A faunistic survey of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) in the black belt prairie of Mississippi

A survey of bees (Apoidea) in the Black Belt Prairie of northern Mississippi was conducted from 1991 to 2001. Collecting methods included netting specimens from floral hosts and use of malaise traps. The survey resulted in collection of 6138 specimens, of which 3627 were identified to 118 species. Of the 2511 unidentified specimens, the vast majority (2362) were specimens of Lasioglossum Curtis (Halictidae) in groups that are unrevised. The survey resulted in 51 new state records, increasing the total known species of bees in Mississippi to 177. Five species of Andrenidae have disjunct distributions from the Great Plains and western states. A list of the bee species in the Black Belt Prairie is provided with annotations on collection times, floral hosts, and collection methods.