Coelioxys

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
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: Megachilidae
Subfamilia: Megachilinae
Tribus: Megachilini
Genus: Coelioxys
Subgenera: (15) C. (Acrocoelioxys) – C. (Allocoelioxys) – C. (Argcoelioxys) – C. (Boreocoelioxys) – C. (Coelioxys) – C. (Cyrtocoelioxys) – C. (Glyptocoelioxys) – C. (Haplocoelioxys) – C. (Lyothyrapis) – C. (Neocoelioxys) – C. (Platycoelioxys) – C. (Rhinocoelioxys) – C. (Synocoelioxys) – C. (Torridapis) – C. (Xerocoelioxys)
Overview of species

C. abdominalis – C. aberrans – C. abnormis – C. acanthopyga – C. acanthura – C. aculeata – C. aculeaticeps – C. acutivalva – C. adani – C. afra – C. agilis – C. alacris – C. alata – C. alatiformis – C. alayoi – C. albifrons – C. albiventris – C. albociliata – C. albofasciata – C. albolineata – C. albomarginata – C. albonotata – C. alfkeni – C. alisal – C. alternata – C. amazonica – C. ambrosettii – C. analis – C. angelica – C. angulata – C. angustivalva – C. anisitsi – C. annamensis – C. apacheorum – C. aperta – C. apicata – C. argentea – C. argentipes – C. artemis – C. asclepiadis – C. aspaste – C. ateneata – C. aureociliata – C. aurifrons – C. auripes – C. aurolimbata – C. aurulenta – C. australis – C. azteca – C. bakeri – C. balasto – C. banksi – C. barbata – C. barkeri – C. bequaertiana – C. beroni – C. bertonii – C. bicingulata – C. bifida – C. bifoleata – C. bifoliata – C. bifoveolata – C. binghami – C. bipustulata – C. biroi – C. bisoncornua – C. blabera – C. boharti – C. bonaerensis – C. bonplandiana – C. brachypyga – C. brasiliensis – C. braunsiana – C. brevicaudata – C. brevis – C. breviventris – C. bruchi – C. bruneipes – C. bruneri – C. bucephala – C. buchwaldi – C. buehleri – C. bulbosa – C. bullaticeps – C. burgdorfi – C. caeruleipennis – C. caffra – C. calabarensis – C. cameghinoi – C. capensis – C. capitata – C. carinicauda – C. carinulata – C. castanea – C. caudata – C. cavigena – C. cayennensis – C. cearensis – C. cerasiopleura – C. chacoensis – C. cherenensis – C. chichimeca – C. chilensis – C. chionospila – C. chola – C. circumscripta – C. circumscriptus – C. cisnerosi – C. clypearis – C. clypeata – C. cochleariformis – C. coeruleipennis – C. coloboptyche – C. coloratula – C. columbica – C. concavogenalis – C. concolor – C. confusa – C. congoensis – C. conoidea – C. conspersa – C. cordillerana – C. corduvensis – C. coriacea – C. correntina – C. costaricensis – C. cothura – C. coturnix – C. crassiceps – C. crassiventris – C. cuneata – C. cyanura – C. dapitanensis – C. darwiniensis – C. deani – C. decipiens – C. deletangi – C. demeter – C. dentigera – C. desmieri – C. difformis – C. digitata – C. dinellii – C. dispersa – C. diversidentata – C. dobzhanskyi – C. doelloi – C. doeringi – C. dolichos – C. domestica – C. ducalis – C. duckei – C. echinata – C. edentata – C. edita – C. eduardi – C. elata – C. elegantula – C. elizabeth – C. elongata – C. elongativentris – C. elsei – C. emarginata – C. emarginatella – C. epaenete – C. epistene – C. erysimi – C. erythrura – C. excisa – C. eximia – C. exspectata – C. farinosa – C. fenestrata – C. fimbriata – C. florea – C. floridana – C. foersteri – C. fontanae – C. formosicola – C. fossulata – C. foveolata – C. foxii – C. frieseana – C. frigens – C. froggatti – C. fulviceps – C. fulvifrons – C. funeraria – C. fuscipennis – C. galactiae – C. gallardoi – C. genalis – C. genisei – C. genoconcavitus – C. germana – C. giacomellii – C. gigantea – C. gilensis – C. gonaspis – C. gracillima – C. grindeliae – C. guaranitica – C. guptai – C. haematura – C. haemorrhoa – C. heterozona – C. hickeni – C. hiroba – C. hirsutissima – C. hirtiventris – C. holmbergi – C. hosoba – C. huarpum – C. hubrichiana – C. humahuakae – C. hunteri – C. hyalinipennis – C. ignava – C. immaculata – C. incarinata – C. inconspicua – C. indica – C. inermis – C. insita – C. insolita – C. intacta – C. integra – C. intermedia – C. iranica – C. issororensis – C. joergenseni – C. joergenseniana – C. jujuyensis – C. junodi – C. kasachstana – C. katangensis – C. khasiana – C. kosemponis – C. kualana – C. kuscheli – C. labiosa – C. laevicollis – C. laevigata – C. laevis – C. lanceolata – C. langi – C. lata – C. latefasciata – C. laticauda – C. laticeps – C. lativalva – C. lativentris – C. lativentroides – C. laudabilis – C. leopoldensis – C. leopoldinae – C. leptura – C. leucochrysea – C. liberalis – C. ljuba – C. longispina – C. longiventris – C. loricula – C. luangwana – C. lucidicauda – C. luzonica – C. lyprura – C. macaria – C. maculata – C. maculoides – C. madagascariensis – C. magretti – C. manchurica – C. mandibularis – C. manilae – C. mapuche – C. marchalli – C. marginata – C. melanopus – C. mendozina – C. menthae – C. mesae – C. mesopotamica – C. mexicana – C. mielbergi – C. mimetica – C. minuta – C. miranda – C. missionum – C. mitchelli – C. modesta – C. moesta – C. mongolica – C. mutans – C. nasuta – C. natalensis – C. neavei – C. neli – C. nigripes – C. nigrofimbriata – C. nigrura – C. nitidicauda – C. nitidicollis – C. nitidoscutellaris – C. nivosa – C. noa – C. nodis – C. novomexicana – C. oaxacana – C. obtusa – C. obtusata – C. obtusispina – C. obtusivalva – C. obtusiventris – C. occidentalis – C. octodentata – C. octodenticulata – C. odin – C. opacicollis – C. oriplanes – C. osmiae – C. otomita – C. pachyceps – C. pachyrhina – C. palmaris – C. paludicola – C. pampeana – C. paradoxa – C. paraguaya – C. paraguayensis – C. pasteeli – C. patagonica – C. patiens – C. patula – C. pauloensis – C. pedregalensis – C. penetatrix – C. peregrinata – C. pergandei – C. perseus – C. philippensis – C. picicornis – C. pieliana – C. piercei – C. piliclypeus – C. piligena – C. pilivalva – C. planidens – C. platygnatha – C. polycentris – C. pomona – C. popovi – C. porterae – C. postponenda – C. praetextata – C. pratti – C. producta – C. proxima – C. pruinosa – C. pruna – C. pucaraensis – C. pulchella – C. puncticollis – C. pygidialis – C. quadriceps – C. quadridentata – C. quadrifasciata – C. quaerens – C. quartodecimdentata – C. quattuordecimpunctata – C. quechua – C. radoszkowskyi – C. raffrayi – C. ramakrishnae – C. recusata – C. reediana – C. reginae – C. remissa – C. reticulata – C. rhadia – C. rhinosa – C. riojana – C. robusta – C. roigi – C. rosarina – C. rostrata – C. rotundiscutum – C. rubella – C. rufa – C. rufescens – C. ruficincta – C. ruficollis – C. rufipes – C. rufispina – C. rufitarsis – C. rufocincta – C. rufopicta – C. rugicollis – C. rugulosa – C. ruizi – C. ruzi – C. sakamotorum – C. salinaria – C. saltensis – C. sanguinea – C. sanguinicollis – C. sanguinosa – C. sanjuanina – C. sannicolarensis – C. sayi – C. schmidti – C. schulzi – C. scioensis – C. scitula – C. scutellaris – C. scutellotuberculata – C. semenowi – C. semicarinata – C. seminitida – C. serricaudata – C. setosa – C. sexmaculata – C. siamensis – C. simillima – C. slossoni – C. smithii – C. sodalis – C. sogdiana – C. soledadensis – C. somalica – C. somalina – C. spativentris – C. spatulata – C. speculifera – C. spilaspis – C. spinipyga – C. spinosa – C. spissicauda – C. squamatula – C. squamigera – C. squamosa – C. squamosissima – C. squamosoides – C. squamosula – C. strigata – C. subdentata – C. subelongata – C. subhamata – C. subnitens – C. subspinosa – C. subtropicalis – C. sudanensis – C. surinamensis – C. tabayensis – C. tarda – C. tastil – C. tegularis – C. tehuelche – C. tenacior – C. tenax – C. tenebrosa – C. tenebrosoides – C. tepaneca – C. texana – C. tiburonensis – C. tilcarae – C. togoensis – C. tolteca – C. toltecoides – C. torquata – C. torrida – C. torridula – C. totonaca – C. trancas – C. triangula – C. tricarinata – C. tridentata – C. triodonta – C. trispinosa – C. truncaticauda – C. tucumana – C. turbinata – C. ultima – C. umbripennis – C. unicula – C. unidentata – C. variegata – C. verticalis – C. victoriae – C. vigilans – C. vituperabilis – C. wagenknechti – C. warnckei – C. weinlandi – C. weyrauchi – C. wilmattae – C. xinjiangensis – C. yanonis – C. yunnanensis – C. zapoteca – C. zonula
References

