| Stelis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stelis costalis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Megachilidae |
| Subfamily: | Megachilinae |
| Tribe: | Anthidiini |
| Genus: | Stelis Panzer, 1806 |
Stelis is a genus of kleptoparasitic cuckoo bees in the family Megachilidae. There are at least 100 described species in Stelis. [1] [2]
One study of the species Stelis ater found they differed a bit from other thieving bees by being hospicidal (host-killing) at all larval stages, and neither it nor its host larva move much, so it is simply a matter of chance when its growth brings it into contact with the host rather than with just the provisions. This is in contrast to other kleptoparasitic bees which usually have their more mobile first instar larva kill the host larva. [3]
Apidae is the largest family within the superfamily Apoidea, containing at least 5700 species of bees. The family includes some of the most commonly seen bees, including bumblebees and honey bees, but also includes stingless bees, carpenter bees, orchid bees, cuckoo bees, and a number of other less widely known groups. Many are valuable pollinators in natural habitats and for agricultural crops.
Megachilidae is a cosmopolitan family of mostly solitary bees. Characteristic traits of this family are the restriction of their pollen-carrying structure to the ventral surface of the abdomen, and their typically elongated labrum. Megachilid genera are most commonly known as mason bees and leafcutter bees, reflecting the materials from which they build their nest cells ; a few collect plant or animal hairs and fibers, and are called carder bees, while others use plant resins in nest construction and are correspondingly called resin bees. All species feed on nectar and pollen, but a few are kleptoparasites, feeding on pollen collected by other megachilid bees. Parasitic species do not possess scopae. The motion of Megachilidae in the reproductive structures of flowers is energetic and swimming-like; this agitation releases large amounts of pollen.
Mason bee is a name now commonly used for species of bees in the genus Osmia, of the family Megachilidae. Mason bees are named for their habit of using mud or other "masonry" products in constructing their nests, which are made in naturally occurring gaps such as between cracks in stones or other small dark cavities. When available, some species preferentially use hollow stems or holes in wood made by wood-boring insects.
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.
The genus Megachile is a cosmopolitan group of solitary bees, often called leafcutter bees or leafcutting bees; it also includes the called resin bees and mortar bees. While other genera within the family Megachilidae may chew leaves or petals into fragments to build their nests, certain species within Megachile neatly cut pieces of leaves or petals, hence their common name. This is one of the largest genera of bees, with more than 1500 species in over 50 subgenera. The alfalfa leafcutter bee is managed on a commercial scale for crop pollination, and has been introduced by humans to various regions around the world.
The Rhathymini are a tribe of kleptoparasitic apid bees.
Megachilinae is the largest subfamily of bees in the family Megachilidae.It includes mason bees, leafcutter bees, and carder bees.
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.
Calliopsini is a tribe of mining bees in the family Andrenidae. There are at least 120 described species in Calliopsini.
Stelis perpulchra is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
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.
Lithurgopsis is a genus of northern cactus woodborers in the family Megachilidae. There are at least nine described species in Lithurgopsis.
Dufourea is a genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae. There are at least 160 described species in Dufourea.
Augochlorella is a genus in the bee family Halictidae, commonly called sweat bees. They display metallic coloration, ranging from reddish to gold to bluish green, as is typical for other genera in the tribe Augochlorini.
Dianthidium is a genus of leafcutter, mason, and resin bees in the family Megachilidae. There are at least 20 described species in Dianthidium.
Stelis interrupta is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae. It is found in North America.
Osmia foxi is a species of mason bees in the family Megachilidae. It is found in New Mexico and southeastern Arizona in the United States and in Sonora, Mexico.
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.
Media related to Stelis (Megachilidae) at Wikimedia Commons