Pacific Maritime Big Book of Bees
Created and designed by Cait Harrigan & Kath Quayle
Big Book of Bees!
This book features a gallery of native bee species that have been documented in BC’s Pacific Maritime ecozone at one time or another. The gallery is based on the comprehensive list of species published by Sheffield and Heron in 2018 together with more recent research grade sightings in iNaturalist, GBIF and the Galiano Biodiversity Life List.
Images have been collected from iNaturalist as well as from the Spencer Entomological Collection (SEC) Collection, to whom we give special thanks for allowing us to reproduce their specimen images for this book.
We indicate some attributes with the following badges:
| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| SH list | Species present on Sheffield and Heron 2018 list |
| PM Evidence | Physical evidence exists for this species’ presence in the Pacific Maritime (research-grade image, or preserved specimen) |
| Galiano | Evidence for this species’ presence on Galiano Island, BC |
Why we made this book
We made this book to provide easy access to information that can help you identify native bees that have been found in BC’s Pacific Maritime region. The photo gallery lets you compare your bee picture or specimen to species known to be in the region, and links to GBIF and iNaturalist maps show you where and when different species have been observed.
We focus on the Pacific Maritime region, and link out to records of the same species if they’ve been spotted elsewhere in the world. Our goal is not to duplicate functionality of well-established aggregators, but to provide different options for organizing and visualizing the same data.
Example usage:
- Select a species in the gallery
- Check out the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) map where available
- Compare with your own observations to help identify bees
The species pages are set up to help answer “When was this species last seen in the Pacific Maritime?”
Ecozones of British Columbia
This resource focuses on the Pacific Maritime ecozone in BC, Canada. For the exact polygon definition we used for this ecozone, see the GBIF data DOI link below.
See the Ecozones Framework of Canada for more information.
Data Completeness
Bee book gallery shows two pieces of information per species page:
- Bee image (curated by KQ)
- Map of observations in Pacific Maritime (pulled from GBIF)
Page completeness is as follows:
Family coverage
Bee families in the Pacific Maritime
These maps show observations from GBIF for bee families in the Pacific Maritime. Double click any genus to isolate it on the map. 37 historical datasets are represented in our GBIF data, downloaded December 27th 2023.
Sheffield and Heron’s 2018 baseline reference list: 3 genuses, 54 species (Andrena, 52; Panurginus, 1; Perdita, 1).
Physical records of preserved specimens or images documented in GBIF, iNaturalist, the Spencer Entomological Collection, or the Galiano Life List: 2 genuses, 45 species (Andrena, 44; Panurginus, 1).
| Andrena cressonii | Andrena cyanophila | Andrena erythrogaster |
| Andrena excellens | Andrena forbesii | Andrena fulvicrista |
| Andrena lillooetensis | Andrena mariae | Andrena milwaukeensis |
| Andrena schuhi | Andrena scurra | Andrena sigmundi |
| Andrena singularis | Andrena striatifrons | Andrena subaustralis |
| Andrena washingtoni | Panurginus ineptus | Perdita nevadensis |
| Andrena amphibola | Andrena angustitarsata | Andrena auricoma |
| Andrena barbilabris | Andrena buckelli | Andrena caerulea |
