Family COLLETIDAE

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Family COLLETIDAE

Compiler and date details

30 March 2006 - Updated and revised by Ken L. Walker, Museum Victoria, 11 Nicholson St, Carlton, Victoria, Australia

1993 - J.C. Cardale, CSIRO Division of Entomology, Canberra, Australia

Introduction

The Colletidae are short-tongued bees, characterised by a short, broad glossa which is truncate, emarginate or bifid apically except in a few male Hylaeinae (McGinley 1980; Michener & Brooks 1984). In Australia, this family includes about half of the described species of bees. The species are more numerous and there is a greater diversity in Australia than in other parts of the world (Michener 1979).

The Colletidae are now divided into five subfamilies: Callomelittinae (with one endemic genus), Diphaglossinae (with one endemic genus), Euryglossinae (with 15 endemic genera), Hylaeinae (with seven genera, some endemic and others cosmopolitan) and Neopasiphaeinae (with eight genera, the group is most abundant and diversified in Australia and South America) (Michener 2007; Almeida & Danforth 2009; Almeida et al. 2012; Almeida et al. 2018).

Surprisingly, genetic studies by Almeida and Danforth (2009) found that Paracolletes crassipes was closely related to New World Diphaglossinae. Subsequently, most of the hairy colletids, previously placed in the subfamily Colletinae, were placed in Neophasiphaeinae (Almeida et al. 2012) - a name initially erected by Cockerell (1930).

The females of this family line their brood cells with a transparent, cellophane-like material (Michener & Houston 1991)—a behaviour that is unique amongst bees. All Colletidae were thought to be solitary until sociality was discovered in Amphylaeus morosus Smith (Spessa et al. 2000); no parasitic species are recorded from Australia. Rayment (1935) and Michener (1960) described the nests of several species, McGinley (1981) described larvae and Houston (2020) described the nest, larvae, pupae and cocoons.

Short-tongued bees are not normally able to obtain nectar from flowers with deeply recessed nectaries. However, Houston (1983) described Colletidae with elongate palpi and Maynard (1994) described Colletidae with elongated maxillary and labial palpi that are used to access such nectaries. Flower visiting records are given in Michener (1965), Armstrong (1979), Bernhardt (1987) and Maynard (2013).

Leioproctus is a highly diverse genus found in Australia, New Zealand and South America (Almeida et al. 2018). Houston (2018) recorded 23 subgenera and 193 species for Leioproctus. Many are hairy bees of medium size (5–15 mm). The females transport pollen externally on the scopa on the hind legs, although Houston (1981b) recorded the alimentary transport of pollen in one species of Leioproctus. The forewing usually has three, sometimes two, submarginal cells. Females have a pygidial plate that is broadest basally; the basitibial plate is usually defined by a carina. Females construct nests in soil or occasionally in rotting wood. Houston (1989, 1990, 1991) described and gave information on the behaviour of some distinctive bees from Western Australia. Maynard (1991, 1992, 2013) revised a number of subgenera of Leioproctus.

The Euryglossinae are endemic to Australia and comprise 15 genera, seven of which occur in Tasmania; one species, Euryglossina (Euryglossina) proctotrypoides Cockerell, was accidentally introduced into New Zealand (Donovan 1980). Adults are minute to medium in size (2–10 mm), usually sparsely haired and often with pale markings. A scopa is lacking and pollen is transported in the crop. The forewing usually has two submarginal cells, sometimes one. The pygidial plate of females is slender and parallel sided; the basitibial plate is recognisable, though often only outlined by a few tubercles. Adults usually nest in the soil, but a few species nest in holes in dead wood (Houston 1969). Exley revised most of the genera, including Brachyhesma (Exley 1977), Chaetohesma (Exley 1978), Euryglossina (Exley 1968), Xanthesma (Exley 1969), Pachyprosopis (Exley 1976a), Euryglossa (Exley 1976b), Quasihesma (Exley 1980), Heterohesma (Exley 1983) and Dashyhesma (Exley 2004).

The Hylaeinae are cosmopolitan in distribution, but only in Australia do they constitute a major element of the bee fauna. In addition, the Australian Hylaeinae are more diverse than those of other biogeographic regions. There are seven genera, of which two have been recorded from Tasmania; one species, Hyleoides concinna (Fabricius), which was the first named Australian bee in 1775, was accidentally introduced into New Zealand (Donovan 1983). Adults are minute to medium in size (3–13 mm), often slender, sparsely haired and usually dark coloured with pale markings on the face and thorax. Hylaeinae lack pollen-carrying scopae and the females carry pollen provisions for larvae in the crop. The forewing usually has two submarginal cells and the females usually lack pygidial and basitibial plates. Males of some Australian species have an acute glossa (Michener 1992). Most species nest in pithy stems or in pre-existing holes in dead wood, but a few nest in the soil. Houston (1975, 1981a) revised many of the genera.