Baker, D.B. & M.S. Engel, 2006: A New Subgenus of Megachile from Borneo with Arolia (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). American Museum Novitates 3505: 1–12. DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2006)505[0001:ANSOMF]2.0.CO;2. Full article: [1].
Filhol, L.C.D.R. & Packer, L. 2015: Revision of the Neotropical subgenera Coelioxys (Platycoelioxys) Mitchell and C. (Rhinocoelioxys) Mitchell (Hymenoptera; Megachilidae) with the description of one new species. Zootaxa 3941(2): 151–203. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3941.2.1. Reference page.
Nagase, H., 2006: Synopsis of the bee genus Coelioxys Latreille (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) of Japan, with description of a new species. Entomological Science 9 (2): 223–238. DOI: 10.1111/j.1479-8298.2006.00168.x

Coelioxys, common name leaf-cutting cuckoo bees or sharp-tailed bees , is a genus of solitary kleptoparasitic or brood parasitic bees, belonging to the family Megachilidae.
File:Coelioxys cf conoidea - 2015-07-15.webmPlay media
Coelioxys cf conoidea visits the nest of a leafcutter bee

Diversity

The genus includes about 500 species in 15 subgenera.[1][2]
Selected species

Coelioxys angulata
Coelioxys apicata
Coelioxys capitata
Coelioxys fenestrata
Coelioxys formosicola
Coelioxys fuscipennis
Coelioxys minuta
Coelioxys nitidoscutellaris
Coelioxys rufitarsis
Coelioxys sodalis

For a complete list, see List of Coelioxys species.
Distribution

Coelioxys species can be found in most European countries, in the Afrotropical realm, in the East Palearctic realm, in North Africa, in the Nearctic and Neotropics.[3][1]
Description

Bees within this genus can reach a length of 8–12 millimetres (0.31–0.47 in). They show a broad head with large complex eyes and broad thorax and abdomen. Their body is only moderately hairy. They are usually black with white hair stripes. Legs maybe red or black. The females of Coelioxys species have a long pointed abdomen that resembles a cone, used to pierce the leaf lining in the laying of eggs. The male's abdomen is armed with spines or teeth.[1]

They are known to sometimes sleep upside down on vegetation.[4]
Biology

These cuckoo bees are usually active from June to September, depending on the specific host species. They have no pollen-carrying adaptations, as they do not need to provision nests. Adults feed on nectar at flowers of a wide range of different nectar plants. In fact they mainly lay their eggs in the nests of bees in the genus Megachile, but also in the nests of Osmia and Anthophora, on their provisions of pollen. As this behavior is similar to that of cuckoos, such bees are sometimes referred to as "cuckoo bees". These host-parasite relationships are quite complex. The larvae of Coelioxys species kill the host larvae with their strongly developed mandibles and feed on the host's pollen provisions. They spin a cocoon at 11–16 days. These species are usually univoltine, but for some species a second generation is possible.[1][5]

References

"Genus Coelioxys - Cuckoo-leaf-cutter Bees". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
"ITIS Standard Report Page: Coelioxys". Retrieved 25 November 2014.
Fauna europaea
Emry, Paige. Our Native Bees. p. 79.

"Bees of the Week: genus Coelioxys". The bees needs. Retrieved 6 October 2014.

Baker, J. R. 1975. Taxonomy of five nearctic subgenera of Coelioxys (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). University of Kansas Science Bulletin 50: 649–730.