Florida’s Bee Species of Greatest Conservation Need

Introduction

There are 25 bee species (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the Florida State Wildlife Action Plan (FWC 2019). Bees provide pollination services vital to the stability of ecosystems and the prosperity of our food systems. A diverse and abundant wild bee community is often far more effective at crop pollination than honey bees (Garibaldi et al. 2011; 2013). Beyond crop pollination, bee pollinators are essential for the reproduction and biodiversity of flowering plants, with an estimated 85% of flowering plants requiring pollinators (Ollerton et al. 2011). Despite the clear need for bee pollinators, bees are understudied relative to the charismatic megafauna that typically garner public, media, and government attention (Diniz-Filho et al. 2010). In recent years, public support for pollinator conservation has greatly increased; however, knowledge and awareness of the diversity of wild bees is lacking (Wilson et al. 2017).

Florida Bee Species of Greatest Conservation Need

The Florida State Wildlife Action Plan uses the following four criteria to determine Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), with species needing to meet at least one of the four criteria to be included (FWC 2019):

1. Florida Federally Listed Taxa
2. State Listed Taxa
3. Biologically Vulnerable Taxa:

• Taxa with NatureServe conservation status ranks of S1 (sub-nationally critically imperiled), G1 (globally critically imperiled), or S2G2 (a combined sub-national and global ranking of imperiled)
• Taxa with a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Species Ranking System biological score of 27 or higher
• Taxa described on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list as “vulnerable” or above

4. Taxa of Concern:

• Newly described species within the last five years
• State delisted species within the last five years
• Species that are state listed in Alabama or Georgia
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) At-Risk species
• National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Species of Concern
• Vulnerable to an emerging risk factor:
  • Drastic decline in large parts of their range
  • Devastating disease that may cause large declines in population

Using the above criteria, the 2019 Florida State Action Plan lists the following bee species as SGCNs:

• Ashmeadiella floridana (Robertson 1897) — southeastern Ashmeadiella bee 
• Bombus fervidus (Fabricius 1798) — yellow bumble bee
• Bombus fraternus (Smith 1854) — Southern Plains bumble bee
• Bombus pensylvanicus (De Geer 1773) — American bumble bee 
• Bombus variabilis (Cresson 1872) — variable cuckoo bumble bee 
• Caupolicana electa (Cresson 1878) — southeastern fork-tongue bee
• Caupolicana floridana Michener and Deyrup 2004 — giant scrub plasterer bee 
• Centris errans Fox 1899 — Florida locust-berry oil-collecting bee 
• Colletes francesae M. A. Deyrup and L. D. Deyrup 2011 — tough buckthorn bee  
• Colletes longifacies Stephen 1954 — long-faced cellophane bee  
• Colletes titusensis Mitchell 1951 — no common name
• Hesperapis oraria Snelling and Stage 1997 — Barrier Island Hesperapis bee  
• Hylaeus formosus Krombein 1953 — no common name
• Lasioglossum flaveriae (Mitchell 1960) — no common name
• Lasioglossum surianae (Mitchell 1960) — Florida Keys sweat bee 
• Lasioglossum tahitensis Mitchell 1960 — Tahiti Beach sweat bee
• Osmia calaminthae Rightmyer, Ascher, and Griswold 2011 — blue calamintha bee  
• Perdita blatchleyi Timberlake 1952 — Blatchley's Perdita bee  
• Perdita graenicheri Timberlake 1947 — no common name
• Perdita mitchelli Timberlake 1947 — no common name
• Perdita townesi Timberlake 1968 — no common name
• Stelis ater Mitchell 1962 — southwest Florida Stelis bee  
• Trachusa crassipes (Cresson 1878) — no common name
• Triepeolus monardae Mitchell 1962 — large monarda cuckoo bee
• Triepeolus rugosus Mitchell 1962 — punctate central Florida cuckoo bee 

Two species listed above and included in the 2019 Florida State Action Plan were excluded in this document: Bombus fervidus, which is not considered to be found in Florida (Colla et al. 2011), and Lasioglossum tahitensis, which was recently synonymized with L. flaveriae (Gibbs 2011).

