Author: Jurine, 1807

Type species: Pasites maculata, 1807, by original designation
Synonyms: Morgania Smith, 1854; Omachthes Gerstaecker, 1869; Homachthes Dalla Torre, 1896; Omachtes Friese, 1909; Pasitomachthes Bischoff, 1923; Pasitomachtes Sandhouse 1943.

Clade: Anthophila
Family: Apidae
Subfamily: Nomadinae
Tribe: Ammobatini

Estimated min and max body length from the genus.

Countries with known records of the genus (based on Nieto et al. 2014)

Estimated difficulty to accurately identify a specimen as belonging to this genus.

Distinctive traits

•  Black and /or red
• No scopa (Cleptoparasitic bees)
  
• 2 submarginal cells
  
• Truncate marginal cell
  
• Long tongue
  
• Normal scapus
  
• One-toothed mandible
  
• Faint propodeal triangle
  

Pictures of distinctive traits

Morphologically close genera, and how to distinguish them:

• Pasites - Ammobates

Pasites and Ammobates are morphologically very close.
Pasites species have a flat metanotum, tergite 1 much longer than tergite 2, sternite 5 surrounds entirely the basal part of sternite 6, sternite 6 is long and sting-like. Males have 12-segmented antennae.
Ammobates species have a protruding metanotum, tergite 1 about the same size as tergite 2, sternite 5 surrounds only partially the basal part of sternite 6, sternite 6 is short and clearly bidentate. Males have 13-segmented antennae.

• Pasites - Biastes

Pasites species have a normal scapus, longer. Females have a propodeal triangle faint and a unidentate mandible. Males have 12-segmented antennae.
Biastes species have a short and wide scapus, less than twice as long as wide. Females have a clear propodeal triangle and a bidentate mandible. Males have 13-segmented antennae.

• Pasites - Ammobatoides & Schmiedeknechtia

Pasites species have a truncated marginal cell, basal part submarginal cell 1 is about as long as that of submarginal cell 2. Males have non-converging eyes.
Ammobatoides & Schmiedeknechtia species have an oval or pointed marginal cell, basal part of submarginal cell 1 is around twice as long as that of submarginal cell 2. Males have strongly converging eyes.

• Pasites - Clavipanurgus, Flavipanurgus, Panurginus, Panurgus & Simpanurgus
  

Pasites species have a somewhat protruding clypeus and a long-tongue morphology (segments 1 and 2 of maxillary palpi are strongly elongated).
Clavipanurgus, Flavipanurgus, Panurginus, Panurgus & Simpanurgus species have a flat clypeus and a short-tongue morphology of mouthparts (short maxillary palpi).

General comments on Pasites species identification
Pasites is represented by only one species in Europe

Pasites species found in Europe (UICN 2014 + Rasmont et al. 2017)
Pasites (Pasites) maculatus Jurine, 1807

Online resources:
Atlas hymenoptera (France & Belgium)
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)

Page contributors:

• Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2019)

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References used to write this page:

• Engel, M. 2006. A new genus of minute ammobatine bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Acta Entomologica Slovenica, 14(2), 113-121.
• 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. (IUCN 2014)
•  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.