Mourning Bees

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Melectini: //ˌmɛlɛkˈtiːnaɪ//

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Summary

Melectini are a tribe of cuckoo bees known for their brood parasitism on typical digger bees. They have a distinctive body structure and wing venation that helps to identify them among other bees.

Physical Characteristics

Medium- to large-sized bees; females lack scopae and other pollen-collecting adaptations; body hair is short and flat on the abdomen; lacking prepygidial fimbria and basitibial plates.

Identification Tips

Females can be distinguished from hosts by their lack of pollen-collecting adaptations; wing venation is characteristic: the marginal cell is shorter than the first two submarginal cells.

Habitat

Primarily found in various habitats where host bees are present; predominantly Old World species with some representation in North America.

Distribution

Worldwide; 10 species in 3 genera in the studied area, and 184 species in 8 genera globally, with a weak representation in NA, mostly in the US and 3 species in the West Indies.

Diet

Cleptoparasitic, primarily acting as brood parasites of Anthophorini; occasionally visit flowers.

Life Cycle

Brood parasites that rely on the reproductive cycle of their host bees.

Reproduction

Details on reproduction not provided; they are known to parasitize the nests of their hosts.

Ecosystem Role

Cuckoo bees that play a role in the pollination ecosystem through their interactions with host bees.

Evolution

Groups within the tribe may have representations as independent genera according to some authors.

Similar Taxa

• Nomadinae

Misconceptions

May be difficult to distinguish from other cuckoo bees at first glance due to their short body hair and similar morphology.

Tags

• Mourning Bees
• Cuckoo Bees
• Apidae
• Brood Parasites
• Cleptoparasites