| Andrena candida | Andrena chlorura | Andrena cleodora |
| Andrena columbiana | Andrena crataegi | Andrena cupreotincta |
| Andrena frigida | Andrena hemileuca | Andrena hippotes |
| Andrena medionitens | Andrena melanochroa | Andrena miranda |
| Andrena miserabilis | Andrena nigrihirta | Andrena nigrocaerulea |
| Andrena nivalis | Andrena perarmata | Andrena perplexa |
| Andrena prunorum | Andrena rufosignata | Andrena saccata |
| Andrena salicifloris | Andrena subtilis | Andrena thaspii |
| Andrena transnigra | Andrena trevoris | Andrena vicina |
| Andrena vicinoides | Andrena vierecki | Andrena w-scripta |
| Species | Summary note |
|---|---|
| Andrena algida | Collected in the Galiano Island, 2017 community bee inventory event (specimen LRB17-3662, private collection) |
| Andrena angustella | Collected on Galiano Island in 1984 (specimen in the Spencer Entomological Collection). Sheffield and Heron note this determination is questionable |
| Andrena astragali | Sighted on Galiano Island in 2018 with multiple subsequent sightings in 2020 to 2023 (iNaturalist) |
| Andrena concinnula | Collected in the Lower Mainland in 1983 (specimen in the Spencer Entomological Collection) |
| Andrena fuscicauda | Collected on Galiano Island in the 2017 community bee inventory event (specimen LRB17-3745, private collection) |
| Andrena pallidifovea | Collected in the Fraser Valley in 1890 (specimen in the Snow Entomological Museum Collection) |
| Andrena regularis | Collected in the Fraser Valley in 1927 (specimen in the Illinois Natural History Survey Insect Collection) |
| Andrena tridens | Collected on Vancouver Island in 1989 (specimen in the Illinos Natural History Insect Collection) |
| Panurginus atriceps | Collected on Vancouver Island in 2005 and 2009, and again in the Fraser Valley in 2013 (specimens in the Spencer Entomological Collection and the Bees of British Columbia Hymenoptera Collection) |
Sheffield and Heron’s 2018 baseline reference list: 11 genuses, 50 species (Anthophora, 5; Apis, 1; Bombus, 21; Ceratina, 3; Epeolus, 2; Eucera, 3; Habropoda, 2; Melecta, 2; Melissodes, 1; Nomada, 9; Triepeolus, 1).
Physical records of preserved specimens or images documented in GBIF, iNaturalist, the Spencer Entomological Collection, or the Galiano Life List: 12 genuses, 50 species (Anthophora, 6; Apis, 1; Bombus, 27; Ceratina, 2; Epeolus, 2; Eucera, 1; Habropoda, 2; Melecta, 1; Melissodes, 2; Nomada, 4; Triepeolus, 1; Xylocopa, 1).
| Anthophora occidentalis | Anthophora porterae | Bombus centralis |
| Bombus morrisoni | Bombus perplexus | Ceratina pacifica |
| Eucera actuosa | Eucera frater lata | Eucera hirsutissima |
| Melecta pacifica fulvida | Melecta pacifica pacifica | Nomada bella |
| Nomada citrina | Nomada grayi | Nomada perbella |
| Nomada rhodomelas | Nomada superba | Nomada ultima |
| Anthophora bomboides | Anthophora terminalis | Anthophora urbana |
| Apis mellifera | Bombus appositus | Bombus caliginosus |
| Bombus fervidus | Bombus flavidus | Bombus flavifrons |
| Bombus impatiens | Bombus insularis | Bombus melanopygus |
| Bombus mixtus | Bombus neoboreus | Bombus nevadensis |
| Bombus occidentalis | Bombus rufocinctus | Bombus sitkensis |
| Bombus suckleyi | Bombus sylvicola | Bombus vancouverensis |
| Bombus vosnesenskii | Ceratina acantha | Ceratina nanula |
| Epeolus minimus | Epeolus olympiellus | Habropoda cineraria |
| Habropoda miserabilis | Melissodes microsticta | Nomada crotchii |
| Nomada edwardsii | Triepeolus paenepectoralis |
| Species | Summary note |
