Perdita rhois
| Perdita rhois | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Andrenidae |
| Genus: | Perdita |
| Species: | P. rhois |
| Binomial name | |
| Perdita rhois Cockerell, 1901 | |
Perdita rhois is a species of bee in the family Andrenidae (mining bees), commonly known as the Rhus fairy bee.[1][2]
Description
[edit]Like other members of genus Perdita, Rhus fairy bees are very small and often mistaken for gnats.[3] Adult bees range from 2–10 mm (0.08–0.39 in) in body length.[4] Male and female adult bees differ in coloration: female bees are mostly black with black eyes, while males are yellow with black markings and green eyes. Both have translucent white wings.
Taxonomy
[edit]P. rhois was named by Theodore D. A. Cockerell in 1901.[5] The species name "rhois" refers to the laurel sumac plant (Malosma laurina) whose scientific name in 1901 was Rhus laurina. Laurel sumac flowers are a favorite nectar and pollen source for the Rhus fairy bee.[3]
Distribution
[edit]The Rhus fairy bee is found in Central America and North America.[6]
Behavior
[edit]Unlike a substantial proportion of fairy bees, P. rhois visits flowers of many plant species. Preferred inflorescences often resemble those of laurel sumac, bearing clusters of small, white flowers.[7]
P. rhois builds nests in the soil as is typical of mining bees.
Influence on Modern Entomology
[edit]In a 2015 interview with the journal Nature, American entomologist Charles Duncan Michener cited P. rhois as the insect that first incited his interest in studying bees.[8]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Perdita rhois". GBIF. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ↑ "Perdita rhois species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- 1 2 Tom Mills (November 4, 2025). "Photographing a Nearly Microscopic Bee You've Probably Never Noticed: That's no gnat". Local News Pasadena. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- ↑ Mike Porter. "Perdita rhois". Bugs With Mike. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- ↑ Timberlake, P.H. (1962). "A revisional study of the genus Perdita F. Smith with special reference to the fauna of the Pacific coast". University of California Publications in Entomology. 28 (1). University of California Press: 1–124.
- ↑ "Perdita rhois Report". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ↑ K. James Hung. "Perdita rhois". Tumblr (SD Native Bees). Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- ↑ Michener, Charles (20 May 2015). "Q&A: Charles Michener" (Interview). Vol. 521, no. Outlook Supplement S66. Interviewed by Gould, Julie. Nature. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
Further reading
[edit]- Ascher, J.S.; Pickering, J. (2019). "Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)". Retrieved 2019-07-02.
- Michener, Charles D. (2007). The Bees of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0801885730.