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Family Melittidae Schenck(2 taxa)

    This family consists of andreniform short-tongued bees. The family has a mix of characteristics of short-tongued and long-tongued bees. Two subfamilies, each with one genera with one species, are found in Florida, Melitta and Hesperapis. These are ground-nesting bees. Both appear to be oligolectic. 

Key to Subfamilies (From Michener 2000)

Paraglossa largely bare, usually markedly shorter than suspensorium, its hairs largely limited to apex, or paraglossa absent; forewing with two submarginal cells, second usually shorter than first; first submarginal crossvein usually more or less at right angles to longitudinal veins and usually close to recurrent vein; non cocoon spinning larvae..Dasypodinae

Paraglossa densely hairy; forewing with 2 or 3 submarginal cells, second (if only 2) or second plus third as long as or longer than first; first submarginal crossvein slanting, usually well separated from first recurrent vein; larvae spin cocoons...Melittinae

Subfamily Dasypodainae Borner

Tribe Dasypodaini Borner

Genus Hesperapis, one species.

Melittidae: Hesperapis oraria Snelling and Stage

County Records: Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton

hesora.gif (17968 bytes)

Locations:

Dates: late September-early October

Plants: specialist on Balduina angustifolia (Asteraceae).

Notes: Found only on beach dunes,  Endemic to Gulf coastal barrier islands of Florida and Alabama. No photos available at this time.

    

Subfamily Melittinae Schenk

Genus Melitta, one species.

Mellitidae: Melitta americana Smith

County Records: Alachua, Baker, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Liberty, Suwanee

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Locations:

Dates: March 7-May 25; March: 1, April: 10, May: 4

Plants: This species is an oligolege on Vaccinium.

Notes: This represents a new state record for Florida. Previously, this species had been collected as far south as Georgia (Mitchell 1960).

Female

melamefemface.GIF (455468 bytes) melamefemmand.gif (439568 bytes) melamefemmand2.GIF (491271 bytes) melamefemtop.GIF (414187 bytes) melamefemside.GIF (478095 bytes) melamefemabdtop.GIF (443530 bytes) melamefemhindtarsi.GIF (435915 bytes)

Male

malamemaleface.GIF (505165 bytes) melamemaletongue.GIF (431892 bytes) melamemaletop.GIF (491703 bytes) melamemalescutum.GIF (534074 bytes) melamemalefrtarsi.GIF (385798 bytes)

melamemaleside.GIF (248166 bytes) melamemalewing.GIF (447689 bytes) melameabdt7rear.GIF (523054 bytes) melameabdt7rear2.GIF (500378 bytes)