Stenotritidae

Stenotritidae
Ctenocolletes tigris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Euarthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Hymenoptera
Clade:Antophila
Family:Stenotritidae
Genera

Ctenocolletes
Stenotritus

The Stenotritidae is the smallest of all formally recognized bee families, with only 21 species in two genera, all of them restricted to Australia. Historically, they were generally considered to belong in the family Colletidae, but the stenotritids are presently considered their sister taxon, and deserving of family status.[1] Of prime importance is that the stenotritids have unmodified mouthparts, whereas colletids are separated from all other bees by having bilobed glossae.

They are large, densely hairy, fast-flying bees, which make simple burrows in the ground and firm, ovoid provision masses in cells lined with a waterproof secretion. The larvae do not spin cocoons.

Fossil brood cells of a stenotritid bee have been found in the Pleistocene of the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.[2]

Species

The family contains two Genera: Ctenocolletes and Stenotritus. Here is a listing of known species.

Ctenocolletes

  • Ctenocolletes albomarginatus Michener 1965
  • Ctenocolletes centralis Houston, 1983
  • Ctenocolletes fulvescens Houston 1983
  • Ctenocolletes nicholsoni (Cockerell 1929)
  • Ctenocolletes nigricans Houston, 1985
  • Ctenocolletes ordensis Michener 1965
  • Ctenocolletes rufescens Houston, 1983
  • Ctenocolletes smaragdinus (Smith 1868)
  • Ctenocolletes tigris Houston, 1983
  • Ctenocolletes tricolor Houston, 1983

Stenotritus

  • Stenotritus elegans Smith, 1853
  • Stenotritus elegantior Cockerell, 1921
  • Stenotritus ferricornis (Cockerell, 1916)
  • Stenotritus greavesi (Rayment, 1930)
  • Stenotritus murrayensis (Rayment 1935)
  • Stenotritus nigrescens (Friese, 1924)
  • Stenotritus nitidus (Smith, 1879)
  • Stenotritus pubescens (Smith, 1868)
  • Stenotritus rufocollaris (Cockerell, 1921)
  • Stenotritus splendidus (Rayment, 1930)
  • Stenotritus victoriae (Cockerell, 1906)

References

  1. ↑ Danforth, B.N.; Sipes, S.; Fang, J.; Brady, S.G. (2006). "The history of early bee diversification based on five genes plus morphology". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 103: 15118–23. doi:10.1073/pnas.0604033103. PMC 1586180. PMID 17015826.
  2. ↑ Houston, T.F. (1987). "Fossil brood cells of stenotritid bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) from the Pleistocene of South Australia". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 3: 93–97.
  • Michener, C. D. (2000). The Bees of the World. 1. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801861330.


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