| Townsendiella | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Townsendiella pulchra | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Subfamily: | Nomadinae |
| Tribe: | Neolarrini |
| Genus: | Townsendiella Crawford, 1916 |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Townsendiella is a genus of cuckoo bees in the family Apidae, found in Mexico, and the southwestern United States. [1] [2]
The term cuckoo bee is used for a variety of different bee lineages which have evolved the kleptoparasitic behaviour of laying their eggs in the nests of other bees, reminiscent of the behavior of cuckoo birds. The name is perhaps best applied to the apid subfamily Nomadinae, but is commonly used in Europe to mean bumblebees Bombus subgenus Psithyrus. Females of cuckoo bees are easy to recognize in almost all cases, as they lack pollen-collecting structures and do not construct their own nests. They often have reduced body hair, abnormally thick and/or heavily sculptured exoskeleton, and saber-like mandibles, although this is not universally true; other less visible changes are also common.
Nomadinae is a subfamily of bees in the family Apidae. They are known commonly as cuckoo bees.
Charles Duncan Michener was an American entomologist born in Pasadena, California. He was a leading expert on bees, his magnum opus being The Bees of the World published in 2000.
Townsendiella rufiventris is a cuckoo bee species in the family Apidae. It is found in the United States and Mexico.
Triepeolus is a genus of cuckoo bees in the family Apidae. There are at least 140 described species in Triepeolus. The majority of species whose life history is known are kleptoparasitic in the nests of bees in the tribe Eucerini, especially the genera Melissodes and Svastra.
Calliopsis pugionis is a species of mining bee in the family Andrenidae. It is found in North America.
Calliopsini is a tribe of mining bees in the family Andrenidae. There are at least 120 described species in Calliopsini.
Neolarrini is a tribe of cuckoo bees in the family Apidae. There are 5 genera and about 40 described species in Neolarrini, which includes the genera and species formerly included in the deprecated tribes Biastini and Townsendiellini.
Anthidiini is a tribe of insects in the family Megachilidae. There are at least 40 genera and 840 described species in Anthidiini. There is strong evidence that the tribe is monophyletic.
Conanthalictus is a genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae. There are about 13 described species in Conanthalictus.
Habropoda is a genus of anthophorine bees in the family Apidae. There are at least 50 described species in Habropoda.
Dufourea is a genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae. There are at least 160 described species in Dufourea.
Dianthidium is a genus of leafcutter, mason, and resin bees in the family Megachilidae. There are at least 20 described species in Dianthidium.
Stelis is a genus of kleptoparasitic cuckoo bees in the family Megachilidae. There are at least 100 described species in Stelis.
Osmiini is a tribe of leafcutter, mason, and resin bees in the family Megachilidae. There are about 19 genera and at least 1,000 described species in Osmiini.
Perdita kiowi is a species of mining bee in the family Andrenidae. It is found in North America.
Neolarra is a genus of cuckoo bees in the family Apidae. There are about 16 described species in Neolarra, all from North America.
Protandrena is a genus of mining bees in the family Andrenidae. Depending upon whose definition of the genus one follows, there are anywhere from 50 to 180 described species in Protandrena; traditional classifications recognize 7 subgenera, some of which are sometimes elevated to genus rank, and other classifications place many of these species in the related genus Pseudopanurgus (e.g.), leaving Protandrena with a much smaller constituency. In the most inclusive definition, they are found from Canada through Argentina. However, there is current disagreement whether the Protandrena in South America belong to different genera, in which case the genus extends only as far south as Panama. They are solitary bees, but some species nest in aggregates. They prefer to nest in sunny areas with sparse vegetation. The underground nests have cells lined with a chemical substance. This "wallpaper" acts as a barrier between fungi and bacteria. The eggs hatch, the larvae develop, and then overwinter as mature larvae with hardened skinThey are primarily active from May to October, but have been noted to be active in April in the region six of the United States.
Panurginus is a genus of bees in the family Andrenidae. There are more than 50 described species in Panurginus.
Lithurginae is a subfamily of woodborer bees in the family Megachilidae.
