Click here to choose the groups of genera to include in the guide | Draft Character for German Genera, skip this character if not working on German bees | Leg, arolium - A pad-like structure that rests between the two claws | Leg, claws, shape | Length of FEMALE bee - Use With Caution, measurements taken directly from Mitchell, your measurements may differ from his | Length of MALE bee - Use With Caution, measurements taken directly from Mitchell, your measurements may differ from his | Optional shortcuts - Bee family - Click on family, click search, then click simplify to create new smaller guide just for that family | Optional shortcuts - Click on group, click search, then click simplify to create new smaller guide just for the members of that group | Sex - Telling Males from Females - Note that this character is NOT scored for any particular genus, it is just here to be useful - Female - 12 total antennal segments, counting the scape and the pedicel - 6 abdominal tergites - Has a sting, but this is often retracted - - - Male - 13 total antennal segments, counting the scape and pedicel, be aware that males of the genus Nomada often have the pedicel recessed INTO the top of the scape and can be missed - 7 abdominal tergites - Genitalia at times visible | State or province where bee was collected | Thorax and or abdomen, markings on the surface - Note, this is NOT the hair color | Thorax, axilla, shape | Thorax, primary color - Note this is the base color, not the hair color, there can be various other markings in addition | Wing, basal vein of forewing | Wing, jugal to vannal lobe ratio | Wing, submarginal cell number

Check boxes for all that apply. If uncertain, skip character or select several states. Then click on any search button.
Navigate with above index or scroll bar.
Number scored for a state is in green.
1. Click here to choose the groups of genera to include in the guide    [Explain]

161ADMIN ONLY - ALL    39Caribbean islands, not including Trinidad/Tobago - Under development, use with caution - Click here for ALL genera found in the Caribbean    68Eastern United States and Canada ONLY - Click here for the genera found East of the Mississippi    28Ireland and Great Britain - Under development but usable with caution    146Mexico - Caution, this area is under development, some genera still need to be added and some unresolved groups may occur - Please report any discrepancies, as limited specimens were available for some groups - Click here for ALL genera found in Mexico    111United States and Canada - Click here for ALL genera found in the entire US and Canada   
2. State or province where bee was collected

160ADMIN ONLY - ALL    18AK    61AL    56AR    97AZ    106Aguascalientes    35Alberta    4Anguilla    16Bahamas    79Baja California    76Baja California Sur    3Barbados    40British Columbia    84CA    70CO    44CT    104Campeche    1Cayman Islands    109Chiapas    100Chihuahua    97Coahuila    114Colima    31Cuba    1Curacao    55DC    54DE    13Dominica    23Dominican Republic    106Durango    62FL    62GA    9Grenada    6Guadeloupe    108Guanajuato    115Guerrero    7HI    16Haiti    107Hidalgo    54IA    52ID    63IL    59IN    119Jalisco    22Jamaica    64KS    55KY    57LA    43MA    55MD    37ME    47MI    45MN    63MO    62MS    51MT    32Manitoba    119Mexico - This is the state in Mexico, not the entirety of Mexico    118Michoacan    6Montserrat    119Morelos    61NC    50ND    59NE    38NH    53NJ    92NM    76NV    49NY    111Nayarit    30New Brunswick    12Newfoundland and Labrador    17Northwest Territories    32Nova Scotia    101Nuevo Leon    2Nunavut    55OH    60OK    52OR    120Oaxaca    40Ontario    51PA    21Prince Edward Island    120Puebla    15Puerto Rico    33Quebec    109Queretaro    105Quintana Roo    40RI    59SC    55SD    2Saint Kitts and Nevis    3Saint Lucia    16Saint Vincent and Grenadines    106San Luis Potosi    33Saskatchewan    104Sinaloa    107Sonora    56TN    86TX    112Tabasco    100Tamaulipas    109Tlaxcala    72UT    56VA    39VT    125Veracruz    46WA    51WI    54WV    58WY    105Yucatan    13Yukon    112Zacatecas   
3. Optional shortcuts - Bee family - Click on family, click search, then click simplify to create new smaller guide just for that family

