RECORD OF NATIVE BEES FOUND
IN THE GREATER SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA REGION, WITH SOME OF THEIR LIKELY PLANT
HOSTS
Compiled
by Laura Arneson
Termsà
Polylectic
= visits many different plants for pollen (and nectar)
Oligolege/Oligolectic
= bee which/visits one or a few related plants for pollen
This is the largest family of bees. Most, except for the Xylocopinae, nest in the ground and are polylectic.
Subfamily: ANTHOPHORINAE (a.k.a. digger bees)
Genus: Exomalopsis
[species likely in Bay Area]
[floral visitation record] [activity]
1. E. (Anthophorula) albicans / polylectic: 5/30-10/5
low altitude Eriogonum
fasciculatum;
Trichostema lanceolatum
1. D. nigrifrons / Oligolege
of Sidalceae 4/9-8/5
grasslands Sidalcea malvaeflora
1. M. (Callimeloissodes) lupina / oligolege on composites: 5/20-10/6
Adenostoma fasciculatum
Asclepias
Aster
Coreopsis
Epibolum
Erigoron
Eriogonum latifolium; fascinculatum
Helianthemum scoparium
Heterotheca
Iris
Monardella
Phacelia
Polygonum
Rhamnus californica
Salvia
Solidago
Trichostema
Trifolium
2. M. (Eumelissodes) microsticta olig summer composites: 6/1-8/1
montane Aster
Erigeron
Solidago
3. M. (Eumelissodes) pallidisignata olig summer composites 7/14-9/29
Aster
Solidago
4. M. (Eumelissodes) paulula olig
summer composites: 9/8-10/6
central valley Baccharis emoryi
Erigeron
Heterotheca
Solidago
5. M. (Eumelissodes) personatella olig fall composites: 9/22-10/6
central valley Eriogonum
Heterotheca
6. M. (Eumelissodes) robustior olig
summer composites: 6/26-9/14
Coreopsis
7. M. (Melissodes) tepida timberlakei polylectic 4/25-9/29
low elevation, not in desert Artemisia
Asclepias eriocarpa
Coreopsis
Eriogonum fasciculatum
Plantago
Rosa
Trichostema
Trifolium
Genus: Tetralonia [often referred to as Synhalonia
for U.S. speices]
Not
in alpine or desert communites
1. T. acerba oligolege on Arctostaphylos 4/4-7/6
montane
2. T. actuosa polylectic 3/11-5/18
Coreopsis californica
Lupinus
Phacelia
Prunus ilicifolia
Rhamnus
Salvia
Sambucus
Trifolium
3. T. cordleyi polylectic 3/28-6/13
Ceanothus
Coreopsis maritima
Penstemon
Phacelia
Sidalcea malvaeflora
Trifolium
4. T. dorsata polylectic; legumes 3/12-7/2
Coreopsis
Lupinus
Penstemon
Salvia
Trichostema
5. T. edwardsii polylectic; legumes 3/17-6/2
Lupinus
Phacelia
Rhamnus
Sidalcea malvaeflora
6. T. frater albopilosa polylectic; legumes 3/21-5/29
Deanothus
Lupinus
Penstemon
Trifolium
7. T. lunata polylectic; legumes 2/15-5/3
Arctostaphylos
Isomeris arborea
Lupinus albifrons
Phacelia
Ribes indecorum
Salvia
Sidalcea malvaeflora
Solanum umbelliferum
Trichostema
Trifolium
8. T. stretchii Coreopsis maritima 3/13-6/1
Lupinus
Genus: Anthophora
1. A. (Anthophora) bomboides stanfordiana 4/26-7/7
coastal polylectic:
Penstemon
Phacelia
Rosa californiica
2. A. (Anthophora) californica californica 4/19-5/30
polylectic:
Isomeris arborea
Lupinus
Penstemon spectabilis
Phacelia
Salvia
Solanum
3. A. (Anthophora) crotchii polylectic: 3/14-6/12
Lupinus
Salvia
Trichostema
4. A. (Anthophora) edwardsii edwardsii 2/11-5/10
polylectic; legumes
Berberis
Lupinus
Ribes indecorum
Salix
Salvia
Solanum
Prunus
5. A. (Anthophora) neglecta polylectic;
legumes 3/6-7/27
Arctostaphylos
Isomeris arborea
Lupinus
Phacelia
Rhus
Salix
Salvia
Trichostema
6. A. (Anthophora) urbana urbana polylectic; composites 6/1-10/31
Arctostaphylos
Artemesia
Asclepias
Aster
Epibolum
Erigeron
Eriogonum fasciculatum; latifolium
Hyptis emoryi
Iris
Lupinus
Mimulus
Monardella
Penstemon
Phacelia
Potentilla
Rhus
Ribes
Rosa
Salvia
Solanum
Solidago
Trichostema
Genus: Emphoropsis
1. E. depressa polylectic 3/28-5/9
coast ranges Arbutus manziesii
Arctostaphylos
Berberis
Ceanothus
Lupinus albifrons
Phacelia
Ribes
Salvia
Bees in this tribe made
nests in hollow, pithy, and/or rotten stems, and sometimes in vines.
