Cellophane-lining
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Colletes hyalinus gaudialis
polyester bee, plasterer bee, cellophane bee
Colletes hyalinus gaudialis is a subspecies of polyester bee in the family Colletidae. Like other members of its genus, females construct solitary underground nests lined with a cellophane-like secretion from the Dufour's gland. This waterproof coating protects the semi-liquid pollen and nectar provisions for developing larvae. The subspecies is found in North America and shares the general biology of other Colletes species.
Colletidae
plasterer bees, polyester bees, cellophane bees
Colletidae is a family of solitary bees comprising over 2,000 species across 54 genera and five subfamilies. Members are commonly called plasterer bees or polyester bees due to their distinctive nest cell linings: females apply oral and abdominal secretions that dry into a cellophane-like, waterproof polyester membrane. The family exhibits exceptional diversity in Australia and South America, with over 50% of Australian bee species belonging to this family. Two subfamilies, Euryglossinae and Hylaeinae, uniquely lack external pollen-carrying structures (scopa) and instead transport pollen internally in their crops, feeding larvae with liquid or semiliquid pollen masses. Most species are solitary ground-nesters, though many form dense aggregations, and some exhibit crepuscular activity with enlarged ocelli.