Hylaeus nigritus

Hylaeus nigritus
Hylaeus nigritus, male
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Colletidae
Genus:	Hylaeus
Species:	H. nigritus
Binomial name
Hylaeus nigritus (Fabricius, 1798)
Synonyms
•Hylaeus propinquus ( Nylander, 1852)  •Mellinus nigritus ( Fabricius, 1798)

Hylaeus nigritus, also known as the black masked bee, is a species of solitary bee native to much of Europe, with sightings and preserved specimens recorded as far east as Nizhny Novgorod, Russia and the Caucasus. ^[1]

Description

The black masked bee is average sized compared to other members of Hylaeus, measuring 8 to 10 mm in length. Males are mostly black with a distinctive white face while females are entirely black. ^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Recorded sightings of the black masked bee extend across Europe and into Russia, with preserved specimens found in the Caucuses. ^[3] Not much is known about the species' specific habitat or behavior.

References

1. "Hylaeus nigritus (Fabricius, 1798)". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
2. Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu.; Dathe, Holger H. (2012-07-27). "The bees of the genus Hylaeus Fabricius 1793 of the Asian part of Russia, with a key to species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae)" . Zootaxa. 3401 (1): 1. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3401.1.1. ISSN   1175-5334.
3. Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu; Dathe, Holger H. (2021-08-24). "New and little-known bees of the genus Hylaeus Fabricius, 1793 (Hymenoptera, Colletidae) from the Caucasus region". Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 84: 169–185. doi: 10.3897/jhr.84.68250 . ISSN   1314-2607.