Apidae

Tribe Eucerini (24 taxa)

    This tribe has the following genera present in Florida: Eucera (subgenus Synhalonia), Florilegus, Melissodes (subgenera Apomelissodes, Eumelissodes, and Melissodes), Svastra (subgenus Epimelissodes), and Xenoglossa (subgenus Eoxenoglossa). These are euceriform, hairy bees, typically with pale hair bands on the metasoma. Males typically have very long antenna. Two distinguishing characteristics are the following: the Eucerini have long paraglossae that reach the base of the labial palpus. They also have parocular carina. Nesting is in the ground for all species. Known nests are vertical burrows in flat ground.

Key to genera of tribe Eucerini

Key to females

  1. Inner margin of mandible with tooth near base…Xenoglossa

    2. Inner margin of mandible without basal tooth….2

  2. Tegula narrowed anteriorly, lateral margin slightly concave or straight in anterior half or less; maxillary palpus usually four-segmented, rarely three- or five-segmented….Melissodes

    3. Tegula not narrowed anteriorly, lateral margin convex; maxillary palpus three- to six-segmented….3

    eucdubfemtegula.JPG (48961 bytes)  

  3. Blade of galea longer than eye; clypeus protuberant…Eucera (Synhalonia)

    4. eucdubfemclypeuside3.JPG (44066 bytes)

    Blade of galea not longer than eye; clypeus flat to slightly protuberant (slightly less so than in male)….4

    floconfemtongueside.JPG (37862 bytes) floconfemclypeusside.JPG (43652 bytes)

  4. Maxillary palpus usually four-segmented, but if five-segmented, then basal pubescent band of T2 with at least a few spatuloplumose hairs; lateral arms of gradulus of T6 lamelliform, often with a small tooth…Svastra

Maxillary palpus five- or six-segmented; basal pubescent band of T2 without spatuloplumose hairs; lateral arms of gradulus of T6 cariniform to lamelliform….Florilegus

floconfemtongueside.JPG (37862 bytes) floconfemtergatop.JPG (53383 bytes)

Key to males

  1. T7 with lateral gradular tooth or strong angle on each side of pygidial plate, sometimes hidden in dense hair or by T6….2

T7 without lateral gradular tooth (Occasionally S6 with lateral teeth that can be seen from above and may be confused with tergal teeth)..3

  1. S6 with prominent median convexity; fore femur broadest about one-fourth or one-third of its length from apex; maxillary palpus five-segmented…Florilegus

    2. floconmaleside2.JPG (43325 bytes) floconmalelabrum.JPG (35716 bytes)

    S6 flat or with exceedingly shallow, longitudinal median depression; fore femur broadest basal to middle; maxillary palpus usually three- or four-segmented, rarely five-segmented; Tegula narrowed anteriorly, lateral margin slightly concave or straight in anterior one-half or one-third (Often hidden by hairs); clypeus little or moderately protruding, extending in front of eye by eye width or less as seen in lateral view…Melissodes

  1. First flagellar segment longer than second; inner margin of mandible with tooth near base…Xenoglossa

    xenglomaleantenna.JPG (24111 bytes) xenglomaleclypealocularclose.JPG (52975 bytes)

    2. First flagellar segment no longer than second segment and often much shorter; inner margin of mandible without tooth near base…4

    eucdubmaleface.JPG (43931 bytes) eucrosmalelabrum.JPG (37749 bytes)

     

  2. Maxillary palpus usually four-segmented, but if five-segmented, then T2 with basal pubescent band at least a few hairs of which are basally plumose and apically spatulate…Svastra

Maxillary palpus five- or six-segmented, and T2 without spatuloplumose hairs…Eucera

eucdubmaletonguesideclose.JPG (23767 bytes) eucrosmaletergatop.JPG (44434 bytes) eucdubmaletergatop.JPG (46313 bytes)