Afrostelis

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Afrostelis Cockerell, 1931
Subgenera: none
Common name: none

Overview

Afrostelis are small, black bees with a slender, elongate build that range in length from 4–6 mm. They lack colored markings on the head, thorax, and abdomen (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Diversity

Afrostelis contains approximately 6 species worldwide (Baker 1996Baker 1996:
Baker, D.B. 1996. An annotated list of the nominal species assigned to the genus Afrostelis Cockerell (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Megachilidae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 43: 155ndash;157.; Pauly et al. 2001Pauly et al. 2001:
Pauly A., Brooks R.W., Nilsson L.A., Apesenko Y., Eardley C.D., Terzo M., Griswold T., Schwarz M., Munzinger J., and Y. Barbier. 2001. Hymenoptera Apoidea de Madagascar et des Iles Voisines. Annalen Zoologische Wetenschappen amp; Annales Sciences Zoologiques 286: 1ndash;406.); none are known to occur in the U.S. or Canada.

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp. unless otherwise stated)

• Arolia present.
• Fore and mid tibiaetibiae:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  with two apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  spines (Michener and Griswold 1994Griswold 1994:
  Griswold, T.L. 1994. A review of the Ochreriades . Pan-pacific Entomologist 70: 318ndash;321.).
• Juxtantennal carinae weak or absent.
• Preoccipital carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  present.
• Propodeum propodeum:
  the last segment of the thorax
  basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  area with a strong row of pits delimited by a posterior carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  .
• Scutum scutum:
  the large segment on top of the thorax located between the wings and behind the head
  elongate, slightly longer than wide (Michener and Griswold 1994Griswold 1994:
  Griswold, T.L. 1994. A review of the Ochreriades . Pan-pacific Entomologist 70: 318ndash;321.).
• Tegula tegula:
  the usually oval, small shield-like structure carried at the extreme base of the wing where it attaches to the body
  punctatepunctate:
  studded with tiny holes
  and enlarged particularly posteriorly (Michener and Griswold 1994Griswold 1994:
  Griswold, T.L. 1994. A review of the Ochreriades . Pan-pacific Entomologist 70: 318ndash;321.).
• T1 with raised carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  where the anterioranterior:
  toward the head or on the head side of a segment being described
  and dorsaldorsal:
  in general, the upper surface
  faces meet.
• Female scopascopa:
  modified hairs for carrying pollen; often branched and dense hairs on the hind-leg, or on the ventral surface of the abdomen in Megachilidae
  absent.
• Male gonostyligonostyli:
  the apical-most appendage of the male genitalia, which is usually quite hairy
  are slender, straight, and slightly capitatecapitate:
  ending in a large club shape supported by a long, slender stem; generally used to describe the shape of the final antennal segments
  (Michener and Griswold 1994Griswold 1994:
  Griswold, T.L. 1994. A review of the Ochreriades . Pan-pacific Entomologist 70: 318ndash;321.).

May be confused with

Afrostelis looks similar to other cleptoparasiticcleptoparasitic:
bees that lay their eggs in the nest cells of bees in other genera. Their larvae depend on the pollen provided by their host. Since cleptoparasitic bees don't provision their own nests, and instead depend on the pollen collected by their host, the females lack pollen collecting hairs. This often gives them a wasp-like appearance.
anthidiines, such as Stelis, Austrostelis, Hoplostelis, Larinostelis, and Xenostelis. Afrostelis can be distinguished from these other genera by the combination of elongated scutumscutum:
the large segment on top of the thorax located between the wings and behind the head
, posteriorly enlarged tegulategula:
the usually oval, small shield-like structure carried at the extreme base of the wing where it attaches to the body
, and male genitaliagenitalia:
all the genital structures collectively
(Michener and Griswold 1994Griswold 1994:
Griswold, T.L. 1994. A review of the Ochreriades . Pan-pacific Entomologist 70: 318ndash;321.; Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Host associations

Afrostelis is a cleptoparasitecleptoparasite:
bees that lay their eggs in the nest cells of bees in other genera. Their larvae depend on the pollen provided by their host. Since cleptoparasitic bees don't provision their own nests, and instead depend on the pollen collected by their host, the females lack pollen collecting hairs. This often gives them a wasp-like appearance.
, but its host bees are unknown (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). It has been suggested that Heriades is a possible host of Afrostelis (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). Presumably, Afrostelis utilizes a wide variety of floral nectar resources for sustenance and relies on the pollen provisions of its host to provide for its young.

Nesting behavior

As a cleptoparasitecleptoparasite:
bees that lay their eggs in the nest cells of bees in other genera. Their larvae depend on the pollen provided by their host. Since cleptoparasitic bees don't provision their own nests, and instead depend on the pollen collected by their host, the females lack pollen collecting hairs. This often gives them a wasp-like appearance.
, Afrostelis invades the nests of other bees and lays its eggs. The Afrostelis larvae depend on the pollen provisions gathered by the host for sustenance.

Distribution

Afrostelis occurs from Tanzania and Congo (Kinshasa) to Namibia and Cape Province, South Africa (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.

References

Baker, D.B. 1996. An annotated list of the nominal species assigned to the genus Afrostelis Cockerell (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Megachilidae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 43: 155-157.

Michener, C.D. and T.L. Griswold. 1994. The classification of Old WorldOld World:
the part of the world that was known before the discovery of the Americas, comprised of Europe, Asia, and Africa; the Eastern Hemisphere
Anthidiini. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 55: 299-327.

Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.

Pauly, A., R.W. Brooks, L.A. Nilsson, Y.A. Pesenko, C.D. Eardley, M. Terzo, T.L. Griswold, M. Schwarz, S. Patiny, J. Munzinger, and Y. Barbier. 2001. Hymenoptera Apoidea de Madagascar et des îles voisines. Annales du Musée royal de l'Afrique centrale 286: 1-406.