SHARP-EATMAN
NATURE
PHOTOGRAPHY
ID GUIDE TO WILD BEES
OF FLORIDA - ID PAGE F-B3
CUCKOO BEES
Epeolus zonatus & glabratus
Food plants locally:
Candyroot
(Polygana nana)
Plant Family:
When and where seen:
April 4, 2021
Moses Creek Preserve
(St. Johns County)
Zoned cellophane cuckoo bee
Epeolus zonatus
Family: Apidae
Size: 9 mm (male)
A male Epeolus zonatus
A male Epeolus zonatus:
Lateral view of bee: this bee is drinking nectar from candy flower.
The bands on the bee's abdomen are well-defined and interrupted in the middle. (Contrast this with Epeolus glabratus, which has smaller patches of hair on either side of the terga, rather than bands.)
Note the texture of the scutum: it is sandpapery. This trait helps differentiate this species from Epeolus zonatus, which has a coarsely-pitted scutum.
In sandy Florida coastal scrub habitat of Moses Creek Preserve during blueberry & Lyonia bloom. Blueberry-feeding Colletes in area.
Smoooth Cellophane Cuckoo bee
Epeolus glabratus
Family: Apidae
Size: 9 mm (female)
Food plant locally: Evening primrose
(Oeneothera biennis)
Plant Family: Onagraceae
When and where seen:
June 3, 2019
Gainesville, FLA
(ALachua County
A female Epeolus glabratus
Abdomen of a female bee: the first two segments (T! & T2) are dark red, with the apical (rear) third black and impressed. The remaning segments (T4-T6 are mostly black. Note the lack of hair bands on the abdomen, a distinguishing trait of this species.
Dorsal view of thorax
Face of female bee
A female Epeolus glabratus
FLORIDA BEES - #23 Epeolus Glabratus on Oeneothera biennis – 9 mm – Sweetwater Wetlands, Gainesville Alachua County
It is notable that Discover Life only describes females of this species. The U of Florida website describes males as well.
Discover life lists this species as feeding on vicia.
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GENERAL INFO ON EPEOLUS IN FLORIDA
According to the Florida Bees of UF website (http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/HallG/Melitto/Intro.htm),
The Epeolus page is here: The Epeolus page is here: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/HallG/Melitto/floridabees/epeolus.htm
According tot he U Forida website, there are 13 Epeolus species in Florida. 12 e=belong to subgenus Epeolus, and the 13th to subgenus Trophocleptria – this is a species you already know -- . bifasciatus. The other twelve are:
Epeolus autumnalis, carolinus, erigeronis, floridensis, glabratus, illicis, lectoides, pusillus, scutellaris, zonatus, weemsi
Some come out in fall and some in spring:
Spring/early summer: Epeolus australis, E. bifasciatus,E. erigeronis, floridensis,E. glabratus, E. ilicis, E. lectoides, E. pusillus, scutellaris, E. weems, E. zonatus. (Despite this U Florida generatization, you found E. glabratus in spring (May-Jane).,
Fall: Epeolus autumnalis, carolinus, E. floridensis, E. lectoides, E. pusillus, E. zonatus,
Characteristics of Epeolus Glabratus are:
(1) Punctures of pleura below coarse and well separated, with distinct, shining, intervening spaces (Pleura is the side of the thorax)
(2) Abdominal terga not fasciate, 1 and 2 ferruginous, the impressed apical third of each black
Aka, the abdomen lacks hairbands. The first and second segments are reddish. The outer third of these is black.