Anthemurgus passiflorae
Encyclopedia
Anthemurgus passiflorae (the passionflower bee) is a small (7.5-8.5 mm long), black, bee that occurs from central Texas to North Carolina and north to Illinois. Females of this solitary bee use collected nectar and pollen to feed larvae located in nests constructed in the ground (through mass provisioning
). This uncommon bee is unique for two reasons: first, the only known pollen host is a single species—the yellow passionflower (Passiflora lutea
) (such specialization is called oligolecty
); second, because of its size and foraging habits, the passionflower bee is thought to contribute very little toward the pollination of its host plant. The genus Anthemurgus contains only the passionflower bee and thus is a monotypic taxon.
Mass provisioning
Mass provisioning is a term used in entomology to refer to a form of parental behavior in which an adult stocks all of the food for each offspring in a small chamber prior to laying the egg...
). This uncommon bee is unique for two reasons: first, the only known pollen host is a single species—the yellow passionflower (Passiflora lutea
Passiflora lutea
Passiflora lutea is a flowering plant in the family Passifloraceae, native North America, in the eastern and south-central parts of the United States from Pennsylvania west to Kansas, and south to Florida and Texas. It is the northernmost species of Passiflora, occurring slightly further north...
) (such specialization is called oligolecty
Oligolecty
The term oligolecty is used in pollination ecology to refer to bees that exhibit a narrow, specialized preference for pollen sources, typically to a single genus of flowering plants...
); second, because of its size and foraging habits, the passionflower bee is thought to contribute very little toward the pollination of its host plant. The genus Anthemurgus contains only the passionflower bee and thus is a monotypic taxon.