Definitions

Cavity-nesting bees — Bees that construct their nests in pre-existing holes such as cavities in wood, other plant materials, or human-made structures

Cleptoparasite bees — Cleptoparasitic bees are solitary bees that do not construct their own nests and do not gather their own pollen provision for their offspring. Instead, they lay their eggs in the nests of other bees, and their larvae feed on the provisions collected by the host species. Cleptoparasitic larvae will develop faster than host larvae and may kill and/or consume the host larvae.

Communal nesting bees — Bees that share a common entrance to many individual nests

Congeners/congeneric species — Species that share a genus

Corbicula — Pollen-carrying structure on the hind tibia of corbiculate bees (honey bees, bumble bees, stingless bees, and orchid bees) that forms a smooth, scoop-like basket

Declining species — Species with published literature documenting their decline

Gregarious nesting bees — Solitary bees that nest in aggregations where many individuals construct nests in a small area

Ground nesting bees — Bees that construct their nests in soil

Limited range/endemic species — Species restricted to a specific locality or geographic region

Rare species — For the purposes of this guide, species with few recent records unrelated to endemism (limited native range)

Scopa — Pollen-carrying structure comprised of many dense hairs

Social bees — Bees that form colonies and exhibit a division of labor between morphologically and physiologically different castes, such as queens (reproductive females), who are responsible for reproduction, and workers (non-reproductive females), who are responsible for foraging and rearing offspring

Social parasite bees — Socially parasitic bees kill and/or mimic a queen bee to then use the existing workers to rear her offspring

Solitary bees — Solitary bees do not have castes. Females are responsible only for their own offspring and do not provide maternal care beyond constructing the nest, provisioning the nest with pollen, and laying eggs. Solitary bees may nest singly, gregariously, or communally.

Known Biology and Ecology of Florida’s Bee Species of Greatest Conservation Need

The online databases linked below in the bee-species subsections provide additional information about the individual bee species described. Explorer.NatureServe.org hosts a database of species and their conservation statuses across the United States and Canada. DiscoverLife.org provides information about more than a million species worldwide with emphasis on bees, moths, and birds.

Ashmeadiella floridana ​(Robertson 1897)​, Megachilidae

Common Name(s)

southeastern Ashmeadiella bee

Reason(s) for Concern

rare

Description

7 mm–8 mm (1/4 in–1/3 in) long. Entirely black. Face and thorax with short white hairs. Abdomen striped with white hairs. Abdominal scopa white. Full description in Mitchell 1962. 

Range

Scattered observations in eastern North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and north Florida. See DiscoverLife.org’s Ashmeadiella floridana page.

Flight Period

April to July

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Assumed to be a solitary, cavity-nesting species based on congeners. Other Ashmeadiella spp. often use plant material or mud to form their nests.

Floral Records

Lupinus spp. (Lamiaceae)

Notes

While there have been recent observations, most of the few records that exist date back many decades. Only member of its genus in the southeastern United States.

References

Mitchell 1962; Murray et al. 2021; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s southeastern Ashmeadiella bee page.

Bombus fraternus (Smith 1854), Apidae

Common Name(s)

Southern Plains bumble bee

Reason(s) for Concern

declining

Description

15 mm–19 mm (2/3 in–3/4 in) long. Densely covered in short hairs. Black hairs on head, yellow hairs on the front and rear of the thorax. First segments of the abdomen with yellow hairs, the remainder with black hairs. Full description in Williams et al. 2014.

Range

Central and eastern United States extending into northern Mexico and central Florida.​ See DiscoverLife.org’s Bombus fraternus page

Flight Period

April to October

Nesting Behavior

Social, forming colonies in underground cavities. ​​

Floral Records

Numerous (polylectic)

Notes

While at first glance B. fraternus could look very similar to many other Bombus spp., subtle characters, like the shape of a spur on the hind leg and the width of the cheek, can eliminate look-alikes.

References

Colla et al. 2011; Grixti et al. 2009; Pascarella and Hall 2006; Williams et al. 2014.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Bombus fraternus page

Bombus pensylvanicus (De Geer 1773), Apidae

Common Name(s)

American bumble bee

Reason(s) for Concern

declining

Description

13 mm–19 mm (1/2 in–3/4 in) long. Covered in short hairs. Black hairs covering the head and sides of the thorax. Yellow hairs on the top of the thorax are variable in pattern. Upper half of the abdomen covered in yellow hairs, the lower half with black hairs. ​Full description in Williams et al. 2014.

Range

Widely distributed across southern Canada, the United States, and Mexico. ​See DiscoverLife.org’s Bombus pensylvanicus page.

