top of page
Ceratina female

Family Apidae > Genus Ceratina

Ceratina 
Small Carpenter Bees

In Minnesota, there are four described species within the genus Ceratina. These relatively hairless, tiny metallic-blue bees are 2 to 9 mm in length (0.08 to 0.35") and are on the wing from early spring to late autumn. All four species nest in pithy perennial or woody plant stems and have eusocial nests. Each female initiates a nest by herself in a plant stem or pithy wood branch. The female remains alive while the larvae develop in the nest, pupate, then become adults. For some species, the offspring emerge as adults the same growing season, may help rear more offspring, then overwinter in other stems than their nest. The female interacts with her offspring and provides some limited parental care. Prior to offspring emergence the following growing season, the female guards the nest, perching at the end of the cavity over the winter. Mating occurs in spring.

Like other bees in the family Apidae, Ceratina
have a very long glossa (tongue) that allows them to access nectaries from tubular or more complexly-shaped flowers. Ceratina are commonly found in yards and gardens and are polylectic, visiting a wide variety of flowers belonging to many plant families and genera. 

Ceratina female

A Ceratina female visiting Coreopsis lanceolata.

Ceratina stem nest

A Ceratina nest in a perennial plant stem. 

Ceratina female

Ceratina female visiting Erigeron (fleabane).

Ceratina stem nest

A Ceratina female excavates a nest in a Rhus (sumac) stem.

Ceratina female
Ceratina wing position on flowers

Wing
position
on flowers

4

no. species
in MN

size range

Ceratina size range

Phenology

Ceratina phenology

Genus Characteristics

Ceratina glossa

Long glossa (tongue).

male

Ceratina female abdomen

female

Female lacking a pygidial plate; abdomen terminates in a point.

Ceratina female face

female

Female with small white marking on clypeus (sometimes absent). 

Ceratina male face

male

Male with inverted T-shaped white marking on clypeus.

Ceratina female scopa

female

Scopal hairs on hind leg tibiae (females).

Ceratina female

female

Metallic-blue, relatively hairless, hourglass-shaped body, with lobed abdominal tergites.

Distribution

CeratinaCalcarata.png

Ceratina calcarata

CeratinaDupla.png

Ceratina dupla

CeratinaMikmaqi.png

Ceratina mikmaqi

CeratinaStrenua.png

Ceratina strenua

Ceratina Species in Minnesota

Scientific Name
Nest
Sociality / Voltinism
Abundance
Ceratina calcarata
plant stems, pithy wood branches
eusocial, univoltine

common

Ceratina dupla
plant stems, pithy wood branches
eusocial, univoltine/bivoltine

common - uncommon

Ceratina mikmaqi
plant stems, pithy wood branches
eusocial, univoltine

abundant

Ceratina strenua
plant stems, pithy wood branches
eusocial

rare

Explore More Apidae Genera

Explore Other Bee Families

Mining and
fairy bees

Calliopsis andreniformis

Sweat bees

AgapostemonVirescensFem.jpg

Apidae

Bumble, digger, longhorn, squash, carpenter bees
and allies

BombusAuriEutroc.jpg

Resin, carder, mason, and leafcutter bees

MegachilePugnata.jpg

Cellophane and masked bees

ColletesInaequalis.jpg

Loosestrife oil bees

Macropis.png

Citations and Further Reading

Droege, S., Shumar, S., & Maffei, C. (2024). The Very Handy Bee Manual (2.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12812755

Mitchell, T. B. (1960). Bees of the eastern United States. Technical Bulletin No. 141. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station.

Portman, Z. M., Gardner, J., Lane, I. G., Gerjets, N., Petersen, J. D., Ascher, J. S., ... & Cariveau, D. P. (2023). A checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Minnesota. Zootaxa, 5304(1), 1-95.

Vickruck, J. L., Rehan, S. M., Sheffield, C. S., & Richards, M. H. (2011). Nesting biology and DNA barcode analysis of Ceratina dupla and C. mikmaqi, and comparisons with C. calcarata (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Xylocopinae). The Canadian Entomologist, 143(3), 254-262.


Wilson, J. S., & Messinger Carril, O. J. (2016). The bees in your backyard: a guide to North America's bees. Princeton University Press.
 

Page Photography Credits

Heather Holm
Joel Gardner
CC BY-ND-NC 1.0 (Melittidae)
Steve Mlodinow CC BY-NC 4.0 (Brachymelecta)

 

bottom of page