Macrotera

Smith, 1853

Goblin Bees

Species Guides

Macrotera echinocacti(barrel cactus macrotera)
Macrotera latior
Macrotera texana(Texas macrotera)

Macrotera is a of mining bees (Andrenidae) native to North America, with approximately 30 . These bees range from 2.0 to 16.0 mm in body length and are predominantly found in desert regions of the United States and Mexico. The genus was segregated from Perdita by C.D. Michener in 2000. Most species exhibit extreme pollen specialization (oligolecty), with documented associations to Sphaeralcea and Cactaceae.

Macrotera latior by (c) Elliott Gordon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Elliott Gordon. Used under a CC-BY license.

Macrotera by (c)
Laurence Packer, York University, some rights reserved (CC BY). Used under a CC-BY license.

Macrotera latior 01 by Laurence Packer, York University. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Macrotera: /ˌmækroʊˈtɛrə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Small to medium bees (2.0–16.0 mm). Coloration typically black or reddish. Distinguished from the closely related Perdita by morphological characters established in Michener's 2000 revision. Minute such as M. opuntiae require careful examination due to their small size.

Images

Habitat

Desert regions of the United States and Mexico. At least one (M. opuntiae) is documented as stone-nesting, utilizing rocky substrates for nest construction.

Distribution

Native to North America. Center of diversity in desert regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Documented range includes Colorado, Montana (first records representing range expansion), Nebraska (new state record), and western Colorado.

Diet

Most are extreme pollen (oligoleges). Documented pollen sources include the plant Sphaeralcea and various Cactaceae. M. opuntiae is oligolectic on cacti.

Host Associations

Sphaeralcea - pollen sourcedocumented for multiple
Cactaceae - pollen sourcedocumented for multiple including M. opuntiae

Behavior

At least one (M. opuntiae) exhibits stone-nesting , which is rare among bees. This species is among the few documented stone-nesting species.

Similar Taxa

PerditaFormerly included within Perdita; separated by Michener in 2000 based on morphological differences. Both belong to subtribe Perditina and share small size and pollen specialization.

More Details

Taxonomic History

Most were described by P.H. Timberlake and T.D.A. Cockerell. The was revised and elevated from synonymy under Perdita by C.D. Michener in 2000.

Nesting Biology

Stone-nesting in M. opuntiae represents an unusual nesting substrate choice among bees, which more commonly nest in soil or pre-existing cavities.