cellophanes bees

Cellophane bees are solitary, though they tend to nest in congregations. The common name refers to their applying a thin, transparent, glue-like or cellophane-like lining to the walls of their nests.

Cellophanes bees are robust, brownish, hairy, and medium to large sized. They are similar in size and shape to honey bees, and are much harrier than most bees.

The head and thorax are densely covered with long hairs. The abdomen is convex above, flattened below, and pointed at the end. There is a band of pale hairs on each segment. Most ground nesting bees have a structure (pygidial plate) surrounded by hairs that they use for sculpting dirt when they build their nests. Cellophanes bees lack both the pygidial plate and surrounding hairs.

Below the base of each antenna there is a single line-like groove (suture). The tongue is short and split into two lobes at the tip. The compound eyes are angled outward.

On the forewing there are three submarginal cells. The second and third submarginal cells are about the same size. The basal vein is slightly curved, and the second recurrent vein is strongly S-shaped. The lobe at the base of the hindwing (jugal lobe) is longer than the submedian cell.

The female has a dense tuft of hairs on the third segment (femur) of the hind leg that acts as a pollen brush.