A new species of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Microsphecodes Eickwort and Stage (Halictinae: Halictini) is described and figured from a male and female collected in Jamaica. Microsphecodes xaymacensis Engel, sp. n., is distinguished from its congeners on the basis of integumental coloration and sculpturing, and form of the male pygidial plate and genitalia.

a survey on the megachilid bees (hymenoptera: megachilidae) fauna of northern iran, between 2010 and 2011, led to the identification of eleven species of the genus coelioxys latreille belonging to subgenera allocoelioxys (6 species), boreocoelioxys (2 species), coelioxys (2 species) and liothyrapis (1 species). of these, six species and one subgenus (liothyrapis) are new to the fauna of iran. d...

The cleptoparasitic bee genus Townsendiella Crawford (Nomadinae, Townsendiellini) is a rare group restricted to the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico, whose taxonomy and biology remain poorly known. This paper describes Townsendiella ensifera sp. n., the first known record of this genus from Pinnacles National Park. A key to the species of the genus is provided. Several potential a...

The biology of the nomadine bee, Epeolus compactus Cresson, is described based on composite notes taken from field, laboratory, and greenhouse studies of the host bee, Colletes kincaidii Cockerell. Details of Epeolus egg deposition are described and compared with other known noma dine bees. We document the release of a glandular secretion during egg deposition by E. compactus which dissolves th...

A new species of cleptoparasitic bee of the genus Thyreus Panzer (Apinae: Melectini) is described and figured from northern Yemen and southwestern Saudi Arabia. Thyreus shebicus Engel, sp. n. is a relatively small species superficially similar to the widespread and polytypic species T. ramosus (Lepeletier de Saint Fargeau) and T. ramosellus (Cockerell) but more closely allied to various African...

A taxonomic revision of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Epiclopus Spinola is presented. The following species are recognized: Epiclopus gayi Spinola, E. lendlianus (Friese), E. wagenknechti (Ruiz) and E. ecphorus new species from northern Chile. Floral associations, hosts, distribution records and diagnoses of both sexes based on type specimens, are given. An identification key, illustrations and...

This article explores the occurrence of hatching spines among bee taxa and how these structures enable a larva on hatching to extricate itself from the egg chorion. These spines, arranged in a linear sequence along the sides of the first instar just dorsal to the spiracles, have been observed and recorded in certain groups of solitary and cleptoparasitic bee taxa. After eclosion, the first inst...

Epeolus, Coelioxys, Cephalic Secretions, Pyrazines, Spiroacetals Volatile cephalic secretions from females of four cleptoparasitic bee species, Epeolus cruciger (Pz.), E. variegatus, (L.) (Anthophoridae) and Coelioxys (Coelioxys) quadridentata (L.), C. (Schizocoelioxys) mandibularis Nyl. (Megachilidae) were analysed by combined gas chromatog­ raphy/mass spectroscopy. There are considerable simi...