Flight Period

February to November

Nesting Behavior

Social, forming colonies primarily above ground in clumps of long grass. Occasionally will take up nesting sites in underground cavities. ​

Floral Records

Numerous (polylectic)

Notes

Decline in this species is due to a host of factors, including habitat loss, pesticide use, and pathogen pressure, with effects most striking in the Midwest, Canada, and New England. In the southern parts of the range of B. pensylvanicus, the flight period is nearly year-round.

References

Colla et al. 2011; Grixti et al. 2009; Williams 2014.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Bombus pensylvanicus page

Bombus variabilis (Cresson 1872), Apidae

Common Name(s)

variable cuckoo bumble bee

Reason(s) for Concern

declining, rare

Description

18 mm–22 mm (3/4 in–7/8 in) long. Black hair on the face. Variably patterned yellow hairs on the thorax. Wings dark brown. Hair on the abdomen very short and entirely black. Corbicula absent due to parasitic life history. Full description in Williams et al. 2014.

Range

Distributed across the central and eastern United States. See DiscoverLife.org’s Bombus variabilis page.

Flight Period

March to October

Nesting Behavior

Social parasite of B. pensylvanicus

Floral Records

Numerous (polylectic)

Notes

The decline of this species is closely related to the decline of its host, B. pensylvanicus. No recent observations in Florida. Social parasites like B. variabilis tend to emerge about a month after their host does and invade newly established nests. No worker caste is present due to parasitic life history. Females recorded as early as January in Miami-Dade County.

References

Colla et al. 2011; Grixti et al. 2009; Pascarella and Hall 2006; Williams et al. 2014.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Bombus variabilis page

Caupolicana electa (Cresson 1878), Colletidae

Common Name(s)

southeastern fork-tongue bee

Reason(s) for Concern

rare

Description

18 mm–23 mm (3/4 in–7/8 in) long. Yellow hairs cover the head, thorax, and legs. Abdomen covered in short black hairs. White bands of hair are thin or absent. Full description in Michener and Deyrup 2004.

Range

Scattered occurrences in northwest Florida, southern Mississippi, and eastern Louisiana. Believed to be extirpated from North Carolina and South Carolina. See DiscoverLife.org’s Caupolicana electa page.

Flight Period

September and October

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Solitary, ground-nesting species based on congeners. Other Caupolicana spp. in the Southwest and Mexico nest in sandy soils.

Floral Records

Agalinis spp. (Orobanchaceae), Aureolaria spp. (Orobanchaceae), and Trichostema spp.​ (Lamiaceae)

Notes

C. electa and C. floridana are the only Caupolicana spp. in the southeastern United States. Distinguished from C. floridana by hair bands and size.

References

Michener 1966; Michener and Deyrup 2004; Owens 2018; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Caupolicana electa page

Caupolicana floridana (Michener and Deyrup 2004), Colletidae

Common Name(s)

giant scrub plasterer bee, Florida fork-tongue bee

Reason(s) for Concern

limited range/endemic, rare

Description

16 mm–18 mm (2/3 in–3/4 in) long. Yellow hairs cover the head, thorax, and legs. Abdomen covered in short black hairs. Conspicuous white bands across the abdomen. Full description in Michener and Deyrup 2004.

Range

Archbold Biological Station, Lake Placid, Florida. See DiscoverLife.org’s Caupolicana floridana page.

Flight Period

September and October

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Solitary, ground-nesting species based on congeners. Other Caupolicana spp. in the Southwest and Mexico nest in sandy soils.

Floral Records

Dicerandra spp. (Lamiaceae), Trichostema spp. (Lamiaceae), and Seymeria spp. (Orobanchaceae)

Notes

C. floridana and C. electa are the only Caupolicana spp. in the southeastern United States. Distinguished from C. electa by hair bands and size. Recorded pre-1900 as C. yarrowi in Dade County, Florida, where it is believed to have been extirpated since then due to development.

References

Michener and Deyrup 2004; van Hoose 2021a.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Caupolicana floridana page

Centris errans (Fox 1899), Apidae

Common Name(s)

Florida locust-berry oil-collecting bee, wandering Centris

Reason(s) for Concern

limited range/endemic

Description

13 mm–14 mm (1/2 in) long. Top of the head and thorax are covered in dense yellow-brown hairs. Thorax is accented with pale, whitish hairs. Abdomen is a rusty brown color. Full description as Centris versicolor in Mitchell 1962.

