Family Halictidae > Genus Dufourea
Dufourea
Short-faced Bees
In Minnesota, there are five described species within the genus Dufourea. Bees in this genus nest in the ground and have solitary nests. Dufourea have two forewing submarginal cells and lack the curved basal vein indicative of other genera in the family Halictidae. The five species that occur in Minnesota are dark gray or black with antennae set low on the face. They are small- to medium-sized, and range in length from 5 to 11 mm (0.2 to 0.4 inches).
Dufourea are oligoleges (pollen specialists). A few species collect pollen from one plant genus, but the others from a handful of genera belonging to the same plant family. The most commonly observed species in Minnesota is a Monarda (bergamot) specialist, Dufourea monardae.
A Dufourea monardae female collects pollen from Monarda fistulosa. This species has a dark black integument with contrasting white hairs.
wing
position
on flowers
N0. species in MN
5
size range
Phenology
Genus Characteristics
Females with pollen-collecting hairs on the hind leg femur and tibia.
Female
Antennae set low on face. Dark gray or black integument.
Female
Males with square head, long antennae that are set low on face, and robust legs.
Male
Males with narrow linear form and protruding clypeus.
Male
Dufourea Species in Minnesota
Scientific Name | Likely Lecty | Host |
|---|---|---|
Dufourea harveyi | oligolectic | Potentilla (Gibbs 2023), Dasiphora fruticosa (Arduser) |
Dufourea marginata | oligolectic | Helianthus (Gibbs 2023), Rudbeckia, Verbesina (Arduser) |
Dufourea maura | narrow oligolectic | Campanula (Gibbs 2023 & Arduser) |
Dufourea monardae | narrow oligolectic | Monarda (Arduser) |
Dufourea novaeangliae | narrow oligolectic | Pontederia (Arduser) |
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Bee Species List (August 2023).
https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/mn-statewide-bee-list.pdf
Dufourea monardae female visiting Monarda fistulosa
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Citations and Further Reading
Droege, S., et al. (2024). The Very Handy Bee Manual: 2.0. How to Catch and Identify Bees and Manage a Collection.
Dumesh, S., & Sheffield, C. S. (2012). Bees of the genus Dufourea Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Rophitinae) of Canada. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification, 20(20), 1-36.
Gibbs, J., Hanuschuk, E., Miller, R., Dubois, M., Martini, M., Robinson, S., ... & Onuferko, T. M. (2023). A checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Manitoba, Canada. The Canadian Entomologist, 155, e3.
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.
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)
Ron Goetz CC BY-NC 4.0 (Nomia)
Michelle Orcutt CC BY 4.0 (Dufourea)