Macropis
Encyclopedia
Macropis is a genus of bee
s.
are of moderate size, not exceeding 15 mm. They have a livery predominantly black, males are characterized by conspicuous yellow markings on the head , but the females show morphological adaptations related to their foraging habits of flower oils, posterior tibiae with very developed, covered with a dense velvety hairs. Unlike most Melittidae
, the wing has only two submarginal cells.
spp. They are univoltine, ie make a single generation per year. The males emerge from the ground in spring, just before the females, and await the females in the vicinity of the flowers of the host plant. After mating, the females dig a nest in the ground, ending with one or two rooms in which it is collected the pollen, which is placed on the egg . The larvae , feeding on the pollen, develops rapidly, and within ten days turns into pupa, spending the winter in this stage. Macropis nests are often parasitized by bees cleptoparassite such Epeoloides
.
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s.
Description
ApoideaApoidea
The superfamily Apoidea is a major group within the Hymenoptera, which includes two traditionally-recognized lineages, the "sphecoid" wasps, and the bees, who appear to be their descendants.- Nomenclature :...
are of moderate size, not exceeding 15 mm. They have a livery predominantly black, males are characterized by conspicuous yellow markings on the head , but the females show morphological adaptations related to their foraging habits of flower oils, posterior tibiae with very developed, covered with a dense velvety hairs. Unlike most Melittidae
Melittidae
The family Melittidae is a small bee family, with some 60 species in 4 genera, restricted to Africa and the northern temperate zone. Historically, the family has included the Dasypodaidae and Meganomiidae as subfamilies, but recent molecular studies indicate that Melittidae was paraphyletic, so...
, the wing has only two submarginal cells.
Biology
They are solitary bees that dig their nests in the ground. Most species are oligolettiche and feed on pollen and floral oils of LysimachiaLysimachia
Lysimachia is a genus of flowering plants. It is traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae but should, according to molecular phylogenetic study, be placed to the family Myrsinaceae .-Characteristics:...
spp. They are univoltine, ie make a single generation per year. The males emerge from the ground in spring, just before the females, and await the females in the vicinity of the flowers of the host plant. After mating, the females dig a nest in the ground, ending with one or two rooms in which it is collected the pollen, which is placed on the egg . The larvae , feeding on the pollen, develops rapidly, and within ten days turns into pupa, spending the winter in this stage. Macropis nests are often parasitized by bees cleptoparassite such Epeoloides
Epeoloides
Epeoloides is a genus of cleptoparasitic bees which lay their eggs in the nests of melittid bees of the genus Macropis.Consists of two species:*Epeoloides coecutiens Fabricius, 1775*Epeoloides pilosulus...
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Species
- Macropis ciliata Patton, 1880
- Macropis dimidiata Yasumatsu & Hirashima, 1956
- Macropis europaea Warncke, 1973
- Macropis frivaldszkyi Mocsáry, 1878
- Macropis fulvipes (Fabricius, 1804)
- Macropis hedini Alfken 1936
- Macropis immaculata Wu 1965
- Macropis kiangsuensis Wu, 1978
- Macropis micheneri Wu, 1992
- Macropis nuda (Provancher, 1882)
- Macropis omeiensis Wu, 1965
- Macropis orientalis Michez & Patiny, 2005
- Macropis patellata Patton, 1880
- Macropis steironematis Robertson, 1891
- Macropis tibialis Yasumatsu & Hirashima, 1956
- Macropis ussuriana (Popov, 1936)