Dasypodaidae
Encyclopedia
The family Dasypodaidae (originally named "Dasypodidae", although that name had already been taken) is a small bee
family, with more than one hundred species in eight genera, found in Africa
and the northern temperate zone, primarily in xeric habitats.
They are typically small to moderate-sized bees, with shaggy scopae
, and are commonly oligolectic. All members of this family have two submarginal cells in the forewing.
, but recent molecular studies indicate that Dasypodaids are not only ancestral to them, but in fact are the sister taxon to all other bees.. The largest genus, Hesperapis, contains some 40 known species, plus several more undescribed, with an unusual disjunct distribution
in North America
and southern Africa
.
The family Dasypodaidae groups the following subfamilies and genera:
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
family, with more than one hundred species in eight genera, found in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and the northern temperate zone, primarily in xeric habitats.
They are typically small to moderate-sized bees, with shaggy scopae
Scopa (biology)
The term scopa is used to refer to any of a number of different modifications on the body of a non-parasitic bee that form a pollen-carrying apparatus. In most bees, the scopa is simply a particularly dense mass of elongated, often branched, hairs on the hind leg...
, and are commonly oligolectic. All members of this family have two submarginal cells in the forewing.
Taxonomy
Historically, they have been considered a subfamily within the family MelittidaeMelittidae
The family Melittidae is a small bee family, with some 60 species in 4 genera, restricted to Africa and the northern temperate zone. Historically, the family has included the Dasypodaidae and Meganomiidae as subfamilies, but recent molecular studies indicate that Melittidae was paraphyletic, so...
, but recent molecular studies indicate that Dasypodaids are not only ancestral to them, but in fact are the sister taxon to all other bees.. The largest genus, Hesperapis, contains some 40 known species, plus several more undescribed, with an unusual disjunct distribution
Disjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and southern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
The family Dasypodaidae groups the following subfamilies and genera:
- Subfamily Dasypodainae
- DasypodaDasypodaDasypoda is a genus of bees.-Species:* Dasypoda albimana Pérez, 1905* Dasypoda albipila Spinola, 1838* Dasypoda altercator * Dasypoda argentata Panzer 1809* Dasypoda aurata Rudow, 1881...
- Eremaphanta
- Capicola
- Hesperapis
- Dasypoda
- Subfamily Sambinae
- Haplomelitta
- Samba
- Subfamily Promelittinae
- Promelitta
- Afrodasypoda