Author: Schenck, 1861

Type species: Rhophitoides distinguendus Schenck, 1861 = Rhophites cana Eversmann, 1852, monobasic.
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Halictidae
Subfamily: Rophitinae
Tribe: Rophitini
Distinctive traits
  • 2 submarginal cells
  • short clypeus so that antennae are inserted below the middle of the eyes
  • scutellum longer than the propodeal horizontal area
  • females have no frontal spines
Pictures of distinctive traits.
Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them
  • Rophitoides - Rophites
Rophitoides species have labial palpi not very elongate, with segments 1-3 about the length of those of maxillary palpi. Females have no frontal spines. Males have antennae with segments about as long as wide.
Rophites species have very elongated labial palpi, with segments 1-3 much longer than those of maxillary palpi. Females have frontal spines. Males have long antennae, with segments distinctly longer than wide.
  • Rophitoides - Dufourea
Rophitoides have abdominal hairs bands and a propodeal horizontal area shorter than the scutellum and forming a clear angle with the posterior face of the propodeum.
Dufourea have no abdominal hairs band, and a propodeal horizontal area longer than the scutellum and posteriorly rounded.
General comments on Rophitoides species identification
The two species of Rophitoides are not sympatric, R. epiroticus being endemic to Greece and southern areas of North Macedonia and Bulgaria. The males can be diagnosed by the colour of their antennae, entirely black in R. epiroticus.
Sorry, but the species identification tool is not yet available for Rophitoides. 
Please check the reference(s) below for traditional keys.
List of the 2 Rophitoides species found in Europe (IUCN 2014 + Rasmont et al 2017):
Rophitoides (Rophitoides) canus (Eversmann, 1852)
Rophitoides (Rophitoides) epiroticus Schwammberger, 1975
References with identification keys for some of the species:
  • Schwammberger K.H. 1975. Die bisher bekanntgewordenen Arten der Bienengattung Rhophitoides Schenck (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae). Senckerbergiana biologica, 56: 57-63.
  • Pesenko, Y.A., Banaszak, J., Radchenko, V.G. & Cierzniak, T. 2000. Bees of the family Halictidae (excluding Sphecodes) of Poland. Bydgoszcz. 348pp.
Online resources:
Atlas hymenoptera (World, Europe & Belgium)
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.