Paradioxys

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Dioxyini
Genus: Paradioxys Mocsary, 1894
Subgenera: none
Common name: none

Overview

Paradioxys have black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
on their head and thorax and black to red abdomens with apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
bands of hair on their tergaterga:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
. They range from 7.5–9 mm in body length (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). Female Paradioxys are cleptoparasiticcleptoparasitic:
bees that lay their eggs in the nest cells of bees in other genera. Their larvae depend on the pollen provided by their host. Since cleptoparasitic bees don't provision their own nests, and instead depend on the pollen collected by their host, the females lack pollen collecting hairs. This often gives them a wasp-like appearance.
and therefore lack scopal hairs (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). As a member of the Dioxyini tribe, they also have a greatly reduced stinger (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Diversity

Paradioxys contains 2 species (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.); none are known to occur in the U.S. or Canada.

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.)

• Metanotum metanotum:
  the posterior dorsal segment of the thorax, behind the scutellum
  with a median spine.
• Scutellum scutellum:
  shield shaped plate behind scutum
  with laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  spines and strong carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  between them.
• Axilla axilla:
  the triangular or rounded point on the thorax where thoracic muscles meet the forewing of an insect
  not produced to spines.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  bidentatebidentate:
  having two teeth
  .
• Female T6T6:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  rounded and two or three times as long as broad.
• Female T6T6:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  hairless, shiny, and smooth.
• Female S6S6:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  needle-like and extends well beyond the apexapex:
  end of any structure
  T6.

May be confused with

Paradioxys may be confused with Dioxys due to similar body shape, but can be differentiated by a different apexapex:
end of any structure
of the female abdomen, as well as by the combination of diagnostic characteristics above (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). 

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Host associations

Paradioxys are cleptoparasiticcleptoparasitic:
bees that lay their eggs in the nest cells of bees in other genera. Their larvae depend on the pollen provided by their host. Since cleptoparasitic bees don't provision their own nests, and instead depend on the pollen collected by their host, the females lack pollen collecting hairs. This often gives them a wasp-like appearance.
bees, and females do not gather pollen from flowers since the larvaelarvae:
active immature form of an insect, especially one that differs greatly from the adult and forms the stage between egg and pupa
develop parasitically on their host’s pollen provisions (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). They will, however, visit a wide variety of flowers for nectar. Paradioxys are known to parasitize bees in the genus Megachile (Hurd 1958Hurd 1958:
Hurd, P.D, Jr. 1958. The American bees of the genus Dioxys Lepeletier and Serville (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 14: 275ndash;302).

Nesting behavior

Paradioxys are known cleptoparasites of Megachile (Hurd 1958Hurd 1958:
Hurd, P.D, Jr. 1958. The American bees of the genus Dioxys Lepeletier and Serville (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 14: 275ndash;302). Host selection boundaries, however, are not well understood (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Distribution

Paradioxys occurs in Austria, Hungary, Israel, and Iran (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

​Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.

References

Hurd, P.D, Jr. 1958. The American bees of the genus Dioxys Lepeletier and Serville (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 14:275-302.
 
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World. 2nd ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.