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| Wildlife of Sri Lanka |
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Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. The invertebrate fauna found here is diverse: there are approximately 2 million species of arthropods found across the world and the number is rising, as many new species continue to be discovered. As such, it is difficult to specify the exact number of species found within a certain region. The following list describes the Bees of Sri Lanka.
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera. Suborder: Apocrita.
Bees are the primary pollinators of terrestrial flowering plants. The hairs within their bodies help to function as efficient pollinators. The greatest levels of bee diversity are confined to warm temperate regions of the world. There are approximately 70,000 bee species described in the world with nearly 450 genera and 7 families. Sri Lanka comprises 149 species of 38 genera and 4 families. Bee research in Sri Lanka is carried out in large part by Dr. Inoka Karunaratne et al. from University of Peradeniya. [1] [2]
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.
Vateria indica, the white dammar, is a species of tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats mountains in India. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is a large canopy or emergent tree frequent in tropical wet evergreen forests of the low and mid-elevations.
Anthidiellum krombeini is a species of leaf-cutting bee in the genus Anthidiellum, of the family Megachilidae.
Coelioxys minuta is a species of leaf-cutting bee in the genus Coelioxys, of the family Megachilidae. It is found in India, and recordings from Sri Lanka is uncertain.
A list of the species of Hymenoptera from New Zealand; which includes ants, bees, parasitoids, sawflies, and social wasps.