Range

Broward, Dade, and Monroe Counties, Florida. Most abundant in the southern Everglades and the lower Florida Keys. Also found on select islands in the Bahamas. See DiscoverLife.org’s Centris errans page.

Flight Period

March to June

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Assumed to be a solitary, ground-nesting species based on congeners. Other Centris (Centris) spp. nest in the ground.

Floral Records

Oil collection on Brysonima lucida (P. Mill.) DC. (Malpighiaceae), Stigmaphyllon sagraeanum Juss. (Malpighiaceae), and Galphimia gracilis Bartl. (Malpighiaceae). Brysonima lucida is the only native oil host in Florida. Recorded on a diversity of other plants for nectar and pollen.

Notes

Recently found in Ft. Lauderdale outside the range of B. lucida, its only native plant host for oil rewards. Range expansion may be facilitated by non-native plant species that provide suitable oil rewards.

References

Coville et al. 1983; Mitchell 1962; Pascarella et al. 1999; Pascarella and Hall 2006; Pemberton and Liu 2008a; 2008b.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Centris errans page

Colletes francesae (M. A. Deyrup and L. D. Deyrup 2011), ​Colletidae

Common Name(s)

tough buckthorn bee​

Reason(s) for Concern

limited range/endemic, rare

Description

About 12 mm (1/2 in) long. Head, thorax, and front of the abdomen covered in whitish hairs. Remainder of the abdomen black with white bands of hair. Full description in Deyrup and Deyrup 2011.

Range

Scattered across Lake Wales Ridge, Polk Co., Florida. See DiscoverLife.org’s Colletes francesae page.

Flight Period

May and June

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Solitary, ground-nesting species based on congeners. The majority of other Colletes spp. nest in soil.

Floral Records

Sideroxylon tenax L. (Sapotaceae)

Notes

Its floral host, S. tenax, exists in seemingly suitable habitats in other parts of the Lake Wales Ridge, and even other parts of the state. Additional surveys for C. francesae are needed to confirm its range.

References

Deyrup and Deyrup 2011.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Colletes francesae page

Colletes longifacies (Stephen 1954), ​Colletidae

Common Name(s)

long-faced cellophane bee​​

Reason(s) for Concern

rare, limited range/endemic

Description

About 11 mm (~3/8 in) long. Head and thorax are covered in dense white-gray hairs. Wings whitish with black veins. Abdomen with white bands of hair. Females described in Mitchell 1960. Males later described in Hall and Ascher 2014.

Range

Scattered occurrences across north-central Florida. See DiscoverLife.org’s Colletes longifacies page.

Flight Period

October

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Solitary, ground-nesting species based on congeners. The majority of other Colletes spp. nest in soil.

Floral Records

Liatris tenuifolia Nutt. (Asteraceae)

Notes

The long face of this bee is likely evidence of its close association with L. tenuifolia, an aster with deep florets.

For more information, see Hall and Ascher 2014; Mitchell 1960; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Colletes longifacies page

Colletes titusensis (Mitchell 1951)​, Colletidae

Common Name(s)

No common name

Reason(s) for Concern

rare, limited range/endemic

Description

About 8 mm (1/3 in) long. Face covered in white hairs. Thorax covered in light brown hair. The legs covered in white hairs. Abdomen with short white bands of hairs. Full description in Mitchell 1960.

Range

Occurs in coastal Titusville and in the Tampa area. See DiscoverLife.org’s Colletes titusensis page.

Flight Period

April and May

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Solitary, ground-nesting species based on congeners. The majority of other Colletes spp. nest in soil.

Floral Records

Campanula floridana S. Wats. ex Gray (Campanulaceae)

Notes

First observation in decades in 2013 from a pan trap at Cape Canaveral National Seashore. Recent observations of the species in the Tampa area suggest that C. titusensis specializes on C. floridana.

References

Hall et al. 2016; Mitchell 1960; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Colletes titusensis page

Hesperapis oraria ​(Snelling and Stage 1997)​, Melittidae

Common Name(s)

Barrier Island Hesperapis bee​​, Gulf Coast solitary bee, Coastal Plain Hesperapis, Gulf Coast evening bee

Reason(s) for Concern

limited range/endemic

Description

11 mm–13 mm (~3/8 in–1/2 in) long. Face covered in dull yellow to whitish hairs. Thorax covered in dense yellow hairs. Wings clear with light brown veins. Abdomen covered in short brown hairs with bands of white hairs. Full description in Cane et al. 1996.