161ADMIN ONLY - ALL    14Andrenidae    79Apidae    9Colletidae    30Halictidae    26Megachilidae    4Melittidae   







4. Optional shortcuts - Click on group, click search, then click simplify to create new smaller guide just for the members of that group

161ADMIN ONLY - ALL    3Andreninae    3Apinae-Anthophorini    1Apinae-Apini    1Apinae-Bombini    2Apinae-Centridini    3Apinae-Emphorini    4Apinae-Ericocidini    15Apinae-Eucerini    4Apinae-Euglossini    3Apinae-Exomalopsini    4Apinae-Melectini    16Apinae-Meliponini    2Apinae-Osirini    1Apinae-Protepeolini    2Apinae-Tapinotaspidini    2Apinae-Tetrapediini    2Colletinae    2Dasypodainae    5Diphaglossinae    10Halictinae-Augochlorini    12Halictinae-Halictini    1Hylaeinae    13Megachilinae-Anthidiini    5Megachilinae-Lithurgini, Megachilini, Dioxyini    8Megachilinae-Osmiini    2Melittinae    14Nomadinae    2Nomiinae    3Oxaeinae    8Panurginae    6Rophitinae    1Xeromelissinae    2Xylocopinae   
5. Sex - Telling Males from Females - Note that this character is NOT scored for any particular genus, it is just here to be useful - Female - 12 total antennal segments, counting the scape and the pedicel - 6 abdominal tergites - Has a sting, but this is often retracted - - - Male - 13 total antennal segments, counting the scape and pedicel, be aware that males of the genus Nomada often have the pedicel recessed INTO the top of the scape and can be missed - 7 abdominal tergites - Genitalia at times visible

6. Thorax, primary color - Note this is the base color, not the hair color, there can be various other markings in addition

24Blue, blue-green, or dark green, usually dulled by a rough surface or inscribed microscopic surface lines    22Bright, shiny, race car, in-your-face green - at times with strong gold or blue overtones    140Other colors, this can include black, brown, red, yellow, and white colors   



7. Thorax and or abdomen, markings on the surface - Note, this is NOT the hair color    [Explain]

46Bright yellow, white, or red - rarely, entirely red    139None, entire body black, brown, metallic or abdomen ALONE red. upperside of abdomen rarely with narrow cream - colored or dull yellowish markings along rims of segments   


8. Thorax, axilla, shape

11Axilla, end projecting out of the rear of the scutellum as a triangle, spine, or, rarely, rounded over    129Rear margin tame, without projection, in line with the rest of the scutellum   


9. Wing, submarginal cell number

21    552    1003   



10. Wing, basal vein of forewing

135Gently and UNIFORMLY arched or straight THROUGHOUT its length    28Lower portion STRONGLY bent or arched   


11. Wing, jugal to vannal lobe ratio

31At least nearly three-fourths as long    74Less, usually much less, than two-thirds as long    2No jugal lobe present   



12. Leg, arolium - A pad-like structure that rests between the two claws

24Absent - look closely, while there may be no pad there is often a clump of hairs present    133Present - although sometimes minute and usually also associated with long hairs   


13. Leg, claws, shape

65Cleft or with inner tooth    19Simple, no teeth or cleft   


14. Length of FEMALE bee - Use With Caution, measurements taken directly from Mitchell, your measurements may differ from his

61    102    303    504    665    826    857    858    899    9010    8211    7712    7313    6214    5515    4716    4017    3418    2619    2220    1521    1522    1023    1024    925    726    527    428    229   
15. Length of MALE bee - Use With Caution, measurements taken directly from Mitchell, your measurements may differ from his

71    132    333    564    735    816    937    938    929    8510    8011    7512    6913    6114    5315    4316    3517    2818    1919    1720    1321    1322    1023    924    825    726    527    228   
16. Draft Character for German Genera, skip this character if not working on German bees

36German Genera    126Not German Genera