|---|---|
| Anthophora edwardsii | Sighted on Vancouver Island in 2022 with no subsequent sightings (iNaturalist) |
| Anthophora pacifica | Sighted on Vancouver Island in 2019 with multiple subsequent sightings in 2020 to 2023 (iNaturalist) |
| Anthophora ursina | Collected on Galiano Island, 2018 (iNaturalist - non research grade) |
| Bombus borealis | Collected in the Fraser Valley in 1931 (specimen in the Snow Entomological Museum Collection) |
| Bombus californicus | Sighted on Vancouver Island in 2015 with multiple subsequent sightings in 2016 to 2023 and in and around Vancouver from 2019 and east to Chilliwack and beyond (iNaturalist) |
| Bombus fernaldae | Collected on Vancouver Island, in the Gulf Islands, and the Lower Mainland in the 1930’s and 1950’s, and in the Northern Pacific maritime in the 1960’s. The most recent specimen was collected in the Lower Mainland in 1982 (specimens in multiple museum collections including the Snow Entomological Museum Collection and the Bombus of Canada Collection) |
| Bombus huntii | Sighted in Maple Ridge in 2019 with further sightings in the Lower Mainland in 2022 and 2023 (iNaturalist) |
| Bombus mckayi | Sighted in the Stikine region in 2020, 2022, amd 2023 (iNaturalist) |
| Bombus pensylvanicus | Collected on Vancouver Island In 1947 (specimen in the Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection) |
| Bombus polaris | Collected on Vancouver Island in 1947 (specimen in the Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection) |
| Bombus terricola | Collected on Vancouver Island (1961) and the Lower Mainland (1964) and again on Vancouver in 1978 (specimens in the Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory and the LACM entomology Collection) |
| Bombus vagans | Sighted in Garibaldi, Squamish in 2021 with multiple sightings throughout BC’s interior from 2013 to 2023 (iNaturalist) |
| Eucera cordleyi | Collected on Galiano Island in the 2017 community bee inventory event (specimen LRB17-4131, private collection) |
| Melecta separata | Sighted on Vancouver Island in 2020 with multiple subsequent sightings in 2021 to 2023 (iNaturalist) |
| Melissodes rivalis | Collected on Galiano Island, 2018 (iNaturalist - non research grade) |
| Nomada alboguttata | Collected on Vancouver Island In 2007 (material sample in iBOL Project) |
| Nomada lepida | Collected on Vancouver Island in 2009 (material sample in iBOL Project) |
| Xylocopa brasilianorum | Collected in the Lower Mainland in 1949 (specimen in the C.A. Triplehorn Insect Collection) |
Sheffield and Heron’s 2018 baseline reference list: 2 genuses, 5 species (Colletes, 2; Hylaeus, 3).
Physical records of preserved specimens or images documented in GBIF, iNaturalist, the Spencer Entomological Collection, or the Galiano Life List: 2 genuses, 5 species (Colletes, 2; Hylaeus, 3).
| Hylaeus annulatus |
| Colletes fulgidus |
| Colletes kincaidii |
| Hylaeus basalis |
| Hylaeus modestus |
| Species | Summary note |
|---|---|
| Hylaeus punctatus | Sighted in the Lower Mainland in 2021 with a sighting on Vancouver Island the same week. Subsequent further sightings in 2021 to 2023 (iNaturalist) |
Sheffield and Heron’s 2018 baseline reference list: 4 genuses, 42 species (Agapostemon, 2; Halictus, 2; Lasioglossum, 35; Sphecodes, 3).
Physical records of preserved specimens or images documented in GBIF, iNaturalist, the Spencer Entomological Collection, or the Galiano Life List: 4 genuses, 42 species (Agapostemon, 2; Halictus, 5; Lasioglossum, 31; Sphecodes, 4).
