Plaster bees belong to which bee family?

Plaster bees belong to which bee family?

• A. Halictidae (Alkali Bees)
• B. Megachilidae (Leaf Cutter Bees)
• C. Apidae (Bees)
• D. Colletidae (Plaster Bees)

Answer: (D)

Bee families are often distinguished by how they build and line their nests. Plaster bees are in Colletidae because they construct brood cells with a lining made from a secretion that hardens into a plaster-like material. This plaster-like lining is the hallmark that sets Colletidae apart from other families. For comparison, Halictidae are typically small sweat bees, Megachilidae includes leafcutter bees that cut leaves to form nest walls, and Apidae covers honey bees and bumblebees with different nesting and pollen-carrying traits. So plaster bees belong to Colletidae.

Bee families are often distinguished by how they build and line their nests. Plaster bees are in Colletidae because they construct brood cells with a lining made from a secretion that hardens into a plaster-like material. This plaster-like lining is the hallmark that sets Colletidae apart from other families. For comparison, Halictidae are typically small sweat bees, Megachilidae includes leafcutter bees that cut leaves to form nest walls, and Apidae covers honey bees and bumblebees with different nesting and pollen-carrying traits. So plaster bees belong to Colletidae.