SHARP-EATMAN
NATURE
PHOTOGRAPHY
ID GUIDE TO WILD BEES
OF THE NATIONAL BUTTERFLY CENTER
Mission, Texas
SPHECODES CUCKOO BEES
Sphecodes
SPHECODES CUCKOO BEES
Genus Sphecodes
Tribe Halictini
Sphecodes means "like a wasp" in Greek. As is true of cuckoo bees generally, Sphecodes lack the "furry" aspect typical of many bees and are easily mistaken for wasps. They are slender, with black heads; black thoraxes; and sleek abdomens that are either black, red or a combination of black and red. The bees' bodies are often coarsely pitted and their thoraxes, abdomens and legs tend to be sparsely-haired.
Sphecodes are cleptoparasites (also called brood parasites) that prey on Halictus, Lasioglossum and green metallic sweat bees. They occasionally invade the nests belonging to other bee genera as well (such as Colletes, Perdita and Andrena mining bees).
Most of the cuckoo bees shown elsewhere in this guide lay eggs in their hosts' nests, confident that their cuckoo larvae will outcompete or destroy the hosts' larvae upon hatching. Many Sphecodes, however, instead destroy the eggs of their hosts upon entering nests to lay eggs. Occasionally, adult Sphecodes move into the nests of their hosts and cohabit with them.
There are 72 recorded Sphecodes species in the United States and Canada. Nonetheless, a mere six have been documented in Texas (Sphecodes atlantis, S. brachycephalus, S. confertus, S. dichrous, S. heraclei, and S. mandibularis). A single species of Sphecodes -- the Hercules Sphecodes cuckoo bee -- has been observed at the National Butterfly Center. This species is shown below.
A female Hercules Sphecodes cuckoo bee
Sphecodes bees are sometimes called "blood bees" because they frequently have red or partly-red abdomens (an attribute that is more common in females).
Female Sphecodes bees lack pollen-collecting hairs on their legs -- this is because they rob pollen from the nests of other bees and thus do not have to gather it from flowers.
Male Sphecodes bees lack yellow markings on their faces -- this helps distinguish them from small, dark bees such as Halictus and Lasioglossum sweat bees.
Distinguishing traits of Sphecodes cuckoos bees
Sphecodes vs. Halictus and Lasioglossum sweat bees: Sphecodes cuckoo bees are sometimes mistaken for Halictus or Lasioglossum sweat bees. Sphecodes bees, however, differ from sweat bees in a few general respects. (1) female Sphecodes bees lack scopal hairs on their legs, because they do not collect pollen: they drink nectar and feed their young by pirating the provisions of other bees. (2) As noted, Sphecodes bees, particularly females, often have red or partly-red abdomens; this trait is less common in non-parasitic sweat bees. (3) Sphecodes males do not have yellow on the clypeus (the face-part above the jaws, yellow in many sweat bee males); (4) the thorax and vertex of Sphecodes bees are often roughly pitted; and (5) a final, fairly nuanced trait also distinguishes the Sphecodes bee: the basal vein of the bee’s wing (shown in the photo strip here) is strongly arched, and the bees’ wing veins generally are well-defined.
TAXONOMY OF SPHECODES
Family: Halictidae
Subfamily: Halictinae
Tribe: Halictini
Genus: Sphecodes
Species: Sphecodes heraclei (Hercules Sphecodes)
Subspecies: Sphecodes heraclei heraclei
Sphecodes Species of the National Butterfly Center & the Lower Rio Grande Valley
Hercules Sphecodes Cuckoo Bee
Sphecodes heraclei heraclei
Family: Halictidae
Size: 8-9 mm (female and male)
Associated plants at NBC:
Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera)
Skeleton-leaf goldeneye (Viguiera stenoloba)
Texas palafox (Palafoxia texana)
Plant family: Asteraceae
When seen:
November 2018
A female Hercules sphecodes cuckoo bee (Sphecodes heraclei heraclei)
A female Hercules Sphecodes bee of the subspecies Sphecodes heraclei heraclei
Females of this subspecies have black heads and thoraxes and partly-red abdomens.
Alternate view of a female Sphecodes heraclei heraclei
Dorsal view of a female Hercules Sphecodes bee of the subspecies Sphecodes heraclei heraclei
Hercules Sphecodes cuckoo bees have a distinctive circular bump on the vertex (the top of the head), located behind the bee’s ocelli (small eyes). This trait is diagnostic of the species and has led to its alternate name -- the "cyclops Sphecodes bee". Males of this species have distinctive scalloped antennae.
There are two subspecies of Hercules Sphecodes: In the subspecies Sphecodes heraclei heraclei, shown here, the female bee has a partly-red abdomen, while the male bee has a black abdomen. In the subspecies Sphecodes heraclei ignitus, the female has a red thorax as well as a partly red abdomen; males have red coloration on the abdomen as well.
Hercules Sphecodes cuckoo bees have been documented feeding on a fairly wide range of plants. The female bee featured here was spied nectaring on aster-family flowers in November, alongside Halictus ligatus sweat bees.
CITE THIS PAGE: Sharp, Paula and Ross Eatman. "Sphecodes." Wild Bees of the National Butterfly Center of Mission, Texas. 15 Jan. 2019, http://www.wildbeestexas.com. Accessed [day/month/year guide accessed].