Hymenoptera63 species

Family Cellophane, Plasterer, Masked, and Allied Bees (Colletidae)

Colletidae is a family in the order Hymenoptera. Browse 63 named species recorded in this family, or open an individual profile for its available identification and natural-history information.

Species in Colletidae (63)

Aberrant Cellophane Bee

Colletes aberrans

Identification: "Note scutum with short, subappressed, thickened, and densely plumose (scale-like) hairs. Note also white hairs covering much of metasoma excepting the black bands. in N of range (thoracic) pile of this species becomes "almost ochra

Davies' Colletes

Colletes daviesanus

Size 7 to 9 mm. This is the smallest species of Colletes in the UK. It is more grey brown than other similar species, and has sparser thoracic hair (allowing the mesonotum to shine through). Most solitary bees and wasps are difficult to identify, and

Ivy Bee

Colletes hederae

The largest of the UK banded Colletes species. The forewing of the female measures 9.5-10mm, the male 8-8.5mm. The broad buff-coloured bands and orange thorax of a freshly emerged female are distinctive, though care needs to be taken with males or fa

Broad-footed Cellophane Bee

Colletes latitarsis

Identification: To differentiate it from the similar Colletes willistoni : Female: The second trasal segment of the hind legs are short, approximately as broad as long, and the hind basitarsi are two and one fourth (2.25) times as long as broad. Male

Long-faced Cellophane Bee

Colletes longifacies

Hall and Ascher (2014) gives a brief description of the male.

Hairy-tailed Cellophane Bee

Colletes tectiventris

A host to the clepotoparasitic bee Epeolus basili . Onuferko, 2018

Sandhills Cellophane Bee

Colletes ultravalidus

Identification: Has the longest malar space of any North American Colletes, exceeding that of its sister species Colletes validus. Overall it resembles C. validus, but its thoracic hair is more orange (closer to thoracicus) and it lacks conspicuous t

Blueberry Cellophane Bee

Colletes validus

Identification: Malar space unusually long. Otherwise similar to inaequalis in appearance

Hylaeus affinis

Identification: "... note yellow on scape and breadth of yellow markings above on male." (Comment by John Ascher)

Short-horned Yellow-face Bee

Hylaeus brevicornis

A very small and mainly black bee. The male has a striking white face (this characteristic is not restricted solely to this species) and the hind legs are banded with black and creamy yellow. The female has paired white spots on the face. Most solit

Common Yellow-face Bee

Hylaeus communis

Size 6 to 8 mm. Males can be distinguished by the facial markings with the yellow on the face obviously divided by black bands and curling around the antennal sockets. Females have far more restricted yellow on the face, just a small patch lying agai

White-jawed Yellow-face Bee

Hylaeus confusus

This bee is a very close relative of the scarcer Hylaeus incongruus and the females of the two species can be difficult to distinguish apart; the facial markings offers the best character for identification. In southern England both species are occas

Chalk Yellow-face Bee

Hylaeus dilatatus

British representatives of the subgenus Lambdopsis are restricted to Hylaeus dilatatus and H. annularis (formerly H. spilotus).The females of both differ from other British Hylaeus in the reduced, circular (not wedge-shaped or linear) paraocular mark

Hairy Yellow-face

Hylaeus hyalinatus

Length 5.5 to 7 mm. Males can be identified by the largely white (not really yellow) and hairy face. Females are harder to identify: they have a long face with two white triangles on the face, adjacent to the lower half of the eyes. The sides of terg

Punctate Masked Bee

Hylaeus punctatus

Non-native. First recorded in the US in 1981. (Snelling, 1983)

Hylaeus schwarzii

Identification: See Discover Life reference for complete description and cited references

Large Yellow-face Bee

Hylaeus signatus

A largely black species, the males with a striking pale yellow face. Most solitary bees and wasps are difficult to identify, and can rarely be identified from photos taken in the field. All red-rated records should include a photo, or set of photos,

Caupolicana electa

Caupolicana ocellata

Caupolicana yarrowi

Alumroot Cellophane Bee

Colletes aestivalis

Birkmann's Cellophane Bee

Colletes birkmanni

Bryant's Cellophane Bee

Colletes bryanti

Aster Cellophane Bee

Colletes compactus

Early Cellophane Bee

Colletes cunicularius

Glittering Cellophane Bee

Colletes fulgidus

Howard's Cellophane Bee

Colletes howardi

Hyaline Cellophane Bee

Colletes hyalinus

Unequal Cellophane Bee

Colletes inaequalis

Kincaid's Cellophane Bee

Colletes kincaidii

Lutz's Cellophane Bee

Colletes lutzi

Ochraceous Cellophane Bee

Colletes ochraceus

Phacelia Cellophane Bee

Colletes phaceliae

Dot-winged Cellophane Bee

Colletes punctipennis

Spine-shouldered Cellophane Bee

Colletes simulans

Slevin's Cellophane Bee

Colletes slevini

Goldenrod Cellophane Bee

Colletes solidaginis

Susanna's Cellophane Bee

Colletes susannae

Rufous-backed Cellophane Bee

Colletes thoracicus

Wilmatte's Cellophane Bee

Colletes wilmattae

Annulate Masked Bee

Hylaeus annulatus

Cinquefoil Masked Bee

Hylaeus basalis

Yerba Santa Masked Bee

Hylaeus calvus

Hylaeus episcopalis

Yellow-collared Masked Bee

Hylaeus euxanthus

Fedor Masked Bee

Hylaeus fedorica

Florida Masked Bee

Hylaeus floridanus

Graenicher's Masked Bee

Hylaeus graenicheri

Slender-faced Masked Bee

Hylaeus leptocephalus

Cresson's Masked Bee

Hylaeus mesillae

Modest Masked Bee

Hylaeus modestus

Hylaeus nelumbonis

Black Masked Bee

Hylaeus nigritus

Cloudy Masked Bee

Hylaeus nubilosus

Hylaeus nunenmacheri

Hylaeus ornatus

Panama Masked Bee

Hylaeus panamensis

Buckwheat Masked Bee

Hylaeus polifolii

Variegated Masked Bee

Hylaeus variegatus

Vertical Masked Bee

Hylaeus verticalis

Arizona Feather-tongue

Ptiloglossa arizonensis

Mexican Feather-tongue

Ptiloglossa mexicana