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| Links | Extracted from 2017 “Bees of Maryland: A Field Guide” http://bio2.elmira.edu/fieldbio/beesofmarylandbookversion1.pdf A late summer group of bees associated with high quality natural meadows with diverse native flowering plants, planted or wild. Field Marks: ♀♂Large, approaching Carpenter Bees in size, comparatively flatter clypeus and less common than other Eucerines. ♀One species with all black hairs on hind tibia (S. atripes), the most common species has extensive black hair on body (S. obliqua) with hind tibia hairs orange to burnt orange and hind basitarsus hairs at least partially black to brown. Remaining species (S. compta), rare, likely to only be seen on evening primrose (Oenothera spp.) early in the morning or in the evening but otherwise indistinguishable with the naked eye from Melissodes other than by size. ♂Antennae not quite as long as other Eucerines, reaching to only about the base of the hind wings perhaps a bit more.
Flight Season: Summer and fall.
Size Relative to Honey Bee: 1.5X.
Position of Wings Feeding on Flowers: Crossed on back.
Location of Pollen Carrying Hairs: Hind tarsus and basitarsus.
Similar Genera: Melissodes - Smaller, /- Honey Bee size. Clypeus more protruding. Abdomen, most species with thin, transverse bands of white hairs. Hairs on tibia (at least outward-facing side) tan to white. ♂Antennae long and when pulled back surpass the base of the wings and extend to rear of thorax. Eucera - Spring flight season, not overlapping. Florilegus - Abdomen, with distinct broad white hair bands on the 4th and 5th segment separated by black, this pattern can be seen from quite a distance. Primarily found on Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata). Squash Bee Group - Smaller. All are specialists, restrict their foraging almost entirely to squash (Cucurbita spp.) or morning-glories (Ipomoea spp.), and forage only very early morning. ♂Clypeus with restricted yellow and antennae that also only reach wing bases.
Nest: Ground, may aggregate nests in one location.
Flowers: Composites and S. compta is an evening primrose (Oenothera spp.) specialist.
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© Copyright source/photographer
· 9
Svastra obliqua, Mid-Atlantic Phenology |
© Copyright John Ascher, 2006-2014
· 7
Svastra aegis |
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© Copyright John Ascher, 2006-2014
· 7
Svastra obliqua, long-horned bee |
© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014
· 7
Svastra obliqua FEM mmm -. f |
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© Copyright Laurence Packer 2014
· 7
Svastra obliqua MALE mm - f |
Michael Veit · 6
Svastra obliqua, f on Helanthus -- |
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Michael Veit · 6
Svastra obliqua, f on Helenium -- |
Michael Veit · 6
Svastra obliqua, f on Heliopsis -- |
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Michael Veit · 6
Svastra obliqua, f on Heliopsis -- |
Michael Veit · 6
Svastra petulca, f on Helenium -- |
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Michael Veit · 6
Svastra petulca, m on Helenium -- |
Michael Veit · 6
Svastra petulca, m on Helenium -- |
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Michael Veit · 6
Svastra petulca, m on Helenium -- |
Michael Veit · 6
Svastra petulca, m on Helenium -- |
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Overview | |
The following material taken with permission from: Mitchell, T.B. 1962. Bees of the Eastern United States, Volume II. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. Tech. Bul. No.152, 557 p.
These are robust, hairy bees, some of them approaching in size the queens of Bombus. The genus is closely related to Melissodes, and only recently have the included species been removed from that genus. As in Melissodes, the mandibles are simple in both sexes, the maxillary palpi are 4-segmented, the scopa is plumose, and the clypeus is contiguous with the margin of the eyes laterally, and is black in the female, yellow in the male. Males differ from those in Melissodes chiefly in the form of tergum 7 which is not spinose laterally, and the pygidial plate is not distinctly notched laterally, but is more gradually narrowed apically. Tergum 6, however, is conspicuously angulate or spinose laterally. In the female the metanotum bears a conspicuous median tuft of elongate hairs, markedly differing in length from the shorter, more lateral hairs. In both sexes the cheeks are about half width of eyes in profile, clypeus nearly flat.
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Updated: 2024-05-03 03:24:36 gmt
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