Epeolus lectoides
This record describes Epeolus lectoides (species). Recorded family: Apidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | Male and female similar. |
| Head | Head: Black, covered with very short, silvery hair. Lower face (clypeus) dark and bare. Cheeks very narrow about 1/3 eye width. Mandibles red, base and tips black. Antenna: Black. Underside of base (scape) and segments 1 to 2 have some yellowish-brown to reddish-brown. |
| Thorax | Thorax: Black, smooth and shiny. Collar stripe whitish. Segment 1 (scutum) with two white longitudinal lines, one on each side of center; may be faint on male. Segment 2 (scutellum) black, lobed or indented at center on lower margin; points at each side (axillae) usually black, but can be slightly reddened on female sometimes. |
| Thorax | Thorax sides shiny, sparsely covered with silvery hairs. Tubercles partly reddish-brown, surrounded with white fringe. Underside of thorax covered with dense silvery hair. |
| Wings | Wings: Wing knobs (tegulae) brownish-yellow on female, more reddish on male. |
| Wings | Wings hyaline at base, gradually darkening to very dark wide band at tips. Veins brownish. |
| Legs | Legs: Brownish-yellow. Coxae black. Top of hind thigh (femur) somewhat dark. Hind shin darker in mid area. Mid and hind spurs dark. |
| Abdomen | Abdomen: Black and shiny. Lower edge of all segments have a light yellowish-hyaline rim. Very narrow white stripes slightly above lower margin are narrowly interrupted and pointed at center, on segments 1 to 4 (5 in male). Segment 1 has 2 stripes. Segment 2 has faint patch at side edges above stripe. Segment 5 on female has wide grayish triangular patches on each side and a bright, silvery crescent at center on lower edge. Male segment 6 stripe entire. Tip is twice as wide as long, squarish on female, round on male. Underside of abdomen has dense, white, scaly hairs and stripes on 2 to 4. Similar Species: Epeolus ilicis (not on BugGuide) has rough, dull thorax; segment 2 (scutellum) lower edge is straight across, not lobed like E. lectoides . In E. ilicis , abdominal stripes rest on lower margin of each segment and not all stripes are interrupted. E. ilicis is rare in Ontario with 3 reported: 1 from Cochrane north of Timmins (#25153 Discover Life no date), 1 from Bruce Peninsula in 1953 and 1 from Guelph in 1978. Types: Holotype female by Robertson, 1901 in Robertson Collection at Illinois Natural History Survey #44383. Locality: Illinois. No photos. Holotype as Epeolus semilectus male #54852 and 534053 by Cockerell, 1907. Locality: Virginia, Church Falls – no date. In Smithsonian – National Museum of Natural History. Photos. |
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Trigonaloidea
- Family
- Apidae (Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees)
- Subfamily
- Nomadinae
- Tribe
- Epeolini
- Genus
- Epeolus
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Forest edges and meadows
Geographic Range
Canada: Ontario. USA: Michigan, Illinois and Virginia.
Seasonal Activity
July to September
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Adults feed on nectar and pollen of a variety of flowers.
Life History
The female finds Plasterer bee ( Colletes ) nests, enters and lays an egg in provisioned cells. When larva hatches, it kills the plasterer bee, and feeds on the stored pollen and nectar. The likely host is Colletes nudus .
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Epeolus lectoides. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Epeolus lectoides (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by John S. Ascher; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , lee_penner , PaleoJon
Frequently Asked Questions About Epeolus lectoides
What is Epeolus lectoides?
Epeolus lectoides is a species in the family Apidae, within the order Hymenoptera.
How big is Epeolus lectoides?
7 to 10 mm. long
How do you identify Epeolus lectoides?
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | Male and female similar. |
| Head | Head: Black, covered with very short, silvery hair. Lower face (clypeus) dark and bare. Cheeks very narrow about 1/3 eye width. Mandibles red, base and tips black. Antenna: Black. Underside of base (scape) and segments 1 to 2 have some yellowish-brown to reddish-brown. |
| Thorax | Thorax: Black, smooth and shiny. Collar stripe whitish. Segment 1 (scutum) with two white longitudinal lines, one on each side of center; may be faint on male. Segment 2 (scutellum) black, lobed or indented at center on lower margin; points at each side (axillae) usually black, but can be slightly reddened on female sometimes. |
| Thorax | Thorax sides shiny, sparsely covered with silvery hairs. Tubercles partly reddish-brown, surrounded with white fringe. Underside of thorax covered with dense silvery hair. |
| Wings | Wings: Wing knobs (tegulae) brownish-yellow on female, more reddish on male. |
| Wings | Wings hyaline at base, gradually darkening to very dark wide band at tips. Veins brownish. |
| Legs | Legs: Brownish-yellow. Coxae black. Top of hind thigh (femur) somewhat dark. Hind shin darker in mid area. Mid and hind spurs dark. |
| Abdomen | Abdomen: Black and shiny. Lower edge of all segments have a light yellowish-hyaline rim. Very narrow white stripes slightly above lower margin are narrowly interrupted and pointed at center, on segments 1 to 4 (5 in male). Segment 1 has 2 stripes. Segment 2 has faint patch at side edges above stripe. Segment 5 on female has wide grayish triangular patches on each side and a bright, silvery crescent at center on lower edge. Male segment 6 stripe entire. Tip is twice as wide as long, squarish on female, round on male. Underside of abdomen has dense, white, scaly hairs and stripes on 2 to 4. |
Where is Epeolus lectoides found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Forest edges and meadows |
| Range | Canada: Ontario. USA: Michigan, Illinois and Virginia. |
What does Epeolus lectoides eat?
The diet of the Epeolus lectoides includes Adults feed on nectar and pollen of a variety of flowers..
When is Epeolus lectoides active?
Epeolus lectoides: seasonal activity - July to September.
What is the life cycle of a Epeolus lectoides?
The female finds Plasterer bee ( Colletes ) nests, enters and lays an egg in provisioned cells. When larva hatches, it kills the plasterer bee, and feeds on the stored pollen and nectar. The likely host is Colletes nudus .