Colletes bryanti

Timberlake, 1951

Colletes bryanti is a solitary in the Colletidae, commonly known as polyester bees or plasterer bees. Like other members of its , it is native to North America. The species was described by Timberlake in 1951. Specific ecological details for this species are not well documented in available sources.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Colletes bryanti: /kəˈliːtiːz ˈbraɪænti/

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Identification

Identification of Colletes bryanti to level requires microscopic examination. Colletes species generally have a forked or bifurcated tongue (visible when extended), a -shaped in -on view, and an S-shaped second recurrent in the forewing. Males have longer than females and lack pollen-collecting hairs (scopa) on the hind legs. These traits distinguish the from similar ground-nesting bees such as Andrena (mining bees), which have a rounder face and a straighter second recurrent vein. Species-level identification within Colletes is challenging and typically requires expert analysis.

Distribution

North America

Similar Taxa

AndrenaMining bees in the Andrena are also solitary, ground-nesting bees that appear in spring. They can be distinguished from Colletes by their rounder (versus -shaped in Colletes) and straighter second recurrent wing (versus S-shaped in Colletes).
HalictusSweat bees in this can resemble Colletes in size and general appearance. Halictus often show metallic coloration and have different wing venation and tongue structure.
LasioglossumThese sweat bees are similar in size to Colletes and also nest in the ground. They typically have metallic coloration and different facial and wing characteristics that require close examination to distinguish.
Other Colletes speciesWithin the Colletes, are notoriously difficult to differentiate. C. bryanti would require comparison with sympatric species and microscopic examination of diagnostic characters.

More Details

Genus characteristics

While specific details for C. bryanti are sparse, the Colletes is well known for several distinctive traits. Females secrete a cellophane-like polyester coating from their to line , giving rise to the 'polyester bees' or 'plasterer bees.' They are solitary but often nest in dense in sandy soils. Many are oligolectic, specializing on particular flower for pollen collection.

Data limitations

Available sources provide only basic taxonomic information for Colletes bryanti. Detailed -specific accounts of , , and distribution within North America are not documented in the provided references. Most ecological information in the sources pertains to better-studied such as C. inequalis, C. thoracicus, and C. validus.