page_title: Megachilidae
section_title: Evolution and taxonomy
hierarchical_section_title: Megachilidae / Evolution and taxonomy
caption_attribution_description: Español: Osmia ribifloris Français&#160;: Osmia ribifloris English: This bee, Osmia ribifloris (on a barberry flower), is an effective pollinator of commercial blueberries (because it is blue) and is one of several relatives of the blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria. Similar in appearance, the blue orchard bee is also a successful commercial pollinator that is now being evaluated for use in a wider range of crops.
context_page_description: Megachilidae is a cosmopolitan family of mostly solitary bees whose pollen-carrying structure is restricted to the ventral surface of the abdomen. Megachilid genera are most commonly known as mason bees and leafcutter bees, reflecting the materials from which they build their nest cells; a few collect plant or animal hairs and fibers, and are called carder bees, while others use plant resins in nest construction and are correspondingly called resin bees. All species feed on nectar and pollen, but a few are kleptoparasites, feeding on pollen collected by other megachilid bees. Parasitic species do not possess scopae. The motion of Megachilidae in the reproductive structures of flowers is energetic and swimming-like; this agitation releases large amounts of pollen.
context_section_description: The fossil record for megachilid bees is poor, but a Middle Eocene dicotyledonous leaf shows definite semicircular cutouts along its margin, implying that leaf-cutting bees existed at that time. Multiply-cut leaves and rare body fossils from the Eocene of Germany and the Paleocene of France suggest that Megachilinae began cutting leaves early in their evolution. Phylogenetic analysis yields an age consistent with this Eocene origin for the group.
  Subfamily Fideliinae
  Tribe Pararhophitini
  Pararhophites
  Tribe Fideliini
  Fidelia
  Neofidelia
  Subfamily Megachilinae
  Tribe Lithurgini
  Lithurgus
  Microthurge
  Trichothurgus
  Tribe Osmiini
  Afroheriades
  Ashmeadiella
  Atoposmia
  Bekilia
  Chelostoma
  Haetosmia
  Heriades species have narrow abdominal bands. They resemble small Osmia, but they are oligolectic (specialized on a few subfamilies of Asteraceae) and use resin from conifers, as well as plant fibers and sand, as cell wall material.
  Hofferia
  Hoplitis
  Hoplosmia
  Noteriades
  Ochreriades
  Osmia
  Othinosmia
  Protosmia
  Pseudoheriades
  Stenoheriades
  Stenosmia
  Wainia
  Xeroheriades
  Tribe Anthidiini
  Acedanthidium
  Afranthidium
  Afrostelis
  Anthidiellum
  Anthidioma
  Anthidium
  Anthodioctes
  Apianthidium
  Aspidosmia
  Austrostelis
  Aztecanthidium
  Bathanthidium
  Benanthis
  Cyphanthidium
  Dianthidium
  Duckeanthidium
  Eoanthidium
  Epanthidium
  Euaspis
  Gnathanthidium
  Hoplostelis
  Hypanthidioides
  Hypanthidium
  Icteranthidium
  Indanthidium
  Larinostelis
  Neanthidium
  Notanthidium
  Pachyanthidium
  Paranthidium
  Plesianthidium
  Pseudoanthidium
  Rhodanthidium
  Serapista
  Stelis Panzer and related genera (stelidine bees) are kleptoparasites on other Megachilidae. They belong to the tribe Anthidiini. Bees in the subgenus Heterostelis are parasitic on Trachusa.
  Trachusa
  Trachusoides
  Xenostelis
  Tribe Dioxyini
  Aglaoapis
  Allodioxys
  Dioxys is a brood parasite of Megachile, Anthidium, and Osmia.
  Ensliniana
  Eudioxys
  Metadioxys
  Paradioxys
  Prodioxys
  Tribe Megachilini
  Coelioxys is a brood parasite of Megachile. Females have a pointed conic abdominal apex (tip); males have several spikes on their apices.
  Megachile
  Radoszkowskiana
  incertae sedis
  Neochalicodoma
  Stellenigris
caption: Osmia ribifloris
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