List of bees of Sri Lanka explained

Sri Lanka is a tropical island situated close to the southern tip of India. The invertebrate fauna found here is diverse: there are approximately 2 million species of arthropods found across the world and the number is rising, as many new species continue to be discovered. As such, it is difficult to specify the exact number of species found within a certain region. The following list describes the Bees of Sri Lanka.

Bees

Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera. Suborder: Apocrita.

Bees are the primary pollinators of terrestrial flowering plants. The hairs within their bodies help to function as efficient pollinators. The greatest levels of bee diversity are confined to warm temperate regions of the world. There are approximately 70,000 bee species described in the world with nearly 450 genera and 7 families. Sri Lanka comprises 149 species of 38 genera and 4 families. Bee research in Sri Lanka is carried out in large part by Dr. Inoka Karunaratne et al. from University of Peradeniya.[1] [2]

Family: Apidae Common bees

Family Colletidae - Polyester bees

Family: Halictidae - Sweat bees

Family: Megachilidae - Leafcutter bees

Undescribed

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dr. Inoka Karunaratne . Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya . 27 September 2016.
  2. Web site: Keys to the identification of common bees of Sri Lanka . Academia,edu . 27 September 2016.
  3. Web site: An updated checklist of bees of sri lanka with new records . Academia . 27 September 2016. Karunaratne . Inoka .