Stenotritidae
The family Stenotritidae is the smallest of all formally-recognized bee families, with only 21 species in 2 genera, all of them restricted to Australia. Historically, they were generally considered to belong in the family Colletidae, but it is presently considered that the stenotritids are their sister taxon, and deserving of family status.[1] Of prime importance is that stenotritids have unmodified mouthparts, whereas colletids are separated from all other bees by having a bilobed glossa.
They are large, densely hairy, fast-flying bees, which make simple burrows in the ground and make firm, ovoid provision masses in cells lined with a waterproof secretion. The larvae do not spin cocoons.
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
- ^ Danforth, B.N., Sipes, S., Fang, J., Brady, S.G. (2006) The history of early bee diversification based on five genes plus morphology. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103: 15118-15123.
- C. D. Michener (2000) The Bees of the World, Johns Hopkins University Press.