| Agapostemon obliquus | Lasioglossum albipenne | Lasioglossum albohirtum |
| Lasioglossum boreale | Lasioglossum brunneiventre | Lasioglossum cordleyi |
| Lasioglossum diatretum | Lasioglossum hyalinum | Lasioglossum inconditum |
| Lasioglossum macoupinense | Lasioglossum nigrum | Lasioglossum novascotiae |
| Lasioglossum planatum | Lasioglossum pruinosum | Lasioglossum quebecense |
| Lasioglossum reasbeckae | Lasioglossum sandhousiellum |
| Agapostemon texanus | Halictus confusus | Halictus rubicundus |
| Lasioglossum anhypops | Lasioglossum argemonis | Lasioglossum cressonii |
| Lasioglossum egregium | Lasioglossum incompletum | Lasioglossum knereri |
| Lasioglossum laevissimum | Lasioglossum marinense | Lasioglossum mellipes |
| Lasioglossum nevadense | Lasioglossum olympiae | Lasioglossum ovaliceps |
| Lasioglossum pacatum | Lasioglossum pacificum | Lasioglossum ruidosense |
| Lasioglossum sisymbrii | Lasioglossum subversans | Lasioglossum yukonae |
| Lasioglossum zonulum | Sphecodes arvensiformis | Sphecodes clematidis |
| Sphecodes pecosensis |
| Species | Summary note |
|---|---|
| Agapostemon virescens | Sighted in the Lower mainland and on Vancouver Island in 2023 (iNaturalist) |
| Halictus ligatus | Sighted in the Lower Mainland in 2023 with no subsequent sightings (iNaturalist) |
| Halictus quadricinctus | Collected in the Lower Mainland in 1929 (specimen in the Illinois Natural History Insect Collection) |
| Halictus tripartitus | Collected on Galiano Island, 2018 (iNaturalist - non research grade). Sighted on Vancouver Island in 2021 with subsequent sightings in 2023 (iNaturalist) |
| Lasioglossum abundipunctum | Collected on Galiano Island in 1983 (specimen in the Spencer Entomological Collection) |
| Lasioglossum athabascense | Collected in the Lower Mainland (1929) and the Fraser Valley in 2003 (specimens in the Illinois Natural History Survey Collection and the Ratti Master Thesis Collection) |
| Lasioglossum cinctipes | Collected in the Lower Mainland in 1929 (specimen in the Illinois Natural History Survey Insect Collection) |
| Lasioglossum colatum | Sighted on Vancouver Island in 2005 (specimen in the Spencer Entomological Collection) with no subsequent sightings |
| Lasioglossum dashwoodi | Collected on Vancouver Island in 2005 and 2009 (material sample in iBOL Project) |
| Lasioglossum leucozonium | Collected in the Lower Mainland in 1929 and 1931 (specimens in the Illinois Natural History Survey Insect Collection) |
| Lasioglossum oblongum | Collected in the Lower Mainland in 1929 (specimen in the Illinois Natural Histroy Survey Insect Collection) |
| Lasioglossum sedi | Collected in the Lower Mainland in 1940 with subsequent sightings in Manning Park in 1981 and 1983, Winter Harbour 1979, Ucluelet 1985, and Texada Island 1986 (specimens in the Spencer Entomological Collection) |
| Lasioglossum titusi | First reported in Cowichan Garry Oak Reserve in 2005 and again in 2009 (specimens in the Spencer Entomological Collection) |
| Lasioglossum versans | Collected in Lion’s Bay, 1965 and subsequently in the Gulf Islands 1979 and again in 1983 (specimens in the Spencer Entomological Collection) |
| Lasioglossum versatum | First reported on Galiano Island in 1984 (specimen in the Spencer Entomological collection) |
| Lasioglossum villosulum | Collected on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in 2010 and 2014, respectively (specimens in the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics and material samples in the iBOL project) |
| Sphecodes mandibularis | Collected in the Lower Mainland in 2010 (material sample in the iBOL Project) |
Sheffield and Heron’s 2018 baseline reference list: 7 genuses, 55 species (Anthidium, 1; Coelioxys, 9; Dianthidium, 1; Hoplitis, 7; Megachile, 16; Osmia, 17; Stelis, 4).
Physical records of preserved specimens or images documented in GBIF, iNaturalist, the Spencer Entomological Collection, or the Galiano Life List: 7 genuses, 50 species (Anthidium, 4; Coelioxys, 4; Dianthidium, 2; Hoplitis, 3; Megachile, 15; Osmia, 20; Stelis, 2).
