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Project Noah Nature School
Centris sp.
Small bee about 1 cm long with a shiny orange abdomen and yellow hair on the thorax and legs. Centris sp., Subfamily Centridinae, Family Apidae.
Abandoned field in a semi-urban area on the outskirts of the city, 2,200 meters. Feeding on a composite yellow flower.
The facial markings are important in species identification and I wish I would have photographed the front of the head. The genus Centris (Apidae: Centridini) contains about 144 species of bees which are Neotropical in distribution, except for few species ranging into the Neartic and Araucarian regions. Many female Centris species are highly specialized collectors of floral oils, which they use to provision their brood and/or in the con- struction of their cells. http://journals.fcla.edu/flaent/article/.... Another interesting fact about some species of Centris which pollinate the orchids of Oncidium by attacking the flower which resembles an enemy bee invading it's territory: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topi...
Spotted on Dec 7, 2012
Submitted on Dec 8, 2012
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