Range

Shore and barrier island dunes of Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. See DiscoverLife.org’s Hesperapis oraria page.

Flight Period

September and October

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Assumed to be a solitary, ground-nesting species based on congeners. All other Hesperapis spp. nest descriptions are in sandy soils.

Floral Records

Balduina angustifolia (Pursh) B. L. Robins. (Asteraceae)

Notes

Only Hesperapis species known to occur east of the Mississippi River. Hesperapsis shares similar modified hairs found on Carinapsis, its sister genus, that are thought to aid in burrowing in sandy soils. This supports the thinking that H. oraria's range is highly dependent on suitable nesting in dunes as, despite the presence of its sole floral host (B. angustifolia) well inland, H. oraria is absent more than two to three kilometers from the shore. See Davis et al. 2020 for more information.

References

Cane et al. 1996; Davis et al. 2020; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Hesperapis oraria page

Hylaeus formosus (Krombein 1953), ​Colletidae

Common Name(s)

No common name​​

Reason(s) for Concern

rare

Description

About 5 mm (~1/8 in) long. Largely hairless, black. Face, legs, and abdomen with brown markings. Many members of this genus could be mistaken for small wasps as they lack scopa. Females described in Mitchell 1960 as Hylaeus metopii. No description of males.

Range

Recent observations in Guantanamo, Cuba. Many observations from the 1980s in the Florida Keys. Also seen on an island in the Bahamas and in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. See DiscoverLife.org’s Hylaeus formosus page.

Flight Period

Varies across range

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Assumed to be a solitary, cavity-nesting species based on congeners. Other Hylaeus spp. nest in various locations, often inside the stems of plant debris.

Floral Records

Metopium toxiferum (L.) Krug and Urban (Anacardiaceae)

Notes

Limited observations across varying climates makes describing an exact flight period difficult. Observed in winter, spring, and summer months. Hylaeus do not carry pollen in a scopa but instead carry it internally in their crop.

References

Genaro 2016; Mitchell 1960; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Hylaeus formosus page

Lasioglossum flaveriae ​(Mitchell 1960)​, Halictidae

Common Name(s)

No common name​​

Reason(s) for Concern

rare

Description

About 4mm long. Largely hairless, head and thorax green-blue. Wings clear with yellow-brown veins. Abdomen reddish-brown. Full description in Gibbs 2011.

Range

Scattered occurrences in the coastal regions of south Florida as well as an island in the Bahamas. See DiscoverLife.org’s Lasioglossum flaveriae page.

Flight Period

March to August

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Gibbs lists 97 Lasioglossum (Dialictus) spp. in eastern North America alone, with many more around the world. The nesting within the subgenus is highly diverse. No assumptions can be made about nesting.

Floral Records

Ardisia escallonioides Schlechtendal and Chamisso (Primulaceae), Achyranthes spp. (Amaranthaceae), Flaveria linearis Lag. (Asteraceae), Mikania spp. (Asteraceae), Sartwellia flaveriae Gray (Asteraceae), Lyonia mariana​ (L.) D. Don (Ericaceae).

Notes

Lasioglossum (Dialictus) spp. can be difficult to identify to species.

References

Gibbs 2011; Pascarella et al. 1999; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Lasioglossum flaveriae page

Lasioglossum surianae​ (Mitchell 1960), Halictidae

Common Name(s)

Florida Keys sweat bee​​

Reason(s) for Concern

rare

Description

About 4 mm (1/8 in) long. Head and thorax gold-green. Largely hairless. Abdomen reddish-brown. Wings clear with red-brown veins. Full description in Gibbs 2011.

Range

Big Pine Key and Stock Island of the Florida Keys with more recent observations in Biscayne National Park, Highlands County, as well as two islands in the Bahamas. See DiscoverLife.org’s Lasioglossum surianae page.

Flight Period

May to December

Nesting Behavior

Assumed to be ground nesting based on congeners. L. surianae is a part of the L. (Dialictus) tegulare species group, from which other members have been reported as ground nesting. See L. (Dialictus) tegulare in Cuminale 2023 and Brokaw et al. 2023.

