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ID GUIDE TO WILD BEES
OF THE NATIONAL BUTTERFLY CENTER
Mission, Texas

WJPEG-Sphecodes-5-right-facing-profile--NCB-#103-Skeleton-leaf-Goldeneye-293A3300.jpg

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.

Sphecodes heraclei; Copyright 2023 Sharp-Eatman Nature Photography

A female Hercules Sphecodes cuckoo bee

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

Sphecodes heraclei cuckoo bee - (c) Copyright 2019 Paula Sharp

A female Hercules sphecodes cuckoo bee (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].

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