Halictidae is the second-largest family of bees with nearly 4,500 species. They are commonly called sweat bees, as they are often attracted to perspiration. Halictid species are an extremely diverse group that can vary greatly in appearance. These bees occur all over the world and are found on every continent except Antarctica. Usually dark-colored and often metallic, halictids are found in various sizes, colors and patterns. Several species are all or partly green and a few are red, purple, or blue. A number of them have yellow markings, especially the males, which commonly have yellow faces, a pattern widespread among the various families of bees. The family is one of many with short tongues and is best distinguished by the arcuate basal vein found on the wing. Females in this family tend to be larger than the males. They are the group for which the term 'eusocial' was first coined by entomologist, Suzanne Batra.
Barrel cacti are various members of the two genera Echinocactus and Ferocactus, endemic to the deserts of Southwestern North America southward to north central Mexico. Some of the largest specimens are found in the Sonoran Desert.
Ferocactus is a genus of large barrel-shaped cacti, mostly with large spines and small flowers. There are about 30 species included in the genus. They are found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.
Kroenleinia grusonii, popularly known as the golden barrel cactus, golden ball, "mother-in-law's cushion" or "mother-in-law’s chair", is a species of barrel cactus which is endemic to east-central Mexico.
Ferocactus wislizeni, the fishhook barrel cactus, also called Arizona barrel cactus, candy barrel cactus, and Southwestern barrel cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae, native to northern Mexico and the southern United States. It is a ball-shaped cactus eventually growing to a cylindrical shape, with spiny ribs and red or yellow flowers in summer.
Opuntia, commonly called the prickly pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae, many known for their flavorful fruit and showy flowers. Cacti are well-adapted to aridity; however, they are still vulnerable to alterations in precipitation and temperature driven by climate change. Prickly pear alone is more commonly used to refer exclusively to the fruit, but may also be used for the plant itself; in addition, other names given to the plant and its specific parts include tuna (fruit), sabra, sabbar, nopal from the Nahuatl word nōpalli, nostle (fruit) from the Nahuatl word nōchtli, and paddle cactus. The genus is named for the Ancient Greek city of Opus, where, according to Theophrastus, an edible plant grew and could be propagated by rooting its leaves. The most common culinary species is the "Barbary fig".
Macrotera is a genus of bees native to North America, particularly diverse in the desert regions of the United States and Mexico. According to Wilson and Carril, there are "around 30" species of Macrotera. Macrotera are small to medium sized and often black or reddish in coloration. The genus was treated by P.H. Timberlake who, in addition to T.D.A. Cockerell, described most of the known species. Macrotera used to be considered part of the genus Perdita but was split apart by C.D. Michener in 2000. Most species are extreme specialists (oligoleges) with respect to pollen and will only collect pollen from a few closely related species or genera of plants, particularly the plant genus Sphaeralcea and various Cactaceae.
Dufourea monardae, the monarda dufourea, is a species of sweat bee in the family Halictidae. It is found in North America. It is an oligolectic bee on bee balm plants.
Dufourea is a genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae. There are at least 160 described species in Dufourea. The bees are very uncommon. The bases of their antennae are well below the middle of their face and are only separated from the clypeus on the bottom of the face by not much more than the diameter of an antennal socket. The clypeus is short and wide, and the labrum is nearly as long as the clypeus. The species features a pre-episternal groove.
Rophitinae is a subfamily of sweat bees in the family Halictidae. There are about 13 genera and more than 260 described species in Rophitinae.
The black and blue miner bee is a species of miner bee in the family Andrenidae. Another common name for this species is the blue-and-black andrena. It is found in North America.
Agapostemon virescens, the bicolored striped sweat bee, is a species of sweat bee in the family Halictidae. It is found in North America, and is the official bee of the city of Toronto. Like other species in its genus, A. virescens nests underground, in aggregations wherein multiple females share a single burrow.
Dufourea versatilis is a species of sweat bee in the family Halictidae. It is found in North America.
Melissodes communis, the common long-horned bee, is a species of long-horned bee in the family Apidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
The sunflower miner bee is a species of miner bee in the family Andrenidae. Another common name for this species is the sunflower andrena. It is found in North America.
The Haynes's miner bee is a species of miner bee in the family Andrenidae. Another common name for this species is the Haynes' andrena. It is found in North America.
Ptilothrix bombiformis, known generally as the hibiscus bee or eastern digger bee, is a species of chimney bee in the family Apidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Macrotera echinocacti, the barrel cactus macrotera, is a species of bee in the family Andrenidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Diadasia rinconis is a species of chimney bee in the family Apidae. It is found in Central America and North America. In the Sonoran Desert, D. rinconis is considered the "cactus bee" as it feeds almost exclusively on a number of Sonoran Desert cactus species, its life cycle revolving around the flowering of the native species of cacti.
