Macrotera

Macrotera is a genus of bees native to North America, particularly diverse in the desert regions of the United States and Mexico. According to Wilson and Carril, there are "around 30" species of Macrotera. Macrotera are small to medium sized (2.0 mm to 16.0 mm) and often black or reddish in coloration. The genus was treated by P.H. Timberlake who, in addition to T.D.A. Cockerell, described most of the known species. Macrotera used to be considered part of the genus Perdita but was split apart by C.D. Michener in 2000. Most species are extreme specialists (oligoleges) with respect to pollen and will only collect pollen from a few closely related species or genera of plants, particularly the plant genus Sphaeralcea and various Cactaceae.

Species

These 31 species belong to the genus Macrotera:

• Macrotera anthracina <small>(Timberlake, 1980)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera arcuata <small>(Fox, 1893)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera azteca <small>(Timberlake, 1954)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera bicolor <small>Smith, 1853</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera bidenticauda <small>(Timberlake, 1953)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera carinata <small>(Timberlake, 1968)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera crassa <small>(Timberlake, 1958)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera echinocacti <small>(Timberlake, 1954)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g b}</span> (barrel cactus macrotera)
• Macrotera haplura <small>(Cockerell, 1922)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera knulli <small>(Timberlake, 1960)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera laticauda <small>(Timberlake, 1953)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera latior <small>(Cockerell, 1896)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g b}</span>
• Macrotera lobata <small>(Timberlake, 1953)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera magniceps <small>(Timberlake, 1960)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera mellea <small>(Timberlake, 1954)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera mortuaria <small>(Timberlake, 1954)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera nahua <small>(Snelling & Danforth, 1992)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera nigrella <small>(Timberlake, 1954)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera opacella <small>(Timberlake, 1956)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera opuntiae <small>(Cockerell, 1922)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g b}</span> (sandstone mining bee)
• Macrotera parkeri <small>(Timberlake, 1980)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera peninsularis <small>(Timberlake, 1968)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera pipiyolin <small>(Snelling & Danforth, 1992)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera portalis <small>(Timberlake, 1954)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera robertsi <small>(Timberlake, 1968)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera rubida <small>(Timberlake, 1968)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera seminigra <small>(Timberlake, 1956)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera sinaloana <small>(Timberlake, 1958)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera solitaria <small>(Cockerell, 1897)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>
• Macrotera texana <small>Cresson, 1878</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g b}</span> (Texas macrotera)
• Macrotera tristella <small>(Timberlake, 1954)</small><span style="color:gray">^{i c g}</span>

<small>Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net</small>

References

External links

• List of Species
• Bugguide