Colletes

{{Short description|Genus of bees}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Colletidae - Colletes hederae-2.JPG

| image_caption = Colletes hederae

| taxon = Colletes

| authority = Latreille, 1802 {{ITIS |id=634074 |taxon=Colletes}}

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = over 450

}}

File:Colletes cunicularius - botanischer Garten Schönbrunn.jpgin nest entrance]]

File:Colletes phaceliae, f, back, Pennington Co, South Dakota 2015-12-01-12.06 (24362960119).jpg

File:Colletes compactus.jpg]]

File:Colletes speculiferus f2.jpg]]

File:Colletes thysanellae.jpg]]

The genus Colletes (plasterer bees or cellophane bees) is a large group of ground-nesting bees of the family Colletidae. They occur primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. They tend to be solitary, but sometimes nest close together in aggregations. Species in the genus build cells in underground nests that are lined with a cellophane-like plastic secretion, a true polyester,Hefetz, A., et al. (1979). [https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.204.4391.415 Natural polyesters: Dufour's gland macrocyclic lactones form brood cell laminesters in Colletes bees.] Science 204(4391), 415-17. earning them the nickname polyester bees.Eveleth, R. and D. Chachra. [http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=from-pollen-to-polyester Can Bees Make Tupperware?] Scientific American December 19, 2011.

{{as of|2012}} there were about 469 described species, and an estimated total around 700.Proshchalykin, M. Y. and M. Kuhlmann. (2012). [http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2012/f/z03488p040f.pdf The bees of the genus Colletes Latreille 1802 of the Ukraine, with a key to species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae).] Zootaxa 3488 1-40. They occur throughout the world except in Antarctica, Australia, Madagascar, and Southeast Asia. There are about 60 species in Europe and about 100 in North America north of Mexico.Deyrup, M. A. and L. D. Deyrup. (2011). [http://journals.fcla.edu/flaent/article/view/76706/74287 Colletes francesae, a new species of colletid bee (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) associated with Sideroxylon tenax (Sapotaceae) in Florida scrub habitat.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141120032418/http://journals.fcla.edu/flaent/article/view/76706/74287 |date=2014-11-20 }} Florida Entomologist 94(4) 897-901.