SCIENTIFIC NAME
Heriades
DESCRIPTION
Small resin bees are small in size (five to nine mm), and circular shaped. Heriades bees are black with thin whitish lines on their abdomens.
RANGE
HABITAT
DIET
BEHAVIOUR
undefinedPRIMARY ECOSYSTEM ROLES
Feeding Habits
These bees are active in the summer and, as they are generalists, will forage on a wide diversity of native flowers including Wild Bergamot, milkweeds, Anise Hyssop and Nodding Wild Onion. There are not many species in Canada.
Nesting Habits
Small resin bees are solitary cavity nesters that like pre-existing wood cavities like beetle holes, or twigs (especially sumac twigs). One species has been known to nest in pinecones. The tunnel and egg chambers are sealed with resin that the female collects from evergreen trees, in particular pine. Some will mix that with plant material or sand.
Neat Facts
Two other genera in the Megachilidae family use resin to partition their nest cells: Hoplitis and Ashmeadiella.