Genus: Ceratina (a.k.a. dwarf carpenter bees)
1. C. (Zadontomerus) acantha acantha polylectic 3/21-9/10
low-elevation, not in deserts Arctostaphylos Asclepias
Aster
Baccharis pilularis
Ceanothus
Coreopsis
Erigeron
Eriogonum fasciculatum; latufolium
Fragaria
Holodiscus discolor
Lepechinia calycina
Lonicera
Malacothanmus
Monardella villosa
Penstemon
Phacelia
Physocarpus capitatus
Rhamnus californicus
Rosa
Salix
Savlia
Sambucus mexicana
Satureja douglasii
Sidalcea malvaeflora
Sisyrinchium
Solidago
Trifolium
2. C. (Zadontomerus) nanula polylectic 3/25-7/27
Arctostaphylos
Asclepias
Aster
Baccharis
Ceanothus
Epilobium
Erigeron
Eriogonum fasciculatum; latifolium
Lepechiniia
Lupinus arboreus
Mimulus
Monardella villosa
Penstemon
Phacelia
Plantago
Prunus
Rhamnus
Salix
Salvia
Solidago
Trichostema
Trifolium
Genus: Xylocopa (a.k.a. giant carpenter bees)
1. X. californica californica polylectic 6/2-8/4
sierra nevada, trinities, great
basin Asclepias
Arctostaphylos
Aesculus californica
Lupinus albifrons
Mentha
Monardella
Penstemon
Phacelia
Solidago
2. X. tabaniformis orpifex polylectic 3/14-9/28
not in deserts or central valley Arctostaphylos
Asclepias
Ceanothus
Dicentra
Lonicera
Lupinus
Mimulus cardinalis
Penstemon
Phacelia
Salivia
Solanum
Solidago
Trichostema
Subfamily: BOMBINAE
1. B. (Pyrobumbus) bifarius neacticus polylectic; composites 3/1-10/31
coastal; montane Arctostaphylos
Artemesia
Aster
Baccharis pilularis
Ceanothus
Epibolum
Erigonom latifolium
Lupinus
Mimulus
Monardella
Penstemon
Prunus
Ribes
Rhus
Salix
Salvia
Sidalcea malvaeflora
Solidago
2. B. (Fervidobombus) californicus polylectic 2/1-10/1
Coreopsis
Dicentra
Eriogonum
Isomeris
Lonicera
Lupinus
Mentha
Monardella
Penstemon
Potentilla
Ribes
Rosa
Salix
Salvia
Sidalcea malvaeflora
Solidago
Trichostema
Trifolium
3. B. (Pyrobombus) edwardsii polylectic 12/15-7/25
Acer macrophyllum
Arbutus menziesii
Arctostaphylos
Asclepias
Baccharis
Berberis
Ceanothus
Cercis
Cercocarpus betuloides
Epibolum
Erigeron
Ergonum
Hyptis
Isomeris
Lonicera
Lupinus
Monardella villosa
Myrica
Penstemon
Phacelia
Rhamnus californicus
Rhus
Ribes
Rosa
Rhododendron
Salix
Salvia
Scrophularia californica
Solanum
Solidago
Trichostema
Trifolium
4. B. (Pyrobombus) flavifrons dimidiatus 3/25-8/25
polylectic
Aquilegia formosa
Arabis
Aster
Epibolum
Erigeron
Erigonum
Lonicera
Lupinus
Mentha
Mimulus
Monardella
Penstemon
Phacelia
Rhododendron
Ribes
Solidago
5. B. (Bombus) occidentalis ocidentalis 2/1-11/25
major N. Cal. Bee polylectic
Adenostema fasciculatum
Aster
Ceanothus
Epilobium
Eriogonum
Lupinus
Mentha
Monardella
Penstemon
Phacelia