Floral Records

Bidens pilosa L. (Asteraceae), Jacquemontia spp. (Convolvulaceae), and Suriana maritima L. (Surianaceae)

Notes

Lasioglossum (Dialictus) spp. can be difficult to identify to species.

References

Gibbs 2011; Gibbs 2009; Pascarella et al. 1999.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Lasioglossum surianae page

Osmia calaminthae​ (Rightmyer, Ascher, and Griswold 2011), Megachilidae

Common Name(s)

blue calamintha bee​​

Reason(s) for Concern

limited range/endemic

Description

10 mm–11 mm (~3/8 in) long. Dark blue. Face with short hairs used as a scopa. Thorax and front of the abdomen covered in white hairs. Wings light brown. Remainder of the abdomen hairless except for the scopa on the underside. Full description in Rightmyer et al. 2011.

Range

Southern 20 miles of Lake Wales Ridge near Lake Placid, Florida. Recently found in select locations in Ocala National Forest. See DiscoverLife.org’s Osmia calaminthae page.

Flight Period

March and April

Nesting Behavior

Solitary bee nesting belowground in the root structure of grass clumps. The majority of other Osmia spp. nest aboveground in woody vegetation and debris, making O. calaminthae one of the rare exceptions. Osmia spp. use mud and foliage to line their nests.

Floral Records

Clinopodium ashei (Weatherby) Small (syn. Calamintha ashei) and Conradina brevifolia Shinners (Lamiaceae).​

Notes

Once considered the most range-restricted floral specialist in the country until it was discovered in Ocala National Forest in 2021. Highly specialized forager, once thought to only forage on C. ashei but more recently discovered to also visit C. brevifolia.

References

Burns et al. 2019; Cane et al. 2007; Rightmyer et al. 2011; Srinivasan 2020; van Hoose 2021a.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Osmia calaminthae page

Perdita blatchleyi (Timberlake 1952), Andrenidae

Common Name(s)

Blatchley's Perdita bee​​

Reason(s) for Concern

rare, limited range/endemic

Description

5 mm–6 mm (~1/8 in–1/4 in) long. Covered in sparse white hairs. Head and thorax dark green. Wings clear with brown veins. Abdomen dull brown. Face and abdomen with light yellow markings. Females described in Mitchell 1960. Males described in Hall and Ascher 2014.

Range

Scattered occurrences across central Florida, including observations at Archbold Biological Station, Ordway-Swisher Biological Station, and Alachua County. See DiscoverLife.org’s Perdita blatchleyi page.

Flight Period

September and October

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Assumed to be ground-nesting based on congeners. Nesting habit varies across the genus, including solitary, gregarious, and communal nesting habits.

Floral Records

Pityopsis graminifolia (Michx.) Nutt. (Asteraceae), Heterotheca subaxillaris (Lam.) Britt. and Rusby (Asteraceae), Agalinis filifolia (Nutt.) Raf. (Orobanchaceae), Solidago spp. (Asteraceae)

References

Deyrup et al. 2002; Mitchell 1960; Hall and Ascher 2014; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Perdita blatchleyi page

Perdita graenicheri (Timberlake 1947), ​Andrenidae

Common Name(s)

No common name​​

Reason(s) for Concern

limited range/endemic, rare

Description

About 4.5 mm (~1/8 in) long. Covered in sparse white hairs. Head and thorax dark green. Wings clear with light yellow, nearly clear, veins. Abdomen dull yellow-brown. Face and abdomen with light yellow markings. Full description in Mitchell 1960. Corrections in Norden 1992.

Range

Recorded from Archbold Biological Station in south central Florida. Several observations from the 1920s in Miami and West Palm Beach. See DiscoverLife.org’s Perdita graenicheri page.

Flight Period

August to November

Nesting Behavior

Gregarious ground-nester in the sandy soils of scrub and sandhill communities

Floral Records

Heterotheca subaxillaris (Lam.) Britt. and Rusby (Asteraceae), Pityopsis graminifolia (Michx.) Nutt. (Asteraceae), and Solidago odora Ait. (Asteraceae)​

References

Deyrup et al. 2002; Mitchell 1960; Norden et al. 1992; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Perdita graenicheri page

Perdita mitchelli (Timberlake 1947), Andrenidae

Common Name(s)

No common name​​

Reason(s) for Concern

rare

Description

About 4.5 mm (~1/8 in) long. Covered in sparse white hairs. Head and thorax blue-green. Wings whitish with nearly clear veins. Abdomen dark brown. Full description in Mitchell 1960.

