Plaster and masked bees
The Colletidae family has just two genera of bees in Washington. They excrete and use their tongues to spread a cellophane-like substance to coat the cell walls in their nests. Hylaeus are the masked bees - both males and females usually have yellow markings on their faces.
Bee size
Bee size
- Very small to medium
- 30
- Colletes
- Hylaeus
- Line brood cells with waterproof, cellophane-like material that the bee itself excreets
- Specialized, broad tongue tips for spreading brood cell lining
- Carry pollen on legs or internal crop
Colletes
Photo by Kris Ethington
Hylaeus basalis
Photo by Karla Salp
Colletes
Photo by Lisa Hill
Hylaeus
Photo by Aidan Hersh