Author: Panzer, 1806

Type species: Apis aterrima Panzer, 1798 (not Christ, 1791) = Apis punctulatissima Kirby, 1802, monobasic.
Subgenera: Heterostelis Timberlake, 1941; Protostelis Friese, 1895; Pseudostelis Popov, 1956; Stelidomorpha Morawitz, 1875; Stelis s. str Panzer, 1806;
Synonyms: Doxanthidium Pasteels, 1969; Trachusa Jurine, 1801; Gyrodroma Klug in Illiger, 1807; Gymnus Spinola, 1808; Ceraplastes Gistel, 1848; Chelynia Provancher, 1888; Melanostelis Ashmead, 1898; Stelidium Robertson, 1902; Microstelis Robertson, 1903.
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Megachilidae
SubF: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Distinctive traits
  • black or black and yellow or reddish cuticle
  • 2 submarginal cells
  • 2nd recurrent vein reaching beyond submarginal cell 2.
  • no ventral scopa in females (cleptoparasitic bees)
  • presence of arolium
  • two widely separated apical teeth on anterior and median tibiae (in the Stelidomorpha subgenus one tooth is much larger than the second)
  • Axillae apically separated from the scutellum
Pictures of distinctive traits.
Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them
  • Stelis - Afranthidium, Anthidium, Icteranthidium & Pseudoanthidium
Stelis species do have an arolium between their claws, and females don't have a ventral scopa.
Afranthidium, Anthidium, Icteranthidium & Pseudoanthidium species don't have an arolium between their claws, and females do have a ventral scopa.

Stelis - Anthidiellum, Eoanthidium, Rhodanthidium & Trachusa
Stelis species may have pointed axillae, males have two widely separated apical teeth on their anterior and median tibiae and females have no ventral scopa.
Anthidiellum, Eoanthidium, Rhodanthidium & Trachusa species have rounded axillae, males have one apical tooth (sometimes bifid) on their anterior and median tibiae and females have a ventral scopa.
General comments on Stelis species identification
Species identification relies on different criteria including overall size, pilosity, as well as shape, coloration and punctation of the head, clypeus, mesepisternum, propodeum, hind-basitarsus and metasomal tergites.
Sorry, but the species identification tool is not yet available for Stelis. 
Please check the reference(s) below for traditional keys.
List of the 24 Stelis species found in Europe (IUCN 2014 + Rasmont et al 2017):
Stelis (Heterostelis) annulata (Lepeletier, 1841)
Stelis (Heterostelis) gigantea Friese, 1921
Stelis (Heterostelis) hispanica Dusmet y Alonso, 1921
Stelis (Heterostelis) ruficornis Morawitz, 1872
Stelis (Protostelis) signata (Latreille, 1809)
Stelis (Pseudostelis) denticulata Friese, 1899
Stelis (Pseudostelis) minima Schenck, 1861
Stelis (Pseudostelis) minuta Lepeletier & Serville, 1825
Stelis (Stelidomorpha) aegyptiaca Radoszkowski, 1876
Stelis (Stelidomorpha) nasuta (Latreille, 1809)
Stelis (Stelidomorpha) pentelica Mavromoustakis, 1963
Stelis (Stelis) aculeata Morawitz, 1880
Stelis (Stelis) breviuscula Nylander, 1848
Stelis (Stelis) franconica Blüthgen, 1930
Stelis (Stelis) iugae Noskiewicz, 1962
Stelis (Stelis) odontopyga Noskiewicz, 1926
Stelis (Stelis) orientalis Warncke, 1992
Stelis (Stelis) ornatula (Klug, 1807)
Stelis (Stelis) ortizi Schwarz & Gusenleitner, 2010
Stelis (Stelis) phaeoptera (Kirby, 1802)
Stelis (Stelis) punctulatissima (Kirby, 1802)
Stelis (Stelis) rhodia Mavromoustakis, 1960
Stelis (Stelis) scutellaris Morawitz, 1894
Stelis (Stelis) simillima Morawitz, 1876
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.
  • Ornosa, C., Torres, F., & Ortiz-Sánchez, J. (2009). Claves y datos nuevos de las especies ibéricas del género Stelis Panzer, 1806 (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Megachilidae, Anthidiini). Graellsia, 65(2), 111-132.
  • Kasparek, M. (2015). The cuckoo bees of the genus Stelis Panzer, 1806 in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East: a review and identification guide. Entomofauna, supplement, 18, 1-144.
  • Falk S.J. (2015) Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland. Bloomsbury wildlife guides. 432 p.
Online resources:
Atlas hymenoptera (Belgium & France)
BWARS (UK)
Discover Life (World)
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
Exotic Bee ID (World)
Page contributors:
  • Matthieu Aubert (Aug. 2020)
  • 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.