Range

Single recent observation in Apalachicola National Forest, with another in Bradford County, Florida, in the 1950s. Mitchell 1960 and Timberlake 1947 report this species as found in Mississippi, Alabama, and North Carolina. See DiscoverLife.org’s Perdita mitchelli page.

Flight Period

June

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Assumed to be ground-nesting based on congeners. Nesting habit varies across the genus, including solitary, gregarious, and communal nesting habits.

Floral Records

Ceanothus spp. (Rhamnaceae), Cyrilla spp. (Cyrillaceae), and Oxydendrum arboreum (L.) DC. (Ericaceae)​

References

Mitchell 1960; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Perdita mitchelli page

Perdita townesi (Timberlake 1968), Andrenidae

Common Name(s)

No common name​​

Reason(s) for Concern

rare

Description

5 mm–6 mm (~1/8 in–1/4 in) long. Covered in sparse white hairs. Head and thorax dark green, face with yellow markings. Wings whitish with pale brown veins. Abdomen black with yellow bands that may be broken into two spots. Full description in Timberlake 1968.

Range

Scattered occurrences across central Florida, as well as in Georgia and South Carolina. See DiscoverLife.org’s Perdita townesi page.

Flight Period

March to May

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Assumed to be ground-nesting based on congeners. Nesting habit varies across the genus, including solitary, gregarious, and communal nesting habits.

Floral Records

Ilex spp. (Aquifoliaceae), Nyssa sylvatica Marsh. (Nyssaceae), Ceanothus microphyllus Michx. (Rhamnaceae), Diospyros virginiana L. (Ebenaceae), and Vaccinium spp. (Ericaceae)

Notes

Most recent observation was in the 1970s. Females are difficult to distinguish from P. bradleyi.

References

Timberlake 1968; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Perdita townesi page

Stelis ater (Mitchell 1962)​, Megachilidae

Common Name(s)

southwest Florida Stelis bee​​, Florida black dark bee

Reason(s) for Concern

limited range/endemic, rare

Description

10 mm (3/8 in) long. Covered in sparse white hairs. Entirely black. Wings dark with black veins. First description in Mitchell 1962. Males first recorded in Hall and Ascher 2010.

Range

Scattered across central Florida. See DiscoverLife.org’s Stelis ater page.

Flight Period

January to April

Nesting Behavior

Cleptoparasite of Osmia chalybea (Smith 1853)

Floral Records

Circium spp. (Asteraceae), which are also floral hosts of O. chalybea

References:

Hall and Ascher 2010; Mitchell 1962; Pascarella and Hall 2006; Rozen and Hall 2011.

Also See:

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Stelis ater page

Trachusa crassipes (Cresson 1878)​, Megachilidae

Common Name(s)

No common name​​

Reason(s) for Concern

rare

Description

About 10 mm (3/8 in) long. Nearly hairless except for whitish hairs on the face. Black. Many yellow markings across the body. Wings light brown with black veins. Abdominal scopa white. Full description in Mitchell 1962 as Heteranthidium crassipes.

Range

Observations in northern Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. See DiscoverLife.org’s Trachusa crassipes page.

Flight Period

June to October

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Assumed to be a solitary, ground-nesting species based on congeners. Several other Trachusa spp. nest in soil.

Floral Records

Galactia spp. (Fabaceae)

Notes

One of three Trachusa spp. found in the southeastern United States. Differentiated geographically from T. dorsalis. Distinguished from T. fontemvitae by size.

References

Brooks and Griswold 1988; Mitchell 1962; Pascarella and Hall 2006.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Trachusa crassipes page

Triepeolus monardae (Mitchell 1962), Apidae

Common Name(s)

large monarda cuckoo bee​​

Reason(s) for Concern

rare

Description

15 mm–18 mm (~1/2 in–3/4 in) long. Black with short dense yellow hairs across the thorax and in bands across the abdomen. Full description in Rightmyer 2008.

Range

Occurrences in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. See DiscoverLife.org’s Triepeolus monardae page.

Flight Period

August and September

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Triepeolus spp. are cleptoparsitic with hosts across several bee families, though most are cleptoparasites of Eucerini. The host species for T. monardae is unknown.

