Fideliidae

views updated

Fideliidae (order Hymenoptera, suborder Apocrita) Small family of desert mining bees, the sister group of the Megachilidae; members of the Fideliidae resemble those of the Megachilidae in having an abdominal pollen scopa, but differ from them in having scopae also on the hind legs, and in possessing certain primitive characters; three submarginal cells in the fore wing, and pygidial (see PYGIDIUM) and basitibial plates in the female. The brood cells are unlined. The family has a disjunct distribution, with one genus, Neofidelia, found in the southern Atacama Desert, Chile; and two genera, Fidelia and Parafidelia, in southern Africa. One species of Fidelia has recently been found in N. Africa. There are fewer than 20 species in three genera.

More From encyclopedia.com