Sphecodes species from Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Picture taken by Sam Droege, USGS BIML

Sphecodes species from Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Picture taken by Sam Droege, USGS BIML

Sphecodes species from Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Picture taken by Sam Droege, USGS BIML

Sphecodes species from Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Picture taken by Sam Droege, USGS BIML

I have yet to identify the species, but I believe this genus is new to island. It may have come in from neighboring islands, or it may be a new species altogether.

Fingers crossed that it’s new!

While at the Bee course this August, I found out that a bee I thought was Lasioglossum was actually another Sphecodes. I didn’t recognize it since it was all black…but after a bit of reading, I found out that male Sphecodes look quite different from females.

Male Sphecodes side

Male Sphecodes face

Here’s another new genus for the island!

Female Ceratina guarnacciana species collected in a pepper field using bee bowls. Picture take by Andrew Ernst NCSU

Female Ceratina guarnacciana species collected in a pepper field using bee bowls. Picture take by Andrew Ernst NCSU

It’s the first record of a bee of Ceratina in Puerto Rico. A Caribbean bee expert , Julio Genaro, said: ” it is a great result from the biogeographical point of view”.