Macropidini

Genus Guides

Macropis(Loosestrife Bees)

Macropidini is a tribe of bees within the Melittidae, Melittinae. These bees are solitary and ground-nesting, with most belonging to the Macropis. They are notable for their specialized oil-collecting , gathering floral oils from Lysimachia (Primulaceae) flowers to provision their nests. This oil-collecting is rare among bees and represents a distinctive ecological specialization.

Macropis by (c) Julia Moning, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Julia Moning. Used under a CC-BY license.

Macropis nuda f by The Packer Lab. Used under a Attribution license.

Macropis nuda distribution by Wdsieling. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Macropidini: /ˌmækroʊˈpɪdɪnaɪ/

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

Images

Host Associations

Lysimachia - floral oil sourceLarvae are provisioned with floral oils collected from Lysimachia flowers; this relationship appears obligate for some Macropis

Behavior

Females collect floral oils from oil-producing flowers of Lysimachia using specialized scopal hairs on their hind legs. These oils are mixed with pollen to form larval provisions. This oil-collecting is morphologically supported by dense, branched hairs on the hind tibia and basitarsus that absorb and transport the oils.

Similar Taxa

MelittiniBoth are tribes within Melittinae; Macropidini is distinguished by oil-collecting and associated morphological adaptations not found in Melittini