Male-sleeping-aggregation
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.
Svastra
long-horned bees
Svastra is a genus of long-horned bees in the family Apidae, tribe Eucerini. These solitary, ground-nesting bees are native to North America and are important pollinators of sunflowers and other members of the Asteraceae family. The genus has undergone taxonomic revision, with North American species formerly placed in Svastra now moved to Epimelissodes. Females construct nests in hard-packed soil with cells arranged in spiral patterns, while males are known to form nighttime sleeping aggregations on vegetation.
Svastra obliqua
sunflower bee
Svastra obliqua is a long-horned bee in the family Apidae, commonly known as the sunflower bee. It is native to Central America and North America, with three recognized subspecies. The species shows strong floral fidelity to sunflowers (Helianthus) and other members of the Asteraceae family, though it will collect pollen from various aster family plants. Males exhibit distinctive sleeping behavior, clustering on flowers or stems at night while females nest in underground burrows.