The subfamily Dasypodainae (originally named "Dasypodidae") is a small subfamily of
melittid bees, with more than 100 species in eight genera,
[Michez D. (2008) ]
Monographic revision of the melittid bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Melittidae sensu lato)
'' Proc. Neth. Entomol. Soc. Meet. 19: 31-39. found in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
and the northern temperate zone, primarily in
xeric
Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (ancient Greek xērós, “dry") shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this h ...
habitats.
They are typically small to moderate-sized bees, with shaggy
scopae, and are commonly
oligolectic
The term oligolecty is used in pollination ecology to refer to bees that exhibit a narrow, specialized preference for pollen sources, typically to a single family or genus of flowering plants. The preference may occasionally extend broadly to mult ...
(e.g., ''
Hesperapis regularis
''Hesperapis regularis'' is an oligolectic bee in the family Melittidae.
Distribution
This bee is native to California, and inhabits meadows, fields, and gardens, where it visits only flowers in the genus ''Clarkia''. Numerous native species of ...
''). All members of this family have two submarginal cells in the forewing.
Taxonomy
Initial molecular work suggested that the family Melittidae was
paraphyletic, and that its subfamilies (including Dasypodainae) should therefore be elevated to family status.
However, these studies included very few melittids, due to their rarity. A 2013 investigation included a greater number of melittid bees and concluded that the family was probably monophyletic, thus supporting Dasypodainae as a subfamily of Melittidae.
The largest genus, ''
Hesperapis'', contains some 40 known species, plus several more undescribed ones, with an unusual
disjunct distribution in
North America and southern
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
.
The subfamily Dasypodainae groups these tribes and genera:
Dasypoda
''Dasypoda'' is a genus of bees in the family Melittidae.
Species
* ''Dasypoda albimana'' Pérez, 1905
* '' Dasypoda albipila'' Spinola, 1838
* ''Dasypoda altercator'' (Harris 1780)
* ''Dasypoda argentata'' Panzer 1809
* '' Dasypoda aurata'' Ru ...
''
**'' Eremaphanta''
**'' Capicola''
**'' Hesperapis''
***''Hesperapis regularis
''Hesperapis regularis'' is an oligolectic bee in the family Melittidae.
Distribution
This bee is native to California, and inhabits meadows, fields, and gardens, where it visits only flowers in the genus ''Clarkia''. Numerous native species of ...
'' — specialist on ''Clarkia
''Clarkia'' is a genus within the flowering plant family Onagraceae. Over 40 species are currently classified in ''Clarkia''; almost all are native to western North America, though one species (''Clarkia tenella'') is native to South America.
...
'' species flowers in California chaparral and woodlands habitats and gardens in California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
*Tribe Sambini
**'' Haplomelitta''
**'' Samba''
*Tribe Promelittini
**'' Promelitta''
**'' Afrodasypoda''
References
* C. D. Michener (2000) ''The Bees of the World'', Johns Hopkins University Press.
External links
*
Melittidae
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