Unusual Bee Observation

Bee processing and identification for our 2014 bee collections at MPG are nearly complete. Among our bee specimens this year we observed a bilateral gynandromorph species of Halictus farinosus. Gynandromorphy is an infrequent phenomenon where an animal has both male and female characteristics. There have only been 113 recorded cases of gynandromorph bees and only 10 of them exhibited a full bilateral split, with one side composed entirely of male anatomy and the other side female anatomy. Gynandromorphy has been documented in only 3 species within the genus Halictus.

Halictus farinosus Female (Front)

Halictus farinosus Male (Front)

Halictus farinosus Gynandromorph (Front)

In the picture above you can see a distinct split down the middle of the bees’ face. The bee’s left side is male. Its face is hairier and the clypeus (kind of the upper lip of the bee) on that side is yellow. The bee’s left antenna is divided into 13 segments. The legs are yellow and do not have pollen collecting hairs. The bee’s right side is female. It has less hair on the face, the legs and clypeus are dark, it has pollen-collecting hairs on the legs, and there are 12 antennal segments.

Halictus farinosus Male (Back)

Halictus farinosus Female (Back)

Halictus farinosus Gynandromorph (Back)

In the rear view picture of the gynandromorphy bee above, you can again see the leg coloration and hair features as well as a difference in the thickness of hair bands on the abdomen. The female side of the bee (right side of photo) has much thicker hair bands than the bee’s left side with the sparser hair bands of a male H. farinosus.