Macropis Panzer, 1809

Özbek, Hikmet & Online, Published, 2014, Distribution data on the family Melittidae (Hymenoptera) of Turkey with considerations about their importance as pollinators, Turkish Journal of Zoology 38 (2), pp. 444-459 : 450

3.2. Genus Macropis Panzer, 1809

Macropis is the most distinctive genus of Melittinae ; the front wing has 2 submarginal cells, the face of the male is yellow, and there is a well-developed pygidial plate in both sexes ( Michener, 1981). Oil-collecting bees are found worldwide and always in association with particular oilproducing flowers ( Bassin et al., 2011). The oil-collecting and transporting structure of Macropis features short, dense, velvety hairs on the small segments of all the tarsi for collecting the oil and the broad hind tibia and basitarsus with fine, dense, plumose scopal hairs for oil transport ( Michener, 2007). All females of the Macropis species collect oil and pollen from flowers of Lysimachia ( Primulaceae ) as larval food ( Rozen and Jacobson, 1980; Cane et al., 1983; Michez and Patiny, 2005). Since Lysimachia produces no nectar, adults of Macropis visit other flowers for their own energy needs ( Pekkarinen et al., 2003; Michez and Patiny, 2005).

Macropis includes 16 species in three subgenera: Paramacropis Popov and Guiglia, 1936 ; Sinomacropis Michener, 1981 ; and Macropis Panzer s. str., occurring in the eastern Palearctic, in China, and in the Holarctic region including Turkey, respectively ( Michez and Patiny, 2005).