Centris

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Hymenopterida
Ordo: Hymenoptera
Subordo: Apocrita
Superfamilia: Apoidea

Familia: Apidae
Subfamilia: Apinae
Tribus: Centridini
Genus: Centris
Subgenera (13): C. (Aphemisia) – C. (Centris) – C. (Hemisiella) – C. (Heterocentris) – C. (Melacentris) – C. (Melanocentris) – C. (Paracentris) – C. (Penthemisia) – C. (Ptilocentris) – C. (Ptilotopus) – C. (Schisthemisia) – C. (Trachina) – C. (Wagenknechtia) – C. (Xanthemisia)

Centris nitida female

Overview of species (210)
a

C. adani – C. adunca – C. aenea – C. aeneiventris – C. aethiocesta – C. aethiops – C. aethyctera – C. agameta – C. agilis – C. agiloides – C. albiceps – C. americana – C. amica – C. analis – C. angustifrons – C. anomala – C. aterrima – C. atra – C. atripes –
b

C. barbadensis – C. bicolor – C. bicornuta – C. bitaeniata – C. boliviensis – C. braccata – C. brethesi – C. buchholzi – C. burgdorfi –
c

C. caelebs – C. caesalpiniae – C. californica – C. carolae – C. carrikeri – C. catsal – C. caxiensis – C. celadonia – C. chilensis – C. chlorura – C. chrysitis – C. cineraria – C. clypeata – C. cockerelli – C. collaris – C. confusa – C. conspersa – C. cordillerana – C. cornuta – C. crassipes –
d

C. danunciae – C. decipiens – C. decolorata – C. decorata – C. deiopeia – C. dentata – C. denudans – C. derasa – C. dichrootricha – C. difformis – C. dimidiata – C. dirrhoda – C. discolor – C. dixanthozona – C. dorsata –
e

C. ectypha – C. eisenii – C. elegans – C. ephippia – C. errans – C. erythrosara – C. erythrotricha – C. escomeli – C. euphenax – C. eurypatana –
f

C. facialis – C. fasciata – C. ferrisi – C. ferruginea – C. festiva – C. fisheri – C. flavicans – C. flavifrons – C. flavilabris – C. flavofasciata – C. flavohirta – C. flavopilosa – C. flavothoracica – C. fluviatilis – C. frieseana – C. fulva – C. fuscata –
g

C. garleppi – C. gavisa – C. gelida – C. griseola –
h

C. haemorrhoidalis – C. harbisoni – C. heithausi – C. hoffmanseggiae – C. horvathi – C. hyptidis – C. hyptidoides –
i

C. insignis – C. insularis – C. intermixta –
j

C. jujuyana –
k

C. klugii –
l

C. labiata – C. laevibullata – C. langsdorfii – C. lanipes – C. lanosa – C. lateritia – C. laticincta – C. leprieuri – C. lilacina – C. longimana – C. lutea – C. lyngbyei –
m

C. machadoi – C. maculifrons – C. maranhensis – C. mariae – C. maroniana – C. meaculpa – C. melampoda – C. melanochlaena – C. merrillae – C. metathoracica – C. mexicana – C. mixta – C. mocsaryi – C. moerens – C. moldenkei – C. mourei – C. muralis –
n

C. nebulosa – C. neffi – C. nigerrima – C. nigriventris – C. nigrocaerulea – C. nigrofasciata – C. nitens – C. nitida – C. niveofasciata – C. nobilis –
o

C. obscurior – C. obsoleta – C. orellanai –
p

C. pachysoma – C. pallida – C. plumbea – C. plumipes – C. poecila – C. pseudoephippia – C. pulchra –
q

C. quadrimaculata –
r

C. restrepoi – C. rhodadelpha – C. rhodomelas – C. rhodophthalma – C. rhodoprocta – C. rhodopus – C. rubripes – C. rufipes – C. rufohirta – C. rufosuffusa – C. rupestris – C. ruthannae –
s

C. satana – C. scopipes – C. scutellaris – C. semicaerulea – C. sericea – C. similis – C. singularis – C. smithiana – C. smithii – C. spilopoda – C. sponsa – C. superba –
t

