Chimney-bee
Guides
Diadasia australis
Cactus chimney bees
Diadasia australis is a species of chimney bee in the family Apidae, found in Central America and North America. The species belongs to a genus commonly known as chimney bees or turret bees, characterized by their distinctive nest architecture. Three subspecies are recognized: D. a. australis, D. a. californica, and D. a. knabiana. The species is part of a group of solitary bees that construct above-ground turret structures at their nest entrances.
Diadasia diminuta
globe mallow bee, globemallow chimney bee
Diadasia diminuta, commonly known as the globe mallow bee or globemallow chimney bee, is a solitary bee species in the family Apidae, tribe Emphorini. It is native to North and Central America and is primarily associated with flowers in the genus Sphaeralcea (globe mallows). The species has been documented exhibiting host-switching behavior, utilizing alternative mallow species such as Iliamna latibracteata when its preferred host plants are unavailable. Like other chimney bees, females construct distinctive turret-like nest entrances.
Diadasia enavata
Sunflower Chimney Bee
Diadasia enavata, commonly known as the sunflower chimney bee, is a solitary ground-nesting bee in the family Apidae. It is a specialist pollinator restricted to plants in the Asteraceae family, and has been documented pollinating Coreopsis tinctoria. The species occurs across Central America and North America. Like other Diadasia species, it constructs burrows in soil, often with distinctive turret-like structures at the entrance.
Melitoma marginella
Margined Turret Bee
Melitoma marginella is a species of chimney bee (also called turret bee) in the family Apidae. It is native to Central America and North America. The common name "Margined Turret Bee" refers to the distinctive nest architecture this species constructs.
Melitoma taurea
mallow bee, Morning Glory Turret Bee
Melitoma taurea, commonly known as the mallow bee or Morning Glory Turret Bee, is a solitary bee species in the family Apidae. It belongs to the chimney bee group, known for constructing distinctive turret-like nest entrances. The species is notable for possessing an exceptionally long proboscis that extends to the abdomen even when folded. It occurs across North America and has been documented in parts of Central and South America.
Ptilothrix
chimney bees, mallow bees
Ptilothrix is a genus of solitary, ground-nesting bees in the family Apidae, tribe Emphorini, with an amphitropical distribution in the New World. These bees range from 7 to 15 mm in body length and are distinguished by prominent, coarse scopae on their hind legs adapted for collecting large-grained pollen. Females excavate nests in hard-packed soil using water carried from ponds to moisten the substrate, constructing distinctive turreted or chimney-like nest entrances. The genus exhibits narrow pollen specialization (oligolecty), with species specializing on particular plant families including Malvaceae, Convolvulaceae, Onagraceae, Cactaceae, Pontederiaceae, and Asteraceae.