) The F F Clear Steppe ♀ ♂ F Pseudapis aliceae Muiri C Bee Genera and Pseudapis nilotica Earwing Ground Bee Opaque Bee Subgenera of Sub-Saharan Lipotriches testacea Steppe Bee F Sphecodes sp. Grass Ground Bee Earwing Ground Bee ♂ Patellapis sp. Blood Cuckoo Bee Africa. Abc Taxa, Belgium. ♀ ♀ ♂ ♀ F ♂ Comb sweat Bee F ♂ F Lipotriches vulpina F Ceylalictus Grass Ground Bee ♂ ♂ Ceylalictus punjabensis F ♂ Lipotriches picardi Lipotriches meridionalis Opaque F F capverdensis Ceylalictus Patellapis sp. F Grass Ground Bee Grass Ground Bee F Steppe Bee karachensis Comb Sweat ♀ Lipotriches hylaeoides Opaque Steppe ♀ F Pseudapis rugiventris Pseudapis amoenula Bee Opaque Bee Patellapis sp. Grass Ground Bee Earwing Ground Bee Steppe ♂ Patellapis plicatus Comb Sweat Bee Earwing Ground Bee Comb Sweat Bee ♀ ♂ Bee ♂ F ♀ F Patellapis F ♂ F Patellapis albofasciata C Comb Sweat Bee Available online free download for Lipotriches cribrosa ♀ F ♂ C Glossodialictus Kabetense Grass Ground Bee Eupetersia sp. ♀ wittei Comb Lipotriches orientalis Eupetersia emini Sweat Bee Slim Cuckoo Bee Slim Cuckoo Bee C Congo Sweat Grass Ground Bee ♂ Eupetersia sp. Bee ♂ F ♀ ♂ Slim Cuckoo Bee ♀ ♀ ♂ ♀ F F F Spatunomia rubra ♀ ♂ F Spoon Ground Bee ♂ Lipotriches derema Nomia chandleri F ♂ Grass Ground Bee Lipotriches sp. Opalescent Ground Bee Grass Ground Bee Thrinchostoma emini F F Environmental Education Centre ♀ Lasioglossum sp. Long Faced Bee Thrinchostoma F F Thrinchostoma sp. lettowvorbecki ♀ ♂ Weak Veined Sweat Bee Long Faced Bee More information on ♂ F Lasioglossum Lasioglossum sp. Long Faced Bee identifying bees and ways to F Weak Veined collaborate is available at F Nomia scitula synavei ♀ ♂ Sweat Bee ♂ Nomia bouyssoui Opalescent Ground Steganomus sp. ♀ www.happyacres.co.za Opalescent Ground ♂ Capped Wing F Bee Bee Ground Bee Seladonia jucunda F ♀ ♂ ♀♂ Golden Furrowed Bee ♀ Lasioglossum sp. NPO F Weak Veined F F ♂ Sweat Bee ♀ ♂ ♂ F ♀ Nomia viridicincta F Nomia ivoirensis ♀ F F F Opalescent Ground Bee ♀ F Nomia antecedens Nomia zonaria F Opalescent Lasioglossum sp. Lasioglossum sp. Seladonia chalybaea Thrinchostoma torridum Systropha sp. Opalescent Ground Bee Nomia sp. Opalescent Ground Bee Ground Bee Weak Veined Sweat Bee Weak Veined Sweat Bee Golden Furrowed Bee Long Faced Bee Spiral Horned Bee Colletidae have forked short- Andrenidae have short pointed tongues, Melittidae have short pointed tongues, one subantennal suture and a straight basal vein in the forewing. They collect tongues, one subantennal suture and a two subanttennal sutures and a straight basal pollen from flowers and nest in burrows in the soil. straight basal vein in the forewing. They vein in the forewing. They are pollen collectors nest in tunnels in the ground or in that nest in burrows in the soil. hollow twigs and apply clear secretions ♀ ♂ ♀ ♂ ♀ ♂ onto the walls of their brood cells. ♀ ♂ ♀ ♀ ♂ ♂ ♀ ♂ ♀ ♀ Afrodasypoda plumipes Haplomelitta atra Ceratomonia rozenorum Meliturgula Capicola danforthi Trouser Bee Samba calcarata Furtailed Bee Spatulate Buzzing Bee scriptifrons Cape Trouser Bee Sicklespur Trouser Bee Hovering Scrapter nitidus Andrena notophila Shaggy Bee ♀ ♂ Membrane Bee Sand Bee ♂ Colletes capensis ♀ Cellophane Bee ♀ ♂ ♂ ♀ ♂ ♀ ♂ ♀ ♀ ♂ ♀ ♀ ♂ Mermiglossa rufa Worm Tongued Shaggy Bee Uromonia Stagei Redivivoides simulans Fat Buzzing Bee Long Legged Oil Bee Calloprosopis Borgatomelissa Nothylaeus junodi magnifica Melitturga penrithorum brevipennis Meganomia binghami Melitta arrogans Rediviva macgregori Masked Bee Blue Masked Bee Big Eyed Shaggy Bee Whining Shaggy Bee Desert Buzzing Bee Furtailed Bee Long Legged Oil Bee Scale: Nesting (Colour): Feeding (Letter) Sociality (Shape) Males (♂) and Females (♀) o Only female bees that provision Make external cases from plant material in existing burrows F - Collect pollen from flowers and pollinate flowers in the process brood cells carry pollen, and 5 mm o Secrete a cellophane-like substance in existing wood burrows S - Social parasites replace or coexists with the queen and use the o Solitary only females sting. o Carpenter, stem and stone bees bore tunnels in wood host workers to raise their progeny Bee Keeping o Ground nesting C - Cleptoparasites lay their eggs in the nests of other bees and the o Social One species, Apis mellifera, is 10 mm o Dauber and resin bees make cases of soil or resin larvae feed on the food collected for the host’s larvae used for almost all honey o production and commercial o Carders make woolly balls around little cocoon-like structures R - Robbers steal pollen and honey from nests of other bees Social honey producers pollination..