Authors: Lepeletier and Serville, 1825

Type species: Trachusa cincta Jurine, 1807, monobasic.
Synonyms: Hoplopasites Ashmead, 1898; Chrysopheon Titus, 1901.
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Megachilidae
SubF: Megachilinae
Tribe: Dioxyini
Distinctive traits
  • 2 submarginal cells
  • females without scopa (cleptoparasite)
  • bidentate mandible
  • scutellum with two postero-lateral spines
  • labrum without a basal transverse carina
  • T6 wide in females
Pictures of distinctive traits.
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Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them
  • Dioxys - Aglaoapis & Metadioxys
Dioxys species have no transverse carina on the labrum. Male genitalia are more than twice as long as width of the gonobase.
Aglaoapis & Metadioxys species have a transverse carina on the labrum above the closed mandibles. Male genitalia are less than twice as long as width of the gonobase.

  • Dioxys - Paradioxys
Dioxys species have no carina between the lateral teeth of the scutellum. The tip of the female abdomen is not needle-like.
Paradioxys species have a clear carina between the lateral teeth of the scutellum . The tip of the female abdomen is needle-like due to an elongate and pointed sternite 6.
  • Dioxys - Ensliniana
Dioxys species have a scutellum with two spines.
Ensliniana species have a rounded scutellum.
  • Dioxys - Stelis
Dioxys species have the second recurrent vein reaching within the second submarginal cell.
Stelis species have the second recurrent vein reaching at or beyond (apically) to the second submarginal cell.
  • Dioxys - Coelioxys
Dioxys species have rounded axillae, and 2 spine-like postero-lateral projections of the scutellum. The tip of the abdomen is not pointed in females.
Coelioxys species have 2 tooth-like axillae and a rounded scutellum. The tip of the abdomen is pointed in females.
General comments on Dioxys species identification
Species identification characters are located on sternites, labrum, scutellum, antennae and male genitalia.
Sorry, but the species identification tool is not yet available for Dioxys. 
Please check the reference(s) below for traditional keys.
List of the 6 Dioxys species found in Europe (UICN 2014 + Rasmont et al. 2017)
Dioxys (Dioxys) ardens Gerstaecker, 1869
Dioxys (Dioxys) atlantica Saunders, 1904
Dioxys (Dioxys) cinctus ( Jurine, 1807)
Dioxys (Dioxys) lanzarotensis Tkalcu, 2001
Dioxys (Dioxys) moestus Costa, 1883
Dioxys (Dioxys) pumilus Gerstaecker, 1869
References with identification keys for some of the species:
  • Amiet, F., Herrmann, M., Müller, A., & Neumeyer, R. (2004). Apidae 4: Anthidium, Chelostoma, Coelioxys, Dioxys, Heriades, Lithurgus, Megachile, Osmia, Stelis. Fauna Helvetica 9. Centre suisse de cartographie de la faune (CSCF), Neuchâtel 273pp.
Online resources:
Atlas hymenoptera (Belgium)
Exotic Bee ID (World)
Discover Life (World)
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
Page contributors:
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2019)

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References used to write this page:
  • Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World, 2nd Edition. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
  • Michez D., Rasmont P., Terzo, M., Vereecken, N. 2019. Abeilles d'Europes. Hymenoptères d'Europes, Volume 1. N.A.P. Editions.
  • Nieto, A., Roberts, S. P., Kemp, J., Rasmont, P., Kuhlmann, M., García Criado, M., ... & Michez, D. 2014. European red list of bees. Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union, 98.
  •  Rasmont, P., Devalez, Jelle, Pauly, A., Michez, D. & Radchenko, V.G. 2017. Addition to the checklist of IUCN European wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Annales de la Société entomologique de France 53: 17-32.