Insects of Hawaii, vol. 17

This volume of Insects of Hawaii is a systematic treatment of the native bees of the Hawaiian Islands. Believed to be descendants of a single female that arrived in the ancient archipelago millions of years ago, the native yellow-faced bees are prime examples of extraordinary evolutionary radiation. Despite their evolutionary and ecological importance, no comprehensive work has been published on them until now.

A total of fifty-nine species are recognized, including nine new species. Detailed keys for the identification of species are provided for males and, for the first time, females. The history of collections of the bees, their taxonomy, attributes for dispersal, biology, ecology, and relations to flower plants are discussed. Treatments of each species include annotated synonymy and other references; diagnosis of identifying features and general distribution; description of male and female; localities where first collected and recent collections; flower records; and remarks on taxonomic problems and other information. Line drawings of the male head and genitalia are included to facilitate identification, and all recent collection records are provided in an appendix. 67 illus.