Cleptoparasitism
Guides
Centris flavofasciata
Yellow-banded Oil-Digger
Centris flavofasciata is a species of oil-collecting bee in the family Apidae, tribe Centridini. It is known to serve as a host for the cleptoparasitic bee Mesoplia sapphirina, which exploits its nests. Like other Centris species, it has been observed collecting floral oils rather than nectar from certain plants. The species occurs in Middle and North America.
Chaetodactylidae
Chaetodactylidae is a family of mites in the order Sarcoptiformes, comprising five genera: Sennertia, Chaetodactylus, Achaetodactylus, Centriacarus, and Roubikia. Members of this family are exclusively associated with bees, exhibiting diverse ecological relationships ranging from phoresy to cleptoparasitism. Some species function as mutualists, potentially removing fungi from host nests, while others significantly harm bee populations through nest-to-nest dispersal and host mortality.
Emphorini
Chimney Bees
Emphorini is a tribe of solitary, ground-nesting bees within the family Apidae. Members are characterized by narrow pollen preferences, with many species exhibiting oligolecty (specialized pollen collection from a restricted range of plant taxa). Nesting behavior varies: some species carry water to soften hard soil during excavation, while others do not. The tribe includes approximately nine genera distributed primarily in the New World, with an amphitropical distribution pattern in some genera.
Megachilini
leaf-cutter bees, resin bees, leaf-cutter and resin bees
Megachilini is the most species-rich tribe within the bee family Megachilidae, comprising four genera: Megachile, Coelioxys, Noteriades, and Radoszkowskiana. The tribe is notable for the leaf-cutting behavior exhibited by many Megachile species, wherein females cut and process fresh leaves for nest construction using specialized interdental laminae—razor-like structures between the mandibular teeth. This morphological innovation may have triggered subsequent diversification within the group. The tribe also includes cleptoparasitic genera (Coelioxys and Radoszkowskiana) that exploit Megachile nests. Phylogenetic relationships within and among genera remain poorly resolved despite the group's high diversity and global distribution.