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Perdita Albipenis

A small solitary bee, Perdita albipennis, with a dark body and metallic sheen, foraging in the center of a bright yellow flower

Robert WebsterDepicted place:  Hamilton County, KS  (38°00′21″N 101°48′51″W / 38.0058948°N 101.8141159°W / 38.0058948; -101.8141159 ({{{name}}})), CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Appearance

It is certainly the smallest bee among those mentioned here, measuring only between 5 mm and 7 mm. Its thorax has a metallic black-green sheen, often with beige-cream and black stripes on the abdomen. It has an all-black head with green eyes, light brown antennae, and translucent wings. The scopa is very visible on the hind legs, and this type of bee has abundant hair, especially on the abdomen and legs.

​Hatching, Nesting, and Reproduction

Perdita Albipennis makes its grand entrance onto the honeybee scene between summer and fall. Like its relatives, it creates tunnels used for nesting and follows the same life cycle as other bee species: egg, larva, pupa, and adult bee.

Socialization, Housing, and Nutrition

Like the previous species, it is not particularly social, although it can live with other bees of the same type. The young live in deserts and arid regions, while the adults live in deserts, arid regions, grasslands, urban areas, suburban areas, and agricultural and cultivated areas.

Just like Calliopsis, it is fond of Asteraceae. However, what makes it so unique is its ability to create a mental map based on the color of the flowers. They consume nectar that may contain beneficial yeasts or bacteria (microbiome), flower oils, and plant sap. The larvae feed exclusively on bee bread (a mixture of pollen and fermented nectar).

Predators

As an adult, Perdita albipennis is primarily preyed upon by spiders, assassin bugs, ants, birds, and wasps. In its larval stage, Perdita albipennis is preyed upon by ants, beetles, and birds.

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Sources

 

  • Size (5–7 mm) and Morphology: * Discover Life / Ascher and Pickering: Confirms that the genus Perdita consists of tiny bees, often with metallic sheen and light-colored (yellow or white) facial markings.

  • Habitat (Deserts and Arid Regions):

    • BugGuide (Iowa State University): Notes that this genus is extremely diverse in the arid regions of the southwestern United States.

  • Nutrition (Specialization):

    • Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: Documents the Perdita's heavy reliance on Asteraceae (such as wild sunflowers).

  • Predators:

    • Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society: Studies on Perdita nests often cite assassin bugs (Reduviidae) and sphecid wasps as major predators.

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