Sphecodes aroniae

Mitchell, 1960

Sphecodes aroniae is a of sweat bee in the Halictidae. It belongs to a of cleptoparasitic bees commonly known as blood bees, which lay in the nests of other solitary bees. The species was described by Mitchell in 1960 and is known from North America, with confirmed records from Vermont, United States.

Sphecodes aroniae by the Smithsonian. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Sphecodes aroniae: //sfiˈkoʊdiːz əˈroʊni.aɪ//

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Distribution

North America; specifically recorded from Vermont, United States.

Host Associations

Solitary sweat bees (Halictidae) - Sphecodes are known to parasitize nests of other Halictidae, though specific records for S. aroniae are not documented in available sources.

Behavior

As a member of the Sphecodes, this is a . Females enter nests of bees to lay in provisioned . The resulting larvae consume the host's pollen and nectar stores and typically kill the host's egg or larva.

Ecological Role

Acts as a in , potentially influencing of sweat bee .

Similar Taxa

Other Sphecodes speciesConvergent cleptoparasitic including slender -like appearance, red and black coloration, and reduced scopa (pollen-collecting hairs). Specific identification requires examination of morphological details.
Nomada speciesBoth are cleptoparasitic bees with -like appearance. Nomada typically parasitize Andrenidae, while Sphecodes species parasitize Halictidae.

More Details

Taxonomic note

The specific epithet 'aroniae' likely refers to Aronia (chokeberries), suggesting a possible association with plants in this , though this has not been confirmed in available literature.