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Bees of Zihuatanejo

EPIFAMILY ANTHOPHILA

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies (Order Hymenoptera)

-Narrow-waisted Wasps, Ants, and Bees (Suborder Apocrita)

-Ants, Bees, and Stinging Wasps (Infraorder Aculeata)

-Bees and Apoid Wasps (Superfamily Apoidea)

-Bees (Epifamily Anthophila)

-Sweat Bees (Family Halictidae)

-Sweat and Furrow Bees (Subfamily Halictinae)

-​Augochlorine Sweat Bees (Tribe Augochlorini)

-Genus Augochloropsis


Augochloropsis bees often display a metallic green, blue, or gold coloration, with many individuals showing a mix of hues on different body segments. These bees are medium-sized, typically larger than other sweat bees, with body lengths between 8 and 12 mm. Augochloropsis bees are generalist pollinators, collecting nectar and pollen from a diverse array of flowering plants.are so named because they are attracted to human sweat. The build their nests in the ground.



Augochloropsis Sweat Bees

Augochloropsis (Genus)

Range

  • The genus Augochloropsis is distributed from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and throughout much of South America to Argentina.

  • Numerous species occur throughout Mexico, including the Pacific coast of Guerrero and the Zihuatanejo region.

  • Most abundant in tropical and subtropical regions.

Habitat

  • Inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical rainforests, woodland edges, grasslands, secondary forests, orchards, gardens, and agricultural fields.

  • Most species nest in well-drained soil, often in sunny, sparsely vegetated areas.

  • Commonly found visiting flowering plants in open habitats and forest clearings.

Behaviour

  • Primarily solitary, with each female constructing and provisioning her own underground nest.

  • Active during the day, visiting a wide variety of flowering plants while collecting pollen and nectar.

  • Females excavate tunnels ending in brood cells, each provisioned with a pollen mass before a single egg is laid.

  • Generally docile and rarely sting unless directly handled.

Size

  • Body length: 6–12 mm (0.24–0.47 in)

  • Females are generally slightly larger than males.

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