Macropis

Macropis is a small genus of medium-sized, dark-colored bees. Both sexes have very broad, stout hind legs. In the case of the females, the legs are also equipped with special hairs for collecting and transporting plant oil. Males have conspicuous yellow faces and greenish eyes. Their legs are robust but lack the oil-collecting structures. They are highly specialized foragers that feed their brood with a mixture of oil and pollen collected exclusively from Lysimachia plants. In addition, females use the same oil to waterproof their nests, which allows them to inhabit damp soils near water sources such as rivers and lakes. Adults also visit other flowers to feed themselves with nectar. They are only active during the summer, matching the flowering period of their host plant.