Dieunomia

Cockerell, 1899

Species Guides

4

Dieunomia is a of sweat bees in the Halictidae, containing approximately nine described . These bees are among the largest in their family, second only to the genus Nomia. They are relatively uncommon and exhibit specialized ecological relationships with their pollen sources.

Dieunomia by (c) Morgan Hay, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Morgan Hay. Used under a CC-BY license.Dieunomia by (c) Catherine C. Galley, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Catherine C. Galley. Used under a CC-BY license.Dieunomia nevadensis arizonensis by (c) Wendy McCrady, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Wendy McCrady. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Dieunomia: //ˌdaɪ.juˈnoʊ.mi.ə//

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Identification

Large size relative to other Halictidae; wing with two submarginal ; basal with only weakly bent vein; males possess greatly dilated middle . Larger than almost all other Halictidae except Nomia.

Images

Habitat

Hard-packed soil for nesting; dense nesting have been documented.

Distribution

North America; documented from southwestern Michigan, northeastern Kansas, and other regions. Dieunomia heteropoda represents the first record of Nomiinae for Michigan.

Seasonality

Activity synchronized with blooming of primary pollen sources; timed to coincide with local bloom periods of plants.

Diet

Pollen ; at least D. triangulifera specializes on Helianthus annuus (sunflower) pollen.

Host Associations

  • Helianthus annuus - pollen sourcePrimary pollen source for D. triangulifera; closely synchronized with bloom period

Life Cycle

Solitary nesting; females excavate burrows in soil and construct nests containing multiple provisioned with pollen masses.

Behavior

Nests in dense ; males patrol and hover in search of females, actively pursuing females in for mating; foraging activity closely synchronized with pollen availability, with more trips made when pollen is abundant.

Ecological Role

; pollinator of sunflowers and potentially other Asteraceae.

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