Author: Panzer, 1809

Type species: Megilla labiata Fabricius, 1805 = Megilla fulvipes Fabricius, 1805, monobasic.
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Melittidae
SubF: Melittinae
Tribe: Macropidini
Distinctive traits
  • 2 submarginal cells
  • enlarged posterior legs in males (yellow face)
  • well-developped pygidial plates in males
  • 2nd tarsal segment attached to the ventral side of the hind basitarsus.
Pictures of distinctive traits.
Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them
  • Macropis - Melitta
Macropis species have a normal last tarsal segment.
Melitta species have an enlarged last tarsal segment.
  • Macropis - Eucera & Anthophorini
Macropis species have short mouthparts (short-tongue morphology), a developed marginal cell and males have antennae not extremely elongated.
Eucera and Anthophorini species have long mouthparts (long-tongue morphology).
General comments on Macropis species identification
European species can be identified by their colour patterns of face, labrum or interior face of the posterior basitarsi.
Prepared specimens should have the posterior legs slightly spread out. Male genitalia can help identification.
Sorry, but the species identification tool is not yet available for Macropis. 
Please check the reference(s) below for traditional keys.
List of the 3 Macropis species found in Europe (Ghisbain et al. 2023):
Macropis (Macropis) europaea Warncke, 1973
Macropis (Macropis) frivaldszkyi Mocsáry, 1878
Macropis (Macropis) fulvipes (Fabricius, 1804)
References with identification keys for some of the species:
  • Michez D. & Patiny S. (2005). World revision of the oil-collecting bee genus Macropis Panzer 1809 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Melittidae) with a description of a new species from Laos. Annales de la Société entomologique de France (n. s.) 41: 15-28.
Online resources:
Atlas hymenoptera (World, Europe & Belgium)
BWARS (UK)
Discover Life (World)
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
Page contributors:
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2023)
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2019)

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References used to write this page:
  • Ghisbain, G., Rosa, P., Bogusch, P., Flaminio, S., Le Divelec, R., Dorchin, A., Kasparek, M., Kuhlmann, M., Litman, J., Mignot, M., Müller, A., Praz, C., Radchenko, V.G., Rasmont, P., Risch, S., Roberts, S.P.M., Smit, J., Wood, T.J., Michez, D. & Reverte, S. (2023). The new annotated checklist of the wild bees of Europe (Hymenoptera: Anthophila). Zootaxa, 5327(1), 1-147.
  • 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.