Oxaeinae
| Oxaeinae | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Superfamily: | Apoidea |
| Family: | Andrenidae |
| Subfamily: | Oxaeinae |
| Genera | |
|
Mesoxaea | |
The Oxaeinae are an exclusively American subfamily of the bee family Andrenidae, consisting of large (13-26 mm), fast-flying bees, often with large eyes. The four constituent genera, with a total of 19 described species, range from the United States to Argentina. Some resources still use the name Oxaeidae, and treat them as a family, but they were moved to subfamily status in 1995.
They can be best recognized by the extremely low position of the ocelli on their faces, a feature not shared by any other large bees. Their nests are deep burrows in the ground, and provisions are a soupy mixture of pollen and nectar in cells with a waxlike waterproof lining.
References
- C. D. Michener (2007) The Bees of the World, 2nd Edition, Johns Hopkins University Press.
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