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IntroductionAt the family level, these bees may be most easily recognizable by the bifid glossa. This is the only family of bees that has this type of glossa.
There are three genera (Colletes, Hylaeus, and Caupolicana, each in a different subfamily) that are very easy to recognize to genus level but in the two diverse genera, difficult to identify to species level in the field and somewhat difficult in the lab under the microscope.
1. Front wing with two submarginal cells.....Hylaeus
Front wing with three submarginal cells....2
2. Pygidial plate absent; 2nd recurrent vein recurved posteriorly toward outer margin of wing.......................................Colletes
Pygidial plate present; 2nd recurrent vein nearly straight, not at all
recurved..................................................Caupolicana
