(Colletes spp.)
Overview • Description • Distribution • Taxonomy
Cellophane bees are solitary, though they tend to nest in congregations. The common name refers to their applying a thin, transparent, glue-like or cellophane-like lining to the walls of their nests. |
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Description |
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Cellophanes bees are robust, brownish, hairy, and medium to large sized. They are similar in size and shape to honey bees, and are much harrier than most bees. The head and thorax are densely covered with long hairs. The abdomen is convex above, flattened below, and pointed at the end. There is a band of pale hairs on each segment. Most ground nesting bees have a structure (pygidial plate) surrounded by hairs that they use for sculpting dirt when they build their nests. Cellophanes bees lack both the pygidial plate and surrounding hairs. Below the base of each antenna there is a single line-like groove (suture). The tongue is short and split into two lobes at the tip. The compound eyes are angled outward. On the forewing there are three submarginal cells. The second and third submarginal cells are about the same size. The basal vein is slightly curved, and the second recurrent vein is strongly S-shaped. The lobe at the base of the hindwing (jugal lobe) is longer than the submedian cell. The female has a dense tuft of hairs on the third segment (femur) of the hind leg that acts as a pollen brush. |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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10/28/2022 | ||||
Taxonomy |
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Order |
Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies) | ||
Suborder |
Apocrita (narrow-waisted wasps, ants, and bees) | ||
Infraorder |
Aculeata (ants, bees, and stinging wasps) | ||
Superfamily |
Apoidea (bees and apoid wasps) | ||
Epifamily | Anthophila (bees) | ||
Family |
Colletidae (plasterer bees) | ||
Subfamily |
Colletinae | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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aberrant cellophane bee (Colletes aberrans) American cellophane bee (Colletes americanus) Andrew’s cellophane bee (Colletes andrewsi) aster cellophane bee (Colletes compactus) beach dune cellophane bee (Colletes speculiferus) blueberry cellophane bee (Colletes validus) broad-footed cellophane bee (Colletes latitarsis) cellophane bee (Colletes eulophi) goldenrod cellophane bee (Colletes solidaginis) hyaline cellophane bee (Colletes hyalinus) impunctate cellophane bee (Colletes impunctatus) Kincaid’s cellophane bee (Colletes kincaidii) kindred cellophane bee (Colletes consors) mandibular cellophane bee (Colletes mandibularis) red-belted plasterer bee (Colletes rufocinctus) Robertson’s plasterer bee (Colletes robertsonii) rufous-backed cellophane bee (Colletes rufocinctus) scorpionweed plasterer bee (Colletes phaceliae) short-horned cellophane bee (Colletes brevicornis) spine-shouldered cellophane bee (Colletes simulans) sumac cellophane bee (Colletes nudud) Susanna’s cellophane bee (Colletes susannae) unequal cellophane bee (Colletes inaequalis) white cellophane bee (Colletes albescens) Wilmatte’s plasterer bee (Colletes wilmattae) Williston’s cellophane bee (Colletes willistoni) |
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Synonyms |
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Common Names |
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cellophane bees plasterer bees polyester bees |
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Glossary
Femur
On insects and arachnids, the third, largest, most robust segment of the leg, coming immediately before the tibia. On humans, the thigh bone.
Jugal lobe
In Hymenoptera: The rear lobe at the base of the hindwing.
Visitor Photos |
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Babette Kis |
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Colletes sp. male cellophane bee Colletes sp., cellophane bee, male, on an aster flower. Photographed at Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI on October 9, 2021. |
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Mike Poeppe |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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Plasterer Bee (Colletidae: Colletes) on Wall Carl Barrentine |
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About
May 12, 2010 Photographed at Grand Forks, North Dakota (12 May 2010). |
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Buzz pollination by a Polyester bee (Colletes) The Bees In Your Backyard |
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About
Feb 6, 2018 A Polyester bee (Colletes) buzz pollinating my tomatillos |
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Colletes inaequalis nesting aggregation, mating ball Zach |
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About
Apr 25, 2021 4 Apr 2021 |
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Colletes Nesting Karl Foord |
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About
Sep 27, 2014 Music in this video |
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Colletes Foraging B Karl Foord |
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About
Sep 28, 2014 Music in this video |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this insect. |
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Babette Kis 10/9/2021 |
Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI Colletes sp., cellophane bee, male, on an aster flower. Photographed at Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI on October 9, 2021. |
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Mike Poeppe 7/25/2021 |
Location: Houston County, MN |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created: 8/30/2021
Last Updated: