Diadasia ochracea
Species of bee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diadasia ochracea, commonly known as the ochraceous chimney bee, is a species of solitary bee in the family Apinae, tribe Emphorini.[1] It is native to North America and middle American, including the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Manitoba, Canada.[2] The species is primarily oligolectic, specializing in pollen collection from plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae), particularly Sphaeralcea species.[3]
| Diadasia ochracea | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Tribe: | Emphorini |
| Genus: | Diadasia |
| Species: | D. ochracea |
| Binomial name | |
| Diadasia ochracea (Cockerell, 1903) | |
Taxonomy
Diadasia ochracea was originally described by Cockerell in 1903 as Dasiapis ochracea.[4][5] Synonyms include Dasiapis ochracea and Diadasia blaisdelli.[4][6]It is classified in the subgenus Dasiapis, which includes small-to moderate-sized, oligolectic species specializing in Malvaceae pollen.[1][3][7]
Description
Members of Diadasia ochracea are medium-small bees with lush, pale-gold or ochraceous hairs.[1][8] Females have conspicuous blond scopal hairs on their hind legs for pollen collection, with additional brushes on their front-leg tibiae.[4][8] The inner hind tibia may have black or dark reddish-orange hairs. Males have a pale yellow clypeus and occasionally pale labrum. Wings are light brown with brown veins. Eyes are green or blue-green.[7][8] Adult females are approximately 8 mm long, while males are about 7 mm.[8]
Distinctive morphological features include:
- Hair pattern and coloration on thorax and abdomen
- Antennal and leg structure
- Size range
- Unique mandible and genitalia features for species identification[1][4][6]
These traits differentiate D. ochracea from other Dasiapis species such as D. diminuta, D. rinconis, and D. tropicalis.[4][7]
Distribution and habitat
Diadasia ochracea occurs from Texas through the southwestern United States, west to California and Washington, and south into Puebla, Mexico.[2][8] It has also been recorded in southern Manitoba, Canada.[2] It inhabits well-vegetated deserts, desert-grasslands, arid grasslands, and areas with hard-packed or sandy soils.[8][9] The species is common in the Lower Rio Grande Valley during spring and fall.[2][8]
Diet and floral associations
The species is oligolectic on Malvaceae, especially Sphaeralcea species.[3][9][10] Other pollen hosts include Malvastrum americanum, Abutilon hypolecum, and Herissantia crispa.[2][8] Nectar is collected from Cirsium taxanum (Texas thistle) and Ruellia nudiflora var. runyonii (wild petunia).[8] Both males and females primarily forage on Malvaceae, rarely visting other plants families.[3][8]
Nesting and behavior
Diadasia ochracea is a solitary ground-nesting bee.[1][8] Females construct shallow vertical burrows in the soil, often forming small chimney-shaped turrets at the entrances, giving the common name "chimney bee."[4][8] Nests may be aggregated in areas with suitable soil. The species overwinters as a mature larva.[3][9]
Ecology
As an oligolectic pollinator, D. ochracea plays a specialist role in pollinating Malvaceae plants.[3] Studies in the Mojave Desert have identified this species as specializing on Spheralcea ambigua pollen. Its abundance is influenced not only by floral availability but also by soil-nesting conditions and floral resources quality.[8] No evidence suggests evolutionary host switching at the family level; Malvaceae specialization appears stable over evolutionary time within the Emphorini tribe.[1][3]