Plasterer bees

Definition

Common name for bees of the family Colletidae, referring to their distinctive nest-construction behavior in which females apply glandular secretions from their mouthparts to smooth and line the walls of their nest cells. These secretions dry into a thin, transparent, cellophane-like membrane that waterproofs the brood chamber. The family comprises approximately 2,000 described species in 54 genera across five subfamilies, including the unusual pollen-carrying subfamilies Euryglossinae and Hylaeinae, which lack scopae and transport pollen internally in their crops.

Etymology

From the verb 'plaster,' referring to the smoothing and coating action of applying secretions to nest walls; analogous to human plastering of walls.

Example

The yellow-faced bees (Hylaeus), a genus of plasterer bees, nest in preexisting cavities such as hollow stems or beetle borings and line their cells with the family's characteristic cellophane-like secretion; unlike most bees, they carry pollen internally and feed their larvae semiliquid pollen masses rather than solid provisions.

Synonyms

• polyester bees

Related Terms

• Colletidae
• cellophane bees
• Hylaeinae
• Euryglossinae
• scopa
• crop
• nest cell lining
• solitary bees
• bee nesting biology

Usage Notes

The term is applied collectively to the entire family Colletidae, not to a single genus or species. Some authors use 'polyester bees' interchangeably, though 'plasterer bees' is more common in North American literature. The name emphasizes the behavioral synapomorphy of cell lining rather than phylogenetic relationships within the family. Two subfamilies (Hylaeinae and Euryglossinae) are morphologically divergent, lacking external pollen-carrying structures, yet retain the diagnostic plastering behavior.