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Madeira birdwatching

The bees of Madeira (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

· Updated 30 January 2017

Copyright of all bees photos belong to Prof. Peter Wirtz

Madeira Nature is very rich in what respects to insects. From the almost 3000 known species there are many Madeira and Macaronesia endemics in this animal class, around 20%, though we believe there is still much more to discover... Just on the Laurel Forest there are more than 500 species of invertebrates, ranging from insects, arachnids and molluscs.

Putting our attention on the order Hymenoptera, superfamily Apoidea, next there is a checklist of the bees you can find in Madeira nature where the ones underlined are endemic species or subspecies:

Family: Colletidae

  • Madeira Yellow-faced Bee Hylaeus (Paraprosopis) maderensis Cockerell, 1921
  • Hylaeus signatus (Panzer, 1798)

Family: Halictidae

  • Madeiran Sweat BeeHalictus frontalis Smith, 1853
  • Lasioglossum wollastoni (Cockerell, 1922)
  • Lasioglossum (Evylaeus) villosulum (Kirby, 1802)

Family: Andrenidae

  • Madeira Mining Bee Andrena (Suandrena) maderensis maderensis Cockerell, 1922
    Bee

    Andrena maderensis female


  • Andrena (Suandrena) cyanomicans Perez, 1895
  • Wollaston's Mining Bee Andrena (Micrandrena) wollastoni wollastoni Cockerell, 1922

Family: Megachilidae

  • Osmia (Chalcosmia) fulviventris (Panzer, 1798)
    Bee

    Osmia fulviventris male


  • Osmia (Chalcosmia) latreillei iberoafricana Peters, 1975
  • Madeira Mason Bee Osmia (Chalcosmia) madeirensis Van der Zanden, 1991
    Bee

    Osmia maderensis - male



    • Bee

    Osmia maderensis - female


  • Hoplitis (Alcidamea) acuticornis (Dufour & Perris, 1840)
  • Hoplitis ochraceicornis (Ferton, 1902)
  • Megachile versicolor var. hiberniae Perkins, 1925
  • Stelis ornatula (Klug, 1807)

Family: Anthophoridae

  • Madeiran Banded BeeAnthophora (Amegilla) maderae Sichel, 1867
    Bee

    Anthophora maderae


  • Carpenter bee Xylocopa sp.

Family: Apidae

  • Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758
  • Large Garden Bumblebee Bombus (Megabombus) ruderatus (Fabricius, 1775)
    Bee

    Bombus ruderatus


  • Madeira Bumblebee Bombus maderensis Erlandsson, 1979

    • Bombus maderensis

    Bombus maderensis


References:
FELLENDORF, M., C. MOHRA, S. ROBERTS, P. WIRTZ & G. van der ZANDEN:
1999. The bees of Madeira (Hymenoptera Apoidea). Bocagiana, 197: 1-17.

SMIT, J. T. & J. SMIT
2003. Hylaeus signatus (Panzer, 1798) new for the fauna of Madeira, with notes on its feeding behaviour (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Entomofauna, 24/11: 165-168.

List produced by Peter Wirtz on 18/02/2007, to whom Madeira Wind Birds thank his precious collaboration.