| Coelioxys alternata | Coelioxys apacheorum | Coelioxys banksi |
| Coelioxys funeraria | Coelioxys grindeliae | Coelioxys modesta |
| Hoplitis albifrons argentifrons | Hoplitis hypocrita | Hoplitis louisae |
| Hoplitis robusta robusta | Hoplitis sambuci | Megachile apicalis |
| Megachile centuncularis | Megachile gentilis | Megachile parallela |
| Osmia brevis | Osmia inurbana | Osmia mertensiae |
| Osmia nanula | Osmia nigriventris | Osmia proxima |
| Osmia texana | Stelis maculata | Stelis ricardonis |
| Anthidium manicatum | Coelioxys porterae | Coelioxys rufitarsis |
| Coelioxys sodalis | Dianthidium subparvum | Hoplitis fulgida |
| Hoplitis producta | Megachile angelarum | Megachile fidelis |
| Megachile frigida | Megachile gemula | Megachile lapponica |
| Megachile melanophaea | Megachile montivaga | Megachile perihirta |
| Megachile pugnata | Megachile relativa | Megachile rotundata |
| Megachile texana | Osmia albolateralis | Osmia bella |
| Osmia bucephala | Osmia caerulescens | Osmia densa |
| Osmia dolerosa | Osmia kincaidii | Osmia lignaria |
| Osmia pusilla | Osmia tristella | Stelis ashmeadiellae |
| Stelis lateralis |
| Species | Summary note |
|---|---|
| Anthidium maculosum | Sighted on Vancouver Island in 2022 with no subsequent sightings (iNaturalist) |
| Anthidium mormonum | Collected in the Fraser Valley in 1931 and 1951 (specimens in the Snow Entomological Museum Collection) |
| Anthidium oblongatum | Sighted in the Lower Mainland in 2020 with subsequent sightings in 2021 to 2023, as well as a sighting on Vancouver Island in 2022 (iNaturalist) |
| Coelioxys moesta | Collected on Vancouver Island in 2009 (material sample in the iBOL Project) |
| Dianthidium pudicum | Collected on Galiano Island, 2018 (iNaturalist - non research grade) |
| Hoplitis albifrons | |
| Megachile circumcincta | Collected in North Vancouver in 1986 (specimen in Jeffery V. Freeman Personal Bee Collection) |
| Megachile inermis | Sighted in North Vancouver in 2021 with no subsequent sightings (iNaturalist) |
| Megachile mendica | Collected in Vancouver in 1957 with no subsequent sightings (specimen in the Spencer Entomological Collection) |
| Osmia coloradensis | First reported in 2021 on Vancouver Island with a subsequent sighting in 2023 (iNaturalist) |
| Osmia cornuta | First reported in the Lower Mainland in 2023 (iNaturalist) |
| Osmia juxta | Collected on Vancouver Island in 1903 (Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory dataset) with a subsequent sighting on the Island in 2009 (specimen in the Spencer Entomological Collection) |
| Osmia longula | Collected on Vancouver Island in 1903 and Gabriola in 1908 (Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory dataset) and subsequently on Galiano Island in 1972 and Vancouver Island in 1989 (specimens in the Spencer Entomological Collection) |
| Osmia malina | Collected on Vancouver Island in 2007 (specimen in the Bees of British Columbia Hymenoptera Collection) |
| Osmia montana | Collected in North Vancouver in 1987, on Hornby Island in 1989 and in the Lower Mainland in 2003 (specimens in the Spencer Entomological Collection) |
| Osmia odontogaster | Collected on Vancouver Island in 2005 and again in 2007 (specimens in the Spencer Entomological Collection) |
| Osmia pentstemonis | Collected in the Fraser Valley in 1988 (specimen in the Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory) |
| Osmia subaustralis | Collected on Galiano Island, 2018 (iNaturalist - non research grade) |
| Osmia trevoris | Collected on Vancouver Island in 2009 (specimen in the Spencer Entomological Collection) |
Sheffield and Heron’s 2018 baseline reference list: 1 genuses, 1 species (Macropis, 1).
Physical records of preserved specimens or images documented in GBIF, iNaturalist, the Spencer Entomological Collection, or the Galiano Life List: 1 genuses, 1 species (Macropis, 1).
| Macropis nuda |
Last updated: 2024-02-02 13:00:05
Footnotes
Cannings, R. A. (2016). The Ecozones of British Columbia, with special reference to Lepidoptera.↩︎
Demarchi DA. Third edition March, 2011. An introduction to the ecoregions of British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/plants-animals-and-ecosystems/ecosystems/broad-ecosystem/an_introduction_to_the_ecoregions_of_british_columbia.pdf. Accessed 25/08/2023.↩︎