Epicharis

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: Apidae
Subfamilia: Apinae
Tribus: Centridini
Genus: Epicharis
Subgenera: E. (Anepicharis) – E. (Cyphepicharis) – E. (Epicharana) – E. (Epicharis) – E. (Epicharitides) – E. (Epicharoides) – E. (Hoplepicharis) – E. (Parepicharis) – E. (Triepicharis)
Overview of species

E. affinis – E. albifacies – E. albofasciata – E. analis – E. angulosa – E. bicolor – E. binotata – E. bova – E. cockerelli – E. conica – E. dejeanii – E. duckei – E. elegans – E. fasciata – E. flava – E. flavotaeniata – E. iheringii – E. lindigii – E. lunulata – E. luteocincta – E. maculata – E. metatarsalis – E. minima – E. monozona – E. morio – E. nigrita – E. obscura – E. picta – E. pygialis – E. rufescens – E. rustica – E. umbraculata – E. xanthogastra – E. zonata
Name

Epicharis Klug, 1807
References

Melo, G.A.R. 2014: The type species of the bee genus Epicharis Klug, 1807 (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Journal of natural history, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2014.909066 Reference page.
Schrottky, C. 1908: Die bisher aus Paraguay bekannten Arten der Bienengattungen Epicharis und Hemisia. (Hym.). Z. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol. 8: 93–99.
Vélez, D. & Silveira, F.A. 2006: Synonymic note on Epicharis (Triepicharis) Moure, 1945 (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Lundiana, 7(2): 151–154.

The genus Epicharis contains fewer than 40 species of large apid bees occurring in the Neotropics (from Mexico to Brazil [1]), most of which possess adaptations for carrying floral oils rather than (or in addition to) pollen or nectar. The floral oils are typically gathered from plants of the family Malpighiaceae, though other plants may be visited. They also commonly gather plant resins for use in nest cell construction. Recent studies have shown they are sister to the clade formed by corbiculate bees (the most well-known and economically important group of bees) plus Centris [2] They are large bees, generally with a black head and mesosoma, and the metasoma is often red, and/or has bright yellow spots or bands. They are distinguished from the closely related genus Centris by two sets of three long, whip-like setae that project backwards from just behind the eyes.
References

Moure, J. S. "Catalogue of Bees of Neotropical Region". Catalogue of Bees of Neotropical Region - online version. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
Martins, Aline C.; Melo, Gabriel A. R.; Renner, Susanne S. "The corbiculate bees arose from New World oil-collecting bees: Implications for the origin of pollen baskets". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 80: 88. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.07.003. PMID 25034728.