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Eucera


Eucera male (note long antennae!) Photo by Hartmut Wisch

Eucera- long-horned bees (family Apidae)

Genus summary: Eucera is a large genus that is widespread in Eurasia and the New World and is often abundant in its habitat (O’Toole & Raw 1999). There are approximately 300 total species, with about 54 in North America (Michener 2000). Like other genera in the Tribe Eucerini such as Melissodes, males often have very long antennae, thus earning them the common name “long-horned bees”.
Floral relationships: Little is known about the foraging behavior of Eucera spp., but most are suspected to be generalist foragers.

Nesting habits: Most Eucera are solitary ground nesters. They line their brood cells with a waxlike material that they secrete (Michener 2000).

Diagnostic characteristics: North American Eucera are relatively large bees, between 0.4 to 0.8 inches long (Michener 2000). They are rather hairy, and many have pale bands of hair (Michener 2000). Eucera includes most of the Eucerine bees that have two submarginal cells in their wings (this is a character that can easily seen with a hand lens in the field. While the presence of three submarginal cells doesn’t mean it is not a Eucera, in general, two submarginal cells will. Females carry dry pollen on the pollen-collecting scopa (brushes of hair) on their hind legs. Males in this genus have very long antennae.

Similar taxa: Melissodes

Known conservation concerns: Two Eucera spp. are on the Xerces Society Red List of Pollinator Insects. One, Eucera frater lata, is endemic to but widespread within the Columbia Basin. It prefers visiting flowers of milkvetch (Astralagus) and lives in a variety of habitats. It is on the red list because of its restricted range. Another species, Eucera douglasiana, is known from only one specimen collected in Washington in 1902 (Shepherd 2005).

Interesting fact:

Additional resources:
Keys to the Eastern Eucera at Discover Life

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