Floral Records

Monarda punctata L. (Lamiaceae), Solidago bicolor L. (Asteraceae)

References

Michener 2007 and Rightmyer 2008.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Triepeolus monardae page

Triepeolus rugosus (Mitchell 1962), Apidae

Common Name(s)

punctate central Florida cuckoo bee​​​

Reason(s) for Concern

rare

Description

8.5 mm–10 mm (1/3 in–3/8 in) long. Black. Thorax covered in short, dense white-gray hairs. Abdomen with similar short, dense, white-gray hairs in bands. Full description in Rightmyer 2008.

Range

Several occurrences throughout central Florida and in New Jersey. See DiscoverLife.org’s Triepeolus rugosus page.

Flight Period

March to July

Nesting Behavior

Undescribed. Triepeolus spp. are cleptoparsitic with hosts across several bee families, though most are cleptoparasites of Eucerini. The host species for T. rugosus is unknown.

Floral Records

Pontederia spp. (Pontederiaceae)

References

Michener 2007; Pascarella and Hall, 2006; Rightmyer 2008.

Also See

Explorer.NatureServe.org’s Triepeolus rugosus page

Species Pages on DiscoverLife and NatureServe

Ashmeadiella floridana (Robertson 1897), Megachilidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Ashmeadiella+floridana

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30729/Ashmeadiella_floridana

Bombus fraternus (Smith 1854), Apidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Bombus+fraternus

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.832125/Bombus_fraternus

Bombus pensylvanicus (De Geer 1773), Apidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Bombus+pensylvanicus

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.744953/Bombus_pensylvanicus

Bombus variabilis (Cresson 1872), Apidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Bombus+variabilis

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.819626/Bombus_variabilis

Caupolicana electa (Cresson 1878), Colletidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Caupolicana+electa

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30719/Caupolicana_electa

Caupolicana floridana (Michener and Deyrup 2004), Colletidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Caupolicana+floridana

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30723/Caupolicana_floridana

Centris errans (Fox 1899), Apidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Centris+errans

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30748/Centris_errans

Colletes francesae (M. A. Deyrup and L. D. Deyrup 2011), Colletidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Colletes+francesae

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.31227/Colletes_francesae

Colletes longifacies (Stephen 1954), Colletidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Colletes+longifacies

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30713/Colletes_longifacies

Colletes titusensis (Mitchell 1951), Colletidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Colletes+titusensis&flags=subgenus:

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30716/Colletes_titusensis

Hesperapis oraria (Snelling and Stage 1997), Melittidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Hesperapis+oraria

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30424/Hesperapis_oraria

Hylaeus formosus (Krombein 1953), Colletidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Hylaeus+formosus

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30707/Hylaeus_formosus

Lasioglossum flaveriae (Mitchell 1960), Halictidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Lasioglossum+flaveriae&guide=Lasioglossum

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30669/Lasioglossum_flaveriae

Lasioglossum surianae (Mitchell 1960), Halictidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Lasioglossum+surianae

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30738/Lasioglossum_surianae

Osmia calaminthae (Rightmyer, Ascher, and Griswold 2011), Megachilidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Osmia+calaminthae

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.872575/Osmia_calaminthae

Perdita blatchleyi (Timberlake 1952), Andrenidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Perdita+blatchleyi

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30726/Perdita_blatchleyi

Perdita graenicheri (Timberlake 1947), Andrenidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Perdita+graenicheri&guide=Perdita_female&flags=subgenus:

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.31249/Perdita_graenicheri

Perdita mitchelli (Timberlake 1947), Andrenidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Perdita+mitchelli

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.902541/Perdita_mitchelli

Perdita townesi (Timberlake 1968), Andrenidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Perdita+townesi&flags=subgenus:

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.902542/Perdita_townesi

Stelis ater (Mitchell 1962), Megachilidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Stelis+ater

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30732/Stelis_ater

Trachusa crassipes (Cresson 1878), Megachilidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Trachusa+crassipes

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.902544/Trachusa_crassipes

Triepeolus monardae (Mitchell 1962), Apidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Triepeolus+monardae&guide=Triepeolus_female

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.902543/Triepeolus_monardae

Triepeolus rugosus (Mitchell 1962), Apidae

https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Triepeolus+rugosus

https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.23.30744/Triepeolus_rugosus

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