Bug FAQPatellate Yellow Loosestrife Bee
Macropis patellata · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Melittidae
Macropis patellata is a solitary bee that lives only in the United States, with records from several states such as Minnesota and Virginia. It feeds exclusively on plants in the primrose family, especially Lysimachia ciliata. The bee belongs to the Melittidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Feeds only on primrose-family plants such as Lysimachia ciliata.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio, Connecticut, Vermont, Illinois, Massachusetts.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
Where is Macropis patellata found?
It is only known from the United States, with records in several states such as Minnesota and Virginia.
Source: Wikipedia
What does Macropis patellata eat?
It feeds exclusively on plants in the primrose family, especially Lysimachia ciliata.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Melittidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macropis_patellata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-29 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-29.