Red-tailed Micro-Shortface Bee
Micralictoides ruficaudus
Halictidae
Micralictoides
 Describe your image |  Describe your image |
|---|---|
 Describe your image |  Describe your image |
 Describe your image |  Describe your image |
Description
Red-tailed Micro-Shortface Bee is a tiny sweat bee of 4-6 mm in length in Subfamily Rophitinae (the Shortface Bees and Allies). These bees are named Shortface Bees because their antennae are placed low on their faces. These bees also have tergal segments 1-3 of the abdomen colored orange-red (the female bees have a dark spot on the sides of the 2nd tergum). A dark-headed bee, and wings have 2 submarginal cells (the first twice as long as it is wide: hard to see without bee in hand!). Males have short antennae.
Nectar/
Pollen Plants
This bee is a pollen specialist on California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica). They use other flowers for nectar. Look for these bees on California Poppy in Spring.
Habits
Believed to be ground nesters, but nesting behavior has not been studied.
Season
April and May
