Hylaeus mesillae

(Cockerell, 1896)

Mesilla Masked Bee

Hylaeus mesillae, commonly known as the Mesilla Masked , is a solitary bee in the . It is distributed across Central America and North America. Like other members of the Hylaeus, it is nearly hairless and often mistaken for small . The species was first described by Cockerell in 1896 and includes three recognized .

Hylaeus mesillae cressoni by (c) Amy Schnebelin, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Amy Schnebelin. Used under a CC-BY license.

Hylaeus mesillae cressoni - inat 395533398 by {{{name}}}. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Hylaeus mesillae, f, back, Talbot Co, MD 2019-03-21-18.13.49 ZS PMax UDR (51675721025) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Hylaeus mesillae: /hɪˈleɪəs mɛˈsɪlaɪ/

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

Identification

Distinguished from similar and by the combination of nearly hairless body and pale facial markings. Separation from other Hylaeus requires examination of specific morphological characters not reliably visible in the field. The (branched) hairs of bees, visible at 60x magnification or higher, separate Hylaeus from wasps which have simple, unbranched hairs.

Images

Habitat

Specific preferences for H. mesillae are not documented. Members of the Hylaeus typically nest in pre-existing cavities including hollow stems, twig pith, abandoned burrows in soil, and abandoned .

Distribution

Recorded from Central America and North America. GBIF distribution records indicate presence in Middle America and North America.

Life Cycle

Solitary nesting biology. Females construct individual nests in pre-existing cavities, lining with glandular secretions (natural ) to prevent spoilage of stored provisions. Each cell typically contains one .

Behavior

Solitary; females forage for nectar and presumably pollen, transporting nectar internally in a and regurgitating it at the nest. Pollen transport method for this is not specifically documented but related Hylaeus species carry pollen internally.

Ecological Role

. Specific floral associations for H. mesillae are not documented.

Similar Taxa

Hylaeus modestusAnother North masked with similar -like, nearly hairless appearance and pale facial markings; requires detailed morphological examination to distinguish.
Small wasps (e.g., Crabronidae)Similar size and coloration; have simple unbranched hairs (vs. hairs in , requiring magnification to observe) and different (predatory/parasitic vs. pollen/nectar foraging).

More Details

Subspecies

Three are recognized: Hylaeus mesillae mesillae (Cockerell, 1896), Hylaeus mesillae cressoni (Cockerell, 1907), and Hylaeus mesillae cressonii Cockerell, 1907.

Nesting Biology

Based on -level characteristics, Hylaeus readily use artificial nest boxes including bundles of thin straws, sumac twigs, or drilled wooden blocks with small diameter holes.