C. tamarugalis – C. tarsata – C. terminata – C. testacea – C. tetrazona – C. thoracica – C. tiburonensis – C. toroi – C. torquata – C. transversa – C. tricolor – C. trigonoides –
u

C. unifasciata – C. urens –
v

C. vallecaucensis – C. vanduzeei – C. vardyorum – C. varia – C. versicolor – C. vidua – C. violacea – C. vittata – C. vogeli – C. vulpecula –
w

C. weilenmanni – C. willineri –
x

C. xanthocnemis – C. xanthomelaena – C. xochipillii –
z

C. zacateca – C. zonata

[Source: Catalogue of Life: 2014 Annual Checklist]

Add (8): C. ancashsumaq – C. aureiventris – C. byrsonimae – C. caymanensis – C. ceratops – C. domingensis – C. nordestina – C. thelyopsis
Name

Centris Fabricius, 1804
References

Michener, C.D. 1951. Subgeneric groups of Hemisia. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 24: 1-11.
Rasmussen, C.; Vivallo, F. 2014: Lectotype designations and new synonymies in the Neotropical bee genus Centris Fabricius, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Zootaxa 3856(4): 585–594. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3856.4.7 Reference page.
Snelling, R. R. 1956. Bees of the genus Centris in California. Pan-Pacific Entomologist 32: 1-8.
Snelling, R. R. 1974. Notes on the distribution and taxonomy of some North American Centris (Hymenoptera: Anthophoridae). Contributions in Science, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, 259: 1–41.
Vivallo, F.; Zanella, F.C.V. 2012: A new species of Centris (Paracentris) Cameron, 1903 from northeastern Brazil, with a key for the Centris species of the Caatinga region (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Zootaxa 3298: 1–16. Preview Reference page.
Vivallo, F. 2016. Taxonomic note on the oil-collecting bee Centris dimidiata (Olivier, 1789) (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Centridini). Zootaxa 4162(3): 519–534. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4162.3.6. Reference page.
Vivallo, F. & Vélez, D. 2016. A synopsis of the subgenus Centris (Hemisiella) Moure, 1945 (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Centridini) in Colombia, with description of a new species. Zootaxa 4162(1): 107–133. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4162.1.5. Reference page.
Vivallo, F., Vélez, D. & Fernández, F. 2016. Two new species of Centris (Aphemisia) Ayala, 2002 from Colombia with a synopsis of the subgenus for the country (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Centridini). Zootaxa 4093(2): 201–216. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4093.2.3.Reference page.
Vivallo, F. 2019a. Lectotype designations, taxonomic notes and new synonymy in some species of the bee genus Centris Fabricius, 1804 described by William Henry Fox (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Zootaxa 4624(4): 478–490. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4624.4.2. Reference page.

The genus Centris contains circa 250 species of large apid bees occurring in the Neotropical and Nearctic realms, from Kansas to Argentina. Most females of these bees possess adaptations for carrying floral oils rather than (or in addition to) pollen or nectar. They visit mainly plants of the family Malpighiaceae to collect oil, but also Plantaginaceae, Calceolariaceae, Krameriaceae and others. Recent studies have shown they are sister to the corbiculate bees, the most well-known and economically important group of bees [1]

They are large (up to 3 cm), fast-flying bees, distinguished from the closely related genus Epicharis by the absence of long, whip-like setae that project backwards from just behind the eyes. They are commonly encountered bees in American deserts, and are active at very high ambient temperatures when many other species are in hiding. They can often be seen in large numbers on desert-willow (Chilopsis) and palo verde (Parkinsonia) blossoms. Bees of this genus are of some economical significance in pollinating crops such as Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa) and Cashew (Anacardium occidentale, pollinated by C. tarsata among others).

The mating system of one species, C. pallida, has been particularly well-researched by the behavioral ecologist John Alcock; the entomologist Adolpho Ducke also studied this genus.

Selected species

Centris errans
Centris pallida
Centris tarsata