Two subgenera are present in Florida, subgenus Epeolus Latreille s. str. Consisting of twelve taxa, and one species, E. bifasciatus, a member of the subgenus Trophocleptria Holmberg. These bees are cleptoparasites of bees of the genus Colletes. The sexes are very similar; if photos are not available for one sex, use the other sex. As is typical of most parasitic bees, this group is undercollected. The county maps are where the species has been collected, but most species probably occur throughout Florida where their hosts are present.
Pleura below coarsely punctate or rugose, with only very narrow, intervening spaces…4
Abdominal terga to some degree fasciate…..3
Abdominal terga 1-4 with conspicuous pale fasciae…Epeolus lectoides
Axillae either small, or tips conspicuously diverging from sides of scutellum….8
Scutum, pleura, and entire abdomen black….6
Usually smaller; axillae to some degree ferruginous and quite strongly protuberant….7
Pseudopygidium fully twice as broad as its median length; scutellum black or red, usually quite deeply grooved medially.. Epeolus scutellaris
Scutellum black, the axillae either black or red….11
Abdomen entirely black dorsally….10
Axillae carinate laterally, tips more flattened; the whitish fasciae complete…Epeolus australis
Axillae little if any divergent from sides of scutellum, the free part much shorter than the basal portion….Epeolus australis
Pleura reticulate or closely punctate…13
Pleura more finely reticulate or closely and finely punctate; scutellum sculptured about the same as scutum…Epeolus ilicis
Pleura closely punctate below, with only very narrow interspaces evident….4
Abdominal terga fasciate to some degree….3
Abdominal terga 1-4 with conspicuous pale fasciae…Epeolus lectoides
Axillae either small, or tips conspicuously diverging from sides of scutellum…8
Scutum, pleura and entire abdomen black…..6
Usually smaller; axillae usually to some degree ferruginous and quite strongly protuberant….7
Lower half of pleura largely bare, exposing the closely punctate or rugose surface; scutellum usually quite deeply grooved medially….Epeolus scutellaris
Axillae little if any divergent from sides of scutellum, the free part much shorter than the basal portion…Epeolus australis
Abdomen entirely black dorsally….10
Pleura coarsely reticulate or closely punctate….11
Outer margins of axillae more rounded, if at all thickened; fasciae white or pale ochraceous…12
Abdominal fasciae, interrupted only on terga 1 and 2, entire on 3-5, not much removed from apical margins…13
Pleura more finely reticulate; scutellum sculptured about as scutum…Epeolus ilicis
Note that Epeolus weemsi has only been described from males.
By flight time. Some species may have two generations per year reflecting the spring and fall generations of their hosts. In South Florida, flight times of both Colletes and Epeolus are less seasonal than in the more temperate north.
Spring (early summer) -Flying Epeolus
Fall-Flying Epeolus
County Records: Leon
Locations:
Dates: Mitchell: April 1-June 9. Specimens from Leon County are from April 24.
Plants:
Notes: New record for Florida. Previously known from Georgia (Richmond County).
County Records: Liberty
Locations:
Dates: Sept.-Oct.
Plants:
Notes: New record for Florida. Previously known from as far south as North Carolina. The specimen examined from Liberty County fits the description in Mitchell but the spurs are black, not yellow and the labrum is testaceous (this was not mentioned in the description).
County Records: Broward, Leon, Miami-Dade
Locations:
Dates: February-July in Florida; the specimens from Leon County were collected in June and July
Plants:
Hosts: Colletes latitarsis and others?
Notes: widespread in US
County Records: Alachua, Jefferson, also from Thomas County, GA
Locations: Wade Tract (Thomas Co, GA)
Dates: Sept. 12-Nov. 6; specimens from Thomas County, GA were collected in September and October
Plants:
Notes: Florida-North Carolina
County Records: Alachua, Baker, Columbia, Highlands; Lee, Levy, Marion
Locations: Osceola National Forest, Olga, Highlands Hammock State Park, LaBelle
Dates: In Florida, March 30-May 27
Plants:
Notes: Florida-North Carolina
County Records: DeSoto, Levy
Locations: Bronson, Arcadia
Dates: April 27, July 13, October 10
Plants:
Notes:
County Records: Jefferson, Miami-Dade
Locations: Matheson Hammock, ENP
Dates: March-July
Plants:
Notes: Found only in Georgia and Florida
County Records: Highlands
Locations: Highlands Hammock State Park
Dates: April 25-July 15
Plants:
Notes: New state record for Florida. Previously recorded from Georgia.
County Records: Liberty
Locations: Torreya State Park
Dates: May-September
Plants:
Notes: New state record for Florida.
County Records: Leon, Manatee
Locations:
Dates: Florida, 2 generations? Mitchell reported April-May in Florida and Sept.-Oct. in North. However, I have specimens from Leon County, Florida from October and November.
Plants:
Notes:
County Records: Alachua, Jefferson, Thomas (GA)
Locations:
Dates: February
Plants:
Notes:
County Records: Alachua
Locations:
Dates: February
Plants:
Notes: Mitchell states that this may be the male of E. vernalis Mitchell. No photos are available of this species.
County Records: Highlands, Miami-Dade
Locations:
Dates: March-May; Graenicher found this species flying Feb.-October in ENP.
Plants:
Notes: restricted to Georgia and Florida