Crop-pollinator
Guides
Melissodes
long-horned bees
Melissodes is a large genus of long-horned bees in the tribe Eucerini, with approximately 129-140 described species native to the Americas. Males are named for their characteristically long antennae that extend well beyond the head. The genus exhibits diverse pollen specialization strategies, with females ranging from polylectic to oligolectic, particularly on Asteraceae. Species are economically important as crop pollinators, especially for sunflower.