Everything about Squash Bee totally explained
The name
Squash bee is applied to two related genera of
bees in the tribe
Eucerini;
Peponapis and
Xenoglossa. Both genera are
oligoleges (pollen specialists) on the plant genus
Cucurbita and closely-related plants (squash, cucumbers, etc.). They are small genera, containing only 13 and 7 described species, respectively, and their combined range is nearly identical to the range of
Cucurbita in the New World, from
South America to
North America. Their range has become somewhat expanded along with the movement of cucurbits into other areas (as crop plants). The bees themselves are of moderate size, equal to various
bumblebees. The pollen-carrying hairs on their legs (the
scopa) are unbranched or nearly so, and sparse, to accommodate the exceptionally large, coarse pollen of the host plants. They have also evolved a
matinal daily activity cycle, flying before sunrise. Some
Xenoglossa species have become morphologically specialized to fly while it's still dark, with greatly enlarged
ocelli to allow them to fly in near-darkness.
The two genera are sometimes thought to be
sister taxa, but there are enough differences between them to suggest that the similarities may be due to
convergent evolution, based on their adaptation to utilize the same host plants.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Squash Bee'.
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